Levels of Speaking
One of the trickiest parts oflearning Japanese is the understanding of the different levels of speech. Not only is there a difference between formaland informal speech, but there is also a difference between familiar and politespeech. In America, we understand these concepts to some extent. For example we use different language whentalking one-on-one to a friend than we would use if we were reporting somethingon the news, even if we were talking about the same thing. For example, assume that we had been stung bya bee the day before. To the friend, wemight say, “Man that turkey hurt like a son-of-a-gun,” whereas to the TVaudience we might say, “It was painful.”These sentences are familiar and formal versions of the same idea. The process happens in English, but it is notpart of our grammar. In Japanese, it ispart of the grammar.
A good example of how apolite/familiar duality in the grammar alters the tenor of the language is theusage of the word “kudasai.” We tend to translate the word “kudasai” as “please” in English. Hence, the phrase “beer, please” uttered to ahost offering drinks would be translated as “biru kudasai.” But “kudasai” does not literally mean “please.” It means “give to me.” Nonetheless, “biru kudasi” does not translate literally as “give me a beer,”which could sound rude in some contexts, because “kudasai”is the polite way of saying “give to me.”Hence, it translate as, “please give to me ….” “Please” is not a separate word. It is part of the grammar.
Aside from the polite way ofsaying “give to me,” there is also a “really polite” way of saying it, which isO negai simasu. It translates as something like, “I think youare the greatest thing since sliced sushi, and I would be most grateful if youwould give it to me, even though I know fully well that I am undeserving ofit.” As you can see, Japanese can be ahighly efficient language in some circ*mstances.
There are two ways of beingpolite to someone in Japanese. One is byusing grammar that indicates how wonderful that person is (e.g., the “exalting”tense) and the other is to indicate how much lower you are by comparison (the“self flagellating” tense). The best wayto understand which strategy to use in a given situation is to be re-born in Japan and learn the language as a native speaker.
FAQs
These levels are commonly called beginner, intermediate, advanced, and superior (or highly proficient), although they are not always clearly separated from one another. In general, beginner language users are able to do less with a language than users at more advanced levels.
What are the 5 levels of language analysis? ›
Phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic/discourse are the main levels of linguistic analysis. The phonological studies sound patterns and changes. The morphological studies word structure. Syntax studies sentence structure.
How do I describe my language proficiency? ›
For example, if you can speak, read, write and understand others, you may want to list yourself as fluent. If you can understand and converse with others but cannot read and write it well, you may want to refer to yourself as conversant.
What are the 4 levels of proficiency? ›
The ACTFL proficiency scale consists of four main levels — Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Superior. The Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels are further divided into sublevels, which are Low, Mid, and High.
What are language levels? ›
How many language levels are there? There are six levels of language proficiency (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) according to the CEFR scale. They are grouped into three broader levels: A1-A2 (Basic User), B1-B2 (Independent User), and C1-C2 (Proficient User).
Are native speakers C2? ›
A person who scores at C2 level on a CEFR exam may have a near-native speaker level of proficiency in the language, but their proficiency in the language may still be different from a native speaker in various areas such as colloquial expressions, accents, and some cultural knowledge.
How do I determine my English level? ›
The best way to find out your level in English is to take an English test. There are lots of quick, free tests online, but a lot of them aren't very accurate. We recommend you take the EF SET.
What level of English is fluent? ›
Fluent (C1+)
You can communicate naturally, effectively, and appropriately even in demanding oral and written tasks and situations. Occasional mistakes do not lead to a misunderstanding of your message.
What are the 4 domains of language proficiency? ›
There are four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Although these four domains are interrelated, they can develop at different rates and independently of one another. These four domains can be classified as receptive or productive skills and as oral or written.
What are the 4 levels of Ell? ›
The TELPAS test results provide an annual indicator of where each ELL is on a continuum of English language development designed for second language learners. This continuum is divided into four proficiency levels: beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high.
The four basic language skills are listening skills, writing skills, speaking skills and reading skills. These language skills are conversation abilities that allow you to express yourself clearly and precisely. With these fundamental language skills, you not only learn to speak well but also to listen carefully.
What are Level 4 languages? ›
Category IV includes the most challenging European languages for English speakers to pick up. Here you'll find Slavic and Baltic languages such as Polish, Croatian, and Latvian, as well as Greek, Turkish, and Icelandic. This category also includes Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian.
