"Let's enjoy together!" : Japanese Use of 'Let's' in English Invitations

"Let's

enjoy

together!":

Japanese

Use

of

`Let's'

in

English

Invitations

Kayoko

SHIOMI

IUtsumeikan

University

Abstract

TVie_presentstudy examines

Japatiese

EFL

Iearners'use of `tet's-iinperatives' _in their thiglishinvitations.Wie

focus

of the research

js

_placed on the foIIowr'ng

thi'eeareas: 1)the chat:acteristics of the linguistic

forms

used in the head act

ofmaking invitations; 2j the multiple firnctionsof `letls-Sn]peratives'

used

by

.lapanese EFL learners;and 3) the influence of Ll rhetorical _patterns on

L2

wrdting. Analysis

fotJnd

that `let's-imperatives' _used

by

Japanese

students in

Englishinvitationsindicatetiot/ only invitations, butalso annouiicements of the events and suggestions for _parties, They also express the host's

expectations, hopes, and requests forthe _{guests'participation}in_parties.71tie

jnappropriate use of `let's-imperatives' is considered to be attributed to

linguistic as vvell .as _pragmatic transfer of

Japanese

expressions and sociocultttral concepts jntoEnglish.

1.

Introduction

The

integration of CALL

(Computer

Assisted I.anguage Learning)

into

English

classes at the university

level

has

helped

offer a variety of

task-oriented

dlid student-centered activities.

Students

are able to not only

_practice

`speed

reading,' explore

djfferent

internet

sites and

_gather

useful

information

for

their

_{presentations,}

but

also

learn

towrite various

kinds

of

documents,

using the

computer.

First-year

university students come

firom

various

backgrounds

in

terms of their experiences with computers. While some mny

have

communicated

with others overseas

by

emai1,

_participated

in video conferences in

English,

or made their own

homepages

at

high

school, others may

have

no computer

experience, especially in English classes. Students'

diverse

background

experiences, therefore, need to

be

taken

into

consideration

in

Call

English

classes, especially

in

the

first-semester

at university.

Among a wide range of task-based activities

introduced

in

CALL

English

classes, this

_paper

wi11

focus

on one of

the

writing activities

first-year

university students

have

found

interest

in

for

the

past

several

_years,

that

is,

the

_practice

of

writing Iinglishinvitations. In

this

assignment students not only enjoy writing

the texts of

invitations

for

the

kind

of _parties they are _planning to

host,

but

also enjoy choosing

fun

and jnteresting

_pictures

and illustrations

from

`clip _art'

-73-samples inorder to energize _theirinvitatlons.

After

the careful observation of

English

invitations

Japanese

first-year

university students wrote, the

frequent

use of the _phrase `let's'

has

come to the

author's attention. That

is,

Japanese

_{students often} wrote expressions _{such as}

" _Let'senjoy," "

Let's_give a _party," and "Let's

have a

fun!"

in their invitations

to

_parties.

The

_phrase

`let's'

_is

commonly used

in

conversations when _one makes

suggestions

to

the other or others regarding

_plans

and activities they can

do

together,

however,

`let's'

_is

not usually used

in

wrjtten

English

invitations.

In

order toseek the reasons

for

the

frequent

use of

Japanese

`ret's' in

their

English

invitations,this

_paper,

based

on empirical studies,

wi11

first

jnvestigate

the various meanings or multiple

functions

of the

_phrase

`let's'

Japanese

EFL

learners

use in their

English

invitations.

The

present study

wi11

also explore

linguistic

and

_pragmatic

transfer of

Japanese

expressions and sociocultural

concepts into

English

and analyze

different

degrees

of inappropriateness in tlie

Japanese

use of `let's' _intheir

_Engltsh

_invitations.

2.

Previous

Studies

of

Second

Language

Writing

Studies

of

Second

language

(L2)

writing

have

been

centered around the

language

learners'

syntactic accuracy

(e.g.,

_grammar

and word choice) and

rhetorical organizations

(e.g.,

cohesion and topic

devetopment)

(Buckingham,

l979;

Bardovi-Harli'ng

&

Bofman,

1989;

Kroll, 1990) in

different

types of

paragraphs

and essays the language learners write, such as Comparison/

Contrast;

Interpretation

and

Analysis

of a Chart or Graph; Taldng a Position;

Creative

Writing;

and

Critical

Writing

(Hoetker,

1982; Brossell,1983; Reid,1990).

Compared with the abundant research on these

different

kinds

of academic

essay _writing, studies ofpractical task-based

L2

writing

have

been

neglected.

With regards to tlie

language

learner's

rhetorical

_patterns

in

their

L2

writing, studies of contrastive rhetoric

(Kaplan,

1988;

Grab and

Kaplan,

1989)have

atternpted to ascertain the influence of

Ll

rhetorical

_patterns,

developmental

factors

and second

language

proficiency on second

language

wr}ting.

However,

the

fbcus

of

tlie

contrastive rhetoric

has

been

the argument of the Ll influence on L2 rhetorical

_patterns

(Kaplan,

1996;

Hinds, 1990; Kobayashi and Rinnert,

1996)

or the

development

of

L2

_proficjency

and wrhing strategies

inL2 writing

(Mok,

1993;

Mohan

and

Lo,

1985).

