Japan Corporate anglicization

Almost off-topic : Anglicization is in. And it is the "~zation" ending that matters most. In 12 years time (The Republic of?) Rakuten will have moved from Japanese as internal lingo to English. It's official, they are going English, like Nissan, like Fast Retailing.

12 years. Maybe a boon for the battered English industry. Cram schools with "English for toddlers" are crying out of pure joy. Mothers are ever more worried. What else could they do? Society, that is marketing, have been busy formatting them that way.

A threat for interpreters? Maybe.

12 years, that's the duration of compulsory education plus 3 years. That's the number of tribes in ancient Israel.

In a show of commitment, Rakuten CEO delivered the announcement in English, and answered in English to journalists' questions in English, and in Japanese to the others.

No Chinese?

How many foreign journalists were called as props to the announcement?

It's hard not to chuckle, to call it a failure before it starts. In the boardrooms of Japan Inc. the average must be 70 years old and the matter of English as tangible as reaching for the moon.

Where else does this happen? This is important. Here as everywhere else, you can't count on the press to tell the people where else in the world forced corporate anglicization is taking place. Probably Korea, but who cares about Korea, or mentioning Korea, especially if examples in Korea were showing that Japan, a tiny part of it, is just but following Korea in the trail of forced march toward English?

What about forced march toward meaningful, articulated argumentation? Who will teach anyway?

How to get blond with blue eyes? Will they hire Indian teacher? No, Indian is for math only.

Berlitz' ad campaign focused on business English since last year may have come in anticipation. Monitoring the English manual being churned out in more than ever detailed slicing of "real corporate life English" will keep me busier, on the lookout for something that may be turned into material for teaching interpretation. Coming next is probably "English in the boardroom - What every board member should know in order not to loose face in front of others".

Repeat 10 times : "we-Japanese-culture is uniquely unique".

The vortex of English crash and desperate learning is also a blow to other languages being taught here. What's the fuss with minor languages like .... Spanish?

Will the impact reach the delicious trail of books seen over these recent years on "How to think logically?". "How to think log...", "How to think". The boys and girls coming back from holy English speaking countries (is a plural needed?) like ... America ... will be loved-and-hated more or less from now on. As M. said the other day, "not only am I asked if I speak English, but also if I speak Japanese". Both of which she excels in.

This obsession with language you tend to acquire living here over the years, less the language, more the obsession. If not it, we would have even less things to speak about.

This blog will cease mumbling for the coming 12 years and come back in Italian.

Expect more blue eyes blond cashiers at convenience store to practice :

- Clerck : 256 yens
- Customer : ......
- Clerck : do you want a bag?
- Customer : yes, yes! (alternate, no, no!)
- Clerck : "Thank you very much and we hope to see you again soon on board of our shops open 24/24 always here to serve you a smile (and a salary with no future)".
- Customer : ....

Over.