Masakatsu Horiguchi
Twenty years have passed since Gunma Language Center was founded on April 1, 1990. I would like to thank everyone who brought their children to GLC for language lessons, in addition to all the organizations that have requested foreign language instruction for their employees. The organizations, such as local government offices, private companies, and multinational groups, so far have totaled more than 150. We were encouraged by these organizations to expand our selection of languages offered and deliver quality language instruction.
The word Gunma in Gunma Language Center meant Gunma Town at first, but it was our hope that it would eventually come to represent all of Gunma Prefecture. In the beginning, there were only two teachers, five students, and five companies. Our living room was the school’s office.
1990 marked the abrupt end to Japan’s economic boom in the ‘80s and the beginning of the lost decade. However, we managed to succeed during our first year. In 1991, due to increased nrollment, we constructed a small facility in our own private front yard that had two classrooms and a teachers’ room. In May 1994, the present-day building commonly referred to as GLC was constructed and everything was moved to that building. GLC was designed to resemble a house like those found in the suburbs of Boston where we often visited. In April, 1997, Maebashi Language Academy and Shibukawa Language Academy were added. Simultaneously, we started to serve people from all of Gunma Prefecture and even parts of Saitama Prefecture. We also began to accommodate the demand for teaching other foreign languages, such as German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Koreans, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Arabic. Two main reasons for teaching foreign languages other than English were the Plaza Agreement in 1985 and an increased interest in learning languages other than English. In the case of the Plaza Agreement, companies in Japan started to branch out overseas and their employees were sent to non-English speaking countries in addition to English speaking countries.
From 2001 through 2010, the number of students fluctuated, but we adapted to the situation and continued to operate offering a wider range of services, not only teaching but also editing, translating, and dubbing. I believe internationalization and globalization will advance steadfast. Therefore, a good command of English, a foreign language, or foreign languages, as well as an understanding of different cultures, will continue to be a necessity for years to come. Our mission at GLC-LA is to help people reach their goals studying foreign languages and cultures. We hope to serve the community for another ten years or more with this vision at the forefront of our efforts. It is my sincere hope anyone who wishes to learn a foreign language will come visit GLC-LA.
Masakatsu Horiguchi: The president of GLC-LA
