Topic Reading-Vol.2241-5/31/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Can English remain the 'world's favourite' language?

Why do so many people try to learn English? While less than 400 million people speak the language as their mother tongue, over a billion people are estimated to use English in one way or another. Is that because they adore Shakespeare’s works or Hollywood movies, or need it for their businesses?

Though English has been a language often used between people who speak different languages as a matter of convenience, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they like to use the language. As American businesses, media and higher education had become so influential, American English became the de-facto language among international communities. In fact, you’ll most likely to hear CNN-style American English in English news channels in any country but in the U.K. Also, nearly a million foreign students are studying in the U.S. Of course, they learn things in American English.

But when technologies, such as voice recognition and translation become more convenient and fluent, will people bother spending time on learning a foreign language?

By the way, why don’t Americans call their language American?

Enjoy reading and learn how an English author thinks of his own language.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-44200901

Topic Reading-Vol.2240-5/30/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

A judge sides with parents and rules their 30-year-old son must move out

Lawsuits are quite a popular method to say or demand something in the US. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, there were over 24,000 new civil filings in March 2018 alone. The most common cases are pharmaceutical personal injury and product liability issues where lawyers make the most money. It seems too easy to file a case in America where there are over a million of lawyers waiting to assist people for legal proceedings.

But there was quite an unusual case even in the US. Parents in the state of New York sued their son for not leaving their house despite the written notices. Yes, it is customary for grownup children to move out of their parent’s house. And for the parents in this case, a healthy 30-year-old son’s not working and sitting at home for years seems to have been intolerable. So, three months after the first notice, they sued him to move out, and the judge supported their claim.

A Chinese writer states,“When there are too many policemen, there can be no liberty. When there are too many soldiers, there can be no peace. Where there are too many lawyers, there can be no justice.”

Enjoy reading and think what it’s like to be sued by your own parents for not moving out of their house.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/22/us/judge-rules-son-must-move-out-new-york-trnd/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2239-5/29/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Does the UN mean anything to the young?

Do young people respond more frankly to surveys than adults? Are polls conducted by the UN more reliable than the ones done by governments or other institutions?

The United Nations is going to ask young people their opinions on social issues like education, family life and the Internet four times a year. A pilot survey found that there are considerable differences in common issues, such as school and family. For example, satisfaction levels to schools range between 44% and 71%. Also, while 32% of the respondents in the UK hates spending time with their family, nearly 70% of Vietnamese enjoy doing it.

The UN thinks the survey will provide a reliable, unbiased measure to compare the influences of government policies because children don't have a political filter and don’t mind telling the truth, according to the program designer.

Gathering good data is one thing, but what the next step or action is going to be?

Enjoy reading and think if this action is paternalistic or not.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-44144525

Topic Reading-Vol.2238-5/28/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Prison without guards or weapons in Brazil

In a traditional, or mainstream prison, inmates are called by the assigned number. They are closely watched by the armed guards and allowed little or no privacy. Indeed, most prisons are a place for punishment, not for restoration.

Brazil has the fourth largest prison population in the world. The conditions of their prisons are often so poor, overcrowded and unsafe that prison riots are often provoked. But besides these mainstream prisons, there are about 50 more humane, rehabilitating facilities run by the Association for the Protection and Assistance to Convicts, or Apac. There are no guards or arms in their prisons. Inmates are called their names instead of the number, allowed to wear their own clothe, have make-up and hair dye. They need to earn such privileges through the mainstream prisons by showing remorse and will to work and study to restore their lives, though. If they work harder, they could get more freedom such as once-a-week outing, or even shortened prison terms. But if they don’t, they could be put back to the mainstream prison system.

Indeed, it sounds like restorative justice, which tries to repair the harm caused by crime.

Enjoy reading and think the pros and cons of punishment and restoration for a crime.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44056946

Topic Reading-Vol.2237-5/27/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Is cultural knowledge more important than language skills?

More young workers are ready to work abroad these days. They think an ability to work and live in any place is an important factor for their career, according to a survey of young people aged 18 to 35 in 180 countries.

Then which is more important to live and work abroad, language skills or cultural knowledge? It’s a very difficult question to answer. Of course, it’s not one or the other when it comes to linguistic and cultural fluency. For example, even in a country where English is well spoken as a second language, people speak their local language much more comfortably at home and with their friends and peers. Also, it’s not just language but it is the cultural background and common understanding that makes the conversation and association more enjoyable and lively. So, if one speaks the local language fluently without knowing the cultural context at all, he or she won’t be understood or accepted. A researcher analyzes the concept of cultural intelligence (CQ); interest, knowledge, analysis and adjustment, action by the context. Sounds a little complicated doesn’t it? You want to learn both with fun. What’s the best way?

Enjoy reading and think how you can make friends in a very different culture or society in a different language.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180518-is-cultural-knowledge-more-important-than-language-skills

Topic Reading-Vol.2236-5/26/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Starbucks is stepping up its expansion in China.

How many Starbucks coffee shops are there in China? Of its 28,000 shops around the world, about half of them are in its home country, the U.S.A. There already are over 3,000 Starbucks coffee shops across China. And the coffee company is aiming to add 600 new shops a year, more than a shop a day, in the next few years to double the number of total outlets.

You may wonder why people in a traditionally tea-drinking culture want to drink coffee so much. In fact, there are over 1,000 outlets in Japan and South Korea, and over 800 in the U.K., all of which are traditionally tea-drinking countries. Does coffee taste better than tea? Have their eating habits changed so much just recently?

Starbucks serves a variety of fresh coffee and other drinks, hot or cold. You can even custom order your drink, like Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato.

They also provide safe, stylish space for the customers to spend time comfortably, unlike fast-food restaurants where customers are expected to eat and leave.

While American the giants like Google, Apple and Facebook are all struggling to do business in China, why is Starbucks enjoying growth there? Is that because of its flavor?

Enjoy reading and think what it would take to grow business in different cultures.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/16/news/companies/starbucks-in-china-store-expansion/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2235-5/25/2018

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Elon Musk promises $1 rides in LA transit tunnels

Los Angeles is known as one of the most congested cities in the world despite having the vast highway system. It is quite surprising that this scale of mega-city has just six metro lines with 93 stations, used only by some 360,000 passengers daily on average.

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been initiating innovations to bring once-astronomically-expensive projects on and above ground to commodity, such as electric cars and space traveling. Now, he is digging the ground.

His infrastructure and tunnel construction company is trying to construct alternative urban transportation by a series of underground roadways that ferry vehicles to and from destinations using high-speed electric tracks. He chose his hometown LA as the testing ground for his new venture. He believes the company can build tunnels at much faster and economically using his tunnel boring machine (TBM).  

Surely, innovations slash the price and make the dream happen.

Enjoy reading and learn what this high-speed underground transportation system is like.

http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/18/technology/elon-musk-boring-company-la/index.html