So strict
Dec 14th 2009 23:45
Since when did Japanese people become so strict? I already knew that they were. But I was really surprised.
http://lang-8.com/101433/journals/311408/%E3%80%8C%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AF%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%8C%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E5%84%AA%E5%85%88%E3%81%A7%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E6%AC%A1%E3%81%8C%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%A7%E3%81%99%E3%81%A8%E3%81%84%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%80%82%E3%80%8D%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AE%E6%84%9F%E6%83%B3
Actually I'm going to translate some people's comments on another blog into English, because I have nothing to write today, but I still want to write something.
The entry's title was, "The no.1 priority in China is to learn English, and then Japanese.". The author is a young Chinese woman who is learning Japanese. From her profile, it seems that she is really into manga. She said that she doesn't agree with this opinion in her entry. She wants to put a priority on learning Japanese rather than English, because Japan and China share many cultural similarities. Her Japanese is really casual, which I just envy. But Japanese people's reactions in their comments were really surprising.
(1)I have read another of your entries and think you're really good at Japanese on the whole. But, anime and manga seem to have a big influence on you. It's OK if you write about them in your personal entries. But if you want to use Japanese in business, you should learn correct Japanese, not casual Japanese.
(2)I'm happy to see that you prefer Japanese to English. But I think it's better for you to be competent in both English and Japanese. Japanese people used to feel like "English is No.1 and Asia is second best.". However, Japan has developed since then, and that feeling is disappearing. Now we want to learn and absorb other cultures, while also introducing our own culture to people all over the world.
(3)I just can't understand at all why you want to write about this serious topic in such a casual way at all. What affected you? Is it the way your friends talk? You would be perfect if you wrote in more beautiful Japanese. I especially want you to stop using `～っすか`. I can't stand it anymore. Could you learn the proper Japanese, please.
(4)You are good at writing in the style of a young girl. But you can't use it in public or with elderly people.
Well, OK. I'll stop here. There are as many opinions as there are people. I'm happy to accept them.
http://lang-8.com/101433/journals/311408/%E3%80%8C%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AF%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%8C%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E5%84%AA%E5%85%88%E3%81%A7%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E6%AC%A1%E3%81%8C%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%A7%E3%81%99%E3%81%A8%E3%81%84%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%80%82%E3%80%8D%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AE%E6%84%9F%E6%83%B3
Actually I'm going to translate some people's comments on another blog into English, because I have nothing to write today, but I still want to write something.
The entry's title was, "The no.1 priority in China is to learn English, and then Japanese.". The author is a young Chinese woman who is learning Japanese. From her profile, it seems that she is really into manga. She said that she doesn't agree with this opinion in her entry. She wants to put a priority on learning Japanese rather than English, because Japan and China share many cultural similarities. Her Japanese is really casual, which I just envy. But Japanese people's reactions in their comments were really surprising.
(1)I have read another of your entries and think you're really good at Japanese on the whole. But, anime and manga seem to have a big influence on you. It's OK if you write about them in your personal entries. But if you want to use Japanese in business, you should learn correct Japanese, not casual Japanese.
(2)I'm happy to see that you prefer Japanese to English. But I think it's better for you to be competent in both English and Japanese. Japanese people used to feel like "English is No.1 and Asia is second best.". However, Japan has developed since then, and that feeling is disappearing. Now we want to learn and absorb other cultures, while also introducing our own culture to people all over the world.
(3)I just can't understand at all why you want to write about this serious topic in such a casual way at all. What affected you? Is it the way your friends talk? You would be perfect if you wrote in more beautiful Japanese. I especially want you to stop using `～っすか`. I can't stand it anymore. Could you learn the proper Japanese, please.
(4)You are good at writing in the style of a young girl. But you can't use it in public or with elderly people.
Well, OK. I'll stop here. There are as many opinions as there are people. I'm happy to accept them.
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Banira, that is really interesting. Fortunately for me, those Japanese who have commented on my journal entries have been very kind and supportive of me. I have experienced the strickness of Japanese before but also their kindness and great effort to make me feel comfortable and welcome.
I am not Japanese, but I like -すか?^^ What do you think?
Hey, Banira.
It's an interesting post.
I wonder if when Japanese people were young, their teachers or parents scolded them for speaking that way, and maybe that's why some people feel they need to scold us for speaking too casually. I get scolded for talking too boyish, saying things like じゃねーよ and 何とかしてくれーよ。 I like that style of Japanese, that's why I use it, you know? Maybe if someone made a really cool textbook or show or comic in which the characters use polite Japanese, it'd catch on more with foreigners learning Japanese. :)
Thank you for your lenient attitude towards our ways of using Japanese.
感謝するわ。
エヘン、
つまり、
感謝しております。 ；）
The polite form is used when talking to strangers so the MAJORITY of the time you will be using the polite form hence why they as well I think it should be learned first.
To make sense of the Japanese person's 3 main points:
1. Summary of what he said: "Polite form of Japanese is a big thing to learn, sure anime and manga is nice, but you really shouldn't conceptualize the Japanese way of living through anime and manga."
In otherwords... he thinks the original diary writer is being like an オタク[Otaku] and well overall is disrespecting the Japanese language/culture by thinking its all just a big cartoon.
2. Pretty much the person is saying that 'Japan is awesome, but please don't take priority of us over anyone else in the world'. In other words just Japanese humility showing itself in an interesting way.
3. The casual connotation also slightly offends the Japanese person as the discussion of "English vs. Asia" is a more serious topic and well talking about it in a non-serious manner is disrespect towards the topic, Japan, and possibly English speaking countries.
Disclaimer:
Quite honestly I am not an expert on Japanese culture so I cannot guarantee that this is what the Japanese speaker's thoughts/intentions were, but this is what I have analyzed about the situation based upon what I know about Japan/the Japanese people. If I'm horribly inaccurate I apologize to the Japanese Culture and its people.
We studied keigo this past semester in my Japanese class. After we took the "keigo" test and thought we had conquered keigo, our instructor told us there were MORE keigo words and humbles and honorifics, etc. It felt like climbing a mountain and getting to the top only to realize that we hadn't reached the top, but only a ledge at the bottom ._.
Having said all this, I wish I could really use keigo properly and learn more of it. I think I wouldn't come across so rude if I were to use it more often. ^^;
英語なおしてくださって、ありがとうございます！
みなさんの、反響が少し大きくて、びっくりしました。
私としては、無関心と言うわけではないけれども、
中国の人が、英語を勉強しても、日本語を勉強しても、
どちらでもいいと思っています。
(多分みんなそう思っていますよね。)
さらに思うのは、中国でもすでに英語や日本語を話せる人はいるのだから、
他の言語を話せるほうが、仕事には、「お得」かもしれません。
といいながら、私はマイナーな言語を勉強しようとは思いませんが。。
やっぱり、私には英語です！
これは、もう絶対です！！