Recognizing

the

multiple

factors

involved

in

Learners

L2 writing,

the

_present

_{study will} not argue the jnfluence of

-74-one

factor

over another inL2 writing.

Ilather,

the

focus

will

be

_piaced

on one _of

the

factors

infiuencing

L2 writjng, that is,the Ll infiuence, especially

Japanese

language

and sociocultural norms intoL2 writing, in thiscase, the

head

act of

making

invitations

in English.

Interlanguage pragmatics,

derived

from

cross-cultural pragmatics and

second language research, studies nonnative speakers' use and acqui'sition of

linguistic

action

_patterns

in

an I.2context

(Kasper

&

Blum-Kulka,

1993).

It

examines

how

nonnative speakers

differ

from

native speakers in

their

contextualized use of

language.

Although numerous studies

have

been

done

in

the realization

patterns

of requests, apologies, complaints, compljments,

disagreemnt,

and

_{gratitude(Blum-Kulka}

&

Olshtain, 1984;

House

and

Kasper,

1987;

Olshtain

&

Cohen,

1983;

Olshtain

and Weinbach, 1993; Wolfson,

1989;

Beebe and Takahashi, 1989; Eisenstein and Bodman, 1993),

linguistic

action

patterns

of

invitations

have

not

_yet

been

comprehensively researched, except in

the studies of responses, especially refusals to invitations

<Takahashi

&

Beebe,

1987;

Beebe,

et al. 1990). Therefore,

the

realization

_patterns

_of invitations

will

be

examined

in

thisstudy.

Since

both

speakers and writers

_perform

certain

kinds

of `acts'

(Searle,

1969)

through

what

they

say or write,

the

_present study will investigate

how

the

language

learners,

especially

Japanese

EFL

learners

realize the

linguistic

action

of making invitations in _wrjtten

English.

The

_{.focusof this study will}

be

_p.laced

on:

1)

the characteristics of the

tinguistic

forms

employed

in

the

head

act _of making

invitations;

2)

the multi-functions of `let's-imperatives'

used

by

the

Japanese

EFL learners; and

3)the

influence

of

Ll

rhetorical

_patterns

on

L2

writing, especially

linguistic

as well as

_pragmatjc

transfer of

Japanese

into

English.

3.

Research

Design

and

Methodology

The

data

of written

invitations

for

the

_present

study were collected

fr-om

a total of

fifty

Japanese

first-year

university _{s(udents who were taking the}

integrated

classes of CAI.I.and

English

in

Economics

and

Business

Administration

departments.

The

CALL

English

classes students took in this study were mainly

divided

jnto

three

sections: 1)speed reading and vocabulary

drills-i.e.,

_students

practiced

reading various

English

textson a moving screen,

in

order to

increase

their vocabulary; 2)

_preparation

for

_{presentations-i.e.,}

students chose topics

-75-and _gathered information necessary

for

their _{presentations}

by

exploring

different

web sites on the internet; and

3)

writing

_{practice-i.e.,}

students

first

learned

how

to type on the computer and exchange e-mai1 with each other in

English,

then

later

leamed

how

tocreate various

kinds

of

documents,

including

business

cards, invitation cards, announcements, as _{well as} various _{types of}

business

letters.

Making

invitations

to

parties

was

_given

as one of the writing assignments

in

the

first-semester

CALL English c.lasses. Students

practiced

not only making

invitations

in

English

with

computers,

but

also

learned

how

to select and use

useful and

fun

_pictures and

illustrations

fbr

the

invitations

they were creating.

Students were a!lowed to choose the type of _parties they were interested in

hosting.

As a result, out of

fifty

invitations

students made,

fifty

_percent

were

for

birthday

_parties,with the remaining

fifty

_percent

including such _parties as

Welcome Party, Drink Party,

Dance

Party,

Di-nner

Party,

Barbecue

Party, Tea Party,Garden Party,Christmas Party,New Year's Party,etc.

4.

Analysis

of

Japanese

EFL

Learners'

Party

Invitations

A

closer

look

at the invitations

finds

a variety of `illocutionary

acts'

<Searle,

1969) which are performed

in

making invitations.

As

in

the examples shown

below,

semantic

formutas

observed in the

invitations

range

from

the simple

description

of the heading and information

(i.e.,

date.

time, _place,and

fees)

to

the combination of announcing the occasions, _{explaining the}

detailed

_plans,

giving

information

of

date/time

and

_place,

making invitations,reques{ing the

company and reply,

_giving

directions,offering

_phone

numbers

fbr

further

help,

and expressing

hopes

and

desires.

Example 1. SHINKAN PARTY Date: '99.

6.

26

(Saturday)

Time: PM3:30-8:OO

Fee:

3,500yen

Place:Bar isn'tit?

-76-Example

2. It'sPartyTime!

We are _going to

have

_party

ton.ightat my

house.

Dress casual and take some

_partner

with.

Free

foods

and drinks wiil

be

there.

