Obama Speeches Help Japanese Learn English

Barack Obama is fast becoming a popular English teacher—in Japan. His speeches have become a hit for people learning the language there, the Wall Street Journal reports. Obama's slow and careful enunciation make him a particularly good model, teachers say. One book of speeches, complete with a dictionary for terms like "stop-gap measures," sold half a million copies in 3 months.

"Other speeches may be better for learning vocabulary, but Obama's speeches make me excited about speaking English," says one fan, who says he listens regularly in the bath.
(More English stories.)