English in Japan
It's been a wild ride over the past 11 years, watching English schools large and small come and go. Remember NOVA? Of course, it died and was reborn, but is it still the same experience for its students and teachers?
With the economy in the doldrums, I wonder how things are going across the country. I started my first teaching job in Japan when Clinton was president and English was all the rage. Then came Bush, the insanity of extremists and terrorism, the missteps that tarnished America's image abroad, and the emergence of China as an economic force.
Over the time I've been here I've worked for English schools large and small, as well as a long stretch as an English language specialist for an international company. Now that I've finally attained permanent residency in Japan, I'm free to branch out into other things.
Are English schools still thriving here? Are more Japanese students becoming interested in Chinese, Korean and other languages? Will the declining population result in more foreigners living and working in Japan?
What is the future of English in Japan?