【159-161】English-Only Coding Program Seeks Change in Japan

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*【159】AS IT IS

For Once, Mogadishu Can Watch World Cup with Little Fear

June 24, 2018

FILE - A mural depicting a soccer player is seen on a wall of a stadium in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia, June 13, 2017.

For years, people living in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu wanting to watch the World Cup on television have done so at great risk. The Islamist militant group al-Shabab threatened violence against anyone watching the games.

The danger was especially high in 2010. The militants controlled most of Mogadishu. They searched the city for anyone trying to secretly watch the soccer games.

But the 2018 World Cup has been different. So far, there have been no reported attacks on Somalis watching the games on TV in public or private. People in Mogadishu have been gathering to watch the World Cup inside hotels, restaurants, and government centers.

Somalia's Security Ministry spokesman said the change is because of improved security. He added that there is a greater willingness of people to ignore what he calls the "terrorists' psychological war."

FILE - Damaged chairs and tables lie among the debris strewn after a bomb attack outside an Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala, Uganda, July 12, 2010.

Al-Shabab believes that sports are un-Islamic and a waste of time.
Al-Shabab militants killed two people watching a World Cup match in a movie theater in 2006. In 2010, the militant group bombed two World Cup parties in Uganda's capital Kampala, killing more than 70 people.

But an increase in the number of Somali government soldiers, African Union peacekeepers and private guards has made Somalis feel safer about enjoying the World Cup in public.

The threat of attack has not entirely ended. In April, at least five people were killed and 10 others injured after a bomb exploded during a soccer game in the city of Barawe. In the last five years, al-Shabab has bombed or shot up more than 20 hotels and restaurants in Mogadishu.

But it is becoming harder to keep Somalis away from the country's favorite sport. High-speed internet and satellite TV have become more common in the past few years. This permits more people to watch games from the privacy of their homes.

Khadija Mohamed Diriye is Somalia's minister for youth and sport. She believes sports and other forms of entertainment will "distract Somali youth from pursuingextremist ideologies and the deadly migration to Europe."

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Mohamed Olad Hassan reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

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Words in This Story

distract – v. to cause someone to stop thinking about or paying attention to someone or something and to think about or pay attention to someone or something else instead

pursue – v. to be involved in an activity

psychological – adj. of or relating to the study of the mind; of or relating to psychology

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English-Only Coding Program Seeks Change in Japan

June 24, 2018

Students attend Code Chrysalis, a software-coding boot camp, at a basement room in Tokyo, Japan, May 23 2018. (REUTERS/Toru Hanai)

Code Chrysalis offers a computer coding training program in Tokyo.

Kani Munidasa is the company’s chief. He used to be based in Silicon Valley in California – a place where many of the world’s biggest technology companies have headquarters. Now, he wants to persuade Japanese business leaders to do more to support the development of software engineers.

Japan has long been known for “monozukuri”: strong manufacturing.

But Japan is in danger of being left behind in such fields as artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning. These fields are influencing everything from carmakers to the banking industry.

Some experts say Japan’s approach to software is part of the problem. They say Japanese business leaders consider software as mainly a way to cut the costs of manufacturing, for example.

For this reason, code-writers for software earn less in Japan. The Reuters news agency reports that entry-level software engineers in Japan make an average of $40,000 a year. That salary is about half of what they make in the United States.

But Code Chrysalis chief Munidasa and others say software can also be seen as a way to add value to a product.

In February, Munidasa spoke to some Japanese business leaders. He told them that not having a strong software industry was threatening their futures.

He noted that the former chief of Sony Corporation, Nobuyuki Idei, had invited him to speak. Munidasa quoted Idei as saying, “Tell it as it is; don’t sugar-coat anything. They need to hear that change has to happen.”

Idei now has a business advice company, Quantum Leaps. He told Reuters that Japan has centered its attention too much on “physical goods” in the age of the internet. He said even a small program can have a big impact.

“The United States has Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon…China’s got Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. Japan doesn’t have a single platform company. That’s the Number 1 difference,” he said.

SoftBank's humanoid robots 'Pepper' is seen as students attend Code Chrysalis, a software-coding boot camp, at a basement room in Tokyo, Japan, May 23 2018.

