Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.
Japan
English is offered in every high school and jr high school in Japan. But some high schools offer other languages as well.
The four most popular languages studied in Japanese high schools other than English are:
4. German – offered in 99 high schools.
3. French – offered in 231 high schools.
2. Korean – offered in 247 high schools. This is an excellent step toward improving the relationship between these two countries. It might take a generation or two…but it will be done, if real people from the bottom up learned to communicate in one another’s language.
1. Chinese – offered in 481 high schools. This, too, is an excellent step if accompanied with home stays and visits to one another’s countries.
I wonder how many high schools in China and Korea offer courses in Japanese?
I had one Chinese friend who studied in Japanese in China. She came to Japan to study, got a PhD. and is now teaching Chinese to Japanese and making a big difference in the long run.
Countries can’t go wrong when its citizens are learning each other’s language.
What do you think?
