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Difference of the Way of Speaking by Gender

Difference of the Way of Speaking by Gender

February 28, 2024

By Haku Matsutan

There are some beliefs about the way women speaking: women talk more than men; women have more advanced verbal skills than men; women use more emotionally expressive language than men (Cameron, 2019). Besides, according to Montell, A (2019), “while men’s speech style can be categorized as “competitive, women’s is “cooperative””. Some argue that it is true men and women talk differently. But others might not think of it. Are there truly differences between men and women speaking?
     First, what do you think about the question, “who speaks more, men or women”? It is not true that women talk more than men. Recent research revealed that men and women use almost same number of words when talking for a day; about 16,000 words (Mehl, R. 2007). However, it is also true that it depends on the situations whether either men or women talk more. Sieghart (2021) stated that how people express themselves through language based on their gender is influenced by various factors such as age, race, ethnicity, social class, education, national origin, and their abilities.
     Second, grammatically differences are seen between men and women. In English, however, there are few grammatically differences. Therefore, English is categorized as neutral gender language. According to an article of Frontiers (2019), “Natural gender languages (e.g., English) don’t classify inanimate nouns according to different genders”. But it does not mean that English does not have gender bias. In English, gendered masculine have exist; using he, his, him to express us, some terms like firemen, policemen, and congressmen. To solve the problem, alternative words are appearing these days, which is called politically correct pronouns such as firefighters and police officers.
     Third, it is likely that there are some features of men speaking on conversation. Sieghart (2021) mentioned that “this is conversational manspleading, taking up too much conversational space at the expense of the people around you”. She also stated that men are more aggressive than women to secure place for conversation.
     In conclusion, women and men talk differently. But some beliefs about women speaking are not true. Both women and men speak almost the same number of words. English is gendering inclusive language, but there are some masculine words like firemen and policemen. On conversation, men tend to speak much more than women, which means men have more power in conversation. However, their speaking will be affected by their circumstances.

References
Cameron, D. (2019). The myth of Mars and Venus (pp. 156-159). Oxford University Press.
Mehl, R., Vazire, S., Ramirez, N., Slatcher, R., & Pennebaker, J. (2007). Are women really more talkative than men?  https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencemag.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C804d86d1c7b14ff7456c08dc272011ef%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638428265899237522%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=eakPAD0zGxZt7aNAtFjRFkOZ6kRuRsj3PNSKaceMb%2F0%3D&reserved=0.
Sieghart, M. (2021). The Authority Gap. New York: Doubleday.
Technology Report Article. (2019). https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C804d86d1c7b14ff7456c08dc272011ef%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638428265899244456%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8sOZpY04RgDTlCjz1D9BkrSpxGEGpzgLBpIFTaLNp4s%3D&reserved=0

American and Japanese Sign Language

What is Language by Eleanor Kane Hinohara

American and Japanese Sign Language

February 28, 2024

By Tomoka Eri

People have a language. Deaf people also have language for them. That is the sign language. Do you think sign language is common worldwide? That is not true. According to the book by Hinohara(2023), English-speaking countries communicate the same in the United States, England, and Australia, but deaf communities use different sign language. Each country uses its own sign language. The following is an investigation of these differences. Especially, Japanese Sign Language (JSL) and American Sign Language (ASL) will be mentioned.
The first explanation is Japanese Sign Language (JSL). JSL is classified in detail into “Japanese Sign Language” and “Japanese-compatible Sign Language”. According to the thesis by Sasaki and Kubota(2002), “Japanese Sign Language” refers to a form of expression that occurs naturally among deaf people and has a different system from the Japanese . On the other hand, “Japanese-compatible Sign Language” replaces Japanese words with sign language words and arranges them as they are, so the only difference in form of expression is whether it is an auditory symbol or a visual symbol. Therefore, it is often used by people with hearing loss, hearing difficulties, and hearing.
The next explanation is American Sign Language (ASL). According to the National Association of the Deaf, ASL is a language with its own unique rules of grammar and syntax. Like all languages, ASL is a living language that grows and changes over time. Asl is used predominantly in the United States and in many parts of Canada. ASL is accepted by many high schools, colleges, and universities in fulfillment of modern and “foreign” language academic degree requirements across the United States.
Compare JSL and ASL with some examples. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Welfare website, first, when indicating “eat”, in JSL, the palm of the left hand is turned up and the index finger and middle finger of the right hand are carried to the mouth. On the other hand, in ASL, repeat the movement of the pursed right hand close to the mouth, as if eating bread. Second, when indicating “Thank you”, in JSL, put the right hand vertically on the instep of the left hand and raise only the right hand. At this time, lower the head lightly. On the other hand, in ASL, move the right hand away from the mouth and move like a throwing kiss. From these examples, sign language methods are completely different between JSL and ASL in the same meanings.
Therefore, people have a language, and deaf people also have a language called sign language. It is essential for them. In addition, sign language is used differently from country to country, even though it is a language used all over the world, and it is based on gestures that capture each country’s culture and characteristics in the same meanings. According to the book by Hinohara(2023), recently, the value of learning sign is once again appreciated, and not only in schools for the Deaf. That is why, it is very important to learn the sign language of each country.

