Emotion, the root of literature, can never be ignored as a key factor in literature translation, yet studies on it are still rare till now. Reasons may vary, among which one might be that emotions of different languages seem impossible to compare for the different degrees or standards of measuring them in different cultures. This study intends to investigate the possibility of emotion transfer in translations. Specifically, it examines to what extent and how emotions in the original can be transferred into the translations, combining the machine translation, by comparing two Chinese versions of David Copperfield, as well as the machine translation of the two Chinese versions with the original. The results indicate that emotions can flow from the source to the target language, and their representations are closely related to the translators’ desire to have their versions be adequate to the source or acceptable to the target culture.

At cash registers in Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores, one may see clerks wearing “In training” tags on their chest. The tag denotes an apprentice learning the job duties while working on the actual job. This study aimed to clarify the role of nametags from the perspectives of the three types of persons involved with the tags, that is, the persons looking at the clerks wearing them, the clerks wearing them, and the managers requesting the clerks to wear them. The results indicate that the custom of wearing such nametags is related to the rule of affixing beginner’s marks to vehicles and is one of the Japanese forms of communication that requires consideration from others.

Abstract: This study focuses on a Japanese woman’s life journey. Adopting a narrative inquiry methodology, the participant’s perceptions of marriage, family, work and life value were summarized. As a senior citizen active in her career, the participant reflected on her life’s “reality” which has been shaped and influenced by the political and socioeconomic backgrounds. Although the Japanese government has implemented a series of policies and laws to improve gender equality since the post-war period, according to “The Global Gender Report 2022” by the World Economic Forum, Japan’s gender gap continues to be the lowest among the developed countries, with a ranking of no. 116 among all the 146 countries. The situation calls for the need of having more women’s voices to be heard and reflected. This study will analyze the political and socioeconomic backgrounds, and examine women’s changes from the past to the present as well as the possibilities in the future.

This paper aimed to examine the benefits and drawbacks of AI-based summarizing and paraphrasing tools that were employed in a CLIL academic writing course on intercultural communication at a national Japanese university. Students summarized an internet article of their choice that had to include indirect citations by paraphrasing the author’s ideas. First, they did this without the support of AI-based tools. On their second and third attempt, they used the AI-based summarizing and paraphrasing tools Quillbot and SpinBot respectively. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to evaluate the three summaries for grammar, readability and plagiarism. Results showed that although the AI-based tools can improve grammar, they have limited capability in improving readability and preventing plagiarism. A survey on student perceptions of the tools also highlighted the drawbacks of the software and that dependence on such tools to produce academic writing content needs to be treated with caution.

A major consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic for university student life has been the impossibility of participating in study abroad programs, but it has also presented opportunities for novel solutions. This research paper reports on one such attempt: an English language and culture study abroad course which went online for summer 2021. A total of 25 students participated in this unique new program, which offered a choice of online summer courses at four universities in North America. The process of finding partner universities, securing accreditation, and student recruitment and orientation through a spring semester preparation class are outlined. Student reactions to the programs including their strong and weak points are analyzed, and the possibility of the course continuation in the future is explored.

Non-native speakers of English develop nuanced ways to navigate the global dominance of English. In this study, data was collected via focus group interviews in South Korea to examine how self-identified English speakers make sense of their relationship to English and to consider how this expressed relationship connects to perceived agency within the hegemony of English. Thematic analysis identified two themes: English as my Knight and English as my First Love. These themes connect to perceived agency in two ways: a) as enacted upon the participants through the process of being saved; b) as limited because even if English is difficult or challenging, they still cannot opt out of efforts to achieve competency. While English opens up spaces and opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable, there are still unavoidable pressures to learn. These perceptions of limited agency support a neoliberal sense of self with regard to English; this sense of self considers people as owners of language who hold individual responsibility to possess language skills, knowledge, and capabilities as a way to enact self-advancement.

This paper aims to explore intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of B.A and M.A students of the English departments at Moulay Ismail University (Meknes, Morocco) and Bonn University (Bonn, Germany). It seeks to (a) compare the level of ICC among these participants and investigate the impact of abroad experience or intercultural communication learning on ICC development; and (b) to assess ICC after the completion of an intercultural communication course. The study uses a quantitative method based on a survey questionnaire. The findings of the research reveal the level of students’ ICC performance, based on their own reflection, and the importance of integrating ICC in the curriculum. Moreover, this study will have implications to develop ICC in higher education from the respondents’ results.

This paper describes an asynchronous, transnational virtual exchange between university students from Japan and China. Students from two different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, in two different physical locations, collaborated to produce a video on the broad theme of sustainability in a mutual second language, English. Through pre- and post-project surveys and the written reflections of students, it was found that students were able to develop greater intercultural awareness and improve their English language communication skills.

For students within foreign studies departments at the tertiary level, presentations in both their first and second languages have become integral components of course work, and therefore public speaking anxiety may hinder the pursuit of second language acquisition and intercultural communication competence. More effective methods for combating this problem must be developed, and exposure training (using both virtual and imagined practice) has been shown as effective for anxiety reduction related to public speaking. However, whether increasing intercultural public speaking confidence may also aid in reducing foreign language learning anxiety remains an ongoing question. University students in Japan (n=20) underwent a training program which featured VR-based and imaginal public speaking practice in front of intercultural audiences. Results indicate that public speaking anxiety levels were reduced by significant levels; however, only VR-based practice helped reduce foreign language anxiety significantly. Interviews showed the program was considered effective overall by the majority of participants.