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English stirs fear of job loss for Japan | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| cathrynm Senior Member United States junglevision.co Joined 6126 days ago 910 posts - 1232 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Japanese, Finnish | Message 9 of 12 25 December 2010 at 10:58am | IP Logged | ||
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> そうはいっても、「いきなり明日から 語をしゃべれ」というのは無理でしょうか 、
> 2年間は猶予を与える。2年後に英語ができな 執行役員はみんなクビです。 Yeah, I think so (though I can make mistakes with these things). It's impossible to insist that everyone suddenly speak English tomorrow, so there's a two year reprieve, after which everyone who can't speak English is 'kubi(neck)'. Oooh, pretty nasty. Sounds like a plot to a movie, or something. I can't imagine what it's like in these companies with all these Japanese guys struggling to speak English to each other. It might be unintentionally funny if it wasn't so tragic. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| leosmith Senior Member United States Joined 6551 days ago 2365 posts - 3804 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Tagalog | Message 10 of 12 26 December 2010 at 1:24am | IP Logged | ||
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執行役員 【しっこうやくいん】 (n) operating officer; company executive
Thanks for the vocab lesson cathrynm:) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| ericspinelli Diglot Senior Member Japan Joined 5784 days ago 249 posts - 493 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: Korean, Italian | Message 11 of 12 27 December 2010 at 6:07am | IP Logged | ||
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I work at a large Japanese company and though our numerous foreign subsidiaries share English as a common working language, things at headquarters are done entirely in Japanese. Though there is lots of talk of "internationalization" and the number of foreign hires has increased significantly in the past two years, any real change seems quite far off. There may be more foreigners, more bi- and trilingual employees, but it sometimes comes off as if the company doesn't actually know what to do with them (aside from translation/interpretation work). Overall, I think my company is closer to the norm than companies with like Rakuten.
Internationalization is a funny thing in Japan. It is almost unanimously agreed upon as a Good Thing in the abstract, but met with resistance when applied at the personal level. Even when the initial resistance to change (which, though quite common in Japan, is certainly not unique) is overcome, the problem of how to actually implement internationalization remains. It's kind of the like the underpants gnomes from South Park: Phase 1. Internationalization Phase 2. ?? Phase 3. Profit I exaggerate, of course; many companies know that a good command of English can open up new markets but this knowledge sometimes takes on a life of its own and "English" comes to equate and replace "internationalization." I don't know enough about Rakuten to say that they fall in this category, but it will be interesting to see how things play out. Regardless, I imagine in the coming two years managers and employees alike will probably receive company sponsored language tuition, either in the form of allowances for private tutelage or teachers brought to the company. The usefulness and efficacy of foreign language education Japan, both public and private, is another question but I doubt that companies making this move to all English are barking orders but not providing any support.
I don't think this kind of attitude is helping. Perhaps she's just trying to protect her own job (more English equals less need for interpreters), but at its extremes it's not unheard to see this sentiment balloon to "Other languages are imperfect. Only the Japanese language can convey the uniqueness of the Japanese mind," which is utter nonsense. I don't see any reason to panic. There are pros and cons for internationalization, however it is realized, but considering the extended economic slump that Japan is in and the various problems it faces in the future, I think it's worth it to at least try. The measures taken by companies like Rakuten are perhaps drastic but in the long run they are still but small steps. I look forward to the day Japanese society as a whole embraces internationalization - when they realize that it doesn't just mean speaking English and copying America and giving up your own culture - rather than just rubbing around the edges of it. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| leosmith Senior Member United States Joined 6551 days ago 2365 posts - 3804 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Tagalog | Message 12 of 12 27 December 2010 at 7:07am | IP Logged | ||
What else does it mean, in your opinion? 1 person has voted this message useful |
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