Japanese Retailer's New Policy: 'English Spoken Here'

What is the universal language of business? English of course! In Japan, Rakuten is joining a growing list of companies that moving to an English-only policy even for Japanese employees. The movement is driven by the desire to expand overseas and attract/retain top talent.

Japanese Retailer's New Policy: 'English Spoken Here' - WSJ.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Shanghai Is Trying to Untangle the Mangled English of Chinglish

There's Hinglish (new words born out of Hindu and English) and Singlish (new words born out of English spoken in Singapore) and now, Chinglish -- words born out of very bad translations in China. In Shanghai, an effort is underway to eradicate signs such as the one above from public view, but some are wondering whether this will close a window into the way the Chinese think.
Shanghai Is Trying to Untangle the Mangled English of Chinglish - NYTimes.com

China's the word in more US schools

Although Spanish is still the most widely taught second language in U.S. schools, thousands of schools stopped teaching foreign languages completely in the last decade, according to a government-financed survey.

On the other hand, the number of public and private schools offering Mandarin as a language option has gone from 300 a decade ago to more than 1600 now, and the number is growing exponentially. One such example is the Yu Ying Charter School in Washington (pictured above), the first Chinese language immersion school that offers classes on alternate days in English and Mandarin.

A.P. Chinese will be the third most tested language this year, after Spanish and French. German will be displaced to fourth place. This trend isn't just taking place on the east and west coasts, either. The survey shows that Chinese language offerings are taking place all over the country, including in places where there aren't significant Chinese populations.

China's the word in more US schools