Language | WELL SAID Apr 27, 2015
So many "you" and "I" words, but best used sparingly
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Today we will introduce the proper use of "you" and "I" in Japanese.
Language | BILINGUAL Apr 27, 2015
These tips for Japanese mastery go out to the muddlers
by Glenn Newman
When it comes to learning Japanese, most of us muddle through. This article is for the muddlers.
Language Apr 20, 2015
'Vague' Japanese language can be maddeningly specific
by Colin P.A. Jones
For a supposedly vague language, Japanese can be incredibly specific when it comes to personal pronouns, the law and the family, for example.
Language | COMMUNICATION CUES Apr 20, 2015
Japanese researchers have announced an economical cancer detection method using roundworms that can identify cancer patients by sensing odors in urine.
Language | WELL SAID Apr 20, 2015
Whether or not to use ka-dō-ka
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Today we will introduce the proper use of XかどうかY and XかY, which mean "Y whether or not/if X (or not)."
Editorials Apr 11, 2015
With enrollment of foreign students declining, the University of Tokyo needs to work on making its program for English-language coursework more attractive.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Mar 25, 2015
Frenemies, screenagers, kidults — kondo your English with these trending terms
by Amy Chavez
How up-to-date is your English vocabulary? New words reflect a changing society and, as a result, new words are coined every day. Reading English newspapers and media from around the world can help you keep up with the changes. Here are some words I ...
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Mar 24, 2015
Indonesia to withdraw local language plan for foreign workers
Indonesia will withdraw a plan that would force foreign workers to take local language proficiency exams after protests from investors, two government officials said. Manpower Minister Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri earlier this month told reporters the government would require existing and prospective foreigners to pass Indonesian ...
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Mar 14, 2015
AP — After 70 years of separation, people in North and South Korea speak in increasingly different ways. South Koreans have incorporated many English words and phrases into their language while isolated communist North Korea has eliminated words with foreign origins and created homegrown ...
National Jan 8, 2015
Osaka educators yank Hashimoto references from English-teaching program
The Osaka Prefectural Board of Education revealed Thursday that it extracted some of the content of online English teaching materials for junior high school students after determining it was forcing political views on young readers by using the name of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto. The ...
Our Lives | BLACK EYE Dec 17, 2014
Japan and others gain from Jamaican brain drain
by Baye McNeil
In the last part of this series on Jamaicans in Japan, Baye McNeil speaks to a teacher, author and poet in Yokohama and an attorney in Tokyo.
World / Offbeat Dec 16, 2014
U.S. dictionary Merriam-Webster picks 'culture' as word of year
Whether popular, corporate or entitled, "culture" was named word of the year by U.S. dictionary Merriam-Webster on Monday as a flexible catch-all that can easily identify a subject, idea or issue. Merriam-Webster defines culture as the beliefs, customs and arts of a "society, group, place ...