{"version": "1.0", "type": "rich", "title": "As I\u2019ve mentioned before, I learned Japanese through classes that were derived from a program meant to train spies and...", "author_name": "kontextmaschine", "author_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "provider_name": "kontextmaschine", "provider_url": "https://kontextmaschine.com", "url": "https://kontextmaschine.com/post/123031729273/", "html": "<p>As I\u2019ve <a href=\"/post/97464182898/\" target=\"_blank\">mentioned before</a>, I learned Japanese through classes that were derived from a program meant to train spies and diplomats, that put a lot of emphasis on linguistic \u201cpassing\u201d. Part of this was every weekday I\u2019d go into a room with 7 other students and spend an hour speaking Japanese, presided over by this sweet, grandmotherly woman who would just look disappointed in you if you fucked up.</p><p>(This was on top of 3 lectures a week and an hour or two in the tape library every day.)</p><p>As a result I instinctively speak Japanese words, even appearing as loanwords in English contexts, with Japanese pronunciation. Like, in order to speak them the \u201cAmerican\u201d way I have to actively try, and it seems weird to actively try to get shit wrong. I\u2019m afraid it comes off a little poncey.</p><p>The interesting exception is words I picked up <i>before</i> I studied Japanese - I still pronounce, say, <i>samurai</i> or <i>karaoke</i> in English the same as everyone else.<br/></p>"}