References
Hinohara, E. K. (2023). What is Language? A CLIL Course for Learners of English
Sasaki, H & Kubota, M (2002) Japanese Sign Language and Japanese
National Association of the Deaf What is American Sign Language?
https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nad.org%2Fresources%2Famerican-sign-language%2Fwhat-is-american-sign-language%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cf4dfcf35a1c347c08a0108dc265dbcc2%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638427431823198313%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TIh%2BGv9DUMHAPIzk3hZmlS5%2Bl%2FppEjLQlEcNq4aOQ54%3D&reserved=0
Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Welfare
https://jpn01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fukushi.metro.tokyo.lg.jp%2Fshougai%2Fkoho%2Fsekaiwotunagusyuwa.files%2Fgaikokunosyuwa.pdf&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cf4dfcf35a1c347c08a0108dc265dbcc2%7Cf11434e8abcf41f48154a9b2608dcd42%7C0%7C0%7C638427431823205905%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wmO2K2MPno5h5v5GI6Q2uZ7ESDHzLcSPe0sPR9jsnlQ%3D&reserved=0

Difference of Gender Using Emoji

February 28, 2024

By Saki Shimoda

Have you ever wondered the meaning of emoji? Many people often had experienced mysterious emoji. According to a survey conducted by Slack (2022), it found that 58% of people were unclear about the meaning of emoji. Younger generations were also more likely to say they had experienced someone misunderstanding an emoji they had sent. I have had this experience. I also noticed that the amount and type of emojis sent by men and women are different. So, in this article, I will compare the differences between men and women. These ideas suggest that women are more concerned about the meaning of emoji than men.
        First, is there a difference in the frequency of using emoji between men and women? According to Wirza (2019), women are better than men at interpretation of sending and receiving non-verbal cues in conversation. Women who give speeches tend to use more cues than men. Liu (2023) has found that women use emojis more frequently than men, and that women love emojis and men love emotions. Furthermore, Prada (2018) declares that women had a more positive attitude towards the use of emojis. It also revealed that women use them convey humor. On the other hand, men use them to tease or express sarcasm. Women also valued emojis as more friendly, clear, and meaningful.
        Second, do differences in the usage of emojis exist between men and women? In the survey (Wirza, 2019), the emoji of a face crying tears of joy was the second most used by women, while for men the second most used emoji was the emoji of folded hands. It was reported that women were more likely to express joy and sadness, while men were more likely to express anger, and there was a tendency for women to use positive emojis and men to use negative emojis more often (Liu, 2023). Men were more likely to use the ‘monkeyface’ and ‘drink’ categories, while women were more likely than men to use emojis in the ‘emotion’ category, such as hearts.
        Finally, there is not only a difference between men and women on the user’s side, but also on the feeling side of the receiver. Herring and Dainas (2018) claim that women interpreted both the frowning and smiling emojis as having more functions than men. Some male respondents also interpreted the Heart Eyes emoji as describing physical behavior. Furthermore, differences in impressions between men and women were found in the same yellow smiley emoji. Women rated human faces that expressed negative emotions more negatively than men, which is similar to the neural processing of emoji. These suggest that women value pessimistic emojis more negatively than men (Jones, 2020).
        Women are more likely than men to use emojis and use a variety of emojis. Furthermore, women are more impressionable about emojis than men and interpret then more negatively. These perspectives show that there are differences in the frequency and types of pictograms used by men and women, as well as differences in the feelings of the receivers.

REFERENCES
Prada, M (2018). Motives, frequency and attitudes toward emoji and emoticon use. Telematics and Informatics, 35,7,1925-1934.
Jones, L (2020). Sex differences in emoji use, familiarity, and valence. Computers in Human Behavior, 108.
Wirza, Y (2019). The Difference in Emoji Usage Between Genders.
Liu, M (2023). Individual differences in emoji use across age, gender, and personality: Based on a Survey of Simeji Users in 10s and 20s. social informatics, 11,3.
Herring, S & Dainas A (2018). Receiver Interpretations of Emoji Functions: A gender perspective.
TECH+ (2022). Beware of emojis that can be interpreted in different ways; an attempt to convey happiness may be misinterpreted as anger.

