Why I Recommend Learning Multiple Languages
SHIMANOUCHI Ken / Former Ambassador to Spain and Brazil
August 4, 2023
In the conduct of diplomatic and international business activities, proficiency in foreign languages is essential. Sadly, this is not well understood in Japan. I have even held doubts about whether the Foreign Ministry appreciates the importance of foreign language studies. This stems from the simple fact that Japanese people in general are not good at foreign languages. My fear is that with the growing use of and reliance on AI and automated translation, things may get even worse. It is more important than ever to study English, and to do it the old-fashioned way: lots of hard work (of course making full use of state-of-the-art technology). Better yet, you might try other languages, which is now much easier thanks to IT.
Of my nearly forty years in the Japanese diplomatic service, I spent twenty-one years overseas in six different countries. I did most of my work in the local language (i.e., English, Spanish and Portuguese). My greatest regret is that I was unable to add to the list Cantonese, the street language of Hong Kong, when I was stationed there (I was unable to handle the agonizingly difficult tones of the Cantonese language). Nevertheless, I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn three foreign languages, which qualifies me as a polyglot if I throw in Japanese (a polyglot usually refers to a person who speaks four or more languages).
I would like to share with you here my experiences as a polyglot diplomat.
(Please forgive me if any of it sounds like braggadocio).
My encounter with English education in Japanese schools
There is no doubt that English is by far the most important language in the world. It is the universal language in many areas of human endeavor. The knowledge of English serves as a basis for learning Indo-European and other languages. It should be noted that the opposite is often true. The best Spanish and Portuguese language specialists in the Japanese Foreign Ministry that I worked with displayed an exceptional command of the English language.
I spent six and a half years of my childhood in Washington D.C., while my father was assigned to the Japanese Embassy there. I returned to Japan when I was fourteen and was transferred to a public school in Tokyo. With a very limited knowledge of the Japanese language (maybe a hundred Chinese characters at best), I had considerable difficulty at school with all the subjects including English, although it was still my first language at that time. The quality of English education was criticized in those days as it still is today. It was taught by teachers, some of whom did not speak the language and priority was given to grammar and vocabulary. Conversation was not taught at all. Some of the things they taught sounded ludicrous to me (who in America ever used such vocabulary as “greengrocer” or “fishmonger”?). The classes were tailored to meet the needs of the students and the expectations of their parents, which was to do well in high school and university entrance exams.
However, the English grammar taught in Japanese schools proved very useful to me later in my life. It helped me organize neatly (Japanese style) the things that I had learned during my time in America. It was also of great use to me in my studies of Spanish and Portuguese after I joined the foreign service. English education in Japanese schools is not all that bad.
I had the opportunity to serve four tours in three English-speaking countries including back-to-back assignments in the United States and Great Britain. I will not go into the details of my experiences in the English-speaking world, because I am sure many people have had the same experiences. I just want to mention here that it does not matter which kind of English (British or American) you use as long as it is considered good English. Although I have great admiration for the elegant way people speak in sophisticated circles in London, I gave up trying to imitate their accent (Received Pronunciation or BBC English), when I realized that it would be like somebody from Tokyo trying to speak the Kyoto dialect.
Language training in Spain
Shortly after I joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry, I was assigned to Spain for two years of language training. In those days, Spain was one of the most backward countries in Europe, both economically and politically and the Spanish language did not enjoy the prestige as a world language that it does today. In those days Spain and many of the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America were under authoritarian rule and frequently found themselves in political and economic turmoil. Today Spain is a vibrant democracy and plays a central role in the European Union. Latin America has come a long way (with a few egregious exceptions) and several countries of the region are now members of the OECD with more queuing up to join. In the United States, Spanish has become by far the most widely spoken language after English.
According to a poll taken in Japan, Spanish is now the most popular second foreign language among university students. The reason appears to be the similarities in pronunciation between the two languages. The Spanish spoken by Japanese beginners is often more intelligible than that of people from other countries of Europe. Some people complain that Spanish grammar is exceedingly complicated. To be sure, studying it requires a bit of hard work, but once you become familiar with the rules of Spanish, it becomes easier than English grammar which is said to have more exceptions than rules.
