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.