Lack of sleep affects students’ lives

Lack of sleep affects students’ lives

February 7, 2024

By Gaku Nakaso

Recently, Japanese students are often seen sleeping during class. In fact, I often slept during class too. Recently, for Japanese students, the time spent on hobbies, part-time jobs and homework is increasing. For that reason, more and more students are cutting down on their sleep time. I will consider the impact of students’ lack of sleep on their studies.

I will introduce the causes of students’ lack of sleep. The first reason is that the time for hobbies is increasing. It is mainly due to the development of the Internet and devices such as smartphones and video games. The development of SNS is also a major cause of lack of sleep. The second is that even high school students and university students can feel the need to work part-time jobs. If you have a part-time job until late at night, you will not get enough sleep. The third cause is that there is too much homework and time to study at home. Students who lack sleep have various causes.

How will students’ lack of sleep impact them academically? You will likely fall behind in your studies by falling asleep in class. Once you’re behind, you’ll spend a lot of time catching up. That’s very hard. Additionally, your evaluation from the teacher may go down because it’s an inappropriate attitude towards lessons. Moreover, your lifestyle will be disturbed, and it will be difficult to go back to normal. Taking nap is a cause of not being able to sleep at night. Students’ lack of sleep has a very negative effect on their education.

Lack of sleep affects not only academics but also your life. If you don’t get enough sleep, you may get sudden drowsiness. It’s very dangerous if it happens while driving. Additionally, if you don’t get enough sleep, you may lose concentration. You may make a mistake in various parts of life such as academics and part-time jobs. Finally, the risk of illness and colds increases. If you get sick, you have to take a day off from school until you get better. For students, lack of sleep is also dangerous.

Students’ lack of sleep is negative for both academics and life. Hobbies, part-time jobs, and studying at home are the main causes of lack of sleep. You may be late for class, and your grades and evaluation from the teacher will also go down. Lack of sleep is our enemy.

Skipping Breakfast

September 29, 2023

Do you have breakfast? Most members of our class don’t have breakfast. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Japan (2018) said 83.5% of targets of surveys have breakfast almost every day. On the other hand, the rate of targets in 20s and 30s is only 64.3%. It shows that many young people in Japan don’t have breakfast. However, having breakfast has positive effects. For example, it is possible to focus on study and work and so on. Nevertheless, many people young people don’t have breakfast. We found three reasons for it, the need for sleep, the need to save money and having no desire to eat.
By Shoji Takeda

Young people want to sleep as long as possible. Eating breakfast takes time to prepare and to eat. Japanese people usually eat rice, miso soup, fish and salad for breakfast. It takes a long time to eat. According to IT media business online (2021), about 60% of people answered that it takes 6 to 15 minutes to eat breakfast. After preparation you need time to eat and clean up. Many 20-30 year-olds live alone. They have to clean up by themselves. Considering all the time it takes for breakfast, people need 15 to 30 minutes. Also, many young people stay up late at night. They surf the internet, play games, go to part-time jobs and study. So, young people want to use the morning’s precious time for sleep.
By Hanon Mitsumasa

Young people living alone have no money. So many of them don’t eat breakfast to save money. Young people who live alone have to budget their own money. For students, there is a limit to how much you can earn from a part-time job, and you can only earn an average of 88,000 yen per month (Yamamoto, 2023). According to the Iepura column Survey of Living Conditions (2022), the average cost of food for young people is 20% of their living expenses, and they lack funds for other necessary things. Many young people don’t eat breakfast because eating three meals a day makes other parts of their lives difficult.
By Yuki Sasaki

Another reason for 20- 30 year-olds not having breakfast is that young people don’t have the desire for breakfast. There are some basis this reason, but the most influential one is the disrupting your circadian rhythm caused by staying up late. (2023, OD improvement association) In addition, it is said that eating late at night prevents the stomach from resting so they don’t have an appetite in the morning. Moreover, young people get used to not having breakfast. It’s also the reason why young people don’t feel uncomfortable with it.
As a result of disrupting circadian rhythm and habit, young people lose their appetite and don’t eat breakfast.
By Shuto Kitayama

Many young people don’t eat breakfast in Japan. We believe there are three reasons why they don’t eat breakfast. The first is wanting more time for sleep. The second is having little money. The third is having no appetite. There are many such young people in Japan. How about in your country?
By Koshiro Abe

How to Improve English Education in Japan

How to Improve English Education in Japan

August 16, 2023

By Arisa Mishima
Japanese students study English for more than six years, but they are not fluent in speaking. What should be changed so that many Japanese people can speak English? In this essay I would like to propose three ideas: focus on the speaking skill, encouragement of making mistakes, and building more vovabulary.

