From what I've seen, most of the English loan words and phrases used in Japan are actually advertising slogans, and used in ways that are inappropriate for English, but appropriate for the Japanese. I wish I could remember the details, but I read an essay some time ago about this, where the author dissected the T-shirt slogan "Let's Sex!" which is completely nonsensical in English, but ends up having a cultural meaning in Japan (on the order of teh advertising slogan that it is, of course).
And as far as English instruction in Japan goes, again from what I understand, it's not that kids learn English for six years in shcool, it's that English is taught at them and some of it sticks, but not that much.
I don't mind the mis/use of Japanese loan words by fangirls because that's part of the nature of language. They're *not* speaking Japanese, and they have no /intention/ of speaking Japanese. They're speaking in a lingo that's current among their crowd. If a miracle happened and it caught on among the general population, we'd be saying "Kawaii!" within a generation. Of course, I'm discounting fanfic that misuses Japanese words for Japanese characters here -- in *that* case it's sloppy writing and a lack of research. But when I'm doing art at a con and I hold up a picture of Gojyo from Saiyuki and the four fangirls in front of me squee "KAWAIIII!!!!!" (true story - I was illustrating the power of bishounen to a friend and the fangirls behaved as predicted), they're misusing the original word, I think, which has connotations of cutesy-cute, not handsome-cute, but ... they're not speaking Japanese, and they're not intending to.
no subject
And as far as English instruction in Japan goes, again from what I understand, it's not that kids learn English for six years in shcool, it's that English is taught at them and some of it sticks, but not that much.
I don't mind the mis/use of Japanese loan words by fangirls because that's part of the nature of language. They're *not* speaking Japanese, and they have no /intention/ of speaking Japanese. They're speaking in a lingo that's current among their crowd. If a miracle happened and it caught on among the general population, we'd be saying "Kawaii!" within a generation. Of course, I'm discounting fanfic that misuses Japanese words for Japanese characters here -- in *that* case it's sloppy writing and a lack of research. But when I'm doing art at a con and I hold up a picture of Gojyo from Saiyuki and the four fangirls in front of me squee "KAWAIIII!!!!!" (true story - I was illustrating the power of bishounen to a friend and the fangirls behaved as predicted), they're misusing the original word, I think, which has connotations of cutesy-cute, not handsome-cute, but ... they're not speaking Japanese, and they're not intending to.
If any of that made sense.
Re: Can't Sleep -- thanks. :D