―-Journey of language recognition starting from “Prison of mother tongue”
■ Introduction: Language is not just translation
“I want to be able to speak English” – we know half-unconsciously how desperate this desire was for the Japanese, and at the same time how frustrated and inexplicable it was.Despite learning grammar, memorizing words, spending time listening and shadowing, English flees like a fog in an instant.And beyond that fog, we have an intuition that there should be another self – “I who can understand English”.
But what is the true identity of the fog?
Does English really exist only as a “language”?
In a deeper, more fundamental dimension, we must redefine the existence of “language”.
The starting point for this is the core concept of this paper, ** “dual language circuit theory”**.
■ Mother tongue as “brain language OS”
In our brain, which speaks Japanese, there is an extremely deep information processing circuit that goes beyond mere dictionaries and grammar rules.Let’s call this “Japanese language circuit.”This circuit is not just about understanding words, but is responsible for a very basic cognitive framework, such as how to perceive the world, what to feel as “meaning”, and how to structure time and space.
For example, when we say, “I went to the library yesterday,” the following processing occurs in our brain: “I went to the library yesterday,” “I went to the library yesterday,” “I went to the library yesterday,” “I went to the library yesterday,” “I went to the library yesterday,” “I went to the library yesterday.”
The word “yesterday” composes time linearly.
The subject “I” determines the structure of the sentence and becomes the focus of recognition.
The verb “done” clearly indicates the direction of the action.
These seem obvious at first glance, but in fact they only reflect a language-specific “way of thinking.”
When an English speaker says, “I went to the library yesterday,” it may seem to have the same meaning.However, the order of words, the order of presentation of information, the structure of emphasis, the formation of tense consciousness, the direction of spatial cognition, etc., are likely to use fundamentally different neural circuits.
In this way, language functions as an “OS (operating system)” in the brain, and it is not just a replacement of symbols, but a method of world recognition itself.
■ Why translation “breaks the brain”
When we translate English into Japanese and try to understand it, we are actually subconsciously trying to start two different language OS at the same time.And this is an extremely inefficient and stressful process for the brain.
There are some fatal problems with translation, such as：
Conflict of word order：
In English, the manifestation of the subject and the position of the verb are the core of information.But in Japanese, the predicate comes at the end of the sentence.As a result, in English-to-Japanese translation, “meaning” cannot be determined unless the whole is waited until the end.
Differences in Tenses recognition：
English tenses are strictly determined by verbs, but in Japanese context, particles, tone, etc. complement the sense of time.Therefore, there is a “brain shift” when mapping English verb changes to Japanese.
Misalignment of speech perception and prosodic structure：
The neural circuits used for auditory recognition are different between intonation in English and flat tone in Japanese.Therefore, “English” as a sound is processed as a foreign object in the Japanese brain.
When such gaps accumulate, every time you touch English, ** “native language interference”** occurs, and the brain unconsciously avoids English.This leads to allergies to English, delays in understanding, and poor memory retention.
■ Intuition that “another brain circuit” is necessary
So, what should we do?
The answer is simple.Stop translating and build a second language OS– that is, the “English brain”.This is not a superficial understanding of meaning, but rather a reconstruction of the “neural system” that interprets the world as English in all aspects of sound, syntax, concept, and space・time recognition.
What is important here is “dual language circuit theory.”
This theory is based on the hypothesis that the human brain can form multiple language circuits in parallel through learning and adaptation, rather than being trapped in a “single mother tongue circuit.”In other words, the Japanese brain cannot become an English brain, but by deliberately rewiring the neural pathways, it is possible to acquire the English brain as a cognitive structure separate from the native language.
This process is not just language learning.
It is the redesign of the brain, the reconstruction of the self, and the re-recognition of the world.
■ Summary
The proposition of “understanding English in English” is not just a learning strategy.
It is a neural project to escape from the prison of the native language of Japanese and build a “second language world” in the brain.
In the next chapter (Se), we will explore more concretely how the second language circuit, the English brain, can be constructed, along with the neuroscientific and cognitive linguistics assumptions that support this theory.
