Beisia vs Costco : Two cultures within one

Cross-cultural experience plays a significant role in second-language (L2) learning (Dornyei, 2001; Brown, 1989). Beisia, a local home-grown retailer and Costco, a wholesaler from California, are located side by side in Maebashi-Minami Power Mall, offering Japanese and American cultural experiences respectively to local Japanese shoppers. Although their store sizes are close to being identical, their corporate identities, target customers, item selections and in-store atmospheres are strikingly different due to their different cultural origins. English-language learners are strongly recommended to go and experience these differences firsthand. Such experiences can help them to have a clearer vision as to why they are learning English