The author of this issue’s essay came to Japan to study the Japanese language. After four years of undergraduate study, Yang Chen came to realize that because English is an international language, learning it also, might provide greater opportunities to communicate while traveling, to earn money, and to build a career. In this vibrant essay, the graduate student reveals the process of how she came to a decision on where to learn English.
I Can’t Stop Thinking About Where Else I Should Go to Learn English
Yang Chen, Graduate School of The International University of Kagoshima
My academic clock is ticking. Having come to Japan to study at the graduate school level, I find that I cannot stop thinking about where else I should go before returning to work in China. My dream is to enjoy traveling to places where I have never been. I hope to see the scenery of Canada and to hear the folk stories of Ireland. I really should also experience debating with people in America who likely hold different values and opinions from me. Zhang (2004) suggested that the best teaching countermeasure for Chinese students with low fluency levels is to immerse themselves in an English-speaking milieu. If I really want to improve my fluency in oral English expression, it seems that I have to change my environment. I decided to overcome the main cause affecting my average performance by traveling to a country where English is spoken. Photographing the unique flora and fauna of Australia and New Zealand is tempting, but it might be easier for me if I travel to countries where English is spoken as an international language rather than a native language. As I have been bitten by the travel bug, it might, however, be easier for me to travel and shop in Korea, order noodles in Vietnam, or go to a beach in Indonesia if I can relate to people who are speaking in English as an international language (EIL). According to a study by Tauchid et al. (2022) conducted in Indonesia and Japan, the way that English is used in business, culture, and education—as well as the attitudes regarding English-related diversity and practices for multicultural communication—are statistically similar. Therefore, in this essay, I explain my thought process for making a decision about where to study the English language.
The First Time I Came to Japan
When I first came to Kagoshima, I fell in love with this small city on the edge of Japan. When I flew in to southern Kyushu, I looked down at the buildings and the warm sea hugging Mt. Sakurajima’s volcano. The first people I met were very gentle and friendly. I encountered a tranquility that I had never experienced before. I was 19 years old when I came to start college life in Japan. When I selected a seminar, I wanted to listen to authentic English. That is why I chose a seminar on Haiku poetry taught by a native-English-speaking teacher. Through my seminar, I had a happy life, made good friends, and found a new hobby, which was haiku poetry. At nineteen, I did not know much about haiku, but I was very familiar with Chinese poems, so I started comparing the differences between Chinese poems and Japanese haiku. When I felt I was ready, I began to study haiku in English.
Classroom Learning Environment in Japan
As a student from China, studying Japanese in Japan makes sense because I can immerse myself in this target language. Learning English, however, is more challenging because my classmates also struggle, and we do not have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in an English-speaking environment on campus. In daily life, I mainly use Chinese to communicate with friends, which increases the difficulty of language learning. It is rare to come into contact with native English speakers, who are students. When guest speakers come to my university to give lectures in English, I am usually the first student to volunteer to approach them. An example of this can be seen in Figure 1 in which, despite being nervous, I decided to present my calligraphy to a visiting professor from North Carolina State University.
I am comfortable enough communicating in English with international classmates in Japan. That might be because we use simple grammatical structures and a limited number of words. However, I tend to stumble when reading texts longer than one or two pages because I have not reached a satisfactory lexical threshold of 5,000 words (Nation, 1990), and I falter with the different meanings of phrasal verbs. I also get confused by homonyms; words that have the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings (Wang et al., 2018).
Knowing 5,000 words, of course, involves far more than simply recognizing the meaning of each word. The vocabulary of English is huge, and English words are constantly being updated. Mastering more than 5,000 vocabulary items will be a challenge and will require memorization and perseverance. In addition, the grammatical structure of English is different from that of Chinese and Japanese, which requires a lot of my time and energy to understand. I have trouble understanding phrasal verbs, such as “take off” and “step down,” and also differentiating between “be about to,” “had better,” and “be bound to.” The phrase “had better” is more confusing for my Japanese classmates because they lack a direct equivalent of it in the Japanese language. In classroom discussions on learning different grammatical forms, we found subtle differences between “had better,” “should,” “would better,” and “ought to.” Even when I read simple stories, I continue to be confused by homonyms such as “bare” and “bear.” When I read a sentence like, “It is of the utmost importance,” I tend to think the word “upmost” is more logical in terms of its meaning.
The Influence of Learning Methods and Motivation
The choice of learning method seems to have a crucial impact on learning (Tauchid et al., 2022). Interest is a key factor in learning. If learners lack interest because they cannot use English, the enthusiasm and motivation in the learning process will be affected, making it more difficult to learn English. I have started watching English movies not only to pass the time, but perhaps also to help me to stay motivated. Hollywood movies that are within the threshold of 5,000 words include the Marvel series and Harry Potter films. Such movies are far from reality, but are fun to watch. I choose to watch versions with Chinese and English subtitles, because if I do not hear the words clearly, I can take a look at the subtitles. I also read children’s books which are simple yet interesting, including The Little Prince, The Wizard of Oz, and Heidi. I write notes in the margins of words that I do not know while reading. After reading the books once, I read them again. The second time I get a different sense of the book. In the future I might try to become friends with native English speakers on the Internet, hoping that I could offer to teach Chinese in exchange for online lessons in English. I thought by studying hard together, we might also become better friends together.
In the Future
In the process of learning English, I realize that it is important for me to master basic vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. According to Zhang (2004), however, English language learners need to actively practice speaking and reading in order to truly improve their English proficiency. I also hope to better understand the cultures and ideas from around the world by going to various countries to enrich my personal learning experience. In short, learning English requires continuous effort, but as long as I maintain my enthusiasm for learning and make a reasonable learning plan, I can succeed (Wang et al., 2018).
No matter where I finally decide to go before returning to China, however, if I cannot communicate in English, I will likely not have a good travel experience. Mastering EIL will probably help me greatly to enjoy the experience of international travel, perhaps increase my salary, and open doors to a budding career. As an internationally-used language, mastering English by traveling overseas will not only broaden my learning horizons, but also improve my professional competitiveness and lay a solid foundation for future development.
References
Nation, P. (1990). Teaching and learning vocabulary. Newbury House.
Tauchid, A., Saleh, M., Hartono, R., & Mujiyanto, J. (2022). English as an international language (EIL) views in Indonesia and Japan: A survey research. Heliyon, 8(10), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10785
Wang, B., Sun, M., & Ma, L. (2018). On the factors hindering Chinese college students English reading and possible strategies. Overseas English, 3, 218–219. https://caod.oriprobe.com/articles/53213705/on_the_factors_hindering_chi...
Zhang D. (2004). Analysis of factors influencing Chinese college students’ oral fluency in English and the ensuing strategies in teaching. Foreign Language World, 1, 15–20. https://caod.oriprobe.com/articles/21949459/Analyses_of_factors_influenc...
