WORD CLASSIFICATION IN CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Abstract

The paper overviews major word classifications in the Japanese language, analyzes their approaches and, after careful selection an d adjustments, puts forward a new word classification more appropriate for Japanese studies and teaching/learning the Japanese language in Viet Nam.The  first  classification  taken  for  review  is  The  school  grammar,  which  was  first  published decades ago and is still used nationwide in school teaching. Three other approaches are well known among Japanese academics and widely taught at colleges and universities in Japan. We analyze the problematic  issues  in  forming  the  approaches  as  well  as  the  following  classifications,  and  make comments on the authors’ word identification criteria and their classifications. Of the approaches, we  consider  the  most  acceptable  Teramura’s  interpretation.  Furthermore,  we  view  the  Japanese word  classification  issues  in  light  of  general  linguistics,  and  in  particular,  their  Vietnamese equivalents. As a result, we propose a new word classification, and suggest a number of relevant terms which might be used in the research and teaching/learning of the Japanese grammar in Viet Nam.