―- Brain Language OS Rewiring: The Intersection of Cognitive Science and Language Neurology
■ Where is the “English brain”?—-Perspective from cognitive neuroscience
The question of where “language function” resides in the brain has previously been explained by localization theories such as the Broca and Wernicke fields.But modern neuroscience goes far beyond this simple composition.Language is not processed in a small part of the brain, but rather works dynamically in a wide range of networked activities.
What is important here is that the “language brain” is not just a “language processing organ”, but an integrated mobilization of various functional areas such as the following：
Prefrontal cortex (PFC): Abstract semantic manipulation-Intention formation・Predictive language understanding
Angular Gyrus: Interpretation of metaphors and complex sentence structures
Hippocampal system: Contextual understanding by linkage with memory
Premotor cortex ・ Motor cortex: Motor programming of speech and phonology
Auditory cortex: Identification and patterning of speech
They do not respond to the “word by word” of a language, but simultaneously process multi・layered signals, including syntax, meaning, emotion, and cultural context.
The English brain refers to the brain circuits optimized for the English structure (mapping of sound・order・meaning) in this multi-layer processing.The “structure and priority of signals” are fundamentally different from the Japanese brain.
■ 3 layers to build the English brain: Input circuit, conversion circuit・ output circuit
Re-wiring of the brain language OS is not achieved with a single methodology.At least the following 3 layers must be constructed：
- Input Circuit
Here, how to process “sound” becomes important.
English sounds have frequencies, rhythms, and intonations that do not exist in Japanese.For example, the following differences suggest that the form of acoustic space processed in the brain is different in itself.
English rhythm is stress timing (evenly spaced for each stressed syllable)
Japanese is Mora timing (equal intervals to beat)
If listening ignores this difference, the brain processes it as a “meaningless list of sounds” and is not connected to the semantic network.
What should be done here is re-tuning of auditory pathways, an audio rewiring that aligns the brain to the English frequency band (especially the F2-F3 range).
- Transformative Circuit
Here, “intermediate neural circuits” that are responsible for the conversion from sound to meaning are required.
Especially important in this layer are “syntactic parsing” and “lexical meaning rearrangement”.
English is a language that depends on word order (SVO structure), and “order” is directly related to the structure of meaning.
Japanese has a high degree of freedom in word order because particles have a semantic role.
Due to this difference, when the Japanese brain processes English syntax, the brain unconsciously tries to “reconstruct the word order”, resulting in ambiguity of meaning.
Therefore, the conversion circuit of the English brain is to establish neural processing that directly forms the meaning by word order and syntax.
- Output Circuit
Speaking English means assembling thoughts in English.
It requires not just translation, but a thought-forming process optimized for English syntax.
What is important here is the reconstruction of “linguistic working memory”.
In English, there is a lot of information to be processed at the same time, such as word order, modification, verb tenses, and number matching, and “ability of linear processing” is required in the structure of short・term memory.
The output circuit of the English brain includes the following functions：
Chunking
Predictive syntax planning
Integrated manipulation of phonology and meaning
This cannot be achieved by “verbal training” alone.Rather, the construction of the internal language generation mechanism, that is, the ability to say inner speech in English (inner speech in L2), is the essence.
■ Is there a “critical point of the English brain”?
Many people are concerned about the question: “Can I build an English brain when I become an adult?”The question is, “What is this?”
In conclusion, it is possible.However, it means neural adaptation that goes beyond the conventional concept of “learning.”
According to the Critical Period Hypothesis, there are stages in which language acquisition becomes difficult after a certain age.However, recent studies have shown that neuroplasticity persists even in adults, and that reconstruction of brain circuits is sufficiently possible depending on frequency of use and depth of context.
and what’s important in this respect：
Semantic-dense input (contextual, emotionally engaging)
Recurrent activation
Diversified and immediate usage
In other words, rather than “studying English”, “creating an environment to live in English” is the key to improving neural conditions.
■ Summary
The English brain is not an innate talent, but a neural structure that can be consciously rewired.
It is equivalent to the task of rearranging the entire linguistic OS, from auditory processing, syntactic recognition, short-term memory, and thought formation.