The

_party

will start at

8:OO

_pm.

Cal1

Takeo

if

_you

need me.

090-8676-2946

Example

3.

WelcomeParty

Welcome to our soccer club!

We're

_going

to

have

a welcome

_party.

DATE:

June

18

Place:Sijyo in

Kyoto

Fee:

\3000

Let's

have a

_good

time

with

us!

If

_you

have

any

_question,

_plese

call

this

number

090-1234-5678

Example

4.

Birthday

Party

for Tsuyoshi and Madoka

We willcelebrate Tsuyoshi's 20ihand Madoka's 19'hbirthday

at the same time.

Piease

_join

_jus

and cerebrate them torether. !,et'senjoy spending merrily time with us!

DATE:TiME:PLACE

_June

19'h,

1999

6:OOPm

--

9:OOPM

Minarnikusatsu Station

We are

_glad

to see _you at

the

day!!

please

feel

free

tocontact

with

tts.

phonenamber:

090-4494-1234

lf

_you

have any

_problem,

Although all the

fifty

_party invitations created

by

the

Japanese

university

students included _various

_pictures

_and

illustrations

_{along with the texts}

(see

Appendix

for

some examples), visual effects will not

be

critiqued in the

_present

study. Rather, the focus of this study

wi11

be

_placed

on the analysis of

the

written texts,especially the

linguistic

forms

used

in

the

head

act of

English

invitations

made

by

Japanese

students.

4-1.

Linguistic

Forms

Used

in

the

Head

Act

of

Invitations

The

head

act of

invitations

was _sometimes

_given

not inone sentence but in

a

few

sentences, as

in

the

fo11owing

example.

Example s.

Let's

drink!

We are

_going

to drink inthe saloon.

Let's

drink

and

_you'll

be

happy.

Let's come and

join

us.

Let's talk together.

Let's.-..

(heading)

{announcements

of _plans)

{making

invitations)

Hence, calculating

al1

the sentences used

in

the

head

act of making inyitations,a

total of seventy sentences, comprised of

jnterrogatives,

imperariyes,

and

declaratives

are

found

in

the

fifty

invitations

Japanese

EFL

learners

created.

Table

1.

Iistsseveral linguistic

forms

Japanese

EFI.Iearners employed

in

the

party

invitations

they made

in

English.

Table

1.

Linguistic

Forms Used in

the

Head Act of

Invitations

LinguisticForms

total(outof70) Interrogatives 4 -YesfNoQLuestions

₍₃₎

-Wh-Questions

₍₁₎

Declaratives 12 -Declaratives

₍₅₎

-Declaratives+Declaratives

₍₂₎

-Declaratives+Let's

₍₁₎

-If-clause+declaratives

₍₄₎

Imperatives

S4

-Imperatives

₍₂₎

-(Please)imperatives

₍₁₃₎

-(Please)imperatives+Declaratives

_<4)

-(Please)imperatives+Imperatives

₍₁₎

-If-clause+(please)imperatives

₍₄₎

-`Let's...7

₍₂₈₎

-`Let's...'+Declaratives

₍₁₎

-`Let's...7+If-clause

₍₁₎

Among the fifty

_party

invitations,the actual

head

act of making invitations

is

done

with the use of

four

interrogatives, twelve

declaratives,

and

fifty-four

imperatives. These

declaratives,

imperatives, and interrogatives are also combined inmany

different

ways as

in

the

fo11owing

examples.

-"lt vvill be nice _party. So, _you should take _part in this event!!!"

-"Naturally the _party wouldn't be complete without _you.

Ihope you can come."

-"lf

it

is

convenient

for

you, please come and have fun!!"

-"f would like to invite _you to my Birthday _party at my home

at 6:30 _p.m. on Sunday, May8. Can _you come?"

-"Come on! _you'11 be happy･"

-"Let's drink! Iwant you to come. I'm looking forward to

."

your comlng.

-"1.et's eat TAKOYAKI. Why don't _you cook and eat TAKOYAKI?"

One

of the unique

features

observed

in

the

Japanese

EFL

learners'

invitations

is

the

frequent

use of

imperatives

with the

_phrase

`let's.' With

carefu1 obseryation,

it

is

found

that

`let's-imperatives'

used

by

Japanese

students .in

various

_ptaces

in

the

invitations

have

multiple

functions.

That

is,

their use of `let's-imperatives'

_indicates

not only announcements of

the

events and

invitations,

but

also

_plans

and suggestions

for

_parties.

They _also express _the

host's

hopes

and expectations, as well as requests

for

the

_guests'

_{particjpation.}

Various

functions

of `let's-imperatives'

are

listed

below

with

exampies.

4-2.

Multiple

Functions

of `Let's-Imperatives'

Used

by

Japanese

EFL

Learners

-Making

_{Announcernents}

Although many English invitations

_Japanese

students made ttse the word

`party'

as a

heading

(e.g.,

Birthday

Party,

Garden

Party,

Tea

Party,

Drink

Party,

Welcome

Party,

Christmas Party, New Year's

Party),

some use `let's-imperatives'

as a

heading

of their

invitations.

