New publication: "English Education and Bilingual Education in Japan." Bilingual Japan, 33(1), 9-13. JALT (Japan Association for Language Teaching) Bilingualism SIG (Special Interest Group).
The Japan Times quoted the author extensively in a recent article on bilingual education. The reporter agreed to share the full interview. Asked why the level of English in Japan remains low, the author goes well beyond the standard explanations to diagnose deep cultural barriers. Then the author defines bilingual education, cites a successful example in Japan, and suggests balancing the input and opportunities for communication in Japanese and English. Next, the author touches upon current trends stemming from parental and societal recognition of the value of becoming bilingual. Finally, the author tackles the populist slogan that the Japanese do not need foreign languages, presenting individuals with a choice of lesser or greater freedom.
My new article "English Education and Bilingual Education in Japan" is now a Research Spotlight article at ResearchGate, such that members may add comments or questions -- after reading the article -- at https://www.researchgate.net/spotlight/66797ca826fd1df03709c0d1
Shorter ABSTRACT: The Japan Times quoted the author extensively in a recent article on bilingual education. This full interview with references briefly defines bilingual education, cites a successful example in Japan, and gives deep insights into the changing society as well as cultural barriers to English education.
“Gilbert employed the Latin electricus to describe the observation that when you rub amber against some substances like wool or a cat’s fur, it sticks to the amber. We now that this clinging—and the zaps that appear between the amber and the substance rubbed against it—is due to static, but at the time, Gilbert supposed amber to be magnetic.”
“Gilbert employed the Latin electricus to describe the observation that when you rub amber against some substances like wool or a cat’s fur, it sticks to the amber. We now that this clinging—and the zaps that appear between the amber and the substance rubbed against it—is due to static, but at the time, Gilbert supposed amber to be magnetic.”
The Japan Times interviewed me for a May 27, 2024 article on #bilingual#education (1st picture).
While the newspaper article is for paying subscribers, the reporter Eric Margolis agreed that the publication Bilingual Japan of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (#JALT) #Bilingualism SIG may publish the full interview. After that issue comes out next month, I will make the article available in research repositories.
The article is subtitled "Japan wants its next generation to be fluent in English. Culture and economic inequality stand in the way." What it means by #culture getting in the way is treated in my answer as to why the #English level in #Japan is relatively low (2nd picture).
The conclusion quotes part of my response to the common opinion that #foreign#languages are not needed in Japan (3rd picture). My complete answer also predicts that the increasing influx of foreign #tourists and #residents will change that complacent attitude.
First English settlers in North America ate dogs to survive
“Archaeologists excavated about 181 canine bones in Jamestown – representing at least 16 dogs that lived between 1607 and 1617 AD.
The dog remains showed evidence of bone modifications “consistent with human skinning, skeletal disarticulation, and meat removal” – meaning they were consumed by the colonists.”
“In this video, I run through 10 aspects of English that make it bizarre in comparison with other languages. These include its “meaningless do”, dreadful spellings, odd use of tenses, missing pronouns and the strange array of sounds in English.”
#Video length: twenty one minutes and thirty seven seconds.
In their article, Freyer and Gehring provide us with an overview over how #English and #British#emdiplomacy developed from the 16th to the 18th century. Traditionally, research stressed #England’s diplomatic relations with #Spain and #France. With a broader understanding of English interests coming to the fore, the research focus widened accordingly.
#Scotland and England followed their own diplomatic agendas in the 16th century, exercising #diplomacy in different ways and with different partners. However, this included also each other with intensive diplomatic contacts in the 1530s and 1540s as well as the 1560s and 1570s. The #UnionoOfTheCrown in 1603 changed the preconditions for English and Scottish diplomacy according to Freyer and Gehring, as England became dominant for foreign relations, although in theory Scottish diplomacy could have run alongside the English. (4/6)
“Four factors are found to be significant predictors of the position of primary stress: endings, word complexity, the segmental structure of the final syllable, and syllable count. Moreover, this study confirms previous observations on the tendency for American English to have more final stress in French loanwords than British English.”
Dabouis, Q. and Fournier, P. (2024) ‘Stress in French loanwords in British and American English’, Journal of Linguistics, pp. 1–26. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022226724000136.
"One wonders: Are we dealing with a set of relatively late independent creations or a set of old (even ancient) roots, whose reflexes sound like baby words but are still regular nouns and verbs? Opinions on this score are divided (opinions in etymology are always divided), especially because borrowing (take note!) is always a possibility."
"The word “nostalgia” first described homesickness and likely PTSD symptoms experienced by Swiss soldiers and mercenaries who fought abroad in the 1700s."
"The word “nostalgia” first described homesickness and likely PTSD symptoms experienced by Swiss soldiers and mercenaries who fought abroad in the 1700s."
"Loiter, a fourteenth-century verb, sounds quite unlike the monosyllables mentioned above. It appeared in Middle English in the form lotere and then in a 1440 English-Latin dictionary as loytre. Still later, the spelling leutere ~ leutre turned up. It is not improbable that “loiterers” (vagabonds) from the Low Countries were the originators of the verb (another case of self-characterization?)."
"Throughout his life, Skeat supported the OED by his reviews (today it seems incredible that once not everybody praised Murray’s work) and kept chastising his countrymen for their ignorance and stupidity when it came to philology. He never stopped complaining that people used to offer silly hypotheses of word origins, instead of consulting the greatest authority there was."
Starlings¹, derived from the Old #English word 'Staer', are known for their mesmerizing gatherings in massive flocks during autumn and winter, a breathtaking spectacle known as murmurations.
In #mythology, Starlings have an intriguing connection to Myna birds², both of which are capable of mimicking human speech. One fascinating tale from medieval #Welsh lore revolves around Branwen³, the daughter of Llyr. Mistreated by her Irish husband, Branwen teaches a tamed starling to speak and sends it across the #Irish Sea to inform her brother, Bran, who then raises an army to rescue her. This myth highlights the intelligence attributed to starlings and their association with communication and aid in #folklore.
Additionally, historical names for Starlings reflect various aspects of their behavior and appearance. For instance, the term "Sheep Stare" from #Somerset highlights their habit of alighting on the backs of sheep to pick at ticks in their coats, a behavior beneficial to both parties.
"This inquiry into English hegemony’s duality concludes that, although English serves as a vehicle for advancement, it also threatens the survival of local languages and cultures, thus embodying a dualistic nature. For non-English-speaking countries to leverage English beneficially, they must navigate this dichotomy with strategic cultural and linguistic preservation efforts."
An Asperger Dictionary of Everyday Expressions: Second Edition
Both informative and entertaining, the book addresses an important aspect of social communication for people with Asperger Syndrome, who use direct, precise language and 'take things literally'. This dictionary aims to dispel any confusion that arises from the misinterpretation of language.
"This interdisciplinary study analyses the connections between literary Modernism and right-wing ideology. Moreover, it is the first academic study to explore the reception of these Modernist authors by today's far right, seeking to understand in what ways they use strategic readings of Modernist texts to legitimise right-wing ideology."