There are distinct differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and in Latin America. Also, there are as many variations in Latin America as there are countries. However, with a knowledge of one version, you can get by in all Spanish-speaking countries. This is not the case with many other languages, including Chinese (I was once told that Mandarin and Cantonese are as different as English and French, by a person who speaks all four languages). With a total of five hundred million speakers in Latin America and Africa, Spanish is the language with the largest number of speakers after English and Chinese.
The struggles of a sexagenarian with Portuguese
Shortly after my arrival in Brazil I visited a small city near Brasilia where I was invited to say few words at the Municipal Assembly. Since the stop at the legislature was unscheduled, I was forced to improvise my speech with a vocabulary of perhaps a dozen words of Portuguese. I ended up speaking to the audience in Spanish sprinkled with a few words of Portuguese. It was a horrendous speech although my hosts applauded me politely. I realized then that I needed to perform my duties properly in the local language to establish a genuine rapport with the people. At the age of sixty I started taking one on one Portuguese lessons twice a week from a tutor.
There are many similarities between Portuguese and Spanish, but the differences can be tricky. There are many “false friends”. For example, the Spanish word for “tip” (gratuity): “propina” means “bribe” in Portuguese. The pronunciation is also difficult for Spanish speakers because of the perplexing variety of vowels used in Portuguese in contrast to the straightforward phonetics of Spanish. It took nearly two years before I was able to do most of my work in Portuguese. It takes time to teach an old dog new tricks.
Although it involved lots of hard work, I found my efforts well worthwhile.
There are certain situations where knowledge of the local language is indispensable. I once made an unusual request to a Brazilian cabinet minister at a lunch that I hosted in his honor. Since it was a sensitive matter that could not be discussed in the presence of the other guests, I spoke to the minister when he was on his way to his car after the meal. An hour later I got a direct phone call from him with a positive response. I doubt that I could have achieved the same result if I had relied on an interpreter.
Conclusion
The knowledge of foreign languages in conducting diplomatic and international business activities is essential. At times it can be vital. The reason for this is that the use of the local language is needed for the establishment of a personal rapport with the people in other countries. Languages are not just words with which people communicate with each other. It is the central component of a nation’s culture. Studying the nation’s language means studying its culture. How can you understand the workings of the minds of people in other countries if you do not know their culture and history?
SHIMANOUCHI Ken is a former ambassador to Spain and Brazil.
Of my nearly forty years in the Japanese diplomatic service, I spent twenty-one years overseas in six different countries. I did most of my work in the local language (i.e., English, Spanish and Portuguese). My greatest regret is that I was unable to add to the list Cantonese, the street language of Hong Kong, when I was stationed there (I was unable to handle the agonizingly difficult tones of the Cantonese language). Nevertheless, I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn three foreign languages, which qualifies me as a polyglot if I throw in Japanese (a polyglot usually refers to a person who speaks four or more languages).
I would like to share with you here my experiences as a polyglot diplomat.
(Please forgive me if any of it sounds like braggadocio).
My encounter with English education in Japanese schools
There is no doubt that English is by far the most important language in the world. It is the universal language in many areas of human endeavor. The knowledge of English serves as a basis for learning Indo-European and other languages. It should be noted that the opposite is often true. The best Spanish and Portuguese language specialists in the Japanese Foreign Ministry that I worked with displayed an exceptional command of the English language.
I spent six and a half years of my childhood in Washington D.C., while my father was assigned to the Japanese Embassy there. I returned to Japan when I was fourteen and was transferred to a public school in Tokyo. With a very limited knowledge of the Japanese language (maybe a hundred Chinese characters at best), I had considerable difficulty at school with all the subjects including English, although it was still my first language at that time. The quality of English education was criticized in those days as it still is today. It was taught by teachers, some of whom did not speak the language and priority was given to grammar and vocabulary. Conversation was not taught at all. Some of the things they taught sounded ludicrous to me (who in America ever used such vocabulary as “greengrocer” or “fishmonger”?). The classes were tailored to meet the needs of the students and the expectations of their parents, which was to do well in high school and university entrance exams.