For

example,

when

the

hosts

write "Let's

drink!"

or "Let's

get

together!" as a

heading

in

bold

letters,

they use

`let's-imperatives' not _{only to make announcements,}

but

also

_to show

wiiat

kind

of occasions they are celebrating or what

kind

of

_parties

they are

_going

to

have.

-Making

_Suggestions

`Let's-imperatives'

are also used when the

hosts

describe

the reasons

fbr

having

_parties

andlor certain

_plans

for

the

_parties,

as in the

following

exa;nples:

79

" _{Next month our}

friend

_{Dairo witl}

be

_nineteen

years oid. I,et'scelebrate

his

last

teenage!" _;and "I.et's surprise

him!".

The

use of `let's-

imperative'

forms

_often

suggests (hat the hosts are

_planning

to

_give

_parties

with

certain

_purposes

in

their

minds, conveying their

ideas

for

the

_partjes,

and

describing

benefirs

the

potential

guests

may _receive from

_{participating}

in

_the

designated

_parties.

See

the

following

examples:

-"LeVs

forget

last

year's

bad

things."

-"Let's make

this

a real

hearty

welcome to our new neighbors."

-"Let's _talk

about each campus

life

and

drink!"

-Making

_Invitations

Invitations to parties are often made with `imperatives,' `Please ₊

imperatives,' or

declaratives.

Expressions commonly _used

by

Japanese

students

inmaking invitationsare "Come _and

join

us," " _Please

come to our

_party,"

or " _I

would

like

to

invite

_you

to my

Birthday

_party

at my home at

6:30p.m.

on

Sunday,

May

8."

It

is

also

fOund

that

Japanese

students often employ

`let's-imperatives'

in

their

head

act of making

invitations

in

English

as

in

the examples

below.

-"Iet's

join

tothe

_party."

-"Let's

come andjoin us."

-tclet'S.."'"

The

_grammatical

errors found in _the

analyzed

in

later

sectjons.

usage of _these `let's-imperatives'

will be

-Expressing

_Hopes,

_Desires,

_and

_Expectations

Hopes

and expectations

fbr

the

parties

are often expressed

with

declaratives

such as "I'm

looking

forward

_{to the}

party,"

"We _are

looking

forward

_to

your

coming," or " _We're

waiting

for

your coming."

Moreover,

`let's-imperatives' are

also

used

by

Japanese

EFL

learners

to

indicate

their

hopes,

desires,

and expectations regarding the

_parties

they are

_going

to

host.

Some of the examples

are as

fo11ows.

-"Let's _{have a}

good

time

with

us,"

-"Let's enjoy

dancing

with

us!", - "Let's make

friends."

-"Let's

_drink

and

_you'll

be

happy."

By

expressing the expectations and

hopes

for

-80

trying to assure and _convince the

_potential

_guests

that they will

have

_a

wonderful time at

the

_parties.

-Making

_Requests

Requests are made with various

linguistic

forms,

including

`please'+imperatives,

declaratives,

_and

interrogative.

(e.g.,

"Please

come to this party with your

friends,"

"

Please

come to my

house

at

18:OO,"

"

_If

you

are

free

this

weekend, we want

_you

to

(be)

_present

<at)the

birthday

party,"

or "Would

you

like

to come to this

_party

and _enjoy

_good

time with me?" Although

`let's-imperatives'

are not commonly used

in

jnvitations

wrfitten

by

native speakers of

English,

Japanese

learners

of Engtish often use them

in

their

English

invitations.

`Let's-imperatives'

_function

as malcing requests and asking their

friends

or

potentia!

guests

for

their

_{participation}

in

the

_parttes,

as shown in

the

following

examples.

-"Let's

_bake

a cake and serve

dinner

together." -"Let's take

par{

in

it."

-"Let's

come and

join

us!"

4-3.

_Japanese

EFL

Learners'

Use

of `Let's-Imperatives'

According

to the

grammar

book,

`Bastc

Grammar

_in

Use'

_vvritten

by

Murphy(1995),

the

English

sentence, "Let's

go

out" isconsidered to

have

the

meaning equivalent to "You

andIcan

_go

out."

As

Murphy

explains,

English

`let's-imperatjves' _are

used when

_people

make

_plans

or suggestions. In the

process

of making

_plans

and suggestions,

they

may _express

their

ideas

to

do

something together with thetr

friends

in the near

future

as in the examples, "Let's

get

together soon," or "Let's

go

out drinking sometime." However, _when

people

already

have

certain

_plans

for

_parties

or events and offer

invitations

to

others, they

do

not usually use suggestive "let's-imperatives"

_in

the written

English

invitations.

T'he

frequent

use of `let's-imperatives'

_in

_English

_invitations

written

by

Japanese

EFL

learner5

may

be

attributed to

the

linguistic

transfer

of

the

Japanese

expressions

into

English.

For

_example,

Japanese

`e-shimashou'

and

lisshoni-vshjmashou,' which are often used when the hosts

invite

_people

to participate in their

_parties

or events, seem to

be

transferred

into

the

Engtish

81-phrases

`let's.v' <sub>and</sub> `iet'sNtogether.'

