Abstract
Plain Japanese (Yasashii Nihongo), a simplified version of the Japanese language, has emerged as a significant tool for intercultural communication in Japan’s increasingly multicultural society. Initially developed for disaster communication, its use has since expanded to the fields of education, public services, business, and tourism. As a means of bridging communication across linguistic and cultural divides in local and global contexts, Plain Japanese can be conceptualized as a glocal lingua franca. This study investigates how Japanese university students navigate the use of Plain Japanese in intercultural exchange settings, examining the challenges and benefits of simplified language use. Unlike previous studies that primarily focus on non-first language (L1) speakers or institutional applications, this study offers a novel perspective by foregrounding the experiences of L1 Japanese speakers. Based on semi-structured interviews with two students actively engaged in intercultural activities, it employs reflexive thematic analysis to identify five key themes: (1) accessibility and inclusion, (2) maintaining conversational depth and naturalness, (3) balancing cultural norms with linguistic simplicity, (4) adaptive communication strategies, and (5) reflections on personal growth. The findings highlight not only the tension between simplification and cultural appropriateness but also the communicative and pedagogical value of strategic adaptation. The study underscores the need to incorporate reflective, interlocutor-sensitive language use into language education, positioning Plain Japanese as a practical tool to develop intercultural competence and communicative flexibility in both local and global contexts.
Author Information
Mitsuko Takei, Hiroshima Shudo University, Japan
Paper Information
Conference: SEACE2025
Stream: International Education
This paper is part of the SEACE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Takei M. (2025) Navigating the Use of Plain Japanese as a Glocal Lingua Franca: Japanese University Students’ Perspectives ISSN: 2435-5240 The Southeast Asian Conference on Education 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 241-251) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-5240.2025.22
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-5240.2025.22
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