English education business in Japan
Difficulty[edit]
Japanese students experience great difficulty in studying English, due to fundamental differences in grammar and syntax, as well
Japanese students experience great difficulty in studying English, due to fundamental differences in grammar and syntax, as well
as important differences in pronunciation. Japanese word order, the frequent omission of subjects in Japanese, the absence of
articles, the functional absence of plural forms, as well as difficulties in distinguishing l and r all contribute to substantial
problems using English effectively.[5] Indeed, Japanese have tended to score comparatively poorly on international tests of
English.[6] However, this could also be attributed to the fact that proportionally more Japanese than other nationalities take
international tests of English (e.g., TOEFL, TOEIC) as they are often required for school or work purposes.
An additional factor has been the use of English in daily life for "decorative" or "design" rather than functional purposes.[7][8]
An additional factor has been the use of English in daily life for "decorative" or "design" rather than functional purposes.[7][8]
That is, for Japanese consumption, not for English speakers per se, and as a way of appearing "smart, sophisticated and modern".
[8][9] Indeed, it is claimed that in such decorative English "there is often no attempt to try to get it right, nor do the vast
majority of the Japanese population . . . ever attempt to read the English design element in question . . . There is therefore
less emphasis on spell checking and grammatical accuracy."[10] Thus exposure to English encountered in daily life in Japan is
unlikely to be helpful as a learning aid. (see Engrish)
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