_Since

the

Japanese

expression

`-"shjmashou" _is

often used not _{only when} making _{suggestions to otihers,}

but

also when

_giving

invitations,

Japanese

EFL

learners

may

iikely

use the

equivalent expression `let's' _in

their

_{English invitations.}

Pragmatic transfer of

Japanese

sociocultural expectations regarding inviting people

for

parties

is

also

found

to exist.

That

is,

in

Japanese

invitations

tocasual

and informal _parties the verb lshoutaishimasu'

(i.e.

`to

invite')

is

_{not explicitly}

used. Instead,

the

noun `goshoutai'

(i.e,

_the

polite

form

of the noun `invitation')

or `Shoutaiken'

(i.e.

`invitation ticket')

is

rather

_printed

on

formal

invitation

cards or

tickets.

Since

`goshoutai'

in

Japanese

often means

that

the

_guests

are

especially invited to the

_parties

or events

fbr

free

of charge, the word `invitation'

may rarely

be

used in the

_Japanese

invitationswritten

in

English.

Furthermore,

since

the

head

act of

Japanese

invitationsoften

includes

the

hosts'

expressions of

their

hopes

and expectations

for

the

_parties,

the

Japanese

expression `j'ssho _ni

tanosliimiinashou" used

in

their

Ll

invitations,

tends to

be

transferred intotheir I.2expression, "Let's

enjoy together!"

A

total of thirty `let's-imperatives'

with

different

verbs are

found

in

the invitations

_Japanese

students wrote.

Nthough

they

are

all

basically

considered

inappropriate as a

head

act of making invitations

in

English,

there seems toexist

different

degrees

of

inappropriateness

in

the

Japanese

use of `let's-imperatives.'

That

is,

some `tet's

imperatives'

that may sound awkward

if

used

in

written

invitations to

_parties,

may sound natural

in

oral conversations or

in

different

contexts. On the other hand, other `let's-imperatives' _{which are created}

in

_so

called, `Japanese

English'

due

to the

linguistic

and/or _pragmatic transfer of

Japanese

expressions as well as sociocultural rules of speaking into English, are

considered

inappropriate

in

any English context. Besides

these

two

kinds

of

inappropriateness, the

Japanese

EFL

learners'

ungrammatical usage of

`let's-imperatives'

is

also

observed.

In

the

foliowing

section, three

different

kinds

of

inappropriate

use of `let's-imperatives' _wtu

be

_analyzed.

4-3-1.

Inappropriate

Use

of `Let's-Imperatives'

_in

_Invitations

First,

`let's-imperatives' which are not usually used

in

written

invitations,

but

which can

be

used

in

other contexts or oral conversations are

listed

below.

-82-"Let'sttLet'S"Let's"Let's"IRt's"Let's"Let's enjoy

dancing!"

talk together." surprise

him!"

celebrate

him!"

give

a

_party."

hold

a _party at my house."

bake

a cake and serve

dinner

together."

These examples of `let's-jmperatives' _may

likely

be

observed

in

conversational

interactions

where

people

make suggestions on what they can

do

with

their

friends

or make

future

_plans

when _they

_get

together.

However,

when

the hosts have already made

_plans

for

the

_parties

they are

_going

to host,

`let's-imperative'

forms

are not _{usually used}

jn

_their

invitations.

Instead,

_the

imperatives or `please' ₊

_imperative

_forms

are rather used as

in

the

fo11owing

examples: "Come

celebrate

Mike's

birthday

with us!"; "Please

join

us

for

the celebration of

Susan's

birthday

on

July

10ih.";

and " _Happy

Halloween!.

_Come

and _participate in

the

costume contest!".

As

for

formal

invitations,

declaratives

such as "

_Mr.

and Mrs.

Smith

request the

_pleasure

of

_your

compariy

fbr

a

Garden

Party Dinner," and "You

are cordially

invited

for

cocktails arid

dinner

in our

garden!"

are commonly used.

Therefore,

it

isimportant

for

_Japanese

EFL

learners

to

learn

to

distinguish

expressions appropriate inspoken

language

from

those

in

written

language.

4-3-2.Linguistic

and Pragmatic Transfer _of

Japanese

Expressions

and

Sociocultural

Concepts

into

English

Invitations

The

linguistic

as well as

_pragmatic

transfer of

Japanese

expressions and concepts

into

English

are

also

considered as one of

the

reasons

that

Japanese

often use `let's-imperatives'

_in

_their

fo11owing

examples.

finglish

invitations,

as shown

in

the

"Let's

erijoy this

day."

1

"Let's

enioy my

birthday."

The expressions, `this day'

after the verb `enjoy' isvague and _needs to

be

explained concretely. The specific name of the _party or event should be

mentioned,

(e.g.,

`garden

party'or `tea

party'),insteadof `this day'

as an object of

the verb `enjoy'. Furthermore,

as forbirthday _parties,since _peop}e usually _give

partiesfortheir friends,not forthemselves, the expression, "Let _{us enjoy my}

birthday,"sounds rather awkward.

-83-"Let's

drink

and

_you'11

be

happy."

