I agree with several points made in the June 25 letter "Japanese is just a language." Specifically, I think the author is right to point out that the Japanese language is incorrectly characterized as "vague," and that it seems implausible to consider any particular human emotion as unique to a group of people. I also agree that there are many people in Japan who are somewhat naive about what is and isn't uniquely Japanese. But I think the writer has used an unnecessarily harsh tone in conveying his opinion. His students may not be the only ones who need to learn more about other cultures.

I assume that the students to which he makes reference are young. Most adults in the world don't know much about what is and isn't unique to their country, let alone young people. Even as someone who considers himself a globally minded foreigner in Japan, I am constantly learning more and more about what is unique to my home country and what is shared.

It may be true that this kind of naivete — about what is unique to a country — is more common in Japan than in other countries, but the author, as a teacher, should consider the strength of his words and the age of his students before writing so publicly and harshly about their seeming ignorance.

It is part of the job of English teachers in Japan to educate their students about the differences between cultures, and to do so happily. To criticize students in strong words makes it sound as if a teacher has no respect for his students. Disparaging one's students in front of a crowd is not only bad form but also likely to cause the students to become less eager to learn about other cultures.

I do believe, though, that the author was accurate in saying that respect for a language is a requisite for learning it. Likewise, respecting a culture is requisite for understanding and doing well in a culture. For these reasons, I recommend that the writer be more sympathetic and patient with his students. After all, none of us knows everything.

name withheld by request