This week's poll is from oGaga. If you had a chance to magically change your primary language to Japanese (and be totally proficient in it), would you take that opportunity?

You can submit poll ideas here (and try to keep them manga/anime-related)
http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=3903

Previous Poll Results:
Question: What's the most likely reason you'd stop reading a series you initially liked?
Choices:
Favorite character dies or isn't in story anymore - votes: 603 (5.2%)
Favorite character changes for the worse - votes: 306 (2.7%)
Too many unlikable characters - votes: 691 (6%)
No character development - votes: 679 (5.9%)
Plot veers off into a bad direction - votes: 2295 (19.9%)
Boring plot - votes: 2721 (23.6%)
Too many surprising moments - votes: 20 (0.2%)
Story too confusing - votes: 457 (4%)
Series just never seems to end - votes: 965 (8.4%)
Increase / decrease of fan service - votes: 148 (1.3%)
Increase / decrease of violence - votes: 27 (0.2%)
Pacing is too slow / fast - votes: 311 (2.7%)
Art style changed - votes: 83 (0.7%)
Irregular releases - votes: 1072 (9.3%)
I just didn't have time to keep up and forgot about it - votes: 1140 (9.9%)
There were 11518 total votes.
The poll ended: May 15th 2015

Seems like more people voted for the plot related problems

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A just ruler amongst tyrants

I selected "For Sure!" since i really want to learn Japanese..but kinda lazy to sign up for classes and having to pay for the classes. :x i am poor...

But, I think i should have voted for "Sounds cool, but no thanks" instead...
Since English should remain my primary language even if i'm not too proficient with it...
haha. Afterall, English is like the International language.
(after Google-ing, seems like French is the international language of diplomacy .Bonjour)

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🙂

Since English isn't my primary language and would still remain as my secondary... I gladly voted "for sure" ^^

I would love to know Japanese, but I'm just too lazy to actually put in the effort to learn it xP
And since I don't really care about my mother tongue, the choice seems obvious ^^

I wouldn't have changed it if English was my primary, though... It would be such a waste to lose it...

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You can PM me if you need a temporary (freelance) cleaner/redrawer for some project. Especially if it's something with nice art.
Being the lazy person that I am, I'm not likely to accept anything long-term though.

only if it comes with changing residence to Japan.
As far as i know japanese isn't used anywhere else but inside japan.

While I wish I could magically make myself fluent in Japanese, I wouldn't switch it with my native language of English. Having English as my primary language is much more beneficial since it's used in so many places.

Well my primary language is Russian, and English is my secondary and I'm fluent. But as it stands having Russian as a primary language is more beneficial for my line of work considering the country where I live (Canada by the way) I prefer to learn Japanese as a third language like I do now...

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I am envoy from nowhere in nowhere. Nobody and nothing have sent me. And though it is impossible I exist. © Trimutius

My native language is Russian but i don´t need it and have forgotten so much so For sure! it is as there is no downside for me. Immigrants represent!

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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
Manga-Masters, My ANN-Lists + Imdb

That sounds very tricky. Would I learn how to read and write? It would be definitely handicapped by it where I live. What if you have more than one primary language...

Whatever, it sounds cool, but no thanks.

While I've no problem with losing my native Dutch language I would rather replace it with English instead of Japanese because English is more usable worldwide. Also the poll does not state it but would you even be able to write kanji with the magic method ;p

Then there is the fact that I'm just to lazy to learn yet another language and it only makes sense to learn an extra language if you use it a lot in your daily life. My German is almost gone because I have not used it in ten years while my English totally improved because I read a lot of English and hear it more often.

I took it as having a comparable skill level if you switched. If you're literate in your first language, you'll be literate in Japanese. If you're terrible at spelling, your ability to write kanji might not be good, like many Japanese people, but your reading would probably be fine.

As for me, I'd definitely keep English for the same reasons listed by everyone else. I'm very grateful that it's my first language.

Eh, the question entertained wishful, yet useless, thinking. You think native-like fluency is impossible for second acquired language? You think you need to be born as Japanese to speak like Japanese? Come on!

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grammar mistake is intentional, grammar nazis need their entertainment.

I live in Japan and still wouldn't give up English as my native language even if you paid me.

Firstly, English is far more useful in international situations (which makes it essential to my job as a scientist), Secondly, fluency in Japanese isn't impossible. It may take longer, but you learn a lot about the culture and your own language in the process, plus sharing lingual mishaps is a great ice breaker.

EDIT: I read this as swoping my native language for Japanese, but I guess primary language could be the language you use most frequently, which isn't neccessarily your mother tongue. If I could keep English as my native language and magically be fluent in Japanese tomorrow then yes, definitely. Especially if it also came with instant Kanji knowledge. Kanji is the bane of my existence.

Last edited by CuthienSilmeriel at 8:46 am, Jun 2 2015

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The pen is mightier than the sword...and considerably easier to write with.

maybe...

only if i keep my current level of proficiency in the other languages i currently know. It would be very akward if i were no longer able to speak my native language. since i doubt it comes with a transfer of residence.

and if i also gain the knowledge of writing it.

Just so I can read manga/LNs? Since that's the only reason think of why I would want to, I wouldn't. I feel like It'd take the mystery off of reading mangas and LNs anyway(I'm not sure why, I just feel like it would)

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Sure would! Dutch is pointless anyway. My English is awesome and I speak a bit of German and French as well, so I'd be just fine. And I'd move to Japan like tomorrow

EDIT: LOL, read the other replies, I guess the answers to this poll depend more on what people's first language is then whether or not they'd like to learn Japanese. Also, if mine were English I wouldn't swap either

Last edited by Dionaea at 12:35 pm, May 16 2015