As

for

drinking,

people enjoy

drinking

in

var}ous ways;

for

example, while some

may feelhappy and relaxed, others may become emotlonal and weepy while

drinking.Therefore,itistoo simplistic to assume that _people will become happy

by

drinking.

"Let's _make

_friends!!!"

People who _go to _partiestnay expect to

friends,however, instant friendshipmay attend.

meet new _peop!e and eventually make

not be established at the _partiesthey

"Let's _make

good

memory

(mernories)."

Regarding `rnaking

good mernories,' memor'ies wM be made after _peopte attend

the partiesor experience differentthings in _general. Therefore, itsounds

unnatural to mention making _good mernories before the events or _partiestake

place.

"Let's

_forget

_last

year's

bad

things."

Transfer of the concept of

Japanese

_{year-end parties,}`Bonenkai'

<i.e.,

_literal

translation of `forget _the

year party')and `Shinnekai'

_{l.e.,

`A _{New Year'sParty')is}

observed

in

this invitation.

At

a

New

Year'sEve Party _peop]e may _gather and

reflect on what they have

done

inthe _year which isabout to end; however, ata

New Year'sParty,people usually celebrate the beginning of a new _year and

express their hopes and resolutions. Hence this sentence, which iswritten inthe invitationsto `A New Year'sParty'sounds incomplete and unnatural.

"Let's

attend "Welcome

_Party"

_if

you

were uneasy." The invltation to a `Welcome _{Party' ls usually}

given by upperclassmen or

representatives of schools or _groups who are _going to _give a _party for new

comers. Although they may _giveusefu1 information or advice

for

freshmen

and

suggest the benefitof attendtng a `vvelcome

party,'they themselves are not _going

to attend the _party as new freshmen. Hence, the expression, "Let's _attend

`Weicome _Party' ifyou

were uneasy," sounds awkward. "Let's

take

_part

in

it!"

The idiomaticexpression, `take

partin,'isusually used fordestgnated _prQjectsor

activities. For parties,the expression such as "Let's

go to the _party," isused

when a _person ismaking suggestlons or _persuading the others to_go to the _party

together in conversations. However, inwritten invitations,the verbs `come,' `go,'

`attend,' <sub>or</sub> `join' _{as well as} `

participate,'or `take

partin'are not used in

imperatives.'

In

Japanese

invitations,the

hosts

expre$s their

hopes

and wishes

for

the

parties

they

are

hosting,

and at the same

time,

they ask the

_guests

to

_participate

in making the

_parties

enjoyahle together with the

hosts.

The

Japanese

"we"

mentality or

_{group-oriented}

_{participation}

may

be

impliculy expressed

in

the

frequent

use of `let's-imperatives' _{in their}

invitations.

_{On the other}

hand,

_in

English

invitations,

the

hosts

explicitly invite the

_guests

or request _their

company at the _parties they are

hosting

in

the

head

act of _giving

invitations.

It

is

the

host

t`I" _that

invites

people,

and

it

is

up to the

_people

"you" _{who are}

_invited

-84-to

decide

tocome tothe

_partyand

enjoy

it

or not.

4-3-3.

Ungrammatical

Usage

of `Let's-Imperatives'

Japanese

EFL

learners'

ungrammatical usage of `let's-imperatives' isalso

observed

in

theirEnglish invitations.

Some

_grammatical

errors commonly made

by

Japanese

students in their

English

invitationsare listed

below

with _examples.

While

underlined words show errors, words in

_parenthesis

suggest the correct

forms

which should

be

used ina

_given

sentence.

-The

_incorrect

usage of

_participles

<verb

base +

"Let's

dancing!"

"Let's

dancing

_and

singing and enjoying !!!"

The basefbrniof verbs

(e.g.

`dance,' `sing,' _and `enjoy')

`let's,' instead

of the `verb

+ ing'forms.

`ing')

need to

follow

the _phrase

-The

_incorrect

_{use of the phrase} `with _us'

"Let's

enjoy

dancing

utt

t

"Let's

have

a

_good

time ledglLgs"

ttl.ET,S ENJOY

IST

STAR

PARTY

um!!"

"Let's enjoy

ctt!gist-lglassJ]ayve

M

D

(Chri'stmas)mu"

The phrase `let's' <sub>isa short form of</sub> `]et _{us' and when the hostsof the}

partiesuse

`}et's-imperatives] _{in extending their lnvitations, they}

want al1of the _participants

to enjoy the _partiestogether. Hence,the use of the _phrase `with _us' is

redundant

and unnecessary in`let's-imperatives.'

-The _{mere use of} `Let's'

_with

_no

other words

"Let's..."

The phrase `let's'

can be ttsed in _the responses

{e,g.,

"Yes, _{let's.")to suclt}

suggestions as "Shall

we _go to a _party at Tony's on Saturday?" and "How _about

going to a Halloween _party next weekend?" However, when the

hosts

make

invitations,they never use the _phrase `let's' _itself

without any other words

fbllowing

after.

-The

_incorrect

_{use of}

_transitive

_verbs

"Let's enjoy !"

"Let's eajoy together!"

