Every country has its own way of speaking English. There’ll always be certain words, phrases and slang terms that are different by country. What’s important is that we understand each other, right? Right.
We Malaysians have our own quirky way of speaking English. We basically dot our English with a couple of Malay and Chinese words here and there, and use Chinese grammar as a base. Then, we often end our sentences with “lah”–or “bah” if you’re from Sabah.
When I moved to Australia a couple of years back, I had to get used to speaking Australian English. As it turns out, Malaysian English is hard for native English speakers to understand (we have too much fun with the language. Bless), so I always had to think before speaking. This proved useful later on in life when I had to speak to more foreigners, who often expressed gratitude that I spoke in a way that was easy to understand.
That made me happy, but to get there was no walk in the park. Even though I could speak English when I was in Australia, it was a huge struggle for me to adapt because I was so used to and love speaking Malaysian English. Gradually, it got easier. So much so that when I see an English-speaking non-Malaysian, I automatically have my “normal” English gear on.
I find myself relearning this process in Japan. At times, I even have to get creative.
It’s English, but simplified
In Japan, both the Japanese and foreigners have varying levels of English. Since English isn’t widely spoken here, English levels tend to be low or nonexistent, with the rare individual who can speak it fluently.
Thus, I quickly learned that the less words I use, the better. Sometimes, I make use of single-word questions and answers, and even cut “a” and “the” from sentences. Really, less is more.
Sticking to a more “textbook” style of speaking is pretty helpful too. That, and exchanging words you often use with easier ones. This one is a bit harder for me to get a hang of, but I consider it good exercise. In a way, it makes you think and helps you further understand the language you’re speaking, all while getting your message across at the same time. A win-win, I say.
Getting straight to the point
In Japan, I’m slowly learning the art of getting straight to the point. I do not give myself room to tell a story (or much of one), nor do I use slang, phrases, jokes or any pretty words to inject more personality into what I’m saying. Instead, I just cut right to the chase.
I find that when I get a bit too carried away, the message that I’m trying to convey tends to get lost in translation. Just like how anyone would get confused when they’re listening to a language they’re not super familiar with at rapid speed and with a bunch of unfamiliar words thrown in, all woven together in a winding mess. By the time the storyteller reaches the end of the story, they’re lost, having lost the thread of conversation a couple of clever quips ago. You know what I mean?
And so, I keep my storytelling to a bare minimum these days.
Animated gestures
When all else fails, there will always be gestures. I’m not an especially animated person when I talk, but this has changed some in Japan. In order to make myself clear, I often use gestures with my words. For instance, making crying gestures when I say “cry” or pretending to shiver when I say “it’s chilly”.
Speaking English with a Japanese accent
You might think it’s racist, but it’s really not. The Japanese language actually has a couple of English loan words, most of which retain their original meaning–they’re just pronounced in a Japanese way.
Here are a couple of them:
- Restaurant (re-su-to-ran)
- Toilet (toi-re)
- Bus (ba-su)
- Alcohol (a-ru-koo-ru)
- Christmas (ku-ri-su-ma-su)
And do note that the Japanese study English in school, so they do have English words in their vocabulary. It’s just that they’re not used to hearing them spoken in a non-Japanese way, so when I’m in a pinch, I use a Japanese accent. It sounds crazy, but it helps. This was what I did when I still had way too little Japanese to properly communicate with them. I still do this sometimes when there is a word or two that I do not know.
Differences in English use
As mentioned, each country has its own differences in the way it uses English. The same goes for Japan.
Much like the header of this article (which inspired this post, by the way), I’ve just about stopped saying, “I’m so excited!” when expressing, well… excitement. Instead, I say, “I’m high tension now” or “I’m sooo high tension!”. It’s much easier that way.
Then, there is the word “smart” (su-maa-to). Or rather, the Japanese version that sounds a lot like it. In Japan, the word does not refer to someone’s intelligence, but rather, it tends to refer to a person’s slim figure. Try using it if you want to incite some giggles or embarrassment from a Japanese person. (Don’t.)
There are lots of others; like the way they interpret the words “it’s fine”, “it’s okay”, “not bad” and “maybe”, but that’s a story for another way. Tldr, though, “it’s fine” and “it’s okay” tend to mean “no” in Japan.
Mixing English with Japanese
As a Malaysian who loves bahasa rojak, this is like my bread and butter. A new way to make my English teachers cry? Oh yes, please.
“Oh, already kaeru? Okay. Mata Tuesday.”
I mean, if it works…
Taking a while to switch gears
As in switching from normal English to Japan English. Simplifying a concept with easy terminology is easier said than done, and so whenever I meet someone here, I tend to take a while to speak and often stumble over my words. I do it so much I’m pretty sure I look like I don’t know any English.
But just like adapting to Australian English, it’ll take time. With how much more I need to improve my Japanese, I’m happy to be understood at all here.