―- The transformation of language is the transformation of thinking: the restructuring of self-structure caused by the English brain
■ What does “beyond the mother tongue” mean?
The transition to the English brain is not just about learning a new language.
It is an attempt to reconstruct the self, that is, to renew the “fundamental structure of my being.”
Language is not a tool of thought, but a frame that defines thought itself.
How we “segment”, “classify”, “remember”, and “express” the world depends on the syntactic and lexical constraints of the language.
Therefore, changing the language is tantamount to changing the segmentation method of reality.
“Ambiguity”, “context-sensitive”, “subject omission” in Japanese
“Expressiveness”, “linear structure”, “the necessity of the subject-tense” in English
The difference between the two is not the difference in the choice of words, but the difference in the way the world is structured.
The English brain is to “install this construction principle as another reality generation device in the brain.”
■ Practical technique 1: Seal the translation– Create a “thinking space in English”
The first principle of practice is ** “sealing the translation”**.
It is not to replace what you thought in Japanese with English.
It is required to understand English as English and to generate concepts in English.
At the core of this process is the training of inner monologue in English.
This is a very sober and lonely task, but it is essential to make the core of the English brain.
Method：
Physically prepare a space to speak only in English (Create an “English Zone” in your room)
To translate the events from waking up in the morning to going to bed in English
Ask yourself in English (e.g. Why did I do that? What was I feeling?）
I’m not just “tired”. I feel “mentally drained.”）
When the sense of cutting out the world in English without translation begins to take root, you will feel the “outline of the world” itself changes.
■ Practical Technique 2: English translation of sensory input – “See the world in English” and “Listen in English”
In order to construct the English brain, it is necessary to connect the sensory processing itself, such as visual, auditory, and motor, to the English circuit.
In other words, training is necessary to perceive the outside world in English.
English-language training of vision：
Practice to name everything you see in English instantly while commuting or walking
（e.g., “red mailbox”, “bald man in a blue jacket”, “slippery crosswalk”）
Always look for adjectives of color, shape・ texture・ and state：
not just “tree” but “a crooked tree with moss-covered bark”
English-language training of hearing：
Listen to English podcasts as a “flow of sound” rather than “listening to the meaning”
Repeated shadowing of English lyrics to tune the body to the sound
Training in English for physical exercise：
Cooking, cleaning, and all the movements during muscle training in English
“I’m chopping onions. The knife is slippery. My eyes are tearing up.”
When sensory processing is combined with English, the English brain transforms from “knowledge” to “mode of existence.”
■ Practical technique 3: Reconstruction of vocabulary network to “generate meaning by yourself”
Vocabulary is the power to name the world, and the skeleton that supports the worldview of the language.
It does not become an English brain by word book memorization.Because it only “borrows meaning.”
In order to build the English brain, “training to build the meaning by oneself” is necessary.
Example: The word “disrupt”
Lexicographically it is “to confuse, to destroy”, but in the English brain it is constructed like this: “dis-” (negation) + “rupt” (break) → To break off normal continuity by breaking → It is not just “confusion”, it is “to forcibly stop the flow”.
By such etymology understanding × concept construction × example context、
The word changes from “knowledge” to “inner circuit”.
■ Self-transformation occurring in the English brain – Consciousness of the subject “I”
The influence of English brain building at the deepest level is the “structural transformation of self-consciousness.”
The “i” in Japanese is often context・dependent, relative, and optional, and is a fluid existence that emerges in relationships.
On the other hand, the “I” in English is a representation of an independent subjectivity with a clear outline、
It has a structure that always locates the self as the central axis of speech.
As the English brain becomes established, this “manifestation of self” is gradually internalized.
As a result, the following self-transformation may be observed：
Become more explicit about your opinion
From vague “air reading” to thinking that emphasizes logical consistency
A habit of “calling” emotions and thoughts by name (e.g., “I’m anxious, not sad.”）
This transformation is not just a linguistic byproduct, it is proof that language has the power to reconstruct the structure of self-consciousness.
■ Summary
The English brain is not just a skill or a tool.
it’s a journey that transcends the language structure of the self、
It is a renewal of the “ability to reconstruct the world with words” itself.