     First, the Japanese English education should focus on the speaking sill. Currently, students learn a lot of skills other than speaking. In English class, students read stories in textbooks, and they learn new words and new grammar points. Reading is considered as the most important skill for the university entrance exam, so students read a lot of stories and learn reading skills. Students also write a lot of sentences and acquire writing skills. Moreover, students listen to the audio of the textbook and learn listening skills. However, there is not much time to speak English in class. Students have reading aloud and shadowing for improving their speaking skills, but they do not really talk in English to express their ideas.
     Second, students should be taught that making mistakes are good. Currently, students are told to master English grammar, so they are afraid of making mistakes. When they make mistakes in English tests, their points are deducted. When they try to speak, they try to speak correctly. Students hesitate to speak up because they think it’s embarrassing to make a mistake. It’s normal to make mistakes when they use a new language, so they should be told to communicate ideas is the most important thing.      Third, students should learn more vocabulary. Students have some listening skills, so they can understand what other people are talking about. However, they can’t put their ideas into words. One of the reasons for this is that students have a small vocabulary. If students know a lot of words, they can express their ideas no matter how simple of grammar they can use.
     In conclusion, many Japanese students can understand English, but they are not good at expressing their ideas because they don’t have enough speaking activities. Too much focus on grammar, fear of making mistakes, and lack of vocabulary are the causes of their inability to speak. If these issues are solved, Japanese people will be able to speak more English.

Korean and Japanese Wedding Traditions

Korean and Japanese Wedding Traditions

August 16, 2023

By Ayuka Tamaki
Story: Do You Have a Chance to Go to A Wedding in Another Country?
What would you do if you were to attend a wedding in a different country? There are various weddings in the world. It’s important to respect the culture of the country if you are invited. Guests should be aware of the right cresses, gifts, and behaviors. In this essay, I would like to compare the differences between Korean and Japanese weddings.

First, I’m going to talk about three things about Korean weddings. The Korean wedding ceremony is very short. The average time for a wedding in Korea takes only 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Some people come in between work because the time is so short. Why is it short? There is a good reason. That’s because the bride and groom often leave for a honeymoon right after the wedding. So, there is no after-party after the wedding. Second, the congratulatory gift is interesting. In Korea, guests send money, but the amount is not as big as that of Japanese. The average amount of money they give at a wedding is 3,000 yen to 5,000 yen. In the case of a close person, the average amount of the gift money is 5,000 yen to 11,000 yen. In general, guests give a congratulatory gift their parents instead of the newlyweds. Finally, the bouquet toss is also interesting. In Korea, the bride doesn’t throw a bouquet. The bride decides who will receive the bouquet in advance. The groom will talk to her friend who is likely to get married soon and ask her to get the bouquet. Why do the groom act like this? That’s because there is a superstition that if you don’t get married within six months after receiving a bouquet, you won’t be able to get married for another six years.
Next, I’m going to talk about three things about Japanese wedding. First, the average time of a Japanese wedding is two and a half hours. In addition, there is also a second party. So, it takes a lot of time if you go to the second party. Second, the congratulatory gift money is sent to the newlyweds. In the case of friends and colleagues, the amount of money is 30,000 yen. However, in the case of relatives, they give 50,000 yen to 100,000 yen. The guests must wrap money in nice envelopes. Finally, the bouquet toss became popular in Japan and performed at chapel-style weddings. The bride throws her bouquet, and any an unmarried woman can try to get it.

In conclusion, the wedding culture of Korea and Japan are different. If you’re going to a wedding in a different country, you should do research in advance.

A Comparison of Financiers and Madeleines

August 16, 2023

By Kokoa Takashima
Financiers and madeleines are popular baked sweets that are often found at convenience stores and cake shops. They taste somewhat similar, but they have interesting differences.

The origin of the shape of the financier is interesting. The financier is a rectangle, which reminds of a gold nugget. The shape is auspicious for those who work in the financial industry, and the name of the sweet means “rich” in French. It is also a sweet that businessmen can eat quickly without getting their hands dirty. It is said that it was born in the 19th century. The ingredients of it include egg white, sugar, almond powder, cake flour and burnt butter. The freshly baked financier is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
　　The origin of the shape of the madeleine imitates a scallop. There are several theories about the origin of madeleine, but it is not clear. One theory says that a maid baked the cake that her grandmother had taught her. Her name was Madeline. In Japan, people may see round chrysanthemum-shaped sweets called madelines, but they are are not real madeleines. The ingredients of it is whole egg, sugar, almond powder, cake flour and melted butter. Some of them are flavored with refreshing citrus fruits such as rum and lemon and have a moist texture.
　　The basic ingredients are almost the same, but financiers use egg whites and almond powder, and madeleines use whole eggs. The texture of the financier is crispy, and the texture of the madeleine is soft. Financiers and madeleines are very similar, but in fact, the origin, ingredients, and texture are different.