However, the English grammar taught in Japanese schools proved very useful to me later in my life. It helped me organize neatly (Japanese style) the things that I had learned during my time in America. It was also of great use to me in my studies of Spanish and Portuguese after I joined the foreign service. English education in Japanese schools is not all that bad.
I had the opportunity to serve four tours in three English-speaking countries including back-to-back assignments in the United States and Great Britain. I will not go into the details of my experiences in the English-speaking world, because I am sure many people have had the same experiences. I just want to mention here that it does not matter which kind of English (British or American) you use as long as it is considered good English. Although I have great admiration for the elegant way people speak in sophisticated circles in London, I gave up trying to imitate their accent (Received Pronunciation or BBC English), when I realized that it would be like somebody from Tokyo trying to speak the Kyoto dialect.
Language training in Spain
Shortly after I joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry, I was assigned to Spain for two years of language training. In those days, Spain was one of the most backward countries in Europe, both economically and politically and the Spanish language did not enjoy the prestige as a world language that it does today. In those days Spain and many of the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America were under authoritarian rule and frequently found themselves in political and economic turmoil. Today Spain is a vibrant democracy and plays a central role in the European Union. Latin America has come a long way (with a few egregious exceptions) and several countries of the region are now members of the OECD with more queuing up to join. In the United States, Spanish has become by far the most widely spoken language after English.
According to a poll taken in Japan, Spanish is now the most popular second foreign language among university students. The reason appears to be the similarities in pronunciation between the two languages. The Spanish spoken by Japanese beginners is often more intelligible than that of people from other countries of Europe. Some people complain that Spanish grammar is exceedingly complicated. To be sure, studying it requires a bit of hard work, but once you become familiar with the rules of Spanish, it becomes easier than English grammar which is said to have more exceptions than rules.
There are distinct differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and in Latin America. Also, there are as many variations in Latin America as there are countries. However, with a knowledge of one version, you can get by in all Spanish-speaking countries. This is not the case with many other languages, including Chinese (I was once told that Mandarin and Cantonese are as different as English and French, by a person who speaks all four languages). With a total of five hundred million speakers in Latin America and Africa, Spanish is the language with the largest number of speakers after English and Chinese.
The struggles of a sexagenarian with Portuguese
Shortly after my arrival in Brazil I visited a small city near Brasilia where I was invited to say few words at the Municipal Assembly. Since the stop at the legislature was unscheduled, I was forced to improvise my speech with a vocabulary of perhaps a dozen words of Portuguese. I ended up speaking to the audience in Spanish sprinkled with a few words of Portuguese. It was a horrendous speech although my hosts applauded me politely. I realized then that I needed to perform my duties properly in the local language to establish a genuine rapport with the people. At the age of sixty I started taking one on one Portuguese lessons twice a week from a tutor.
There are many similarities between Portuguese and Spanish, but the differences can be tricky. There are many “false friends”. For example, the Spanish word for “tip” (gratuity): “propina” means “bribe” in Portuguese. The pronunciation is also difficult for Spanish speakers because of the perplexing variety of vowels used in Portuguese in contrast to the straightforward phonetics of Spanish. It took nearly two years before I was able to do most of my work in Portuguese. It takes time to teach an old dog new tricks.
Although it involved lots of hard work, I found my efforts well worthwhile.
There are certain situations where knowledge of the local language is indispensable. I once made an unusual request to a Brazilian cabinet minister at a lunch that I hosted in his honor. Since it was a sensitive matter that could not be discussed in the presence of the other guests, I spoke to the minister when he was on his way to his car after the meal. An hour later I got a direct phone call from him with a positive response. I doubt that I could have achieved the same result if I had relied on an interpreter.
