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    Japanese in Depth Vol.3
    Japanese in Depth Vol.3
    Japanese in Depth Vol.3
    Ebook35 pages33 minutes

    Japanese in Depth Vol.3

    By International Communication Institute

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    About this ebook

    This is vol.3 of the collection of monthly columns contributed to The Daily Yomiuri, Japan's nationwide English newspaper. It amusingly illustrates how mindsets are different between English and Japanese. It's an eye opener for English as well as Japanese.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInternational Communication Institute
    Release dateMay 14, 2012
    ISBN9781476485836
    Japanese in Depth Vol.3
    Author

    International Communication Institute

    The International Communication Institute is a language institute based in Tokyo, Japan.ICI was founded in 1987. Since then, it has continued to bridge cultural differences through communication. Recently ICI created a unique Japanese textbook series called "Step Up Nihongo". It went on to develop the e-learning version of the textbooks called "eSUN" and now has an online class to study with a Japanese instructor.ICI is continuing to do its best to provide meaningful content for those interested in studying Japanese.

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      Book preview

      Japanese in Depth Vol.3 - International Communication Institute

      Japanese in Depth vol. 3

      Copyright 2006 by International Communication Institute

      Smashwords Edition

      21. No language better than others

      By Shigekatsu Yamauchi

      Founder of ICI (the International Communication Institute)

      www.stepupnihongo.com

      www.icijapan.com

      My very first article, dated April 20 2004, Why Study Japanese?, was basically dedicated to discussing the purposes of studying Japanese.

      The obvious major reason is to acquire the skills required to communicate with Japanese people for practical purposes, such as: to obtain necessary information, ranging from the location of the bathroom to academic knowledge; or, to express necessary information, ranging from plain requests to intellectual arguments.

      The other reason is not normally discussed much, but in my view is equally, if not more, important. That reason is to better know your own language and its point of view. Because Japanese is completely different from most students’ native tongues it is easy to get a totally new perspective on your native language. This is comparable to how one comes to see one’s own country more objectively after returning to it from some time away.

      For these reasons, over the last year and three quarters, I have tried to be informative (also entertaining) for Japanese language learners and those interested in viewing English from a different perspective. In doing so, I obviously have to compare the two languages, or sometimes refer to other languages to make relevant points.

      Making these comparisons, I usually have to say that one language is more regular, logical or simple, compared with some other, with respect to that particular point. At times, some readers have interpreted me to be implying that Japanese is superior to English. It is my belief that languages are what they are: there is no superiority or inferiority in them. It seems absurd to me that recognizing differences between languages could be interpreted as a condemnation of one or the other. Obviously, not every language sees the world the same way – indeed, that any two would share any particular viewpoint seems only coincidence to me. The vast majority of students, and readers of mine, probably share my conviction that every language (like every culture) is fascinating and intriguing in its own way.

      Let’s review some of the aspects of language I have discussed so far:

      1. Regularity

      In terms of writing, Japanese is quite complex and irregular. This, however, derives from the fact that it is written using Chinese characters, which are from a completely different language. In terms of grammar, Japanese sticks quite strictly to its rules, and is regular and straightforward, therefore.

      2. Pronunciation

      Japanese is composed of much fewer sound elements

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