Learning the language by living in Japan

[jellyfishEC]

Hey guys,

Which learning process is better?

Studying in a Nihongo center in your own country? Or going to and living in Japan to be exposed in the culture?

If I one lives in Japan for a year, can they learn enough Kanji to take the JLPT exam even without a formal study?

 

[Glenn]

If you put the same amount of effort in, being in Japan will be faster.

 

[jellyfishEC]

If you put the same amount of effort in, being in Japan will be faster.

Thanks

 

[Mike Cash]

Which JLPT exam are you taking about? If you write your name on the test and can tell the difference between "ohayou gozaimasu" and "arigatou gozaimasu" you can pass the lowest level.

If you're expecting to just magically and effortlessly absorb Japanese simply by being here, you're going to be severely disappointed.

 

[Risa RisaRisa]

Which JLPT exam are you taking about? If you write your name on the test and can tell the difference between "ohayou gozaimasu" and "arigatou gozaimasu" you can pass the lowest level.

If you're expecting to just magically and effortlessly absorb Japanese simply by being here, you're going to be severely disappointed.

n5 is a little bit harder than that but if you are putting in a couple hours a day will only take you a couple months from not knowing a single kana baed on being in England, so in Japan you could probs take it in a matter of weeks.
It all depends how you take to the language and effort you put in, at a guess I would say after a year in Japan you could take JLPT n3

 

[jellyfishEC]

Thanks for the comments

But what jobs can be taken at first when one is just starting to learn Nihongo?

 

[Davey]

Get the basics in your own country and then go to Japan... it will make your first weeks/months in Japan a lot easier.

 

[Mike Cash]

Thanks for the comments

But what jobs can be taken at first when one is just starting to learn Nihongo?

Under what visa do you propose to move here and start working?

 

[jellyfishEC]

Under what visa do you propose to move here and start working?

I am looking into getting student VISA to study in a Nihongo school.

 

[Mike Cash]

That's encouraging to hear. Your initial post made it sound like you wanted to just move here and learn Japanese without going to school. Depending on your circumstances, that could have been an impossibility due to visa requirements.

 

[jellyfishEC]

No.. I know that it would be hard. I don't want to be so foreign in the country. I want to at least understand the basics.
I really just want to hear feedbacks from people with experience. So I'll know what to expect

 

[nameless]

I really just want to hear feedbacks from people with experience. So I'll know what to expect

I'm studying Japanese at a language school right now.

Do this:

- Study to JLPT N5 in your own country (takes about 75 hours of study)
- Come to Japan and realize you don't know jack
- Attend a decent language school

Expect this:

You will initially love Japan because it will seem like Disney Land, foreign, exotic, etc. After you realize you are essentially equipped with the communication skills of a two-year-old, you will get frustrated. You will be very tempted to give up.

If you continue anyway, after 3~5 months, you will:

- Know enough Japanese to convert your driver's license, open a bank account, get a mobile phone
- Know how to use an ATM in Japanese
- Be able to operate the kiosks in convenience stores
- Go to a Japanese-only-speaking 美容院, order your haircut, and have small talk while you get it
- Gain a vague understanding of what happened when trains break down due to suicide
- Speak to people, make simple requests for things, ask for things, etc. Emphasis on simple
- Not be able to read a newspaper, watch TV, or read manga without help
- Not be able to respond to a random question that a random Japanese stranger asks you quickly

A lot of it has to do with how much you ghettoize yourself. Be sure to avoid foreigner parties and mixer parties and all that crap. Also make sure to avoid Japanese "friends" who only want to speak English with you, or who suggest that "knowing hiragana is enough". They are not your friends.

Your mileage may vary. Hope that helps.

 

[Nesshin]

Nameless gave you a significant advice. Do not hang out with Japanese people who want to be your "friend" just so that they can practice English. You will take forever to learn Japanese. Many of us made that mistake and while it is fun to be social your Japanese will definately suffer.

My two cents would be to sign up for a culture class when you get here, (judo, tea ceremony , caligraphy) etc. Going to class every week and interacting with your class mates who are willing to speak to you in Japanese will help you a long way. Good luck and have lots of fun!

