Should Japan Add More English to Signs and Menus?

Full script

Read the whole talk.

All slides in one place. Read it through once, then practice slide by slide.

1. 01More English on Signs and Menus?

   Hello, everyone. I work at a small restaurant in Kanazawa, and many foreign visitors come in. Some of them can't read our menu at all. So I want to ask: should Japan add more English to signs and menus? Let's look at both sides.

   大家好。我在金澤的一間小餐廳工作，店裡有很多外國客人。有些人完全看不懂我們的菜單。所以我想問：日本的標示和菜單應該加上更多英文嗎？我們來看看正反兩面。

2. 02For: Easier for Visitors

   Some people say more English would make visits much easier. Visitors could find stations, order food, and explore smaller towns with more confidence.

   有些人說，多一點英文會讓旅行方便很多。旅客可以更有自信地找車站、點餐，還能去探索比較小的城鎮。

3. 03For: Good for Business

   It can also help businesses. At our restaurant, when we added a simple English menu, ordering became faster, and there were fewer mistakes.

   這對店家也有幫助。在我們餐廳，自從加了一份簡單的英文菜單，點餐變快了，出錯也變少了。

4. 04Against: Cost and Clutter

   On the other hand, others worry about cost and clutter. Good translations cost money, and adding several languages can make signs crowded and harder to read.

   另一方面，也有人擔心成本和雜亂。好的翻譯要花錢，而且加上好幾種語言，標示會變得很擁擠，反而更難看懂。

5. 05Against: Part of the Experience

   Some also say figuring things out is part of the adventure, and that translation apps can already read most signs and menus with a phone camera.

   也有人說，自己摸索本來就是旅行樂趣的一部分，而且翻譯App現在用手機鏡頭，就能看懂大部分的標示和菜單。

6. 06My View

   In my view, the best answer is in the middle. Important things, like stations, hospitals, and emergency information, should always have English. For menus and shops, simple English or pictures are enough.

   我認為，最好的答案是取中間。重要的地方，像是車站、醫院和緊急資訊，一定要有英文。至於菜單和商店，簡單的英文或圖片就夠了。

7. 07Conclusion

   To sum up, we don't need English everywhere, but we need it where it matters most. A little English can make a big difference. Thank you.

   總結來說，我們不需要到處都有英文，但在最重要的地方需要。一點點英文，就能帶來很大的不同。謝謝大家。