Shanghai Normal University Conference onIdentity and Intercultural Communication

December 28-29, 2008

English as a Multicultural Language and Intercultural Communication

Nobuyuki HonnaAoyama Gakuin University

Email: nyhonna@a2en.aoyama.ac.jp

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Topics of Presentation

1. Two Characteristics of Contemporary English (Introduction)

2. Diffusion and Adaptation3. Lexical and Syntactic Creations4. World Englishes5. Overcoming Intervarietal Incommunicability6. Identity and English Across Cultures

(Conclusion)

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Two Major Characteristics of Contemporary English

1. Global Spread:Internationalization of English

2. Development of National Varieties: Diversification of English

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ENLUK

USA

Australia

Canada 　

NZ

ESLGhanaIndiaKenyaPakistanSingapore

…

EILChinaCISEgyptFranceGermanyIndonesiaJapanKoreaSpainTurkeyVietnamZimbabwe…

The Global Spread of English

While inspired by the three historically concentric circles of Kachru (1992: 356), this diagram is rather intended to depict the current spread of English from a geopolitical point of view.

ENL= English as a native languageESL= English as a second languageEIL= English as an international language

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ENL= English as a native languageESL= English as a second languageEIL= English as an international language

ENLAustraliaCanadaNew ZealandUKUSA

ESLBruneiIndiaMalaysiaPakistanPhilippinesSingaporeSri Lanka…

EILAfghanistanBangladeshCambodiaChinaIndonesiaJapanKoreaLaosMaldivesMyanmarNepalThailandVietnam…

English in Asia

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Spread of English Among Non-Native Speakers: English as a Multinational / Multicultural Language

Native SpeakersNon-Native Speakers

Native　Speakers　×　Non-Native　Speakers

Japanese　Chinese　IndiansFrenchGermansEgyptiansBrazilians・・・

Diffusion(Internationalization)

Adaptation(Diversification)

Input

American/British English

Enculturation/Indigenization Process

Regional/Local Sociocultural Contexts

Output

Regional/Local Varieties of English

Diffusion and Adaptation

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From Singapore EnglishExample Sentences 1 “Face” Expressions

1. I lost a lot of face by being unable to answer the question.

2. That saved me a great deal of face.

3. They started quarreling... I don’t know where to hide my face.

4. How can you do that to me? I really got no face now.

5. You must go to his son’s wedding dinner. You must give him face.

Example Sentences 2

“Face” Expressions (Continued)

6. Since I don’t know where to put my face in this company, I might as well leave and save what little face I have left.

7. Just tell him what you really think. There is not need to give him any face.

8. Let’s ask Datok Ali for help. He knows the right people and he has got a lot of face.

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Syntactic Reduplication

1. If you go to Seiyu, everything is cheap-cheap. (Taxi driver)

2. I like to wear big-big. (T-shirt vendor referring to her XL size)

3. My friend from China, she likes (to) shop-shop. (Clerk)

4. Saturday can-can. (Reservation clerk at a restaurant)

5. Play-play, no money; work-work, no leisure.

6. Choose- choose-choose-choose-choose, but no buy.

　　 (Shop clerk referring to recent Japanese tourists)

Example Sentences 3

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Syntactic Reduplication

1. I horned, I horned, but they didn’t move. (Taxi driver)

2. Joke joke only lah. (T-shirt vendor)

3. The group does different different things. (Teacher)

4. Oh, the curry was hot hot. (Shop clerk)

5. At one time I like pork very much, you know---morning pork,

afternoon pork, evening pork, every meal pork pork pork pork. (Ho 1998:13)

6. My father’s diet is all meat meat meat meat meat. He died of a

mild stroke. (ibid)

Example Sentences 4

China English: face collocations 1. practice of face 2. face negotiation 3. maintain (strive for) some amount of face 4. hold up the Chinese face to the world 5. she hasn’t showed us the least amount of face 6. you shouldn’t have given her so much face 7. you are simply losing my face 8. a Chinese way of giving face to somebody 9. love (desire) for face10. give (grant) me some face11. reject (refuse) face12. rather die to save face13. take my face into consideration 14. your face is bigger than mine15. there is no faceless communication

16. hierarchical face17. group face18. care for the other’s face19. have no face (left)20. faceless Jia (2005)

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Japanese English

1. “We went to Kyoto by car yesterday.” 　 　 (cf. “We drove to Kyoto yesterday.”)

2. “I went there. Why didn’t you come?” 　 　 (cf. “I was there. Where were you?”)

3. “This restaurant is very delicious.”

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Larry Smith,ed. (1983) Readings in English as an International Language

(1) English belongs to the world and every nation which uses it does so with different tone, colour, and quality. English is an international…language. It is yours (no matter who you are) as much as it is mine (no matter who I am). We may use it for different purposes and different lengths of time on different occasions, but nonetheless it belongs to all of us. English is one of the languages of Japan, Korea, Micronesia, and the Philippines. It is one of the languages of the Republic of China, Thailand, and the United States. No one needs to become more like Americans, the British, the Australians, the Canadians or any other English speaker in order to lay claim on the language. (2) 　　　　　　　

World Englishes: A Useful Concept

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The Expanding Capacity of English

Areas Native Speakers Have Explored

Singapore/Malaysian EnglishYou wait here, lah.

African EnglishThey blamed him, they blamed him for all the troubles that have befallen our land.

East African English It’s porridge.

West African EnglishHe has long legs.

Expanding

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①

English as a British/ American Language(Native Speaker Varieties as the Standard)

②

English as a Multicultural Language 　 (Intervarietal Incommunicability)

Global Global SpreadSpread of English of English

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There was a quiet knock at the door and in came a young Chinese police constable. He was, of course, wearing his uniform. He saluted the superintendent and stood smartly to attention in front of the large wooden desk.

