Apply a Little English

John Malott hit the nail on the head in his article, "Why Japan Needs to Speak English." As a sales representative for an American storage manufacturer doing business in the Asian markets, Mr. Malott's comments range true to form.

Over the past couple of years I see greater improvement with my Korean and Taiwan customers than with the equivalent Japanese contacts. On the other hand, I do find learning Japanese to be a daunting task and realize the Japanese must find English the same way. But why have the other Asian cultures improved to a greater degree? The reasons are obvious, as mentioned in the article, and the solutions are just as obvious.

I feel that unless sufficient stimulation is applied to the Japanese mindset, some of the other Asian countries who have observed the obvious will outstrip Japan as the leading Asian powerhouses in the coming years.

Robert Southwick
southwick@cmd.com
CMD Technology, Inc.