A Comparison of Disney and Ghibli Movies

A Comparison of Disney and Ghibli Movies

August 16, 2023

By Sakura Yamane
There are many movies in the world. Two famous animation companies are Disney and Ghibli. This essay will presens the difference between Disney and Ghibli movies from three perspectives: who and where each movie is produced, how each of them is created, and why they are popular.
       Disney movies are produced by Walt Disney Studios which is part of the Walt Disney Company. There are seven main subsidiary companies in Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures. For example, one of Walt Disney Studios’ main subsidiary companies, Disney Pixar is an American animation production company. Therefore, Disney movies are produced in America. And Disney movies are produced by computer. Disney Pixar draws storyboard by using story Pad and special apps of iPad. Many staff including directors and writers are involved in the production of a movie. And they have a lot of discussion about storyboard and decide the contents. Disney movies have charming songs and music. Three features of Disney movie’s music make Disney movies famous and popular. Those are integration with video, expression of feelings of story and characters and a wonder that makes you want to sing. Also, Disney movies convey messages from the story structure and the characters way of life. These messages are one of reasons that Disney movies become famous and popular. Also, Disney movies are produced by many people from the beginning to the end. It is interesting to see each person’s personality though the process of the making each movie.
        But Ghibli movies are produced by only four people, Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. And Ghibli is a Japanese animation production company. Therefore, Ghibli movies are produced in Japan. And Ghibli movies are produced by full hand-drawn and computer on the last edit. In Japan, it is said that directors or writers work alone facing storyboard. So, Hayao Miyazaki as a director of Ghibli doesn’t have any discussion until the outline is completed. In addition, because Ghibli movies are produced by one person at first, the audience may feel Japanese from the characteristics of working alone. Also, Ghibli music is unique. Most Ghibli’s music is composed by Joe Hisaishi. His music is very famous and popular not only in Japan but also overseas because the music he composed have a mysterious power that get drawn into the world of Ghibli movies. Thanks to his music, we can enjoy seeing Ghibli movies. Also, Ghibli movies convey messages from a unique worldview. So, Ghibli movies became famous and popular because they have these features of music and messages.
       In conclusion, there are also similarities between two kinds of movies, but they clearly have different points, such as who and where each movie is produced, how to produce and draw and why each movie is famous and popular. From now on, each new movie will be born while maintaining the different features.

A Comparison of High School and College Students in Japan

A Comparison of High School and College Students in Japan

August 10, 2023

By Haku Matsutani
Both high school and college students are expected to obtain knowledge. They go to school, to attend classes and meet their peers. However, they are worlds apart.

The life of high school students is similar across Japan. In high school, students take courses that are mostly decided by their schools. They can choose concentrations: humanity or science, but their timetables are pretty much fixed. Everyone has the same schedule. Also, high school students often required to wear uniforms, which are usually formal and designated by their schools. Some schools do not permit students to put on even short or colorful socks. Not only clothes, but also their hair styles are usually limited; they are required to keep a clean hair style. They are not allowed to color their hair, or put on make-up. They are not supposed to show their individuality though hair or make-up.

In contrast, the life of college students is free. College students have more flexibility in creating their schedules and choosing their courses. Of course, there are some required courses, but they can usually choose course they want to take. , College are more expected to take responsibility for choosing their own learning than high school students, and their schedules are all different. Also, college students are allowed to wear their own clothes when they go to school. There are no regulations which limit what to wear. They can change their hair color and put of make-up, too. They can express their own individuality.

In addition, high school students and university students have different approaches to learning. In high school, students often focus on their grades or getting good scores in examinations, so they would be motivated by external factors. Also, they rely on their teachers and parents to guide them to the right course. While high school students might learn class subjects for getting high scores in exams, university students choose their courses by themselves and learn class subjects which they choose themselves. University students are expected to be more independent in their learning. They are motivated by their own interests, so they usually go to university to learn specialized areas or academic topics. University students develop a deeper level of understanding or to pursue their strong, academic interests.
In summary, there are some clear differences between high school students and university students. At the point of scheduling classes and wearing clothes. University students have more freedom than high school students. However, they need to be more self-directed and independent.