Comments on: Warning: Global English may harm your mental health

By: A.F

A.F — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:55:56 +0000

In reply to steven.

If you learn a language you become a creator of opportunities. If you recognize and see these opportunities then yes, it is a passport to a better life. This applies for any language in general not only for English.

Even though today everybody is striving to learn English mainly because it is the so called ”official business language”, I think that we are sometimes missing the point what business is really all about. It’s about connecting people. The main tool we use to do so is language. Although learning English does create the opportunity to communicate, there are no feelings attached to it when doing business with non native English speakers. See http://www.language-united.com/language-in-business.html

“If I’m selling to you, I will speak your language; if I’m buying, then you must speak mine!”
-Willy Brandt, former German Chancellor-

By: Hikaru Genji

Hikaru Genji — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:54:53 +0000

My head hurts~

By: Lisa Fairbrother

Lisa Fairbrother — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:02:59 +0000

This is not a phenomenon restricted to English language learning. During my time in Japan I have met a number of Chinese women and men who have left their spouses and children at home in China in order to study Japanese full-time. This is often linked with an economic motivation to continue studying at a university in Japan, which may then lead to a highly paid job in Japan or a good academic job back in China. In Asia, learning Japanese is also big business, although comments I have heard would suggest that it’s often the second choice after English.

By: Lisa Fairbrother

Lisa Fairbrother — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:52:47 +0000

In reply to Angela Turzynski-Azimi. Angela I think you're right about Western misconceptions of statements of self-depreciation. In Japan for example it's considered really arrogant to acknowledge your abilities in front of others. It's actually a form of politeness to say something self-depreciating about not only yourself but also your in-group. My favourite cliche in this vein is the Japanese husband speaking of his wife: "She's not beautiful and she's a terrible cook".

By: Tommy

Tommy — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:18:31 +0000

I think Angelas absolutely right: Confucian concepts like severe self-deprecation and continual striving are much more powerful forces (given that they are 1000s of years old and completely culturally ingrained) than some sign on a shopfront.

It is nevertheless fascinating to see the geographical separation of families English mania engenders, in light of Confucian-heritage culture.

By: Angela Turzynski-Azimi

Angela Turzynski-Azimi — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:54:09 +0000

It might also be useful to consider how the notion of “linguistic self-depreciation” is impacted by a culturally ingrained emphasis on continually striving towards mastery of a skill, art form, and so on, with the figure of one’s teacher, the true master, a constant reminder of how far one is still falling short of perfection. This is perhaps especially evident in students of traditional pursuits. The savvy advertising campaigns of English language schools in Japan certainly exploit a cultural tendency, but I would question whether they are responsible for “instilling a perpetual sense of inferiority”.

By: Angela Turzynski-Azimi

Angela Turzynski-Azimi — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:53:35 +0000

While I am not qualified to speak about South Korea, I would like to comment on “linguistic self-depreciation” in the context of Japan. We should beware of taking at face value a person’s claims that their (or their partner’s or child’s) English skills are poor. While those of us raised in Western cultures may perceive such statements as self-depreciation, it may be more accurate to regard them as a form of modesty which does not necessarily reflect a person’s true opinion of their abilities. It is common to hear even the most talented of people express themselves in this way concerning their own abilities or those of anyone closely related to them. I wonder if the example of the South Korean woman claiming her husband had almost zero knowledge of English yet was able to function in an academic environment in the U.S. can be attributed to a similar cultural norm?

By: xiaoxiao

xiaoxiao — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:37:18 +0000

Yes, we have also been investing a lot in English teaching in China. We have very expensive international schools in big cities where all the teachers are native English speakers. A lot of well-off families try their best to get their kinds in there in order to receive “genuine internatioal or English education”. Also we have foreign language schools in every provincial capital city where English is the major language. A symbol of success for the kids in their studies should be their proficiency in English. But how much do they know about their own native language–Chinese?

By: Andrea Mattos (Brazil)

Andrea Mattos (Brazil) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:54:57 +0000

This is good food for thought… What are we teaching when we are teaching English?

By: Vahid

Vahid — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:36:12 +0000

“The recipe is not restricted to South Korea but – with variations – seems to be working well in many places around the world.” Even in a country like IRAN, which lacks a well-established political relationship with the West (and therefore difficult visa processes), we can find more and more children leaving IRAN temporarily for early study abroad with their aim being ‘proficiency in English’. I was not aware of the high number of such students before the day two years ago when I visited an exhibition in Tehran which was exclusively devoted to such companies and their services. The number of such companies outweighed what I had imagined before. And if a lot of companies offer services to those who want to send their children to foreign countries in order to learn English, the business should not only have a lot of customers but should also be lucrative.

By: steven

steven — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:33:13 +0000

for some people language isnt just a means of communication, it is a status symbol, a passport to a better life – real or imaginary

By: Neil Barker

Neil Barker — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:25:43 +0000

I see this everyday in Korea. I think another thing that drives the English industry is hyper-competition to succeed. Studying English outside of Korea is a way of getting around the traditional route of graduating from Korea’s ‘Ivy League’ schools like Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University.