Sessions /
Don't Say That, Say This! #1368

While plurilingual/multilingual speakers enrich their conversations by drawing from various languages, challenges abound. Two common obstacles plurilingual/multilingual speakers in Japan face is the use of Wasei Eigo or “English-based terms created in Japan,” (Gollin, 2013). While these words may “sound like English,” they often have different meanings from the words from which they were derived or may not even exist in the English language. Another pitfall concerns the appropriateness of words or phrases that may be acceptable in one culture but not in another. This presentation will offer a list of thirty Wasei Eigo terms encountered both in and out of the classroom over the past two years as part of a research project. While no means a comprehensive list, the terms shared will likely increase a teacher’s awareness of Wasei Eigo-based words and phrases in the ESL classroom. Wasei-Eigo based activities and materials such as an illustrated version of “Concentration” and Wasei-Eigo journals will be introduced and shared.