THE LANGUAGE CONSTITUTING MY WORLD(S) By: Nene Hamada History homework is so mendokusai, can we do it atode? Demo our deadline is raishuu. I know but I’m so nemui kyou because I all-nighter shita.
number of mandatory hours spent on teaching
is a concept I have long questioned as I began
English in elementary school.2
identifying myself as a mediator of Japanese
As someone who is able to juggle both English and Japanese simultaneously, I find
and English. I
greatly
detested
untranslatability
that the English language has transformed
because this linguistic issue led me to nearly
Japanese society by fully integrating the
losing fluency in both my languages. I may
Foreign terms floating in the middle
language into different aspects of everyday
speak for many people when I say the mixing
of English sentences, words sprinkled into
life. From the booming Western music from
in English words into a conservation carried
Japanese conversation—phrases like these
the commercials at the Shibuya Crossing to
out in any different tongue, is a common
were common if not a daily standard. Growing
translations of traditional Japanese cuisine on
way of filling in linguistic gaps. The hybrid
up with one foot in Japanese society and
menus—seeing English used in both Japan’s
“Japanglish” language I used back in high
another in a Western one, has been a peculiar
historic and contemporary cultural scenes are
school was an original language that enabled
and unique journey.
more prevalent than ever. However, such acts
smooth communication between those with
sometimes produce unfavorable outcomes due
familiarity to both the Japanese and English
What is certainly visible in many Asian countries and notably Japan, is how language acts as a dominating influence on cultures. The environment of speech in Japan today versus the time when Commodore Matthew Perry first opened up the isolationist Japan to the outside world in 1854, differ in significant ways. Currently, Japan is ranked 11th out of 21 Asian countries surveyed on the EF English Proficiency Index, the lowest it has ever been placed in the past eight years.1 However, in recognition of the growing need to adapt to globalization, especially with the island nation’s preparation to host the 2020 Tokyo
language. Nonetheless, using the lexical gap
From the booming Western music from the commercials at the Shibuya Crossing to translations of traditional Japanese cuisine on menus— seeing English used in both Japan’s historic and contemporary cultural scenes are more prevalent than ever.
Olympics, Japan is undergoing change. Shifts
as a reason to depend on this new “language” distanced me away from both the Japanese and English speaking community. In many cases, language acts as a bridge over cultural differences. Yet, the opposite is equally possible as with my experiences— language, used to facilitate communication amongst elongating
different the
individuals,
distance
may
between
be
those
involved in the exchange. In Japanese, there are a set of pseudo-loanwords called “waseieigo” which translates to “Japanese-made English.”
These
are
English-like
words
in the teaching requirements of the English
to the issue of “lexical gaps” in linguistics. The
which the Japanese people have created, that
language are of national focal interest, as the
fact that I find words that are hard to translate
are either misleading or do not hold a direct
Ministry of Education plans reforms on the
between my two languages in everyday use,
meaning in the native English language.
1 “EF EPI 2019 - EF English Proficiency Index.” EF EPI 2019 - EF English Proficiency Index, EF.; “EF 英語能力指数国別ランキング発表！日本の英語力は世界で何位？.” 読んで身に付く英語勉強法マガジン. 2 “English Education Reform Plan Corresponding to Globalization.” MEXT, International Education Division, Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau.
34 Personal Essays