- 8 Mar 2005
- 2,139
- 89
I'm wondering what people have read concerning the future of the English language in Japan.
There seems to be a lot of English language schools in Japan, but very few people in Japan really know even somewhat passable conversational English. This seems to have been going on for years, but with not much impact on how the country uses the language.
I used to think that the ammount of English teachers in Japan was based on the ammount of business that was done with English speaking countries--- I'm not exactly sure that this is the impetus behind teaching English.
Surely those who seek to do business in English in the future learn it, but the schools that opperate on a daily basis, their purpose is, excuse me if I'm sounding naieve, seemingly to sell the fad of knowing sparse English soley to make money, rather than being a 'school' per-say...
Nova seems especially guilty, with it's advertisements of antiquated and random English slang, luring both kids and adults to learn the uses of "The Big Cheese" et al...
I could be dead wrong... but if the use of English is anything to go by, the schools themselves aren't functioning very well for their numbers.
I've read that there will be a bigger emphasis on bi-linqual children in Japan in the future, and that the parents of these children are not expected to teach them English, but rather a native English speaker--- Let's clarify that, and say that no matter what, if the mother is Japanese, they prefer that she teach the baby Japanese (ed: first and formost, over and with higher importance to English)--- I think this is predominant anyways.
Use of English in Japan is high, but not very meaningful. It's used on children's clothing, all types of clothing regardless, (and many many other types of packaging and products) but serves more as a decoration than anything else--- A paragraph of English about the relationship between spirituality and surfing on a 5 year olds jumper is odd, yet common... Walk through Jusco and you'll find more English proclaiming the beauty of surfing on childrens clothing than anything else.
English also doesnt appear to have a place in the way that Japan plans around it's future immigrants, if it does in fact plan around that sort of thing.
I'm interested most in what people may have read, rather than simply what you predict will happen--- but if your prediction is based on what you've read--- that's good too.
thanks.
There seems to be a lot of English language schools in Japan, but very few people in Japan really know even somewhat passable conversational English. This seems to have been going on for years, but with not much impact on how the country uses the language.
I used to think that the ammount of English teachers in Japan was based on the ammount of business that was done with English speaking countries--- I'm not exactly sure that this is the impetus behind teaching English.
Surely those who seek to do business in English in the future learn it, but the schools that opperate on a daily basis, their purpose is, excuse me if I'm sounding naieve, seemingly to sell the fad of knowing sparse English soley to make money, rather than being a 'school' per-say...
Nova seems especially guilty, with it's advertisements of antiquated and random English slang, luring both kids and adults to learn the uses of "The Big Cheese" et al...
I could be dead wrong... but if the use of English is anything to go by, the schools themselves aren't functioning very well for their numbers.
I've read that there will be a bigger emphasis on bi-linqual children in Japan in the future, and that the parents of these children are not expected to teach them English, but rather a native English speaker--- Let's clarify that, and say that no matter what, if the mother is Japanese, they prefer that she teach the baby Japanese (ed: first and formost, over and with higher importance to English)--- I think this is predominant anyways.
Use of English in Japan is high, but not very meaningful. It's used on children's clothing, all types of clothing regardless, (and many many other types of packaging and products) but serves more as a decoration than anything else--- A paragraph of English about the relationship between spirituality and surfing on a 5 year olds jumper is odd, yet common... Walk through Jusco and you'll find more English proclaiming the beauty of surfing on childrens clothing than anything else.
English also doesnt appear to have a place in the way that Japan plans around it's future immigrants, if it does in fact plan around that sort of thing.
I'm interested most in what people may have read, rather than simply what you predict will happen--- but if your prediction is based on what you've read--- that's good too.
thanks.
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