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On the topic of teaching English in Japan...

http://www.eltnews.com/features/interviews/

I found this wonderful interview with Kumiko Torikai on the subject if teaching English in Japan.  I for one was constantly stunned by some Japanese English language schools only employing Americans.  Instantly, I felt as if my version of English was not interesting, or in some ways, incorrect.  Last year, while I was still searching for 'couple jobs' online, I found the perfect school.  Upon contact, they refused to even give me an interview on the basis that I wasn't from America.  Apparently the students they had were only interested in American culture and American English.  Honestly, I was hurt.

In reality, English is English.  If I were to speak with an American, an Englishman, a Singaporean, I can understand them.  Occasionally there is a cultural word or two thrown in there that confuses us, some words are spelt differently, but all in all, it is the same.

However, I did not like this quote! "When they say native speaker it’s invariably British or Americans… not Australians, absolutely."

And getting on to English far more broadly, the interview makes the statement about English being used incorrectly in signs in Japan.  Well, my fellow Australians/New Zealanders, take a look around your own back yard.  Turn on the TV!  I see countless spelling and grammatical errors everyday!  I know that everyone makes mistakes, but honestly, it is embarrassing.

Anyway, that is the end of my little spill.  I could go on and on, but I had better not!
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  1. brppleAugust 6, 2011 at 6:16 AM

    Hm, that is an interesting topic, it's just ironic because not all "American" English sounds the same. There are Southern acccents, Eastern accents with anything from Bostonian to New York Bronx accents which sometimes are almost impossible to understand :Z Go up north near Canada and there's a whole slough of more accents...there's not really a "perfect" English...unless you count what's on national news i guess...(which also varies country to country...)

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