Share
Japan evidently cannot take it anymore. In the 1980s as Japanese businessmen were shopping for trophy properties in the U.S., including the Empire State building, there was much talk of when Japan would surpass the U.S. in economic size. The Japanese had already amassed sizable real estate in Hawaii, including a few examples of overzealous knocking on people’s doors and offering them a briefcase full of cold cash in exchange for their property. That was then. Around 1990, the Japanese economy hit a brick wall and stopped growing, creating two decades of no economic advancement and no real income growth for the Japanese. They are rich by world standards but have not gotten richer.
Japan not only witnessed the steady widening of the economic gap compared with the U.S. in the past two decades but also saw a rise of new economic powers in its neighborhood. China surpassed Japan to become the second largest economy in the world. South Korea is fast gaining and could surpass Japan in terms of per capita income within a decade.
So what is Japan doing about it? It has tried many things including trying to print money, trying to build more highways and bridges, trying to introduce new financial regulations, and more. Nothing seems to work. Well, it may now have just hit on something big that could genuinely turn the economy for the better: ‘Englishization.’ Japan will learn and use the English language more intensively.
South Koreans send their kids to after-school programs to learn English. English taught at public schools is insufficient, parents believe. Singapore, a country with one of the world’s highest income per capita despite having no natural resources like oil, uses only English in business settings though the language is not native to three distinct ethnic groups (Malay, Indians, and Chinese) that live in this city-state.
In the Netherlands, they speak English as well as many other languages as speaking 5 or 6 languages fluently is a point of national pride. As to other non-English speaking countries of Europe, they have no choice but to learn English if they wish to watch entertaining (and often trashy) TV and movies. France hates the idea, but they nonetheless enjoy reading the British tabloids every morning.
As the Olympics enter the final week, the Brits have much to celebrate, including the safe parachuting by the ‘Queen’ and garnering a good number of medals. But one enduring legacy of this small island to the world is its language. A lesson for all: learn English. For English speakers, learn another language. My middle-school son studies Spanish at school.
Notice: The information on this page may not be current. The archive is a collection of content previously published on one or more NAR web properties. Archive pages are not updated and may no longer be accurate. Users must independently verify the accuracy and currency of the information found here. The National Association of REALTORS® disclaims all liability for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information or data found on this page.
