The role of native language in the acquisition of modern Japanese. A brief investigation into linguistic and socio-linguistic competences of the Polish learners of Japanese language

Abstract

 Aim. The article aims to discuss issues regarding the knowledge and linguistic skills of Polish people learning Japanese. The main aim is to present the factors which either accelerate or hamper the learning process - above all native language, the effect of extra-linguistic factors in forming communication skills, and the role of the teacher in developing socio-linguistic skills. These considerations are accompanied by some thoughts on the potential introduction of interlanguage in the initial stage of language learning.

Method. The main research tool was a questionnaire distributed amongst university and private school students in Krakow. Forty people took part in the research, aged between 20 and 25.

Research results. Respondents answered six questions which addressed such issues as theoretical knowledge on the general rules and structure of Japanese, the relation of students to grammatical etiquette, the use of various linguistic registers, and ability to distinguish between written and spoken Japanese. Additionally, in analysing five processes of linguistic ossification demonstrative of a transitional language, the most common mistakes in spontaneous conversation with a Japanese native speaker are presented.

Conclusions. Analysis of the results shows that native language plays a significant role when learning Japanese. This may have either a positive or negative influence, because on the one hand a greater linguistic awareness leads to a better understanding of the target language, but on the other hand the native language may be the source of a linguistic barrier, as well as mistakes resulting from copying language patterns. The research also emphasises the role of the teacher, whose personality, experience, and teaching methods are not without influence on the behaviour of foreign language students.