Katakana English in Japan
Public attitudes toward English loanwords in pandemic communication
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19217626 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sugene Kim (0000-0001-9514-7416, Miyazaki International College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-18 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0143-4632 • E-ISSN: 1747-7557 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01434632.2026.2658842 |
| OpenAlex | W7154850625 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
This study examines Japanese public attitudes toward the use of English loanwords rendered in katakana in public health discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on reactions to a tweet by Japanese politician Taro Kono criticising the use of katakana English in public-facing messages, the analysis draws on 1,417 comments posted by X users. These comments capture spontaneous public responses under conditions of uncertainty, offering insight into how language choices are judged in high-stakes public communication. The findings showed pronounced opposition to katakana English, with most comments expressing concern about reduced comprehensibility, particularly for members of the public assumed to have limited familiarity with English-derived terminology. A small subset acknowledged that such forms may be acceptable in specific situations, including cases where concise translation is difficult or where alignment with internationally circulating terminology is considered necessary. Notably, no comments explicitly endorsed routine use of katakana English in official communication. By foregrounding public views expressed in online discourse, the study contributes empirical evidence to ongoing discussions of English use in public communication and linguistic accessibility in contemporary Japan
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · English language · Pandemic · Public speaking · Sociolinguistics · Digital Communication and Language · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Swearing, Euphemism, Multilingualism
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| Highly cited | No |
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