The Reading / Listening - Japanese English - Level 0

Some professors in Japan are worried. They say the government uses computer software translation too much. A lot of software creates strange words. They confuse English speakers. This may be bad for Japan's tourism industry. They say the strange, translated English words are embarrassing for Japan.

The software often gives bad translations of the Chinese characters used in Japanese. An example of this is the name of job centres in Japan, called "Hello Work". The professors say English speakers could correct this. A store is using the slogan, "Stay Positive" for Christmas. Many people think this is wrong during coronavirus.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Japanese English - Level 1,  Japanese English - Level 2   or  Japanese English - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/18/hello-work-or-job-centre-language-experts-japan-english
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201116/p2a/00m/0dm/006000c
  • https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/english-ad-in-japan-has-some-seeing-a-command-to-stay-infected-with-coronavirus-this-christmas


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Some professors in Japan
  2. the government uses computer
  3. A lot of software
  4. They confuse English
  5. This may
  6. Japan's tourism
  7. translated English
  8. embarrassing for
  1. creates strange words
  2. words
  3. be bad
  4. Japan
  5. are worried
  6. software
  7. industry
  8. speakers

Paragraph 2

  1. The software often gives
  2. Chinese characters used
  3. An example
  4. job
  5. English speakers could
  6. A store is using
  7. Many people think
  8. during
  1. of this
  2. coronavirus
  3. correct this
  4. in Japanese
  5. this is wrong
  6. centres
  7. the slogan
  8. bad translations

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ Japan are worried. They say the government uses computer (2) ___________________ much. A lot of software (3) ___________________. They confuse English speakers. This (4) ___________________ for Japan's tourism industry. They (5) ___________________, translated English words are (6) ___________________.

The software (7) ___________________ translations of the Chinese (8) ___________________ Japanese. An example of this is the (9) ___________________ centres in Japan, called "Hello Work". The professors say English speakers (10) ___________________. A store is (11) __________________, "Stay Positive" for Christmas. Many (12) ___________________ is wrong during coronavirus.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

SomeprofessorsinJapanareworried.Theysaythegovernmentusesco
mputersoftwaretranslationtoomuch.Alotofsoftwarecreatesstrange
words.TheyconfuseEnglishspeakers.ThismaybebadforJapan'stouris
mindustry.Theysaythestrange,translatedEnglishwordsareembarras
singforJapan.ThesoftwareoftengivesbadtranslationsoftheChinesec
haractersusedinJapanese.Anexampleofthisisthenameofjobcentresi
nJapan,called"HelloWork".TheprofessorssayEnglishspeakerscouldc
orrectthis.Astoreisusingtheslogan,"StayPositive"forChristmas.Man
ypeoplethinkthisiswrongduringcoronavirus.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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