Skilled developers needed

In answer to the situation in Japan, Code Chrysalis is trying to introduce training methods from Silicon Valley. Munidasa and his co-founder, Yan Fan, designed the course to be project-based. Its program mixes “hard skills,” like coding, with “soft skills” like public speaking and even physical fitness. Instruction is only in English.

The program, they say, trains engineers to be able to do everything needed to code, create apps and run computer servers. The cost is $9,390.

Code Chrysalis opened in July 2017. Since then, about 12 students have graduated from the 12-week course. Six more are expected to take the course. The camp currently accepts up to eight trainees each term.

Code Chrysalis says trainees see their pay increase an average of nearly 80 percent after graduation.

One reason for this dramatic rise is because Japanese companies are seeking skilled developers. Reports say businesses have more job openings than applicants this year. Most positions are being filled by foreigners.

Educators and industry leaders hope programs like Code Chrysalis will help transform Japan. But right now, it is one of only two such software development programs in Japan.

The other is the French company Le Wagon, which started in 2016. That program, which is less costly and shorter than Code Chrysalis, targets beginners who are looking for a job in software development.

Code Chrysalis aims to train higher-level programmers. So far, it has accepted only 20 percent of people seeking a spot. Many others did not meet the language requirement.

The need for English

Some industry experts say that is another problem in Japan’s software industry – a lack of English. They say programmers need a good understanding of the language to learn to use the latest tools and methods.

Toyota, for example, is making English the common language of 1,000 software engineers it plans to employ for its automated driving group to start next month.

James Kuffner is the chief executive officer of the group Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development (TRI-AD). He said Japan’s computer science education is based too much on learning from textbooks.

He says coding camps are a step in the right direction.

I’m Mario Ritter.

Reuters reported this story. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

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Words in This Story

artificial intelligence –n. the ability of computers to copy human behavior such as making recommendations or decisions

platform –n. a service that permits a large number of people to get or learn about ideas, products and services

automated –adj. something that operates without human assistance

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Health Experts: Food Claims Fuel Malnutrition among Indonesians

June 24, 2018

Customers eat nasi uduk, which is Indonesian style steamed rice cooked in coconut milk dish, at street food stall in Jakarta, Indonesia. Tuesday, April 3, 2018. Some Indonesians believe that a woman who eats chicken wings will have a hard time finding a husband. Others claim that by eating the fruit of the pineapple tree, a woman reduces her chances of having a child. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Some Indonesians believe that a woman who eats chicken wings will have a hard time finding a husband. Others claim that by eating the fruit of the pineapple tree, a woman reduces her chances of having a child.

It is because of claims like these that nutrition experts have launched a health campaign in Indonesia. It is aimed at girls and young women who suffer from poor nutrition because of their fear of some foods.

Experts said these food taboos were part of a wider system of cultural and social beliefs that lead to poor nutrition among many adolescents. They warned those traditions could affect girls’ education and chances for advancement.

Nutritionists have found that Indonesian girls eat very little protein, vegetables or fruit. Instead, many turn to rice and processed foods.

"Indonesian girls are being left behind when it comes to nutrition," said Kecia Bertermann. She works for Girl Effect, a non-profit group that uses wireless technology to help girls.

"They don't understand why their health is important, or how nutrition is connected to doing well at school, at work or for their futures."

The United Nations children's agency UNICEF says Indonesia has some of the world's worst nutrition numbers in the world.

UNICEF officials say two in five adolescent girls nationwide are thin because of undernutrition. They say this is a problem because many girls begin having children before they are 20.

Research by Girl Effect found that girls in populated areas ate little or nothing early in the day and, later on, ate processed food.

Many believed that feeling full was the same as having a healthy diet. They ate food with heavy carbohydrates, leaving them in need of protein, vitamins and minerals.

Girl Effect is teaming up with a group called Nutrition International to improve girls’ diets. Using a mobile app software program, they provide a place where girls can read about health and social issues.

If successful, the campaign could be expanded to other countries, including the Philippines and Nigeria.

Experts said Indonesia was a country with two kinds of malnutrition: some people are extremely small and thin, while others are fat. They say the larger Indonesians may look healthier, but lack important nutrients in their diet.

Marion Roche is a specialist on adolescent health at Nutrition International. She said the poor nutritional knowledge among girls was unusual because nutrition among babies had improved in Indonesia.

"We need to give them the knowledge to make healthy choices," Roche said, adding that many girls believe that healthy means ‘not sick.’

I'm Dorothy Gundy.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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