Negating the need for a human translator

[Greji]

[quote="james"]and if you ask him nicely enough, he may even share some with you ]
I'm no push over, but I can be made....

[Kush]

[Taro Toporific]

"This could also be used for talks involving confidential information," negating the need for a human translator, said Omino...

(Even with interpretators, Japanese business and confidential information becomes garbled quite quickly. More so in J-meetings with Japanese old farts who cannot express themselves in any language.)

[nottu]

[Samurai_Jerk]

So you think they need a core?

Good question and one which I'm not really qualified to answer. I've read that some experts say you shouldn't try to introduce a second language too early in a kid's development. I guess that's kind of hard though when you have a mixed marriage where neither parent in fluent in the other's language.

I've met several returnees over the years whose Japanese ability isn't native because they were out of the country so long and then their parents brought them back just in time to finish high school and go to college. I think that's pretty fucked. It's one thing if you immigrate permanently but if you know that you're coming back at some point you should make every effort to be sure your child speaks their mother tongue to a native level. Especially if your from a country like Japan where being even slightly off will probably lead to some real hardships. This isn't Singapore for example where it's not unusual for people to speak several languages but none of them perfectly.