Conclusion
The knowledge of foreign languages in conducting diplomatic and international business activities is essential. At times it can be vital. The reason for this is that the use of the local language is needed for the establishment of a personal rapport with the people in other countries. Languages are not just words with which people communicate with each other. It is the central component of a nation’s culture. Studying the nation’s language means studying its culture. How can you understand the workings of the minds of people in other countries if you do not know their culture and history?
SHIMANOUCHI Ken is a former ambassador to Spain and Brazil.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
英語から多言語へチャレンジ
島内 憲 / 元駐ブラジル・スペイン大使
2023年 8月 4日
外交活動や海外ビジネスにおいて、外国語の知識が不可欠であることは言を待たないが、このことは我が国で必ずしもよく認識されていない。外務省でさえ組織全体として理解が十分か疑問だ。日本人は外国語が苦手な人が多いことが原因とも考えられるが、このままでは自動翻訳を含むAIの発達により、日本人の外国語離れがますます進むことが個人的に心配でならない。IT化が進む中でも外国語（特に英語）学習を地道に行うことは現代人として必須だ。そしてITの力を借りて複数の言葉を学べばそれに越したことはない。
筆者は外務省に在職した４０年のうち、21年を海外で過ごした。すべての任地で現地語を使って仕事をし、生活をした。筆者が習得した言語は英語、スペイン語及びポルトガル語の三か国語だが、そういう機会を持てたことをありがたく思っている。以下では個人的な経験の中で感じたことをご紹介したい。
１．日本の「ガラパゴス英語教育」は捨てたものではない
外交でも海外ビジネス等でも英語の知識が最も重要だ。英語が唯一の正真正銘の国際語だからである。英語の基礎があれば、他の欧州言語の習得は容易になる。その逆も成り立つ。筆者が知るスペイン語やポルトガル語の達人たちは英語のセンスも優れている人が多い。
筆者は父の仕事の関係で、小中学校時代を米国で過ごした。14歳で帰国していきなり公立の中学校に転入した。当初、日本人による日本人のための英語教育に面食らうことが多かった。文法や単語の丸暗記が中心で実用性のない日本の英語教育に対しては当時から批判が多かったが、米国の学校ではまとめて教えることがない英文法を日本式に整理した形で頭に入れることができたのは、その後の高校、大学受験、のみならずスペイン語、ポルトガル語の学習にもかなり役立ったことを素直に認めなければならない。日本の「ガラパゴス英語教育」は捨てたものではない。
外務省の海外語学研修はスペインで行い、外務省のスペイン語スクールの一員になったが、研修後もスペイン語より英語を使うことが多かった。米国では2回、合計5年間、英国及び返還前の香港で各2年間勤務する機会があった。米国（マイアミ）とロンドンのバック・トゥー・バック勤務で実に面白い経験をすることができたが、英語と米語の比較などについては別の機会に譲りたい。結論から言えば、海外で仕事をする上で、英本国の英語でも、米国語でもよい。英国人は米語を馬鹿にするようなことを時々言うが、最先端の英語はダイナミックな米国社会で生まれてくることをよく理解しており、気の利いた米国の単語や表現をちゃっかり取り入れている。彼らが「good English」と思うものであれば良いのだ。