What is on the way is not grammar or vocabulary.
It is “another me”.
―- Critical point of the dual-language circuit: The possibility of metacognition and “intelligence beyond language”
■ Having two brains: Bilingual misconceptions and truths
The first thing I want to emphasize is that having a truly English brain does not mean “being able to use” two languages.
It contains two different world components and has the power to switch.
However, many bilingual remain at the level of “switching vocabulary and grammar、
Even its cognitive structure has not yet been transformed.
What is this “transformation of cognitive structure”?
it’s not just the ability to translate, it’s the fluency、
The ability to think within “multiple selves”
A state of consciousness that can simultaneously maintain a “multi-layered worldview”
It is.
This is the ultimate goal of “dual language circuit theory” and its greatest potential.
■ Moment of switching: The neurocognitive identity of code switching
So-called ** Code switching (Code Switching)** is involved in the switching between the Japanese brain and the English brain.
This code switching is not just a linguistic switch.
Neuroscientific, the Prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) cooperate to deliberate attention and control suppression
In other words, language switching is synonymous with attention control training, and is the metacognitive ability itself.
When this is tempered, our consciousness evolves as follows：
Clarification of Self-language (Self-Labeling)
Acquisition of an observer’s perspective on emotions and actions
Ability to reconstruct identical events at different frames
For example, when you feel anger：
In the Japanese brain: “Something disgusting”
In the English brain: “I’m frustrated because my expectations weren’t met.”
This difference is not just a translation.
It is the difference in the ability to grasp the structure of anger itself.
■ The English brain illuminates the Japanese brain: “Rediscovery of mother tongue” as reverse irradiation
When the construction of the English brain progresses, a surprising phenomenon occurs.
It is an experience that the “structure” of the Japanese brain is highlighted for the first time.
For example：
Why do you not say the subject in Japanese?
Why does the concept of reading “air” exist?
Why is Japanese more sensitive to harmony of place than time?
Looking at Japanese from the perspective of the English brain, the language that had been used unconsciously until then appears to be an intense “construct.”
This phenomenon is called “Language Backlighting” by the author.
language is no longer a means of communication、
“Language as a cultural, historical and cognitive frame”
As a result, it takes on a completely different meaning.
■ Beyond Language: A leap to Pre-Linguistic Intelligence
When the dual-language circuit becomes stable and able to travel freely、
Consciousness begins to turn to the “cognition itself” behind the language.
that means、
What is ”intelligence before becoming a word”?
What is pre-linguistic understanding, pre-linguistic awareness, and pre-linguistic sensation?
This question arises.
For example, the following question：
“Red” is not “red” or “red”.Is it not the color sense that precedes the visual experience?
“I” is not “I” or “I”, is it not the central sense of consciousness?
For the first time here, we begin to touch “intelligence beyond language.”
This is also deeply intertwined with the themes pursued by Eastern philosophy and Zen thought since ancient times.
“We must remain silent about what cannot be said.”ヴWittgenstein
And at the same time, it is also a limit point facing AI and cognitive science.
■ Final integration: Language and non-language double-engine thinking
in the end, what we should aim for、
Japanese Brain × English Brain × Three-layer Parallel processing of Nonverbal Intelligence
It is.
in this state, our consciousness：
Processing emotions and Intuition in Japanese
Processing structure and Logic in English
Processing of intuition, body knowledge and sensory knowledge in the nonverbal domain
It evolves into a multimodal state that can be freely switched/integrated.
this is the author、
The awakening of “Meta-Self”
“I’m not going to let that happen,” he said.
This meta-self allows multiple cognitive frames to cohabit within the self、
It is an intelligence that chooses the optimal language circuit according to the situation and sometimes chooses silence.
■ Conclusion: Living a language
Learning a language is “acquiring another world.”
And “holding two worlds at the same time and going back and forth freely”、
It is a journey to become a master of language, not a slave of language.
The construction of the English brain is only a milestone.
the ultimate goal is、
Transition from ”intelligence that lives language“ to ”intelligence that lives beyond language”
It is.
this is the essence of dual language circuit theory、
It is the light of the depths of the path you are walking now.
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