How many high frequency words of English do Japanese university freshmen (original) (raw)
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How L1 Loanwords Can Create a False Sense of Familiarity with L2 Vocabulary Meaning and Usage
Vocabulary Learning and Instruction, 2013
Almost 50% of high-frequency English (L2) words have Japanese cognates in the form of loanwords, and depending on cognate type these are generally considered to be an excellent way to promote vocabulary retention. However, relatively unexplored is the impact loanword cognates have on word usage in sentences. This paper will describe the discrepancies between students' perceived knowledge and actual knowledge of meaning and usage of English words with Japanese cognates. The results suggest that cognates which are usually more difficult for students to retain, such as distant false friends (because they have undergone a semantic shift), are not the only source of difficulty in terms of word usage. In addition to this, it appears loanword cognates that students consider themselves to know can create a false sense of familiarity with L2 meaning and usage. True cognates and convergent cognates, which are generally considered the easiest to recall meaning of, showed the most discrepancies in terms of accurate word usage.
2005
For Japanese students considering university study in an English-speaking country, high-frequency vocabulary for everyday communication, and academic vocabulary for lectures and homework are essential. The first part of this study indicates that the average Japanese university student has deficiencies in both types of vocabulary; however, English-based loanwords in Japanese are already helping them. A second part of this study reveals that a quarter of the academic words correspond to loanwords. 4
English-Based Loanwords: Characteristics, Learner Preferences, and Pedagogical Potential
Journal of International Culture, 7(2), pp. 1-40, 2014
The borrowing of loanwords into Korean is prevalent and is occurring at a quickening pace. In the learning of English vocabulary, the English cognates of these English-based loanwords (EBLs) could be targeted for instruction, but rarely are. Indeed, their inclusion in vocabulary learning is often stigmatized, and research on the use of EBLs in Korean discourse and on classroom instruction on their English cognates is minimal. This study sets out a classification of EBLs, based on their differences from their English cognates, and quantifies these differences with a quality designation. This EBL quality score identifies the types of differences for which more focused instruction may be required. The survey also show that learners us a considerable number of English cognates of EBLs in their written production and general use. However, the study also reveals that learners often do not know how the English cognates that they are using differ from their EBLs or even whether they differ in any way. It is obvious that there are pedagogical ramifications of these findings, and it is indeed proposed that much more attention be accorded to cognates of EBLs for a rapid English lexicon expansion and English cognate understanding.
Reaffirming a Preference for English Loanwords by Japanese Learners
2019
This non-experimental study gauged the English lexical preferences of 545 native Japanese university students. Specifically, this univariate design collated the frequency of English loanword selection in preference to non-borrowed lexical items. A major focus of the study design was instrument validity, addressing the flaws of two previous studies (Brown, 1995; Small, 2002). With keen attention to vocabulary level, the Genius English-Japanese dictionary 5th edition (Minamide, 2014) facilitated the compilation of an initial, sizeable loanword corpus. Subsequent meticulous corpus revisions provided the lexical content for an instrument featuring loanword vocabulary options. The research instrument comprised 50 brief sentences, each with four valid lexical items in a multiple choice format. Thirty sentences included the choice of one English loanword. The combined frequency of loanword selection from an initial study (n = 283) and a replicated study (n = 262) (N = 545) showed an overall relative frequency average of 0.42. Chi-square analyses of the data comparing both studies indicated that differences in lexical selection were significant at p<.05 for 15 of the sentences with loanwords. Some of the limitations of working with nominal data are highlighted. The use of loanwords by native Japanese speakers can impede effective communication in English because they are not always an appropriate lexical choice. To help minimise perceived and pragmatic failure when communicating, Japanese need to be aware of the pitfalls of using loanwords and improve their English proficiency by increasing their lexical range and flexibility.
2014
English loanwords (LWs), gairaigo in Japanese, make up a much greater percentage of the Japanese language than many university English teachers realize, especially if their native language is not Japanese. Unfortunately, a gairaigo bias exists which has made these LWs unpopular amongst teachers and researchers. The aim of this study is to compare student over-estimation and under-estimation of their knowledge of English LWs on yes–no vocabulary tests with an equal number of non-loanwords (NLWs). Undergraduate students from four Japanese universities (n 455) took two vocabulary tests of their receptive and passive recall knowledge of LWs and NLWs. Six LWs and six NLWs from each of the eight JACET 8000 levels were tested in a selfreport yes–no test followed by a passive recall translation test (English to Japanese) of the same 96 items. Overall, over-estimation rates were nearly equal at 24.6% for LWs and 25.8% for NLWs. Additionally, overestimation was more prevalent for NLWs at the ...
English Loanwords in Japanese as a Bridge to Vocabulary Acquisition
学習院女子大学紀要, 2013
─ 2 ─ 学習院女子大学 紀要 第15号 used English words, computer and technology related terms, and academic vocabulary. As such, these English loanwords provide a valuable source and useful tool for Japanese learners of English. Nonetheless, there are some pitfalls in blindly accepting English loanwords in Japanese as simply English, because transformations such as phonological, morphological, semantic and syntactical change can occur when an English word enters the Japanese language (Kay, 1995). Some scholars argue that English loanwords hinder the ability of Japanese people in acquiring English skills. However, this is where the role of English language teaching comes in. Using English loanwords in Japanese as a source of vocabulary building exercise, English language teachers can fill in the gap by clarifying any differences between a loanword and its actual English counterpart, thereby enhancing English vocabulary acquisition for Japanese learners. This paper examines the development, functions, adaptations and effects of English loanwords in Japanese and purports that by recognizing and understanding these influencing factors, the Japanese lexicon of English cognate words can be approached as an effective tool in English language acquisition. Development of English Loanwords in Japanese Japan' s first contact with Western languages occurred in the mid-sixteenth century through Portuguese traders and missionaries. Portuguese words related to Christianity, Western science, technology and products entered the Japanese language during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Words such as kuristo (Christ) , Iesu (Jesus) , tempura (deep-fried seafood/vegetables) tabako (tobacco/cigarette) and pan (bread) are derived from Portuguese. Though there was a short presence of English traders in Japan in the early seventeenth century, the influence of English words on the Japanese language was sparse and minimal (Cannon, 1996). The western country with the longest contact with pre-modern Japan was Holland. The Dutch entered Japan in the early seventeenth century and remained even during Japan' s period of national isolation from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-nineteenth century. After Japan closed off its ports to Western traders, the Dutch continued to trade with Japan through the port of Nagasaki and became Japan' s main source of information about Western culture and science. A new school of thought known as rangaku (Dutch Learning) developed, through which Japanese scholars studied European medicine, astronomy, botany and chemistry from Dutch theoretical and scientific texts (Rosenhouse and Kowner, 2008). Many of Dutch vocabulary borrowings into the Japanese language are still used today, such as biiru (beer) , koohii (coffee) , pistoru