２．世界第二位の国際語スペイン語
外務省に入って、スペイン語研修を命じられ、入省の翌年スペインに赴任してスペイン語の勉強をした。当時、スペイン語は「田舎の言葉」だったが、今や英語に次ぐ国際語となっている（中国語は国際語とは言い難い）。
日本国内の調査によると、第二外国語としてのスペイン語の人気は高い。理由は、「易しいから」ということらしい。確かに、母音の発音は日本語とほぼ同じ、子音も共通点が多いので、カタカナ読みでも米、英、ドイツ、フランスなどの人々より上手に聞こえる（「L」と「R」の区別は英語より難しいが、スペインの南部では両者を混同する人々もいる）。文法（特に動詞の活用と用法）はしっかり勉強する必要があるが、いったん覚えてしまえば、例外だらけの英語よりはるかに簡単だ。単語も、特に外交現場でよく使うものはラテン語にルーツをもつ英単語（40％とも言われる）と似たものが多い。
スペイン本国のスペイン語と中南米のスペイン語は発音、語彙などの面で数多くの相違点があるが、いずれかの国のスペイン語を一つマスターしておけば、他の国のスペイン語は、家庭教師をつけて特別に勉強しなくても仕事と日常生活の中で身に着けることができる。要は、スペイン語を一旦覚えれば、21か国、総人口５億人の国々で使えるのである。
３.老骨に鞭を打って学んだポルトガル語
ブラジルに着任したのは６０歳の誕生日を迎えた翌日だった。数日後、ブラジリアの近くの市議会を訪問の際、挨拶を頼まれ、スペイン語にポルトガル語の単語を数語混ぜたみっともないスピーチをした。そういうみじめな思いを二度としないためにも、ポルトガル語の学習に本気で取り組み、週二回の個人教授を中心に必死に勉強した。
ポルトガル語とスペイン語は親戚関係にあるので、文法などは頭に入りやすい。単語の３分の１はスペイン語と同じかほとんど同じ、3分の１は大体見当がつく程度に似ている。ただし、レストラン等のチップはスペイン語で「propina」だが、ポルトガル語で「賄賂」を意味するなどなど落とし穴が少なくない。また、ポルトガル語には独自の発音がいくつか存在し、日本人にとってスペイン語よりはるかに厄介だ。
ブラジル在勤中ある程度ポルトガル語で仕事をすることができるようになって本当によかったと思っている。外交現場では通訳を介してできない話があるからだ。一例をあげれば、閣僚を大使公邸の食事に招いた時に、他の客の前では話せない無理筋の頼み事を食事終了後、玄関に向かう途中、直接一対一で懇願したことがあった。１時間後にその閣僚から直接電話でOKの回答があった。
４． おわりに
筆者は三か国語で外交官の仕事をした。英語はスペイン語のベースになり、スペイン語はポルトガル語のベースになったことは前述のどおりだ。スペイン語、ポルトガル語を勉強したことは英語の知識を深める上でも役に立った。高校時代に古文、漢文を勉強したのと似たような意味合いがあったと言えるかも知れない。
今後AIの普及により、自動翻訳は急速に高度化するであろうが、外国語学習を地道に行う必要性は今後も変わることはないと信じる。言語は国の文化の中心的要素であり、外国語を勉強することはすなわちその国の文化を学ぶことでもあるからだ。相手国の文化や歴史を知らずして外交やビジネスができるはずがない。
筆者は元駐スペイン・ブラジル大使。
筆者は外務省に在職した４０年のうち、21年を海外で過ごした。すべての任地で現地語を使って仕事をし、生活をした。筆者が習得した言語は英語、スペイン語及びポルトガル語の三か国語だが、そういう機会を持てたことをありがたく思っている。以下では個人的な経験の中で感じたことをご紹介したい。
１．日本の「ガラパゴス英語教育」は捨てたものではない
外交でも海外ビジネス等でも英語の知識が最も重要だ。英語が唯一の正真正銘の国際語だからである。英語の基礎があれば、他の欧州言語の習得は容易になる。その逆も成り立つ。筆者が知るスペイン語やポルトガル語の達人たちは英語のセンスも優れている人が多い。
筆者は父の仕事の関係で、小中学校時代を米国で過ごした。14歳で帰国していきなり公立の中学校に転入した。当初、日本人による日本人のための英語教育に面食らうことが多かった。文法や単語の丸暗記が中心で実用性のない日本の英語教育に対しては当時から批判が多かったが、米国の学校ではまとめて教えることがない英文法を日本式に整理した形で頭に入れることができたのは、その後の高校、大学受験、のみならずスペイン語、ポルトガル語の学習にもかなり役立ったことを素直に認めなければならない。日本の「ガラパゴス英語教育」は捨てたものではない。
