Job Discussion Forums

[aSt]

One of my primary goals when I go over to Japan is to learn the language. I don't want to simply skate by on a few key words and phrases. I'm hoping, that after some time I may actually be fluent in Japanese.

My question is, when it comes to location, what would be most beneficial in order to pick up the Japanese language at a faster rate? Would a rural area be better because there may be less English-speaking people and therefore I would be more immersed in the Japanese language? Or would it be better to live in busier cities such as Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto because, while I may have the ability to get by with English, I would also be able to take Japanese immersion classes.

Are there many programs that include Japanese lessons? I believe AEON mentioned it. The ECC did not mention that.

Ideally, I think for my first year I'd like to live around Tokyo due to the ease of travel and also access to amenities such as the gym, movie theaters, social forums, etc. This would probably help to ease the immersion process. Then it would be great to get down to the islands and perhaps for work and indulge in scuba diving, kayaking, etc.

So, what do you feel would be most beneficial? And, on average, how long do you believe it takes before you begin to get a handle on the language, and finally find yourself truly understanding it. Dreaming in Japanese shall we say...

[Glenski]

[aSt]

Thanks so much Glenski, you've been a great help. I have a BASIC knowledge of the language, that is correct. I initially thought it would be best to go rural when I get over there in order to learn at a quicker rate but I was still debating on bigger cities (i.e. Tokyo) because I thought the larger cities would provide more activities, events and fellow expats in order to help me with any homesickness I might have when I first go over there, that's all. But now I think I might go for a more rural environment anyway. Thanks again.

[Ryu Hayabusa]

From my experience, going rural has been bad for my Japanese. When I was in Osaka, I had a fantastic Japanese teacher who would come to my place and teach for 2 hours at 3000 yen plus transportation. He was a certified teacher of Japanese and had been doing this for more than 5 years. I used to work at ECC and, while speaking Japanese with students was a no-no, a person could speak with the staff and they'd be happy and patient to help you get better. Osaka has a lot of beautiful ladies who speak minimal English so it was good motivation to learn Japanese quickly in order to be able to converse with them. Their are more young people in urban areas who are down for hanging out and clubbing and you can practice your Japanese with them as their English is usually not good. I was also more motivated to learn Japanese while living in Osaka because I wanted to become an ALT and knew that Japanese skills would help me. So, that factored in as well.

Rural Japan and working as an ALT are good for quickly learning basic Japanese due to the immersive nature of the lifestyle. But, without a good Japanese teacher, I'm forgetting the more intermediate language that I don't usually use when talking about everyday stuff with my co-workers and students. There appear to be few young people in my town and the Japanese language lessons at the community centre aren't useful. They're free so the price is right, but compared to my teacher in Osaka, I feel like they're almost a waste of time. Still, I want JLPT 3 by December so I dutifully go for lessons and try to study at home. But, without other young people to go and hang out with, there's less oportunity to practice and I find myself hanging out with the same group of foreigners at one of the only bars in town every weekend. In Osaka it was possible to go out alone and befriend a group of Japanese people and hang out with them for the night. Rural Japan, not nearly as likely. Picture it this way, everyone is either married or not finished highschool. Those who finish highschool go to a university in a bigger town. Who is left? Not a lot.

I am leaving out a lot, though. In my small town, I play basketball in a league twice a week and tennis once a week. I'm the only foreigner in these leagues. These things would be excellent for a person who is just learning Japanese to quickly become more fluent. If a person has plateaud at a level like me, a good teacher or tons of motivation is needed to get over the hump. The people who I play with in these leagues are all great and patient, but the conversation rarely gets to a topic where I need to use more difficult words and grammar. Talking with people my age, about topics I care about, asking questions about them, talking about what they care about, etc; these seem to bring out the need for more advanced Japanese. Talking with older people about the weather, what I did on the weekend, about Canada, etc; these topics I've talked about to death so there's no language skill development there for me.

In Osaka I was also getting acting work. Auditioning with casting agents and working with directors and other cast and crew was very good for my Japanese as well.

I like my town and I love my job and students, but I can't wait to get back to Osaka or another big city.

[cornishmuppet]

I find you get to a certain level and then hit a wall. I work in a High School and can converse with the kids but thats my only regular practice these days and it comes down to the same level of conversation, over and over again. I can read pretty well and my listening is improving and while I study as often as I can I don't feel I'm anywhere near the level I should be speaking-wise, considering I've just passed the 5 year mark. I've failed 2 kyu twice (probably 3 times...) and don't feel like I'm improving much. I need regular classes to step up but with a full time job and lots of stuff on the side I really don't have the time.