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Let’s master a foreign language [blog]
As it is recognized generally, among us Japanese,
we see the tendency of being not so much skillful in a foreign language.
Of course, skillful people are growing in its absolute number
when it’s compared with that in olden times, but we cannot say
that Japan is an advanced country of foreign languages
under the comparison with other countries.
I had once a chance to visit Finland some years ago.
It was a story when I went to Saariselkä and Rovaniemi
of Northern Finland passing through the capital Helsinki
in search for the encounter with aurora.
Saariselkä of Lapland is a small village of about 300 people.
At that time I recall a TV broadcasting telling us that
only one Japanese lady was living there with her one son.
It is a popular tourist destination, providing activities
such as skiing, hiking and a spa.
What was surprising there was that
you can talk with anybody (local people) there in English.
You can do with the staffs of local supermarkets in English
although their own language is Finnish. It is the same
with the staffs of local hotels and restaurants.
I entered into a small hamburger shop – a hamburger
made of the meat of reindeer – being run by one young local lady.
And it was ok with English.
I spoke with some several people or perhaps more (among
total population of some 300 people) and I had an impression
that they all speak good English.
The situation was also same in Rovaniemi (where you can see Santa Claus).
Peoples of the hotel and supermarket I spoke there – they all were good
at English without any exception. I was really surprised at the experience
in Northern Finland.
I know that many Dutch people are multi-linguists.
That will be because their country cannot survive by themselves alone
and they need to have close economic relation with their neighboring
countries within EU.
In addition to their native tongue,
many of them speak English, French, German and Spanish fluently.
The executive person of my old customer in Holland who once visited us
actually spoke good English, fluent French and Spanish,
although I could not make sure about German.
He was quickly reactive in such languages.
Perhaps that will be because they needed the skill to be successful
in their business in entire European markets. Because of the necessity,
they could handle them and being ready to use them at any time.
It is well known that that famous Audrey Hepburn who was
one of the big stars in olden Hollywood age was a real multi-linguist.
If you look at her original descent:
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%98%E3%83%97%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3
there will be no doubt about that she could handle French, Italian, German and Spanish
besides English. Her environments will have made herself as a consequence.
What is different in Japan is that we are a single homogeneous population
using a single language living in isolated islands geographically and
having had little coming and going with other countries.
Therefore we could do without the involvement of a foreign language historically
and our society was a closed one where Japanese language alone was sufficient.
However, because of the too rapid development of Information Technology of recent years,
the circumstances which surround us had changed too quickly.
Although there still is the border physically which make nations separately apart,
there is no more boundary for international communication.
The fact is that you can freely talk with mostly any country by email, Skype and Line etc.
free of charge. Quite a change of time - international call used to be very expensive.
Although there is there the time difference depending upon the location of the country
you will be connected, just as you can do locally in Japan, there is no problem for
the mutual connection with other even distant countries.
Such being our time, naturally there you see accelerated tempo of
people’s coming and going, which will make us impossible to live solely
just like to live in an uninhabited island. Under the circumstances,
at least one foreign language will be a must.
Recently we find at stations announcements in English, Chinese, Korean
and even in French which is hardly spoken in Japan. The staffs of stations
are required to speak at least English at their window to explain to visitors
from abroad. This is the real fact.
To every Japanese born and grown up in Japan having no overseas experience,
everyone is an amateur at the beginning as long as a foreign language is concerned.
But, if you are really interested and if you show strong desire to make it your skill,
you will have lots of opportunities to brush up your ability.
One of the actual means you can make good use of it is this Meetup:
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/ja-JP/
Actually I also use this gathering.
Practice makes perfect ! That’s what I also feel.
we see the tendency of being not so much skillful in a foreign language.
Of course, skillful people are growing in its absolute number
when it’s compared with that in olden times, but we cannot say
that Japan is an advanced country of foreign languages
under the comparison with other countries.
I had once a chance to visit Finland some years ago.
It was a story when I went to Saariselkä and Rovaniemi
of Northern Finland passing through the capital Helsinki
in search for the encounter with aurora.
Saariselkä of Lapland is a small village of about 300 people.
At that time I recall a TV broadcasting telling us that
only one Japanese lady was living there with her one son.
It is a popular tourist destination, providing activities
such as skiing, hiking and a spa.
What was surprising there was that
you can talk with anybody (local people) there in English.
You can do with the staffs of local supermarkets in English
although their own language is Finnish. It is the same
with the staffs of local hotels and restaurants.
I entered into a small hamburger shop – a hamburger
made of the meat of reindeer – being run by one young local lady.
And it was ok with English.
I spoke with some several people or perhaps more (among
total population of some 300 people) and I had an impression
that they all speak good English.
The situation was also same in Rovaniemi (where you can see Santa Claus).
Peoples of the hotel and supermarket I spoke there – they all were good
at English without any exception. I was really surprised at the experience
in Northern Finland.
I know that many Dutch people are multi-linguists.
That will be because their country cannot survive by themselves alone
and they need to have close economic relation with their neighboring
countries within EU.
In addition to their native tongue,
many of them speak English, French, German and Spanish fluently.
The executive person of my old customer in Holland who once visited us
actually spoke good English, fluent French and Spanish,
although I could not make sure about German.
He was quickly reactive in such languages.
Perhaps that will be because they needed the skill to be successful
in their business in entire European markets. Because of the necessity,
they could handle them and being ready to use them at any time.
It is well known that that famous Audrey Hepburn who was
one of the big stars in olden Hollywood age was a real multi-linguist.
If you look at her original descent:
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%98%E3%83%97%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3
there will be no doubt about that she could handle French, Italian, German and Spanish
besides English. Her environments will have made herself as a consequence.
What is different in Japan is that we are a single homogeneous population
using a single language living in isolated islands geographically and
having had little coming and going with other countries.
Therefore we could do without the involvement of a foreign language historically
and our society was a closed one where Japanese language alone was sufficient.
However, because of the too rapid development of Information Technology of recent years,
the circumstances which surround us had changed too quickly.
Although there still is the border physically which make nations separately apart,
there is no more boundary for international communication.
The fact is that you can freely talk with mostly any country by email, Skype and Line etc.
free of charge. Quite a change of time - international call used to be very expensive.
Although there is there the time difference depending upon the location of the country
you will be connected, just as you can do locally in Japan, there is no problem for
the mutual connection with other even distant countries.
Such being our time, naturally there you see accelerated tempo of
people’s coming and going, which will make us impossible to live solely
just like to live in an uninhabited island. Under the circumstances,
at least one foreign language will be a must.
Recently we find at stations announcements in English, Chinese, Korean
and even in French which is hardly spoken in Japan. The staffs of stations
are required to speak at least English at their window to explain to visitors
from abroad. This is the real fact.
To every Japanese born and grown up in Japan having no overseas experience,
everyone is an amateur at the beginning as long as a foreign language is concerned.
But, if you are really interested and if you show strong desire to make it your skill,
you will have lots of opportunities to brush up your ability.
One of the actual means you can make good use of it is this Meetup:
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/ja-JP/
Actually I also use this gathering.
Practice makes perfect ! That’s what I also feel.
