Impacts of Loanwords upon Second Language Learning - Application of English-derived words in English vocabulary learning and teaching in Japan

This study explores the potential of English loanwords as an aid to teaching English vocabulary, with special focus on Japanese learners studying English in Japan. The finding has shown that negative transfer of English loanwords could be seen in a learners' English usage. The level of the negative influence is decided by the types of modifications that loanwords undergo in their adoption process: It is also found that there are levels of difficulties in acquiring correct usage of Speech Modification > Semantic Modification > Wasei Eigo (English made in Japan) > Morphological Modification > Straightforward Loanwords ('>' means 'is more difficult than'). In addition, the study has also shown that learners who have a positive attitude towards loanwords in English vocabulary learning made more errors in a test than those who were sceptical.

About the author

Mayuko Inagawa is a PhD candidate in the School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland, Australia. Mayuko's research interests include language change, language contact, loanwords in Japanese, and issues of loanwords in relation to second language acquisition.

Product details

• Authors: Mayuko Inagawa
• Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
• Languages: English, German
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 23.12.2010
• EAN: 9783843384964
• ISBN: 978-3-8433-8496-4
• No. of pages: 100
• Dimensions: 150 mm x 220 mm x 5 mm
• Weight: 150 g
• Subjects: Guides > Law, job, finance > Letters, rhetoric; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Other languages / Other literatures