English: a mandatory language in Japan?

[mynimal]

You know, at various times in my study of Japanese I've thrown up my hands in despair and decided that Japanese is actually impossible for anyone to read or understand -- even the Japanese. At times like that I suspect that the Japanese must actually have no idea what they're saying, and are only pretending to be able to speak and read their own language. ;-)

Props to all the Japanese bands out there eh? XD

 

[TwistedMac]

some people wield their own and other languages like a quill pen. Others like a crude mallet.

I'd like to think I'm on a fountain pen level with the languages I know. Atleast that's what I'm aiming at.

Most Japanese (songwriters in particular) seem to be using English to smack people over the head with it.

 

[lexico]

US & UK that bad ?

I don't think that Americans are as serious about learning another language as Japanese.

Admitting the US is a big chunk of land with 50+ states; I feel like I just have to say this. When I took Chinese in the Oriental Languages, the building was literally bursting with American students (I assumed at least 80% were Amreicans) pushing and shoving in and out of their Japanese language sections to the point I couldn't pass through. But Chinese was also highly popular. Where have they all gone ? Has all that changed since the 1980's ???

I think it's a useful skill. I ...think that Americans, for the most part, don't give a flying **** when it comes to understanding other countries and stuff.

Which leads me to wonder if this isn't another American stereotype that's being revised ?!?

the other brits around here are just like that, they are so racist and bad mouth other religous beliefs and all that...like they think they are supirior and should own the world

That's kind a sad considering all the experience the UK has accumulated during the colonial period. Could it be just some youths don't appreciate the cultural legacy of the older generations ? I'd love to be in the UK for language studies with it's huge collections in the British/Oxford/Ashmolean Museum and such... what a better place for the lingomaniacs ? I'm sure there's plenty that you haven't seen; I could be wrong though.

 

[Keiichi]

This brings back the old joke:
What do you call someone who knows three languages? Trilingual
What do you call someone who knows two languages? Bilingual
What do you call someone who knows only one language? An American

Keiichi

 

[lexico]

3 Off-topic topics: Sex, language fluency, and babbling chimpanzee

Your comment produced in me related yet distincly different and somewhat twisted ideas. Does anyone talking really know what they are talking about ? I mean with a very clear understanding of its true meaning and an unshakable awareness of all its implications ? Or do we tend to babble on leaning on a certain intution called common sense ? Let me slightly modify your passage by replacing 'Japanese' with 'a langauge.'

You know, at various times in my study of 'a language' I've thrown up my hands in despair and decided that 'this language' is actually impossible for anyone to read or understand -- even for the native speakers. At times like that I suspect that 'people' must actually have no idea what they're saying, and are only pretending to be able to speak and read their own language. ;-)

Now how does all this tie into my obscure title "Sex and language fluency ?" Am I presenting a sexist idea ? Perhaps, but not really. At least I hope it doesn't turn out that way.

My first awakening to the opposite sex happened in kindergarten. What amazed me so much was the obvious fluency with which girls could speak their minds with they pretty little mouths. I loved them and hated them for that. Now, how could this be, when we were all supposed to be average to smart kids, that I could not beat them in verbal competence ? That had ingrained in me a deep sense of inferiority to the female sex, and at the same time I had made a personal vow that, thru constant cultivation of the verbal faculty, I would someday match and even exceed girls in a verbal competition. Now after around 30 yrs of struggle with the 'lingo' I finally feel equipped well enough to keep the minimum of 2/3 win.

Question 1: Are girls innately better equipped with superior language skills ?

Question 2: When someone amazes people with one's fluent speech, how do we know if that person is talking substance, or simply projecting an illusion of intelligence, exuberance, and character by her(his) juggling of words ?

Question 3: Should it be possible to interface an artificial human vocalizing output apparatus to a chimpanzee at birth, and to teach it how to keep talking thru imitation of a babbling human being, would it be possible to distinquish the "Turing Chimpanzee" with a politician ?
That is just by listening to the sounds without seeing who's doing the talking ?

Fire away Amigos, Amigas !

 

[Mycernius]

Question 1: Are girls innately better equipped with superior language skills ?

Question 2: When someone amazes people with one's fluent speech, how do we know if that person is talking substance, or simply projecting an illusion of intelligence, exuberance, and character by her(his) juggling of words ?

Question 3: Should it be possible to interface an artificial human vocalizing output apparatus to a chimpanzee at birth, and to teach it how to keep talking thru imitation of a babbling human being, would it be possible to distinquish the "Turing Chimpanzee" with a politician ?
That is just by listening to the sounds without seeing who's doing the talking ?

Fire away Amigos, Amigas !

1. Most language experiments have shown that women have better communication and language skill than men. They have a tendency to use almost 3 times as many words per day than your average man. They also use a greater vatiety of words when talking to people. This is probably down to the fact of our primitive past. men did the hunting and left women alone to forage and look after the younger generation. When you are hunting it is best to keep verbal communication down to a minimum to avoid startling the prey. If you are foraging it is better to keep in contact with your neighbour. Plus the fact that these groups were much more a social group than one with a specific task ie: hunting. This doesn't mean that they are better at learning languages than men, they are just better at utilising it.

2. It depends if you can understand the language being spoken to you. If a Japanese man is fluent in English you would soon be able to know whether he truely understands the language by the way he would carry out a conversation with you. Someone who could speak a language, but unable to properly comprehend it would make mistakes that a native speaker would be able to pick out. I know it is a short answer, but I would have to think about this question a bit more before I could expand upon it.

3. I thought they had already had computer programs that could 'speak' if a chimp or a gorilla pressed certain buttons on a screen. It would have to be a young chimpanzee as most chimps over 3 or 4 are not very good at learning new ideas.

I suggest if these topics are to be continued that they should be moved to an OFF TOPIC thread and into Lingustics, as they are a bit divergent from the original thread. Thanks
Damn good questions though.

 

[Uprock]

My friend said that english is taught in schools and is mandatory, and Japanese is sort of the "secondary" language. Is this true?

Japanese is definitely the primary language, with English being taught in schools but like someone else said, it sort of gets lost or somewhat forgotten or can raise more interest later on. After all, English characters are almost everywhere in Japan, yet a lot of the people can't read them - so Japanese is definitely primary. Most of the people don't even speak English there.