"Let's enjoy

_lp

(o)the

_party."

"Let's

join

sQ

(o)the

party."

The verbs `enjoy'

and

SQin'

are both basically transitive verbs, which can not be

used alone or made sense

by

themselves. Inorder to make a complete sentence,

an objectlobjects need tocome right after these verbs without any _particles.The

object can becomprised of either a noun

{e.g.,

`Tea <sub>Party' or</sub> `Christmas _Party')or

a _gerund

(e.g.,

`talking'

or `dancing').

-The

_incorrect

_{use of subjunctive}

_past

_form

_{of verbs}

"I.ells-attend "Welcome Party,"u

a

(arelfeel)uneasy."

The subjunctive _pastfortnisused when the statement itselfisa wish `(l wish

Iwere rich.", or the conditions of the subjects in `iFclause' _{are not real,}

such as

`CIf he were diligent,we could hirehim." Hence, inthls

invltations,

the present

-85-fbrm ofintransitive verb `are'

or `feel'

needs tobe used.

-The

_incorrect

_{usage of}

_particles

"Let's _{make this a real}

hearty

_weicome

bQ

(for)

our new neighbors!"

The phrase `welcome _to...'is_{commonly used}

when _you welcome people to _your

neighborhood, or town. However, when _you make something forother _people,

the _particle`for' <sub>isused, instead of</sub> `to.'

"Let's

forget

{about)

last

_year's

bad

things." As

for

the verb `forget', _it

may mean `cannot

remetnber' or `leave

something

behind' depending o'fthe situations mentioned in the statement. If_people

intentionallywant to put certain issuesor bad experiences behind, the _particle `about' _{isneeded after the}

verb 'forget.'

-The _{incorrect usage of articles}

t`Let's

have

a

fun!

@@@@@oooo"

The noun `fun' <sub>isan uncountable noun, and therefore, an indefinltearticle</sub> `a'

is

unnecessary inthe statement.

-The

_incorrect

_{usage of}

_pronouns

"Let's _{talk about}

each

(each

other's) campus

life

and

drink!"

"It,etis.come and

join

gs.:"

As the inappropriateuse of `let's' <sub>+</sub> `with _us' is_{mentioned earlier, the use of} `us'

after the verb `join' isconsidered redundant in the `let _{us'-imperatives. The}

imperative

form,

such as "Come _{andjoin us," ismore commonly used} in_thiscase.

With regards to the use of `each' _itis

used either a$ an adjective, such as tEach

person' `Each _{member of the class' or as a}

pronoun such as `each

other's

weaknesses.' Sincethe hostof the _partywants _participantstoshare theircampus

liveswith each other, the _phrase `each _{other's campus life'needs to be used,}

instead of `each

campus life.'

-The _{incorrect usage of adjectives and adverbs}

"Let's _celebrate "Let's enjOY The verb object to make a transitive verb adverbs, they happily.'

`celebrate' _{isa transitlve verb,}

fullsentence. Therefore,

needs a noun 'year'

usually modify verbs

However, ifthe noun `time' adjective `merry'

needs to be used, instead of the adverb

(year)!"

a merry) time ]ddthLus!ill

and as mentioned above itneeds

the acljective `teenage,' fbtlowing

to modify in this situation. As for

or verb phrases `spend time merrily

needs tobe modified inthisinvitation,

`tuerrily･'

anthethe

oran

5.

Conclusion

The

frequent

use of `let's-imperatives'

is

_{one of the unique}

features

observed

in

invitations

wrjtten

by

Japanese

in. `Let's-jmperatives'

Japanese

EFL

learners

employ

in

various _places

in

their

invitations

are

found

to

have

the

multiple

functions.

They

indicate

not _{only announcing}

the

_events, making

suggestions and offering

invitations,

but

also expressing the

hosts'

hopes,

desires,

and expectations, and requesting

the

_guests'

participation

in

the

parties

-86-they are

hosting.

While

native speakers of English use `let's-imperatives'

when

they rnake suggestions to

do

something together

with

their

friends,

they

do

not

usually use suggestive `let's-imperatives' _{when they already}

have

plans

for

parties

or events and send out

invitations.

The

Japanese

use of

`let's-imperatives'

in

their English

invitations

to

_parties,

thepefore,

is

considered to

be

awicward andinappropriate.

Among the

Japanese

use of `iet's-imperatives' _{in their}

English

invitations,

three

main

different

types

of inappropriateness were

found.

The firstone is

the

use of `let's

imperatives'

that are acceptable inoral conversations or

in

different

contexts

but

may sound awkward in written invitations to parties.

The

second

one isthe `let's-imperatives'

created

in

so called, `Japanese

English,'

_using

the

direct

trans!ation of

Japanese

expressi'ons and sociocultural conepts into

English.

The

third one

is

the

Japanese

EFL

learners'

ungrammatical usage of

`let's-imperatives.'

One

of the reasons for the

Japanese

use of `let's _{imperatives' in English}

invitations

is

considered to

be

attributed to

linguistic

as well as pragmatic

transfer

of

Japanese

expressions and concepts

into

English.