A Case of Intervarietal Incommunicability“My Mother Isn’t Well, Sir.”

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‘Yes?’ enquired the superintendent. ‘My mother is not very well, sir’, started the constable. ‘Yes?’, repeated the superintendent,a frown appearing on his brow. ‘She has to go into hospital, sir’, continued the constable. ‘So?’ ‘On Thursday, sir’.  

A Case of Intervarietal Incommunicability

“My Mother Isn’t Well, Sir.”

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The superintendent’s frown was replaced by a look of exasperation. ‘What is it that you want?’, he asked sternly.

At this direct question, the constable’s face fell and he simply mumbled, ‘Nothing, sir. It’s all right’, and turned and left the room.

A Case of Intervarietal Incommunicability

“My Mother Isn’t Well, Sir.”

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As soon as the door had closed the superintendent turned to me and said: ‘You see. A classic case. They can’t get to the point.’ ‘So, what would you want him to say?’, I asked. ‘Well, instead of beating around the bush, he should come straight to the point.

A Case of Intervarietal Incommunicability

“My Mother Isn’t Well, Sir.”

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He obviously wants some leave so he can look after his mother. He should ask for leave and not waste my time going on about his poor mother.’ ‘You want him to say something like, “Can I have some leave please, sir?”’ ‘Yes, exactly’, replied the superintendent.

Source: Honna, Kirkpatrick and Gilbert (2000) English Across Cultures.16-17.

Tokyo: Sanshusha

A Case of Intervarietal Incommunicability

“My Mother Isn’t Well, Sir.”

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Pedagogy Matters

Who Do You Think Is ResponsibleFor the Communication Breakdown?

("My Mother Isn't Well, Sir.")

1. The British superintendent?2. The Chinese constable?3. Both?4. I don’t know.

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69%

16%

14% 1%The　British　superintendent　is　responsible

The　Chinese　constable　is　responsible

Both　are　responsible

No　answer

N=138(2000)

Who Do You Think Is ResponsibleFor the Communication Breakdown?

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Chinese:"My mother is not very well, sir."Japanese:"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be worried."Chinese:"She has to go into hospital, sir."Japanese:"When?"Chinese:"On Thursday, sir."Japanese:"If you want to take a leave, I suggest you do not hesitate to ask. Take one when needed."

Asian Conversation (1)

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Chinese:"My mother is not very well, sir."

Japanese:"Oh, you must be worried. Would you want to take a leave and take care of your mother? "

Asian Conversation (2)

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①English as a British/American Language (Native Speaker Varieties as the Standard)

②English as a Multicultural Language 　 (Intervarietal Incommunicability)

③Standardization ④Diversity Management (Intercultural Awareness)

Global Spread of English

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Intercultural Literacy throughAwareness of Language

　　　　(1) Intercultural literacy is an awareness, attitude, preparedness, and competence to transmit own message and understand others’ appropriately in a cross-cultural encounter.

　 (2) It involves an ability to adjust intercultural differences in a

mutually beneficial manner. (3) Intercultural literacy is the literacy of the fourth kind after basic

literacy, media literacy, and information literacy. (4) It is expected to be introduced to the school curriculum across

disciplines from primary, through secondary, to tertiary education.

Honna (2003:165-170)

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Diversity Management:Intercultural Literacy

↓Teaching Awareness of Language

(Understanding How Language is DesignedAnd How People Use Language)

↓Improving Sensitivity to, and Tolerance of

Linguistic Diversity(Overcoming Inconveniences of Incommunicability

of English as a Multicultural Language)

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①Cognitive linguistics ②Sociolinguistics

Awareness of Language forAwareness of Language forEnglish Across CulturesEnglish Across Cultures

elderbrother

colleague

youngerbrother

student son

neighbor'schild

wife

father

principal

self

kōchōsenseisensei

ore

nīsan

watashi

otōsan

omaename

boku

ojisan kimi　bōyaname　 +　chanotōsan

omaename

sensei

name+　 kun, san

omaename

boku

anatakimi

niisan

boku

Choice of Terms of First Person Singular and Second Person Singularin Japanese Governed by Social Relation Rules

Adapted from Suzuki (1973, p.148) 30

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Differences Are Not a Threat

British

bonnetbootbumperdip switchgear leverfasciaindicatorsilencerwindscreen

American

hoodtrunkfenderdimmerstick shiftdashboardblinkermufflerwindshield

Automobile Terms

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Conclusion: Centrifugal and Centripetal

English for international

communication

English for intranational communication

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References

Donmall, B. G. (ed.). 1985. Language Awareness. London: Centre for Information on Language and Research (CILT).

Hawkins, E. 1987. Awareness of Language: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

-----1992. Awareness of Language/Knowledge About Language in the Curriculum in England and Wales: An Historical Note on Twenty Years of Curriculum Debate. Language Awareness, 1 (1), 5-17. 　

Honna, Nobuyuki. 2003. Sekaino Eigowo Aruku (Exloring World Englishes). Tokyo: Shueisha.

----- 2008. English as a Multicultural Language in Asian Contexts: Issues and Ideas. Tokyo: Kuroshio Shuppan.

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James, C. & Garrett, P. (eds). 1991. Language Awareness in the Classroom. London: Longman.

Jia, Yuxin. 2005. “The Chinese Concept of Face and Face Negotiation in Conflict Resolution.” In Honna, N. and Matsuda, T., eds. 2005. English as an International Language. 251-272. Tokyo: ALC Press, Inc.

Smith, Larry, ed. 1983. Readings in English as an International Language. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Suzuki, Takao. 1973. Kotoba to Bunka (Language and Culture). Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten.

References (continued)

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Thank you very much!