It’s children’s day in Japan and the Koinobori – or carp flags – are flying. (The Japanese see the carp as one who perseveres in the face of struggle – a good symbol for children to aspire to.)

But children’s day also reminds one of how precious children are in this country. I don’t mean precious in the sense of ‘highly esteemed’ or dear and beloved. I mean precious in the sense that children are increasingly a rare and valuable commodity. According to a list of countries by Total Fertility Rate, Japanese women of childbearing age are expected to produce an average of just  1.21 children. That puts Japan at number 223 on the list of 228, sharing the bottom of the fertility rankings with South Korea, Singapore, Republic of Taiwan and Macau. Prosperity (wealth) is usually blamed (or credited) for bringing on a low fertility rate. (The wealthy western European countries also have low fertility rates.) As a people become richer, they must devote a greater share of their resources to raising children. This is a paradox – it looks like a contradiction. You might think that wealthy people can afford to raise more children, but it turns out not to be the case. Sometimes we wonder why people in poorer societies have so many children. But in those societies, children are required to increase a family’s income.

I do notice at least one exception to the rule. Thailand – with GDP per capita of only $3916 – has a fertility rate of 1.65. That’s lower than such highly-developed economies as Denmark, Norway and the USA, which has a fertility rate of 2.05. Thailand’s next-door neighbor, Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $5155 – but it’s fertility rate is 2.95.

So… Obviously the answer is more complicated.

What are your favorite reasons for why fertility rates rise or fall?

I have created What’s For English in order to provide intermediate level adult learners with reading and listening material that is interesting and relevant but not too difficult and not too easy. It is well-known that Asian speakers of English (in particular the Japanese) struggle in conversation, discussions, presentations and meetings. They are quiet. They say as little as possible. And they make frequent errors. There are many reasons for this: linguistic (the first language influence), cultural (fear of making errors, preference for modesty and reflection), and educational (memorization, exams, little emphasis on communication in class).

I believe one important educational reason is this: too many English classes or lessons but not enough real interactions with English speakers, and too much intensive learning but not enough extensive learning.

What is the difference between intensive and extensive reading or intensive and extensive listening?

Some characteristics of Intensive reading: short passages; reading to find specific answers to questions; reading to see examples of specific grammar or vocabulary points; reading exercises, quizzes and tests. But extensive reading might look like this: no tests or quizzes; reading for pleasure, for understanding or for information; reading long passages or books, reading in a wide range of topics.

Even if you cannot meet and interact with English speakers, extensive reading and listening builds up your reserves of vocabulary and language. Over the hours that you spend reading and listening to content that is interesting to you, you encounter many words and structures again and again. Eventually you will have encountered those words and structures so often and in so many different contexts that you may be able to use them fluently and automatically when you do have an occasion to interact ìliveî with an English speaker.

I would like to hear from Europeans who speak English about this. At what point in your English learning did you begin reading literature (stories, books, articles)? What did you read in high school or university English classes?

So come to this blog for regular, extensive reading. From time to time, I will suggest other sources that you might find useful. For extensive listening, please visit Extend Your Listening for podcasts with discussions of business, news and information. And if you happen to have an interest in wine, you can listen to Wine In Easy English. This is a podcast for learners who would like to extend their knowledge of wine in English.

I live in Urayasu, Japan, a suburb near Tokyo. If you arrive at Narita Airport and travel to Tokyo by bus, you will pass through Urayasu. Most Japanese know this town as the home of Tokyo Disneyland. They are envious that I can see the Disneyland fireworks from my window.

I’m married and have two children – a teenaged son and daughter. My wife, Lek, is from Thailand. She teaches the Thai language in a nearby university. Our children were born here in Japan. They speak three languages. So we are a foreign family that has made our home in Japan.

I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area in California. When I was 11, we moved to the Napa Valley. It’s a famous wine growing region about 100 km north of San Francisco. My parents purchased land on a mountain, and we planted a vineyard. So I grew up on a farm, surrounded by grape vines, fruit trees and redwood forests.

Later I felt the “country life” wasnít for me. I moved to San Francisco after I graduated from university. But after one year of living in the city, I decided to take a big trip, backpacking around the world. At age 23, I took off for Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, India and Nepal. I was gone for about a year.

The trip to Asia changed my life.  As a result, I decided to pursue a career in teaching. I studied for a Masters Degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language so that I could live and work abroad. In 1987, I moved to Thailand to teach in a Thai University. I met my wife in Thailand. After we got married, we decided to move to Japan. We came here in 1990.

So, I’ve been living in Japan for almost 20 years. This has been a wonderful place to live and work and raise a family. We plan to stay as long as we can.

This is my first post in Whatís For English. Writing this post reminds me a little of the start of rehearsals for a play or the first day of an English class.

When I was in university, I studied theater. When we prepared a new play, we had to rehearse the play. We’d have rehearsals. Often the first rehearsal was especially difficult. The actors and director would all feel awkward around each other. So we said, “the  purpose of the first rehearsal is to get to the second rehearsal.” In other words, there was very little you could accomplish in the first rehearsal. The actors would introduce themselves. You would find out who was playing which character. Maybe you could read through the play. But it was only in the second rehearsal that you could start doing any work.

When I started teaching, I soon realized that the first class with a group of students was like a first rehearsal. I could learn the names of the students. Everyone would introduce themselves. I would ask some basic questions to get a sense the students’ English level. And I would describe some of the goals of the class. But there was very little actual work that could be done until the second rehearsal –  I mean –  class.

This first post is a little bit like a first rehearsal or a first English class. All I can really do is introduce myself, but I can accomplish very little.

So you have joined me, here, at What’s For English. I’m Gerald Wright. I’m an English teacher and communications skills trainer living in Tokyo. Over the past 20 years or so I have worked inside Japanese corporations, designing training programs and supporting employees in their English communication. In my career I have worked almost exclusively with adult learners who use English as an important part of their professional life.

I have designed this website, blog and podcasts to provide learners like you with something interesting to read and listen to regularly. I don’t expect you to come here in order to “study” English. But I hope if you read what I write and listen to what I say regularly, your abilities in English will grow and you will gain the confidence to explore the media that native speakers use.

But more about all this in my next post!