For

example,

Japanese

often employ `let's-imperatives' _{not only}

when

_{they make suggestions}

totheir friends todo something together, but alsowhen they

_give

invitattons to

the

_parties

they are

hosting.

in

addition,

the

hosts may

further

express

their

hopes

and wishes

for

the

_parties

they are

hosting,

and even ask the

_guests

to

join

the

host

in making

the

_parties

enjoyable.

Japanese

expected

_{group-orjented}

participation may

be

implicitly

expressed in their

frequent

use of

`let's-imperatives'

inIinglishinvitations.

The

results of the analysis of

Japanese

EFL

learners'

English

invitations

thus

indicate

that when teaching

japanese

students

how

to write

English

invitations,

they need to

be

instructed

on not only

_grammatical

structures,

but

also

on the

proper

usage of `let's-imperatives'

_in

various contexts.

When

the

sarnple

English

invitations,

to

both

formal

and

informal

_parties,

are shown to

students, explanations as well as cautions need to

be

_given

regarding the

Japanese

EFL

learners'

tendency to use `let's-imperatives'

_in

written

English

invitations.

Furthermore,

students also need to

learn

that

creating written

invitations

is

different

from

making suggestions to

do

something together

with

tiheir

friends

inconversational

interactions.

87-References

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_<1983),

Rhetoricalspecitications inessay examination topics.CotiegeEngtsh,45,165-173.

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_(1979}.

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(1989).

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(Eds.X

Richnessinwriting;EmpoweringESt students

(pp.

263-283). New York:Longman.

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(1990).

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{eds.>,

COherence

invvriting

(pp.

81-109),Alexandria,VA:TESOL.

Hoetker,J.

_(1982),

Essay exam toplcsand student writing. ConegeCOmpositionand Communication,33,

377-391.

Kaplan, R. B.

_(1988).

Contrastiverhetoric and second languagelearning:Notestoward a theory of

contrastiverhetoric. InA.Purves

_(Ed.),

vat)'itingacross languagesand cultures: lssuesincontrastiuaE)

rhetoric

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Newbury Park,Cal.iSagePubEshers.

Kaplan,R.B.

{1966).

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{1996).

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_(1990).

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(Ed.J,

Second Language Vva'iting:Aesearch jnsightstorthe classroom Cambrldgei CambridgeUniversityPress.

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JllSOL Quarterty19,no. 3/515-534.

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_O993).

Contrastiverhetoficand theJapanesewriterot EFL..httLT .lournal, 15,No.2i151-a59.

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_(Ed.)

_(1976).

Debrettscorrect iorm;an inctusive_guldetoeverythjng tromdiafting vveddjng invitationstoaddressing an archbishop. Kingston-upon-Thames/ Debrett'sPeerage.

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_(1995).

BasicGrammar inUse.Cambr{dgei Cambridge UniversityPress. Namura, S.

_(1993).

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_(1990).

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Second tanguage VVlriting:Researchinsightstorthe classtoom. Cambrldge/ Cambridge UniversityPress.

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Yew, W.

_(Ed.)

Storlcs& Elonds:thebestofciesigner weclding invitationsand Birtharinouncements.

Tokyo:Oak PublishingServices.

APPENDIX

EnglishInvitationsWrittenby

Japanese

EFLLearners

Sarnple

#1

The

Party

At

a

Garden

Date&Time:

June

30

From

PM2:OO

Place:

London

Hotel

F1

Special

Garden

Shal1we eajoy this

_garden

_party?

We _preparesome bottlesofgood wine.

Pleasebringsome cheese and so on.

W e are iookingfoTwardto

_your

coming.

London

Hotel

w

Sample

#2

ve

p

wa

vae

RZR

l'm

_going

to

have

my

bnthday

_party.

Would

_you

like

to

come

to

this

_party

and

enjoy

_good

time

with me?

lf

_you

would

like

to,

_p{ease

come

to

following

_place

withhaving3000yen.

Date:June18,1999

Place:familyrestaurant"EveryDays"

A.

-89-Sample #3

S･vasslj,;,.lh;Ci,l.,Ig".XutfS.,l,,.-..R,/.,.･,,gllllilll-III,tlk

X

,

xii,-,,{k,,･ig.>l)･iX

,E･N Date:

June

6,

1999

Place:

KAMO

River

Time:

_p.m.6:OON

Money:2000yen

_,

-i;-;-xX

,,

"

,

"

,i;.i,s"N

_,K

"

s

L

gittt--2k;,:,fljtX

-!F

M

za

-= t!!.!!!PnyEzstsza-"ww N ]`mv N

Barbecue Partyisheldon KAMO RIVER.

ttwill

be

_niceparty.

So,

_youshould take_partinthisevent!I!

If_youwant _{tocome, pleasecallFumiakiNakashima.}

CALL

NUMBERl 090-1234-5678

Sarnple

#4

B R- OAY

PAR1

'

Y

DA[[]E :JUNE 18`h.1999 TIINfil:7:(K}PM. PLACE:MYHOME

Ifyou

come this

_party,

I'll

be

very

happy.

Let's

erijoy

this

day1

!