Japan was the first Asian country to modernize its languages, setting thereby a model for other Asian nations to follow. The sociolinguistic problems Japan had to confront differed in three important ways from European language modernization. Firstly, the Japanese language is structurally and pragmatically different, thereby presenting problems not faced in other language modernization efforts. Secondly, the Japanese writing system and the relation between written and spoken languages required original solutions. Thirdly, Japan had to overcome the pessimistic view that dominated at the end of the twentieth century. At the time, it was widely thought that only Western languages could be carriers of modern thought.

Language Policy in Japan: Modernity, Modernity Maintenance, and Late Modernity

Patrick Heinrich
2025-01-01

Abstract

Japan was the first Asian country to modernize its languages, setting thereby a model for other Asian nations to follow. The sociolinguistic problems Japan had to confront differed in three important ways from European language modernization. Firstly, the Japanese language is structurally and pragmatically different, thereby presenting problems not faced in other language modernization efforts. Secondly, the Japanese writing system and the relation between written and spoken languages required original solutions. Thirdly, Japan had to overcome the pessimistic view that dominated at the end of the twentieth century. At the time, it was widely thought that only Western languages could be carriers of modern thought.
2025
Language Contact: An INternational Handbook (Volume 2)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10278/5079081
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