Arrogance and Learning English!!!

<<In my contry, nobody speaks English, except some peeple who cannot avoid it. This fact is very important. In Japan, peeple from abraud use the Japanese language. >>

*Nobody* in Japan speaks English?? Really?? When I was there a while ago, I met literally hundreds of people who could speak English - people came up to me in the street, restaurants, shops and asked if they could practise English with me. It may only a small percentage of the population, but it's a lot more than *nobody*! Two of my friends are Japanese and they speak fluent English, despite living in Japan and not having to speak English at work.

<, He said, "With English, you can comunicate with peeple all over the world.". But what he meant was peeple in America from all over the world, I supose. As he had stayed in U.S. for a while, he might have thought like "Oh, peeple from different contrys speak English! So do we!". Nope! They used English just because they stayed in an English-speaking contry! I do not want to become a person like him. >>

You don't have to be! But English *is* the most useful means of communication round the world. When I was in Krakow, I heard French tourists talking to the Polish shop assistant - in English. Here in Düsseldorf, I often hear tourists from Italy, Portugal, Asia, wherever, talking to the German sales assistants or waiters in English.

<<English cannot be the universal language. >>
Why not?

<<Using English is sometimes an evasive way to comunicate with peeple.>>
<<Let's try not to speak it like a native speaker! >

?????? Can you explain what you mean here?

To Candy,

You can find hundreds of people who can speak English in some way and hundred who cannot at all. English is an auxiliary language that allow us to manage some situation - booking a room, eating in a restaurant and so on- in an foreign country, but I agree with jpn that the level of English in many countries is very low, for example in Spain.

"I met literally hundreds of people who could speak English - people came up to me in the street, restaurants, shops and asked if they could practise English with me"

It's normal that it happened to you. We learn English as subject, but we DON'T learn to speak English at all, so many people search for any English native speaker to speak with desesperately. We need Englsh for our jobs, but unfortunately we don't learn it in a right way.

javier, I have never said anywhere (nor do I believe) that everybody in the world speaks English, needs to, or even should. I live in Germany and I know lots of people who don't speak it, or only a few words, because they don't need to. And why should they? They're German and live in Germany. But the Japanese poster (eito?) said that *nobody* speaks English in Japan, and I know that's not true.
Obviously, the level of English ability varies from country to country - it's very high in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, much lower in Spain and Portugal, for example. Many, many people don't need to speak English - fine! My point is that, wherever I've been in the world, there's always been SOMEONE around who can communicate in English. Maybe they're a small minority, maybe they only speak a little, but that's what I mean when I say English is very useful for international travel.
I agree with your last point completely. One reason why I teach a lot of English classes here in Germany is because of the standard of teaching in German schools. As you point out, many people learn English as a 'subject', and many Germans didn't talk much English in school. I have to concentrate on making them speak (it can be painful for them!) :-)

well, I study English because people like me in a certain sort of university are going to be interpreters. We do our utmost to speak like natives, however, most of them fail to use the accurate words in speaking English.Their compositions are full of Chinese expressing way. Our language are great different from other languages, we don't use alpabets,that's why foreigners said its very difficult to learn Chinese. Every Chinese character has a unique meaning.Moreover, we have to chose a third language, I chose
French, which has a very strict grammar.Help! Pauvre les edudients de chinos!

Oh really - English and French some of the most beautiful poetic languages. But the irregularities of langauges such as Chinese and Russian are also very interesting!

Who of you saw my movies and what you think of me?

Je suis allez forum!

To Candy:

<<*Nobody* in Japan speaks English?? Really?? When I was there a while ago, I met literally hundreds of people who could speak English - people came up to me in the street, restaurants, shops and asked if they could practise English with me. It may only a small percentage of the population, but it's a lot more than *nobody*>>

Well, I should be inclined to mention that perhaps those people you met on the streets and restaurants would not be classified as good speakers of the language (English) in your country (I'm guessing Britain or America). They only sound nice to you for the obvious reason; you met them in their country and definitely to you, anyone who could speak a little of your darling language (English) was more than welcomed.

I am going to guess that meeting those same people in your country would probably not give the same welcomed enthusiasm you felt in Japan. All these really amount to the arrogance people like you deny.

You got lucky, Candy! When I lived in Japan, I hardly met anyone who spoke English -- I could probably count them on the fingers of one hand. I was shocked and amazed one day when I was taking the train back home from Tokyo and a little old lady came up to me while I was checking the wall map and asked me where I was going, then carefully pointed out the correct line to take -- it was so unexpected (and so sweet) that I didn't have the heart to tell her I KNEW where I was going!

<<Well, I should be inclined to mention that perhaps those people you met on the streets and restaurants would not be classified as good speakers of the language (English) in your country (I'm guessing Britain or America). They only sound nice to you for the obvious reason; you met them in their country and definitely to you, anyone who could speak a little of your darling language (English) was more than welcomed. >>

Obviously Japanese people can't speak English as fluently as native speakers. What's your point? English ability doesn't 'count' unless you're native speaker fluent?

"A little of your darling language"???? Why would you describe English like that?

<<I am going to guess that meeting those same people in your country would probably not give the same welcomed enthusiasm you felt in Japan. All these really amount to the arrogance people like you deny.>>

If people are pleased to see a visitor, how is that 'arrogance'? Explain. The problem is that when you're a native English speaker, and especially American (which I'm not) a lot of people see everything you do and say as 'arrogant'. Calling me arrogant says far more about you than it does about me.

Uriel, maybe by some amazing coincidence I met all the English-speaking people in the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara area! ;) A lot of them were teenagers, but not all. One middle-aged man in a cafe even asked me to correct a business letter he was sending to the US!

To Candy: Let me ask you a question, "how much Japanese do you speak?"

None whatsoever, Stan. Happy now? Does that prove whatever point you're trying to make?
Why not answer my questions too?

That may be it, Candy -- I didn't talk to many teenagers (even though I was one myself). I didn't speak any Japanese either, but most of my friends were half-Japanese, half-American, and they did, so I'd just drag one of them along with me.

One of the interesting things about Japan is that they, like English-speakers, just like to borrow words from other languages when it's convenient, and many of their borrowings are from English. So if you can read katakana, and understand how words are Japanized ("bus" becomes "basu", etc.) quite often you will find that you are looking at a common English word! That's one way to cheat when you don't speak the language....

How long did you live in Japan, Uriel? Did you learn any Japanese? I'd have loved to learn it, but I was only there 3 weeks, so I only picked up a few words (which I've forgotten, unfortunately). It's true about the borrowings - my Japanese friend told me a while ago that the English word 'lifeline' (or a Japanised version of it) means something like 'gas (or electricity) cable'!
Have you seen the site http://www.engrish.com/ ?

The Japanese people do deserve some credits for thier exceptional hospitality, and I wouldn't think it would be asking too much if one suggests that western societies help them discover more of their ingenuity.

They really do not need to stretch their adoration for "all that is western" and that includes the English language. Someone should remind them that they will do just fine even if they cannot speak English. I think it is about time Japanese become the Universal language, let everyone try to learn it.

It is clear; too many people will oppose such a suggestion, and for anyone who believes its an excellent idea, I will say "I'm sorry" if I ever called you arrogant.