The future of Japanese (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

The future of Japanese
Tags: Language Importance \| Reasons for study \| Japanese
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

46 messages over 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >>

stephen_g
Groupie
Canada
Joined 6330 days ago
44 posts - 84 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Hindi, Italian

Message 17 of 46

29 September 2010 at 9:39am | IP Logged

lichtrausch wrote:

Arekkusu wrote:

Except for the part of Asia where Hindi will be the lingua franca, of course.

I can definitely see that happening one day, but things haven't even started to move in
that direction yet so I'm pessimistic that it will happen by mid-century.

I'm a bit skeptical about this ever happening. Hindi-Urdu already is somewhat of a
lingua franca from the Pashtun areas of Afghanistan across to Bengal in the East and
Maharashtra in the South, but I don't think there's much more expansion to be done,
simply some consolidation.

Pakistani Pashtuns are often users of Urdu, for obvious reasons. Knowledge in
Afghanistan itself is much lower, but I can see it increasing under specific
economic/political conditions.

Hindi is the mother tongue across the heart of North India, and proper knowledge of it
even in areas where a diglossia emerges between Standard Hindi and local "dialects" is
quite common. It is widely understood in Punjab. Many in Gujarat, West Bengal,
Bangladesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Assam and Nepal understand Hindi due to both the
education system and, more importantly, Indian mass media.

Many in South India ideologically hold out against Hindi despite it being considered a
national language. Tamil country in particular is unlikely to accept Hindi. They have a
long tradition of anti-Hindi politics and much prefer the political and economic use of
English.

Really, I can't see Hindi-Urdu emerging as a "lingua franca" beyond the general borders
already established. Growth in knowledge will occur within that area as the quality of
education increases, and both South India and Afghanistan are still frontiers of
expansion, but that's about it. Anyone else who wants to deal with Indians and
Pakistanis would likely be dealing with English-speaking businessmen.
1 person has voted this message useful

Hanekawa
Diglot
Newbie
United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5173 days ago
30 posts - 36 votes
Speaks: English*, French
Studies: Japanese, Korean

Message 18 of 46

29 September 2010 at 9:48am | IP Logged

cathrynm wrote:

Hanekawa wrote:

For people who say "They learned Japanese because of
animu, manga, gaming, etc" Yeah, they may have started learning it, but they didn't
even reach basic fluency because they are weaboos. >8C

Bahh. Well, I haven't reached basic fluency yet, though due to accident of birth, I'm
basically immune to the weaboo label, and yet I've met plenty of Anime fans who are
really quite fluent at Japanese. It's just not true that there aren't anime fans who
learn Japanese -- they are out there.

Really, this whole 'weaboo' business gives me the creeps. Japanese is already hard
enough, and the whole process seems to requires some amount of sounding ridiculous and
other uncomfortable moments. Not everyone gets there. I may not.

I just hate it because I say "I'm learning Japanese."
"WEABOOOOOOOOO. SHUN SHUNN."

"Whoah dude, calm down...I'm normal."

Although I do like Naruto.
1 person has voted this message useful

leosmith
Senior Member
United States
Joined 6551 days ago
2365 posts - 3804 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Tagalog

Message 19 of 46

29 September 2010 at 11:45am | IP Logged

furrykef wrote:

If you don't love the hell out of Japanese -- and love it for what it is, not what it can do for you -
- you will never learn it successfully.

Strongly disagree. Not everyone needs to love a language to be able to learn it. Can't hurt though.
2 persons have voted this message useful

furrykef
Senior Member
United States
furrykef.com/
Joined 6473 days ago
681 posts - 862 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Japanese, Latin, Italian

Message 20 of 46

29 September 2010 at 11:54pm | IP Logged

leosmith wrote:

Strongly disagree. Not everyone needs to love a language to be able to learn it.

With a language like Spanish or Italian (assuming a native language of English or something comparable), I would agree with you, though the difficulty is still magnified greatly if you don't love it. But with Japanese, no, I don't believe it. I think the only three possible ways to learn Japanese are:
1. Love it
2. Grow up in Japan
3. Have it shoved down your throat (e.g. if it's the only way you're allowed to communicate)

If you can show me somebody who voluntarily learned Japanese, kanji and all, but never really loved the language, I'll be very surprised.

1 person has voted this message useful

The Real CZ
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5650 days ago
1069 posts - 1495 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Japanese, Korean

Message 21 of 46

30 September 2010 at 12:30am | IP Logged

lichtrausch wrote:

By mid-century, Mandarin will be the lingua franca of East Asia, but English will remain
dominant in most of the rest of the world. You heard it here first.

If Mandarin was going to be the lingua franca of East Asia, it probably would have been done hundreds of years ago.
1 person has voted this message useful

lichtrausch
Triglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5961 days ago
525 posts - 1072 votes

Speaks: English*, German, Japanese
Studies: Korean, Mandarin

Message 23 of 46

30 September 2010 at 2:12am | IP Logged

The Real CZ wrote:

If Mandarin was going to be the lingua franca of East Asia, it probably would have been
done hundreds of years ago.

Only within the past 100 years has Mandarin become influential in South and West China.
And China was in the middle of a period of extreme weakness, from which it has only very
recently emerged. The conditions for Mandarin becoming the lingua franca of East Asia are
only now becoming available.
1 person has voted this message useful

The Real CZ
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5650 days ago
1069 posts - 1495 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Japanese, Korean

Message 24 of 46

30 September 2010 at 2:25am | IP Logged

Yeah, but you're not ignoring the fact that Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans all hate each other. I don't see Mandarin replacing English as the linqua franca in East Asia.

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