Last weekend we had some guests including family and friends and together we went to a live music performance in Higobashi, Osaka. At the concert we met other friends, fans, musicians and so on. All told there were a half dozen different nationalities represented and a half dozen different languages. Most people could speak Japanese, but not all. Some people could speak French and others Spanish and 1 or 2 spoke Korean. As such, conversations were interesting as different groups merged and often translations were required for certain group members. By the end of the weekend, everyone’s head were spinning. However, one language was spoken by everyone, although not everyone spoke it perfectly. What language was it? English of course. No matter what language a conversation started in, it always ended in English, as different people joined in.
This is the type of thing which we expect in universities, international houses, at conferences and so on but in this case it was simply a group of music lovers meeting at a live bar in central Osaka to enjoy an afternoon of live music. With such a variety of cultures and backgrounds represented, it was a really special event for everyone and most people realized how important English is in this globalized world we live in. English is the global language and I am proud to be doing the job I am doing, helping others to achieve confidence in English.
Edward Iwaskow, Smith’s School of English Otsu
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