In Japan. China. and Korea(including the North) English is the foreign language of choice. The Japanese and the South Koreans have for many years invested strongly in the language within their school systems. their focus has been primarily on US usage. and elements of the language have been strongly assimilated into national life and the national language in various visual and cultural ways. The Japanese in particular. while working meticulously. and on the whole s successfully. with the written language. have had great difficulty in speaking and listening to English. One reason for this has been a tendency not only to pronounce English in terms of Japanese syllable but also adapt English words structure to syllabically into Japanese. so that. for example.