Rakuten, an internet shopping mall operator in Japan, announced in 2010 that it would make English its official language by 2012. All internal meetings would be conducted in English, regardless of whether foreigners were present. Board members who could not speak English within two years would be fired. The company provided English language training to employees and required certain scores on the TOEIC English proficiency test for promotion. Rakuten's president believed making English the official language would help the company expand overseas and remain competitive in the global marketplace.

1. How Rakuten is planning to run their entire business in English? s1170153 Noritaka Shimizu

2. How Rakuten Works Internet shopping mall operator Rakuten Inc. surprised the public by announcing early this year it will make English its official language by 2012.

3. How Rakuten Works All internal meetings will be in English whether foreigners are present or not. Board meetings and weekly all-company meetings have been in English since March, and President Hiroshi Mikitani has said board members who can't speak English in two years will be fired. Cafeteria menus are now in English.

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5. How Rakuten Business Plan Rakuten is one of a very small number of Japanese companies able to push English as its official language because Mikitani, who has an MBA from Harvard, is fluent in English and is very charismatic, analysts say, though making such a decision and getting positive results are two separate things.

6. English education in Rakuten Rakuten employees are under a lot of pressure to learn English. Spokesman Mizushima said 200 employees out of 3,000 working at the headquarters take lessons from Berlitz Japan Inc., a language school chain that has an exclusive contract to send English teachers to Rakuten.

7. English education in Rakuten Achieving certain scores in the TOEIC, or the Test of English for International Communication, will be required for promotion, Rakuten spokesman Megumu Tanefusa said. The range of required TOEIC scores is from 600 to 750 depending on job title, but workers in the lowest two levels don't need TOEIC scores.

8. The necessity for two languages Why was the official language set to two? That is because overseas is put into the view. Technology is [ Japan ] developed now. It is limited to lengthen sales only in Japan. Therefore, you have to work also overseas. We also need to study an overseas thing hard just because the needs of Japan and an overseas also differ.

9. The necessity for two language Economy of Japan also becomes rich because a Japanese company plays an active part overseas. I think it impossible to bear all the economy only in Japan. The future of Japan becomes bright because we the young generations put on English in school.