CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF JAPANESE SPEECH STYLES STUDY: A REVIEW OF OKAZAKI WATARU'S ARTICLE

The study of Japanese language and culture has gained significant attention globally, including in regions like Uzbekistan, where interest in Japanese is steadily growing. Okazaki Wataru’s article, “How do learners understand Japanese speech styles? A case study on changes in perceptions during life in Japan,” provides a detailed exploration of how foreign learners perceive and adapt to Japanese speech styles, specifically the polite form (丁寧体) and the plain form (普通体). The research focuses on four advanced Chinese students (N1 level) who documented their daily experiences in Japan, offering insights into the social and contextual roles of these styles. This study is particularly relevant because it addresses a critical challenge in Japanese language education: helping learners move beyond textbook rules to understand the nuanced, dynamic nature of speech styles in real-life communication.