Comments on: Japanese in Yangon

By: Matthew Wilkinson

Matthew Wilkinson — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 04:38:23 +0000

It goes to show, I think, that economic realities will always triumph over grand ideas and policies.

By: Paul Desailly

Paul Desailly — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 20:46:19 +0000

Interesting Kimie

さようなら

My five trips from China to Japan over a period of ten years indicate my appreciation for that part of the world.

Speaking of appreciation I’m wondering about the legacy vis-a-vis General Aung San’s (the father of Aung San Suu Kyi) trips to Japan and the support his Burma Independence Army afforded Hirohito for most of WW2? Independence for his country being General Aung’s main aim, Churchill’s description (“a traitor rebel leader”) seems unfair and aligns not with Atlee’s assessment and granting of independence.

I’m wondering too if appreciation in Burma for things Japanese goes further back in history? Certainly, General Aung came to his senses about the Japanese war time government’s view of independence for Burma. A good place to start investigating – within the limits of a consensus style encyclopedia – is Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San

さようなら

Paulo

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:54:27 +0000

Thanks for post. It’s similar in China. In some western provinces like Xinjiang which borders on Middle Asia, most people there is Uigur Chinese. it’s easier for them to learn Uigur language which is similar to Uzbek language.But what they have to learn in 9-year compulsory education is Mandarin and English.in linguistic aspect, Mandarin and Uiqur are quite different.
It’s not so easy for education policy makers to make a language policy that all the learners can really benefit, especially everything related to policy should come to national level. But in reality, people still can choose what they want really to learn. Although English is still the first foreign language in China, people in many places have opportunities to learn other languages. They can choose other foreign languages as there major in high education;someone cannot, they can choose the language training courses in institutions such as Goethe and other private training centers. It’s much more effective to learn the foreign language chosen by learners than by dull policy.