Animation, job hunting drive popularity of Japanese-language study
Japanese-language study is growing in popularity every year, especially in East Asian countries, driven by the interest in Japanese animation and the desire to find better jobs in Japan.
According to a 2006 survey by the Japan Foundation, Japanese-language education was carried out in 133 countries and territories throughout the world, and Japanese-language learners numbered about 2.98 million, up 26.4 percent over three years before.
Since 1984, when the foundation started the Japanese-language proficiency test for non-native speakers, the number of examinees has been increasing year after year. At first, the number was 7,000, but it reached some 560,000 in 2008, half of them being Chinese and 20% being South Koreans.
An official at ALC Press Inc, a Tokyo publisher of Japanese-language learning materials, said, ‘‘Japanese enterprises contracting out data input and other jobs to China are increasing in light of inexpensive labor costs, and even limited Japanese-language skills can become an advantage at the workplace.’‘
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Hi Aidan. How are you doing?
What an interesting post!
I’m glad to know nearly 3millions foreigners learn Japanese in 133 countries in the world. I’ve ever taught Japanese to foreigners living in our town as a volunteer teacher, someday
I’d like to try it again in the foreign country.
Have a nice weekend.
MOKO
Hi Moko.
It’s fun teaching and learning foreign languages.
Japanese has been popular because of business reasons, but lots of people are interested in Japanese because of Japanese culture as well.
Have fun,
Aidan.