January 18 homework

Do you agree with the writer Minae Mizumura (“The Fall of Japanese in the Age of English”)　when she says that”, “the dominance of English, especially with the advent of the Internet, threatens to reduce all other national languages to mere “local” languages that are not taken seriously by scholars. The education system, she argues, doesn’t spend enough time teaching Japanese.”Why? Give at least 3 reasons to support your answer.

I disagree with her.

Firstly, I think English doesn't have so much power in Japan now. Most of Japanese don't use English in our dairy life. Though she said English has a power especially with the advent of the Internet, I hardly check websites written in English because reading Japanese website is easier, faster and more comfortable. I know there is much information written in English on the web, but I check them only for the teacher's request. Maybe, many Japanese also don't see the websites written in English, and I think English don't affect Japanese life so seriously.

Secondly, I think learning foreign languages sometimes enables us to understand our first language more objectively. When I was a junior high school student, I can't understand Japanese grammar at Japanese classes. After I study English grammar deeply, I understand Japanese grammar more easily.

Thirdly, English is needed when we try to work internationally. Therefore, I think learning English is not bad thing. Learning proper Japanese is important. However, if we cling to learn proper Japanese and don't learn English hard, Japanese can't be active internationally.

December 21 Homework

I agree with author's opinion.

I also think that Japanese men are not so passionate and not so interested in ren'ai. The men like that are called"Soushoku Danshi（草食男子）", and this word was selected as one of the top 10 of the 2009 buzzwords-of-the-year contest(流行語大賞）.　Therefore, I think many Japanese think there are many Soushoku Danshi in our country and will agree with the author.

The author of this article seems to think the men who are not interested in ren'ai are bad. However, I don't think they are bad, because I have the idea like theirs. I am also not so interested in ren'ai and I think uninterest in ren'ai is not so bad. (Of course, I think the man in the article have to avoid being futarikiri with the woman if he is not interested in love.) I think if they are not so interested in love and like working or doing hobbies with friends, they should do they want to do. Maybe, I am affected by out-of-love epidemic, too.