外務省の海外語学研修はスペインで行い、外務省のスペイン語スクールの一員になったが、研修後もスペイン語より英語を使うことが多かった。米国では2回、合計5年間、英国及び返還前の香港で各2年間勤務する機会があった。米国（マイアミ）とロンドンのバック・トゥー・バック勤務で実に面白い経験をすることができたが、英語と米語の比較などについては別の機会に譲りたい。結論から言えば、海外で仕事をする上で、英本国の英語でも、米国語でもよい。英国人は米語を馬鹿にするようなことを時々言うが、最先端の英語はダイナミックな米国社会で生まれてくることをよく理解しており、気の利いた米国の単語や表現をちゃっかり取り入れている。彼らが「good English」と思うものであれば良いのだ。
２．世界第二位の国際語スペイン語
外務省に入って、スペイン語研修を命じられ、入省の翌年スペインに赴任してスペイン語の勉強をした。当時、スペイン語は「田舎の言葉」だったが、今や英語に次ぐ国際語となっている（中国語は国際語とは言い難い）。
日本国内の調査によると、第二外国語としてのスペイン語の人気は高い。理由は、「易しいから」ということらしい。確かに、母音の発音は日本語とほぼ同じ、子音も共通点が多いので、カタカナ読みでも米、英、ドイツ、フランスなどの人々より上手に聞こえる（「L」と「R」の区別は英語より難しいが、スペインの南部では両者を混同する人々もいる）。文法（特に動詞の活用と用法）はしっかり勉強する必要があるが、いったん覚えてしまえば、例外だらけの英語よりはるかに簡単だ。単語も、特に外交現場でよく使うものはラテン語にルーツをもつ英単語（40％とも言われる）と似たものが多い。
スペイン本国のスペイン語と中南米のスペイン語は発音、語彙などの面で数多くの相違点があるが、いずれかの国のスペイン語を一つマスターしておけば、他の国のスペイン語は、家庭教師をつけて特別に勉強しなくても仕事と日常生活の中で身に着けることができる。要は、スペイン語を一旦覚えれば、21か国、総人口５億人の国々で使えるのである。
３.老骨に鞭を打って学んだポルトガル語
ブラジルに着任したのは６０歳の誕生日を迎えた翌日だった。数日後、ブラジリアの近くの市議会を訪問の際、挨拶を頼まれ、スペイン語にポルトガル語の単語を数語混ぜたみっともないスピーチをした。そういうみじめな思いを二度としないためにも、ポルトガル語の学習に本気で取り組み、週二回の個人教授を中心に必死に勉強した。
ポルトガル語とスペイン語は親戚関係にあるので、文法などは頭に入りやすい。単語の３分の１はスペイン語と同じかほとんど同じ、3分の１は大体見当がつく程度に似ている。ただし、レストラン等のチップはスペイン語で「propina」だが、ポルトガル語で「賄賂」を意味するなどなど落とし穴が少なくない。また、ポルトガル語には独自の発音がいくつか存在し、日本人にとってスペイン語よりはるかに厄介だ。
ブラジル在勤中ある程度ポルトガル語で仕事をすることができるようになって本当によかったと思っている。外交現場では通訳を介してできない話があるからだ。一例をあげれば、閣僚を大使公邸の食事に招いた時に、他の客の前では話せない無理筋の頼み事を食事終了後、玄関に向かう途中、直接一対一で懇願したことがあった。１時間後にその閣僚から直接電話でOKの回答があった。
４． おわりに
筆者は三か国語で外交官の仕事をした。英語はスペイン語のベースになり、スペイン語はポルトガル語のベースになったことは前述のどおりだ。スペイン語、ポルトガル語を勉強したことは英語の知識を深める上でも役に立った。高校時代に古文、漢文を勉強したのと似たような意味合いがあったと言えるかも知れない。
今後AIの普及により、自動翻訳は急速に高度化するであろうが、外国語学習を地道に行う必要性は今後も変わることはないと信じる。言語は国の文化の中心的要素であり、外国語を勉強することはすなわちその国の文化を学ぶことでもあるからだ。相手国の文化や歴史を知らずして外交やビジネスができるはずがない。
筆者は元駐スペイン・ブラジル大使。
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