Summary of Article from the Language/Culture Connection

Since my original article was not available, I opted to read “The Dilemma of Perceptual Changes: A Case Study of Three Japanese ESL Students” by Mika Yoshimoto from Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Carleton University.

A consistent thread throughout the article was the heavy influence Buddhism had on the three Japanese students’ concept of the absence of “self”. One of the students was especially reluctant to participate in groups in her ESL class in Canada because she felt it conflicted with her concept of social harmony. Besides feeling uncomfortable in speaking class, this concept of putting others before “self” affected her writing. In Canada she was expected to write openly about her feelings, which she felt was “excessively direct.”

The three students approached their language learning in unique ways; however, they all shared a fear of losing (or desire to maintain) their Japanese culture. They were primarily concerned about showing honor for their ancestors by not speaking out when they didn’t know the answers, consideration for others’ feelings, and acceptance of things that were beyond their control. All of these factors lead to substantial changes in their self-perceptions during their English study in Canada.

Having read these students’ perspectives I will be able to empathize and thus teach Japanese students more effectively in my future classroom. This article was well worth reading!