The English of Japanese Businessmen

Fujimura, Maryana Antonia. (2018). The English of Japanese Businessmen. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of English Language and Literature. [mentor Josipović Smojver, Višnja].

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Abstract

The contact of English, as the world's most widely spread and internationally used language today and Japanese, a language belonging to no language family and restricted mainly to the narrow area of the Japanese archipelago, is illustrated on the analyses of three interviews given by high ranking Japanese businessmen speaking English. In all three cases the interference of the Japanese language has been detected. It was most notable in the pronunciation of English sounds that do not exist in Japanese and covered with the sounds belonging to the Japanese phonological system, or their variations. The influence of Japanese on English was also noticed in grammar, specifically in the usage of articles, singular and plural forms, tenses and auxiliary verbs, all being the areas where English and Japanese differ the most. Finally, in all three cases rhythm, stress and intonation typical of the Japanese language were found. As expected, there is a notable interference of the native Japanese language, which needs to be taken into account to ensure better and easier communication with Japanese speakers of English.

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