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| Newsletter
No.75 |
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July
2005
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ESUJ Lecture : Why are the Japanese Bad at English?
On Monday, June 13, Keio University Professor Emeritus
Takao Suzuki gave a lecture to a capacity audience of
114, following the ESUJ's AGM.
Following Chairman Hanabusa's introduction which described
Takao Suzuki as a polymath and the author of a huge number
of works, Prof. Suzuki introduced himself as an alien,
who would not give the expected 'safe' talk but would
allow himself to be provocative.
The first reason the Japanese are bad at English is lack
of necessity. Unlike Asian and African countries that
have been unable to get by without using English, Japan
has never had any problem carrying on without a knowledge
of the language. But, in today's world, to say that English
is unnecessary is absurd, as it the only language to have
become a "common language" among nations. This doesn't
mean it is necessary for all Japanese to speak English.
However, the English of people with that attitude is "Bad
English." Especially university English literature professors
are 'bad'. Politicians must be able to speak better English.
Members of the House of Counselors must be chosen not
because they are celebrities or 'beauties' but because
they can make a case in English.
This world is still one in which Caucasians predominate.
Onto this scene, the Japanese appeared, the only people
with a different linguistic culture. Deceased former Prime
Minister Obuchi created a discussion group to address
problems of the 21st century and announced the possibility
that English would become Japan's second official language.
Reporting on only that by the media caused a huge ruckus.
What Obuchi really meant was that without military might
and with a limit to Japan's financial and economic power,
it would be necessary to use the power of words to stand
up to the world, in other words, to gather information
and dispatch it. For example, Israel's use of the power
of words is wonderful, reporting to the whole world anti-Jewish
movements and exerting pressure.
For Japan to remain silent in the face of criticism from
abroad, hoping eventually the matter will go away is inexcusable.
It isn't recognized how important it is to be able to
disseminate information in English. The Japanese leaned
various things through English from the Europeans in the
Meiji Era and from the Americans after the war. English
is no longer necessary in that sense. In future, however,
English will be necessary to convey to the rest of the
world Japan's positions and thoughts. With English as
the world's common language, English has become no longer
the sole possession of the English and the Americans but
now belongs to the world. It has spawned many various
imitations and continues to do so. Japan should take this
to heart and enthusiastically use Japanese English. Up
to now English in Japan has been halting, like a car driven
around a learner's course timidly and jerkily. Concluding
his talk by urging that the Japanese now get their licenses,
hit the road and drive in their own steadily improving
style of English, Prof. Suzuki completely charmed everyone.
ESUJ 7th Annual General Meeting
The 7th Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday, June
13 at 6:00pm at the Japan National Press Club, with 56
members in attendance and 151 proxies. Chairman Hanabusa
chaired the meeting and discussion of items on the agenda
including the report of activities for 2004, and the statement
of accounts for 2004 which was unanimously approved. A
new list of officers is attached.
English Club
English Club met on June 21 (Tuesday) at the Nihon Keizai
Shimbun Main Building, with ESUJ Councilor Patrick Carey
speaking on "Rediscovering the Old TokaidoÑIn the footsteps
of Hiroshige". Carey-san is the first foreigner known
to have walked the complete 503 kilometers of the Old
Tokaido Road from Tokyo to Kyoto. When he first came to
Japan, he heard the story of the Tokaido and Hiroshige's
woodblock prints and became interested and determined
to walk the length of the route, only to find even the
Japanese hardly knew the whole route still existed. The
audience were drawn into his trip by tales of how in only
one day of walking, his feet swelled up, how the trail
disappeared and divided, his joy in finding points along
the way identical to the vantage points from which Hiroshige
had sited his printsÑa veritable adventure world!, and
the various people he met along the way, interspersed
with his own slides and illustrated with copies of actual
prints. This time the talk took us to Hamamatsu. We hope
to have Carey-san come back in future to continue the
description of his journey and complete his walk for us.
The next meeting of English Club will take place
July 19 (Tuesday), on the theme "Screen English".
Film translator Wako Onodera will speak to us on Japanese
personages depicted in Hollywood films, among other things.
(18:30-20:30 at the Nikkei Headquarters) Please note:
In, August we will take a summer holiday. Topic of the
September meeting of English Club will be posted on the
web site when it becomes available.
Upcoming Events
During summer, ESUJ activities will take a holiday.
Ambassador's Lecture on September 7 (Wednesday)
H.E. Suvidhya Simaskul, the Ambassador of Thailand
18:30-20:30 at the Japan National Press Club, 9th floor
8th University Debating Competition in English
October 9 (Sunday) and 10 (Monday, national holiday)
The British team members are decided!
This year again, the Kansai and other seminars are planned. |
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For
further informaiton contact!
E-MAIL:esuj@esuj.gr.jp
Fujikage-Building
9th Floor, Motoakasaka 1-1-5
MInato-ku, Tokyo 107-0051
TEL: 03-3423-0970 FAX: 03-3423-0971
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