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Uchi-Soto (Inside-Outside): Language and Culture In UCHI-SOTO (INSIDE-OUTSIDE): LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN CONTEXT FOR THE JAPANESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (JFL) LEARNER ____________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Chico ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Teaching International Languages ____________ by © Jamie Louise Goekler 2010 Fall 2010 UCHI-SOTO (INSIDE-OUTSIDE): LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN CONTEXT FOR THE JAPANESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (JFL) LEARNER A Thesis by Jamie Louise Goekler Fall 2010 APPROVED BY THE DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND VICE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH: Katie Milo, Ed.D. APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE: _________________________________ _________________________________ Hilda Hernández, Ph.D. Hilda Hernández, Ph.D., Chair Graduate Coordinator _________________________________ Kimihiko Nomura, Ed.D. PUBLICATION RIGHTS No portion of this thesis may be reprinted or reproduced in any manner unacceptable to the usual copyright restrictions without the written permission of the author. iii DEDICATION To all of us who have become someone else in order to communicate with someone from somewhere else while still remaining true to ourselves. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I dedicate this Japanese as a Foreign Language research to patient, dedicated and loving mentors— my family and extended family, teachers, professors, students, and friends from around the globe, all of whom have stood beside me throughout my years as a student and a teacher. I’d especially like to thank Dr. Hilda Hernández, my committee chair and academic advisor, to whom I will always be grateful and indebted, and Dr. Kimihiko Nomura for his unfailing support. In addition, I would like to thank my favorite school teacher and mentor, Diane Lundblad and college Spanish professor, Martha Racine. Their passion for teaching and yearning to educate their communities inspire me to continue teaching international languages. Finally, I’d like to acknowledge my husband, Jason Young, whom I will always cherish, and for whose guidance and assistance I will always be grateful. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Publication Rights ...................................................................................................... iii Dedication................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................... v Abstract....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I. Introduction.............................................................................................. 1 Background................................................................................... 3 Statement of the Problem ............................................................. 5 Purpose of the Study..................................................................... 6 Definition of Terms ...................................................................... 9 Limitations of the Study ............................................................... 12 II. Uchi-Soto/Inside-Outside in Context ....................................................... 13 Defining Uchi-Soto ...................................................................... 14 Complexity in Language .............................................................. 17 Individualism vs. Collectivism..................................................... 18 Self in Society............................................................................... 20 Wrapping in Language and Culture ............................................. 22 My Group vs. Your Group ........................................................... 23 The American Exchange Students’ Experience with Japanese Host Families........................................................ 23 Group Conscious Language Use .................................................. 24 Summary....................................................................................... 25 Teaching Implications .................................................................. 26 vi CHAPTER PAGE III. Heirarchy in the Uchi-Soto Model ........................................................... 29 In-Group, Out-Group and Social Hierarchy................................. 30 Hierarchical Titles ........................................................................ 32 Summary....................................................................................... 34 Teaching Implications .................................................................. 36 IV. Language and Politeness in the Uchi-Soto Model ................................... 38 Keigo............................................................................................. 40 Levels of Speech and Politeness................................................... 43 Indirectness and Politeness........................................................... 45 Activity-Oriented vs. Language-Oriented Politeness................... 46 Summary....................................................................................... 47 Teaching Implications .................................................................. 49 V. Language and Negotiation in the Uchi-Soto Model................................. 53 The “Your Japanese Is Good” Conundrum.................................. 54 Foreigner Talk .............................................................................. 56 Language, Distance and Power .................................................... 59 Negotiating in Context ................................................................. 60 Acts That Threaten Face............................................................... 60 Conflict, Refusals, Apologies and the Role of Politeness............ 61 Summary....................................................................................... 65 Teaching Implications .................................................................. 68 VI. Linguistics in the Uchi-Soto Model ......................................................... 72 Syntax and Morphology ............................................................... 72 Sentence-Ending Particles............................................................ 77 Honorific Prefixes ........................................................................ 78 Politeness and Morae.................................................................... 79 Pragmatics, Paralinguistics and JFL Learner Research................ 80 Summary....................................................................................... 82 Teaching Implications .................................................................. 84 VII. Language and Gender in the Uchi-Soto Model........................................ 87 Gender and Language Research ................................................... 89 Keigo: Femininity or Politeness?.................................................. 91 Suprasegmental Features of Gendered Speech............................. 92 vii CHAPTER PAGE Gender Distinctions in Speech ..................................................... 93 Lexical Differences in Speech...................................................... 94 Feminine Speech .......................................................................... 95 Directness vs. Indirectness in Speech........................................... 96 Sentence-Final Particles ............................................................... 96 Particles and Parts of Speech........................................................ 99 Negative Connotations in Speech................................................. 101 Summary....................................................................................... 102 Teaching Implications .................................................................. 104 VIII. Aidzuchi in the Uchi-Soto Model............................................................. 105 Summary....................................................................................... 114 Teaching Implications .................................................................. 116 IX. Summary, Future Research, and Recommendations................................ 119 Future Research............................................................................ 125 Recommendations ........................................................................ 126 Note .............................................................................................. 127 References .................................................................................................................. 128 viii ABSTRACT UCHI-SOTO (INSIDE-OUTSIDE): LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN CONTEXT FOR THE JAPANESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (JFL) LEARNER by © Jamie Louise Goekler 2010 Master of Arts in Teaching International Languages California State University, Chico Fall 2010 Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) learners have frequently been ex- posed to learning materials which are neither contextualized culturally nor linguistically from the target language perspective. This research review addresses the cultural and communicative gaps which exist in many JFL textbooks and enhances JFL students’ awareness of similarities and differences between the Japanese culture and their own. To teach JFL from an emic perspective, teachers must first provide students with cul-
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