Is there a reason for this language switching?

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During the various scenes that take place in Japan, the characters sometimes speak English and sometimes Japanese, sometimes even a line in English as a reply to a line in Japanese or vice versa.

It was made clear that The Bride can speak and understand Japanese, is there a reason they keep switching languages like that?



Best Answer

Switching between languages is a trick which gives a sense of authenticity to the movie, without having to translate the entire film.

There are actually three ways to manage different languages in a movie:

  1. Using only one language and making the foreigners speaks with a different accent
  2. Using every language when required, adding subtitles to the foreign languages
  3. Switching between the main language and the foreign one

You can see the same stratagem on other Tarantino movies (e.g. Inglorious Bastards) and on other classics involving mixed cultures (e.g. "The Godfather").




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What are the main reasons for code-switching?

Code-switching helps to find the right words. Second-language learners might code-switch to their native tongue since they have a greater vocabulary in their primary language. If an Arabic speaker starts to learn English, they might struggle to know what the right word or phrase is to express what they mean in English.

What has caused the English language to change?

It has evolved through the centuries and adopted many thousands of words through overseas exploration, international trade, and the building of an empire. It has progressed from very humble beginnings as a dialect of Germanic settlers in the 5th century, to a global language in the 21st century.

What is switching between languages called?

In linguistics, code-switching or language alternation occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation or situation.

Is code-switching normal?

If you speak multiple languages or dialects, code-switching may be a normal part of your daily life that \u2014 in time \u2014 may take a toll on your mental health. Code-switching, or dialect switching, is something that happens naturally for many people, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC).



TYP104 - Reasons for Language Change




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