It was the first time I travelled to Japan and I introduced myself to the Japanese shopkeeper, a benign old woman. I could scarcely speak Japanese, except for some basic phrases I learned from the Japanese animation, but the old lady couldn’t understand any English I tried to use, though she always kept her warm smile on her face. The sentence I spoke to introduce myself was the longest and the most complete Japanese sentence I could think of. Surprisingly, just at the next moment, the old woman’s smile disappeared. She frowned at me, and something called contempt was revealed at her eyes. Instantaneously, I was entangled in an embarrassing atmosphere, but I couldn’t realize what was the matter. Did my strange accent mortify her? Or did I make any grammar mistake? I felt ashamed but couldn’t get the answer until a few years later when I began to learn Japanese.

The first thing of learning Japanese involves studying the word “I.” The process of learning these pronouns nearly drove me crazy. Counting roughly, there were at least four expressions of the pronoun “I” in Japanese daily-life language system. Besides the differences in their characters and pronunciation, these pronouns must be used with strict rules. Some could only be used by the male while some could only be used by the female; some were used with the younger or close friends, whereas some were used with the older or in formal situations. Among those four expressions, the one I had used was the most informal one. It could only be used by the male when talking with a peer or the younger. I suddenly realized the problem. When I was in Japan, I, a young little girl, used this informal pronoun to describe myself to an unfamiliar old lady. For me, a foreigner who didn’t know the rules in Japanese, the problem wasn’t so obvious. However, for a traditional Japanese old woman, the way I expressed myself was extremely offensive.
         

The following study was more difficult. The honorific in Japanese was far more complicated than the four pronouns. When talking, all the pronouns and the sentence structures had to match the situations of the conversation. I gradually found that I was not really “speaking” the words, but “selecting” the words. Before picking a correct expression, I had to consider which pronoun I should choose, or whether I should add up respectful remarks at the end of the sentences. Who’s the person in front of me? Is he/she older or younger than me? What relationship do we share? All these questions flashed in my mind and categorized the people who talk to me into different “status boxes” in order to help me construct an appropriate expression. It was true that the strictness of Japanese formed the consciousness of classes deep in every individual’s mind, which led to a civil, but also oppressive society. One of my friends who is currently studying in Japan told me that she had a hard time there, since she had to be extraordinarily prudent about the relationship with the professors and the seniors.
       

In contrast, among the languages I know, there is one that I can talk without much concern: English. Admittedly, rules still exist in English. For example, adding formal prefixes such as “Miss,” “Mister,” or “Doctor” before the names of unfamiliar or prestige people is sometimes required. However, the use of them is not as complicated as it is in Eastern countries. No matter who you are talking to, the sentence is just the sentence. It is not necessary to change the expression into a certain honorific way or to add up the complex respectful remarks. In other words, English is a language that could be described as “equal.”
        

Not until I met my middle school English teacher, Doris, a graceful woman, did I realize such “equality.” I could hardly forget the moment I met her in the classroom, for it was the first time I called an adult directly with her name without any respectful prefix.
         

“I am Doris, and you can call me Doris.”
   

This was how she introduced herself to us. The classroom was then in chaos instantaneously. All the students were looking at each other with vacant and confused eyes, trying to figure out whether they misunderstood the teacher’s idea. So was I. In China, we were supposed to call our teachers following the formula of “first name plus ‘teacher.’” Calling adults’ names directly would be regarded as impolite. Is it appropriate for me to call her Doris? I asked myself.
         

“Yes, just call me my name directly,” Doris noticed our expressions and explained. She explained so naturally and definitely that she must had explained to her previous students more than once.
         

Lately during the semester, I still found myself awkward when calling my English teacher “Doris.” Calling adults with respectful prefixes was ingrained in my mind, and it seemed as if I was offending the teacher every time I called her name.
         

Yes, English is the other extreme of language that contradicts with Japanese in my knowledge. I can call out people’s names directly no matter they are little sisters or brothers, or the sixty-year-old grandparents who live beside my house. When expressing my thankfulness, I could simply say “Thank you” to whoever talked to me, instead of “Thank you gozaimasu ” as the Japanese do to the prestige in Japanese. Since I am talking with everyone with the same expression, I am not afraid of making mistakes, and I am less likely to be regarded as “impolite” only because of my misuse of language. Moreover, I don’t need to secretly put the people into different categorizations due to their social status. With such understanding in every individual’s mind, the communication is much easier, and the awareness of classes is less important. Now I am used to calling my teachers with their names at the school. Calling their first names doesn’t mean that I am not showing my respect, but reflects the concept of equality. As individuals, we are all sitting at the same table. The relationships between the teachers and the students are more similar to that between friends. To compare with Japanese, English is creating a more optimistic atmosphere in the society.
         

Language is a mirror of the way people behave. It can either influence or reflect people’s manner, or even the society. With a language that is full of honorific rules, people are more reserved and classes are more distinct in the society; with a language that is casual and flexible, people tend to be more forthright, and the concept of equality is more inveterate.