Job Discussion Forums

[Squire22]

I've just found out that I'm more than likely going to Japan, in less than a week apparently(to be confirmed tomorrow with any luck). This is a little out of the blue because it's been looking as though there was no chance of anything happening. Due to this reason I've spent most of my time looking at alternatives in other locations and other professions. Hence I haven't really bothered learning any Japanese as it looked improbable that I would actually be going.

So my question is, having zero Japanese ability, just how far down the creek without a paddle am I? I accept that it's going to ridiculously difficult for a while, most likely at least 6 months(or even more likely even longer), I do intend to enrol in Japanese classes and self-study the katakani, kanji etc. Just how scared should I be on a scale of 1 to 10?

Will it massively impact on my ability to perform my job as an ALT? How difficult will it be to communicate with the JTE's I'm going to be working with? (I realise they will be able to speak English, but language is a tricky thing at the best of times)

Many thanks in advance.

[Gordon]

Don't sweat it. No one expects you to know Japanese before you get here, but if you do it is a bonus and will make your life much easier. I knew about 2 words before I got here and it was fine.

[Jazz1975]

[PAULH]

[chirp]

The company I interviewed with preferred if you had some Japanese language ability (I have none at the moment), but they hired people who didn't. I agree with all the other posters, I managed to get around just fine on my own in Japan without the ability to speak the language. Since I have the time to do it however, I am starting Japanese lessons before I leave.

Best of luck and safe travels!

[shuize]

It's funny. You'd think you'd get better treatment the more Japanese you know. But that's not always the case. In fact, when I first got out of college my first job was as an ALT where I replaced a woman who lived here for two years and probably knew 10 words of the language. No matter, the board of education did everything for her. If she needed to go to the store she'd just call someone from the board to call her a cab. Naturally, the board paid for it. If she wanted to visit a friend in the next town, same deal. I had basic survival Japanese and was simply told "do it yourself."

As Paulh notes above, if you can string three words together, you'll win praise. Don't let it go to your head. It's similar to when a child learns to use a spoon and is often said in the same tone of voice: "Ah, jyouzu desu ne ... erai! erai!" Get a little better and the false praise dries up. If you're still getting "jyouzu desu ne" compliments, there's a good chance your Japanese is crap. You'll have to get a lot better before any real compliments come.

[PAULH]

[Khyron]

[Squire22]

Dear all,

Thank you for the supportive comments you've made, they've really helped to reassure me. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all those that contribute such useful and practical information and answer all the questions - even the ones that seem unusual - your help has been invaluable.

I arrive in Japan midday Friday.

Again, my thanks.

[Zzonkmiles]

The ease with which you can get by in Japan without knowing Japanese depends a lot on exactly where in Japan you'll be living. If you are in Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, or any other large city or a city that has a sizeable foreign population, you'll have far fewer problems than you would if you lived in the suburbs or in rural areas. In major cities, it is common to see street signs and train/subway station signs in romaji or translated into English.

The real problem will come when you go shopping, dine at a restaurant, try to use a machine, or try to perform tasks that might not happen everyday. Try grabbing a bowl of ramen at 1 in the morning and not being able to read the menu. Try going to an izakaya where you're the only foreigner and you can't communicate with the waitress. Try going to a local shop and asking where Product X is and not being able to describe what it does or what it's used for. What happens if you want to make a copy of your passport or foreigner registration card or something and you don't know how to use the copy machine because you can't read the buttons? What happens if you receive a bill in the mail and you don't know what it's for or how much you should pay or when you should pay it? What happens if you have special dietary concerns and buy something at the supermarket and can't read the cooking instructions or the list of ingredients? What happens if you park your bike illegally at a train station, it gets impounded, and you don't know how to tell the station attendant about your problem? Depending on how self-conscious you are and how thick your skin is, this can be completely frustrating or an interesting challenge. Not being self-sufficient can be a big deal to a lot of people, especially if you have special concerns (such as being a vegetarian or having certain food allergies).

Like others said, the Japanese generally don't expect you to understand their language. But at the same time, some of them may think it's rude if you don't know Japanese because they think it's respectful to at least try. You'll have a hard time making Japanese friends if you can't speak the language, although you'll have no problem finding Japanese "friends" who only want to "practice their English" with you. This can be frustrating and can intensify the culture shock process.

So, to answer your original question, assuming 1 is not screwed at all and 10 is totally screwed...

...if you are living in Tokyo/Yokohama: 2
...if you are living in Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto: 3
...if you are living in the countryside: 1-10 (depends on how friendly the locals are and how nicely you treat them)
...if you associate primarily with your English-speaking coworkers/friends: 1 (your Japanese ability is likely to not improve at all, however)

I recommend at least being able to read and write hiragana and katakana. If you can master hiragana, you can write any word or name in Japanese that you want. Also, some signs, particularly those at train stations, might have kanji and hiragana, but no romaji. Both of these writing systems have fewer than 50 characters, so they're not too difficult to master.

Good luck.

[PAULH]

[Gordon]

Paul, Takamatsu has about 300,000 people and that is today. The amount of English around here is still true, however.

[D.O.S.]

[sallycat]

if you want to give yourself a headstart, i'd say try learning katakana first: it'll be a big help in decoding restaurant menus, whereeas hiragana mostly helps you read verb endings.
since katakana words are usually taken from english, it's not much of a jump to understand them.

anyway, on a screwedness scale of 1-10, i'd say 0.

[Jazz1975]

If I'm lucky enough to be accepted by GEOS, I'll be sure to make use of the free Japanese lessons they offer. The best part about it is that I'll be able to take it within the course of my workday. Can't beat that imo.