From Jing's interview in Mandarin Chinese in 2006, we can see that he has quite a knowledgeable perspective on the relationship between language learning, culture, and thought. He described the language learning and acculturation process as one in which both he and his wife were ready to take responsibility for. In the interview, he mentions several times that because he and his wife decided to immigrate to the US, they decided they "needed to 'catch' every opportunity [to connect with society]…no matter how hard it was".
He discussed the need to have courage to connect with US society in order to learn English and thus, have an easier time of becoming connected. He reports that many of his peers have not maintained connections to US culture and not learned English. Here, age comes up again as a kind of barrier to acculturation and language learning.
| I: | So, in your mind, is it more or less… | |
| R: | In my mind, other people would think that I am… | |
| I: | Open-minded? | |
| Jing: | Yes, I am more broad-minded and optimistic. It is because we are always prepared for learning English. When we have the chance, we must make contact with each other; we have learned to listen. I feel that there are not a lot of seniors like us that would still keep in touch and connected with society. | |
| I: | Not so Many | |
| Jing: | Yes, not so many. I know a lot of seniors who are younger than us still do not know their A, B, Cs. It is because they do not dare to maintain contacts with society. I think we are brave. | |
| I: | Braver. | |
| R: | Yes, we are brave. I am not shy. Never shy. I discover that in this learning process, if I learn more, I get more, and other people do not say anything about you. The tutors at P.S.U. are young, only 20 something. We have a huge age difference with them. | |
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In his interview from 2006, when discussing how he has changed since coming to the U.S., he mentions that he does things he is asked to do in the language classroom even if he thinks it is beyond his capabilities. This suggests to me that he perceives his level of participation in challenging activities (in the classroom at least) has changed since coming to the U.S.
| I: | How about in behavior? When you talked about in your mind, you are more accepting of others and other cultures and are more outspoken. How about behaviors? Are you more Americanized? | |
| R: | How can I say this… my behavior…haaa, (5) I feel that I do not know how to say it and how to answer the question. Let me think. I think that one of my behaviors which has changed, I feel and I am sure of it, is that - my English teacher and the P.S.U. student who tutors me also feel this way - when I am asked to do something or when I need to do something, I must try my best to satisfy the request or to accomplish it, no matter what happens, or nor matter what I feel the level is that I can do. My teachers, my tutors, the P.S.U. students also feel that I am notable in this respect. | |
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Language analysis - change of language, change of behavior
Jing's understanding of language has a socio-cultural orientation. As mentioned earlier, he feels strongly about becoming part of US culture through social interaction and understands the reflexive nature of social interaction, language learning, and acculturation: each phenomena is developed in and through the other. In the following excerpts, Jing talks about the connection of language and culture more specifically.
| Jing: | ((56:09)) how can I describe it? I did not imagine that some of my behaviors had become Americanized. It's hard for me to say. But, in the aspect of eating, I have learned to be open-minded and to get used to it. My language is different from the past. I mean, though learning English; I feel that the logic of my thinking is different. I mean, when I say, it doesn't matter what, the English expression is different from speaking in Chinese, right? If you have been here longer, you have to be influenced by society affecting your ways of expression. For example, when you speak, lets say, in Chinese, the subject is put in the front, and the adjective must be put in front of the subject. In English, adjective is put after the noun. Right? When you adapt to this language, your learning process becomes Americanized. It is different from learning Japanese. Japanese puts the verb last. When China was invaded by Japan, the Chinese said "fight against Japan imperialism", but the Japanese would say "Imperialism fight against", the verb is put at the end of the sentence. This is different from English. It means the grammar of the language. It is the habit of language. This is not the matter of grammar. It is because culture derives from language. This is not a set of grammar to create a language; it means that language and grammar are created by people. I think it is in this relationship. I can acknowledge that… | |
| R: | I am a frank person. If I ever had a teacher who has asked me this question: "In the future, will only one language, English, be used? I say no. Although English has a huge influence in our daily lives, I can say that the answer to that question is absolutely no. Some languages, like those of the tribes in Africa, I can say that surely those languages will disappear because of the use of English. But Russia, France, Germany and Chinese, they won't disappear. Those languages have a long and valuable historical background. If you omit those languages, you will probably omit their values, too. It is impossible. But, the use of English might possibly become more common in the future. It might become the common language in public. It might be possible. Right? | |
| 59:45 I: | Yes. It has already. | |
| R: | I continue to say, people who can speak English when they could speak Chinese have already become Americanized. Or, when we learn more English, it might be possible that when you go back to China or any place which has a lot of Chinese speakers, people might say that you speak "Americanized Chinese". | |
| 01:00:19 | Yes, so, it means that your Chinese… | |
| R: | It means that in the Chinese language, the order of expression is different from English. | |
| 01:00:22 I: | Then, I got what you meant. | |
| R: | I guess that this phenomenon cannot be recognized. | |
| 01:00:27 I: | So, you mean two different things. One is the order of expressing language; the other is … | |
| R: | Yes | |
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This understanding of the reflexive nature of language learning and acculturation is reflected in Jing's responses to a questionnaire from his in-home interview in March 2005. In his response to a question about what he did to learn English outside the classroom, Jing reported that (along with reading and listening to tapes and TV) speaking English with different people was important. He gave three different contexts for speaking English as important for him: with native speakers of English at work, in the neighborhood, and speaking with friends in English. This is one example of his efforts.
| Jing: | To practice, usually, every week, I have a Korean friend, who came here when he was 18. Now, he is more than 60 years old and is retired. He knows that I would like to learn English, and he also wants to learn Chinese. So, every Monday after I have tutored the class after 12, we meet together at 12:30 for two hours. He tutors me English for an hour, and I tutor him Chinese for an hour. Language interchange. Every time, we have a topic each time. | |
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