The recent story about problems at an English school in Tokyo reveals perhaps more about Japanese attitudes to studying a foreign language than about the business practices of language schools. In Japan, signing up with enthusiasm too often leads to giving up in frustration. For many, learning to chat a bit or get ready for a trip might seem just another consumer option, but the nation's level of foreign language ability deeply connects to its future.

Many countries around the world have already benefited from knowing English and foreign languages. India, long one of the most fluent in English, has built an entire industry in computer services, all in English. From Manila to Caracas to Riyadh, products, information, investments and workers all move back and forth across global borders in English. But in Japan, English too often remains less a bridge than a hurdle.

While the grip of American influence worldwide may yet loosen, the reality of English as the most commonly used language will continue. No other lingua franca has yet to emerge. Around the world, everyone from account executives to restaurant staff show a comfort with English that, like it or not, is the clearest evidence of a willingness to interact with the world. In this global conversation, Japan all too often blushes and stammers.