I know it isn't polite to hack, but I couldn't resist breaking into your Encyclopedia of Modern Japan file in order to make a few changes. I hope you don't mind. I have eliminated some of the unnecessary categories, combined others, fixed spelling and factual errors, and put the historical figures in chronological order according to date of birth. I couldn't bear to see such a valuable resource remain in such a disorderly state. There are still many improvements to be made, so I will be back. Best, "V. Wu."
While the content of Levy's speech is fascinating in its own right (especially the parts about the relation between language and identity), I post it here mainly as a warning to young Americans living abroad about how an extended stay in a non-English-speaking country can adversely affect your English speaking ability. Levy is obviously hamming it up a bit, pretending to be less articulate than he really is, but boy is his delivery weird as all get up.
The scary thing is, after a decade or two of limited exposure to demotic English, we're all bound sound like this. Levy is not the exception, he is the rule. (Trust me, I know many long-term ex-pats, and nearly all of them talk like this.) So make sure you fellow native speakers band together and form English-speaking support groups to keep this from happening. And when no native speakers are around, talk to yourself.
