The Purpose of the Newly Issued Document on Japanese Honorific Expressions

Modern Japanese honorific expression,a linguistic means to show respect,reveals the democratic ideal of mutual respect in the new-style relations between the superior and the inferior.This new principle,brought forward after the transformation of the Absolute Honorific Expressions into the Relative Honorific Expressions,compromises the conflict between the two views of Respect Expression and the Relation Judgment.The newly issued official document confirms the practice of classifying Honorific Expressions into five categories and follows the requirements of the new tendencies seen in the teaching of Japanese honorific expressions abroad.Hence,the teaching in China should also keep pace with these new tendencies and our textbooks and teaching methodology should be renewed in time.