Regarding Yukari T.'s Sept. 24 letter, "Holes in six years of English": It's good that the number of foreign students in Japan is increasing every year. Those who learn the Japanese language are the future bridges to a truly international community — provided they get the right opportunities in Japan.
It is unfortunate that many Japanese people think of foreigners invariably as native speakers of English who benefit Japanese learners of English. While it is true that foreigners who do not come from English-speaking countries often must communicate in English, thus bringing a lot of color to the language, Japan should try to learn more about other cultures from foreigners other than how to improve their spoken English.
As a student of the Japanese language for many years, I have faced a conflicting situation again and again. Many Japanese people come up to me to try and brush up their English. That's fine and I appreciate it, but that does not give me a chance to practice my Japanese-language skills. Think about how that feels when one has been passionately trying to master the Japanese language over the years!
Let's find a healthy balance and use a mixture of languages so that we can try and increase the depth of our communication. I understand how much some Japanese want to practice their English. They should try to understand how much Japanese-language learners may want to practice their Japanese. Given present circumstances, it is hard for Japanese people to master English. But you will agree that it is harder to learn Japanese and get an opportunity to use it.