[_imba_]

I was in Tokyo on a short business trip once. I had a interpreter and back to back meetings with Japanese businesses for a few days. At one stage I realised that people are reacting slightly to what I am saying before the content was translated. I asked the interpreter about it and she said that they all had English as a school subject and that most Japanese people under 50 can understand English, and are too self-aware about their accent to even try to converse. I've never been able to verify this and would love a more informed opinion.

[krackers]

(Don't have any firsthand experience but) I've always assumed their relationship with English is similar to most Americans' relationship with Spanish. They are both taught in "textbook" form as part of the curriculum, and as a result most probably could get by on "input" (reading or slow verbal comprehension) but there is no need to be good at "output".