Honda execs must now be fluent in English, not Japanese

Selangor: Honda Motor Co. has announced that it will be switching to English as its official corporate language for international communications within the company by 2020. The company made the public announcement in its annual sustainability report, which was carried in the Japan Times."By 2020, senior executives will have to prove their English fluency before taking up their positions, and internal documents that need to be in English will be written in the language rather than translated from Japanese," the article said.

Honda had worked to make English an important part of its operations over the last several years, but its decision to make English the corporate lingua franca recognises the future of Honda's operations to grow more in the international arena, in scope and character.

The move to English follows the lead by Japanese companies like Fast Retailing (Uniqlo), Rakuten and Bridgestone, which all have English-only policies.

"It also follows the lead of other large international companies from other countries, for example Chinese tech giant Lenovo which made English its lingua franca many years ago, and the same goes for Nokia, Audi, Airbus, Aventis, Daimler-Chrysler, Renault and Samsung, among others.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Sabah revenue hits RM6.97 billion: Hajiji says GRS State Government may see full term

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government continued its momentum in managing the economy in line with the commitment and spirit of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) when it posted record high state revenue of RM6.973 billion last year.

The decision was made as the fast pace of global business nowadays no longer allows time for decisions to be discussed in Japanese, translated into English and distributed to non-Japanese employees," it said further.

Quick decisions, prompt responses and real-time communications are key to remain competitive for most businesses and the companies realise is easier when it's all done in English.

Japan Times raises the question if the Japanese education system will adapt to these forces driving business toward greater use of English as it is said there is a resistance to more thorough English education stemming from some teachers, school administrators and education ministry officials who feel it is not their job to train students for future jobs.

However, the move toward English as an official language in companies does at least offer an answer to the question many students, parents and teachers still ask: "Why is English important?"

In Japan, the education system still focuses on passing college entrance exams, not on acquiring competence in English.

What is lacking is an engaging English environment that develops a positive attitude in students' early studies toward learning the language through positive reinforcement, which is needed at every level of English study in Japan.

Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.

Daily Express Malaysia

Good study habits for learning English need to be encouraged so that young students grasp the idea that they can, and must, keep learning English over a period of years. Global business requires not just English skill but an attitude of openness to understanding the world, by interacting with people, practices and ideas from other countries and learning a second language can help foster such an attitude.

"Honda, like the many other firms that have started using the international language of English, are sending a message that they know how to do business outside their own language context and are willing to expand the potential of Japan's global business environment with new models and fresh thinking. Schools, and those still in doubt, should listen to that message."

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00