The Best English is...

My name is Duncan Brown and I am an English Facilitator, here are some of my thoughts about learning the English language. 

Some of our students offer variations on sentences and ask, “Which is best...?” or “Which is more natural...? or “How would you say... in England?” Invariably, the different sentences perfectly say the same thing. How can they be different and perfect? There is only one perfect! When the meaning of the idea or feeling is communicated clearly, that’s perfect.

My reply to the above situation is the same: Which one is easier for you to remember? Which way is more comfortable for you to say? One common phrase which I often hear is a very natural way for English speakers to introduce themselves: “I’m (insert name).” Does this statement perfectly communicate your name? I don’t think so.

“I’m...” conveys a state of being, but that could also include your feelings, health, or any number of other things. Let’s look at people’s names. There was a trend for famous people to name their children, erm, unconventionally. I’m thinking of Brooklyn (The Beckhams’ child), or Apple (Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow’s child). 

“I’m Brooklyn”, “I’m Apple”, you may understand through context, but what about the (very few) names that could confuse? “I’m Gaye” isn’t the same as “I’m gay”; Randy is another name that springs to mind. “I’m” can introduce more than just your name.

I don’t expect Japanese people to be familiar with my name, Duncan, so I make it clear by stating “My name is Duncan”. Dankan is the closest Japanese word to my name. According to my dictionary, it can mean column space in Japanese. So, “I’m Duncan” in Japanese can translate to, “it’s a column space”. That’s not my name!

The main issue is being unfamiliar with people’s names from different countries; this is especially true of Japanese names in foreign lands. When I first met Masami, I mispronounced her name several times as it was a brand-new name to learn, with no association to anything or anyone else. You wouldn't expect a non-Japanese to recognise the kanji for a name so why would they recognise the sound?

Unless foreigners have an interest in Japan or famous Japanese people, they are unlikely to know a regular Japanese name. Certain Japanese names sound like English words, which adds to the miscommunication; “I’m Sawa (sour)”, “I’m Yu (you)”, “I’m Jin (gin?)”.

When meeting someone for the first time, why confuse things with miscommunication? That is why I insist that our students use “My name is...”. To me, this is the best English for a self-introduction.