 

[JapaneseRuleof7]

I'm new to this forum, but not to Japan. This is my 6th year here. I think coming to Japan to study in a language school is a great idea. And certainly living in Japan provides you tons of real-life exposure to things that no amount of studying overseas will ever teach you.

But . . . that being said, I think there is one aspect in which being overseas is better. Japan is very distracting! There is a lot of fun stuff to do, and if you have to work, a lot of un-fun stuff too. Initially, all that adds up to learning a fair bit, but soon it drops off. At some point, no matter where you are, it's good to study if you want to make progress.

Living here, I can barely eke out an hour a day to study, and half of the time it's while hanging onto the strap of a crowded train. I actually look forward to my trips overseas, when I can just relax and spend a few hours a day studying Japanese, without all the distractions of actual Japan. I learn more Japanese when I'm not in Japan.

 

[zoomingjapan]

If I one lives in Japan for a year, can they learn enough Kanji to take the JLPT exam even without a formal study?

Just by living in Japan the kanji won't fly magically into your brain.
While your speaking and listening skills might improve if you don't make the mistake ot only hang out with foreigners, that doesn't go for kanji, reading skills or grammar skills.

Even when you live in Japan, you have to sit down and study, study, study!
Your motivation might be higher because you might feel the urge to understand the world around you.

There's no "learn Japanese super fast" magic method. You need to study hard no matter where you live.

 

[9Tails]

Are you talking about starting with 0% knowledge in Japanese? I too would like to know if just living in Japan you would learn the language fast.

 

[JapaneseRuleof7]

Are you talking about starting with 0% knowledge in Japanese? I too would like to know if just living in Japan you would learn the language fast.

That's a good question, so let me try to give you a good answer.
I've seen scores, no scratch that--hundreds actually--of people come to Japan thinking they would learn the language fast. Or slow. Including myself. That, uh--how to put this gently?--doesn't happen. I first came to Japan over a decade ago, and I've been studying Japanese seriously every since. Like an hour and a half a day. And even though I'm fluent in Japanese, it's not really because I live here. Hit me up on my site if you want more details about learning the language or what it's like to actually live here.
I mean, it's cool if you want to come, pick up a few phrases, and be able to hang out with people who mostly speak English. You can do that. In fact, everybody wants you to do that. But if you want to actually be able to speak the language, it's going to take a lot more. There are some linguistic reasons for that (word connections in Japanese are visual, not verbal), and some cultural (Japanese people don't initiate conversations with strangers, unless they think you speak English), but the bottom line is, living here isn't that much of an advantage.

 

[Andromedashun]

I wish I could fly to Japan.
In here listening is like sh*t and books to find are rare.

 

[JapaneseRuleof7]

Yeah, there are a lot of good reasons to come to Japan. The food's amazing, so that's one.

But since you're online, you should be able to find good resources for learning Japanese. You can read NHK News Easy using the Rikaichan plug in, and listen to podcasts via JapanesePod101. Check my site if you want other resources, I've got a list on the left-hand side of the page.

 

[baskerville]

Nameless gave you a significant advice. Do not hang out with Japanese people who want to be your "friend" just so that they can practice English. You will take forever to learn Japanese. Many of us made that mistake and while it is fun to be social your Japanese will definately suffer.

Agree with you on this.
I made the mistake of not checking on the participants of a sadou group that I joined.
I initially thought the sadou classes will help me practice my Japanese with native speakers and I thought there will be other foreigners there. But the group I was with wanted to talk in English all the time. Not good. And also, I never learned much about sadou in general. The stuff I picked up from joining the group was the same as the one I learned from a 2 hour exposure class in Osaka.

@jellyfish: I know a friend who works for your company

 

[jellyfishEC]

Agree with you on this.
I made the mistake of not checking on the participants of a sadou group that I joined.
I initially thought the sadou classes will help me practice my Japanese with native speakers and I thought there will be other foreigners there. But the group I was with wanted to talk in English all the time. Not good. And also, I never learned much about sadou in general. The stuff I picked up from joining the group was the same as the one I learned from a 2 hour exposure class in Osaka.

@jellyfish: I know a friend who works for your company

Hi Baskerville, thank you for your comment. Wow really? Here in the Philippines or in Japan?

 

[baskerville]

^ In Manila...Dan?

 

[jellyfishEC]

Oh. You are friends with Dan pala Yes, he's one of our new employees