How to get past the "intermediate" level?

[FrustratedDave]

So it means that at every level you encounter new ones just when you were rejoicing about getting rid of the old ones..?

That about sums it up, if you have no challeges in learning the language at every level, then #1, you have stopped learning or #2 you you know the language better than any Jappanese scholar for all hystory of all time.
Learning never stops and so do the challenges/frustrations.

 

[bakaKanadajin]

That's not my primary concern though; getting a job is. No matter where I lived in Japan, it would be much better for my Japanese ability (and mental health) than anywhere in the US. Can anyone suggest which of the three options that I listed in my last post I should take?

As stated in your OP (the topic of this thread) your primary goal is to surpass the intermediate level of Japanese language ability. I was commenting to this end.

Try to keep up with your own topic.

As far as your career path goes, easiest thing to do would be to become an English teacher, get a sponsored visa so you can get over here and get your feet planted, then when you're settled start looking for other work. You'll have plenty of time and you'll also have resources (a phone, an address, some kind of status i.e. alien registration card, a salary), etc.

 

[tada]

As stated in your OP (the topic of this thread) your primary goal is to surpass the intermediate level of Japanese language ability. I was commenting to this end.
Try to keep up with your own topic.
As far as your career path goes, easiest thing to do would be to become an English teacher, get a sponsored visa so you can get over here and get your feet planted, then when you're settled start looking for other work. You'll have plenty of time and you'll also have resources (a phone, an address, some kind of status i.e. alien registration card, a salary), etc.

Coming over there is related to the topic, since it seems to be the one and only way for me (and I'm sure a lot of others) to get past this level.

I just don't seem to be able to advance living here no matter how hard I try. It's not like I ever actually get chances to speak in Japanese.

 

[Ashikaga]

Have you tried Japanese internet chatrooms? You can find voice chat rooms on chat clients such as Yahoo Japan Messenger and Paltalk where you can actually converse in Japanese with native Japanese speakers.

 

[tada]

Have you tried Japanese internet chatrooms? You can find voice chat rooms on chat clients such as Yahoo Japan Messenger and Paltalk where you can actually converse in Japanese with native Japanese speakers.

They'll be able to tell where I'm from by my IP address though.

 

[Glenn]

Why would that matter?

 

[tada]

Why would that matter?

I hear on that part of the internets, they shun people from overseas based on IP.

 

[Glenn]

Who are "they?" Anyway, isn't it pretty well known that there's a large Japanese population in the Seattle area? Aren't you around there? Plus, cacawate has used Skype to get into Japanese voice chat rooms and talk to Japanese people, and he's in California. I really don't think you'll have a problem with it. At any rate, you should give it a try. I've gotten into the Yahoo! text chat rooms and talked with people before, so I really doubt you'll run into any trouble just based on IP address. I'd probably do it if I had a mic.

 

[JimmySeal]

Then don't go to those parts.

 

[tada]

Who are "they?" Anyway, isn't it pretty well known that there's a large Japanese population in the Seattle area? Aren't you around there? Plus, cacawate has used Skype to get into Japanese voice chat rooms and talk to Japanese people, and he's in California. I really don't think you'll have a problem with it. At any rate, you should give it a try. I've gotten into the Yahoo! text chat rooms and talked with people before, so I really doubt you'll run into any trouble just based on IP address. I'd probably do it if I had a mic.

There's not really that much of a Japanese population here. It's a lot more Chinese and Vietnamese. The International District (Chinatown, but we're politically correct) reflects this. Hard to find exact numbers due to some peoples' annoying tendency to group all Asians into one.

Then don't go to those parts.

Those are the very parts I'm asking about.

edit> oh right, it was just 2ch users. Nevermind.

 

[alantin]

Plus, cacawate has used Skype to get into Japanese voice chat rooms and talk to Japanese people, and he's in California.

How do you use Skype to get into a Japanese voice chat room? :?

Do you have to use some site or is it built in to Skype?

 

[Glenn]

You'll have to ask him about that. I've never used Skype; I've just heard him talk about it.

There's not really that much of a Japanese population here. It's a lot more Chinese and Vietnamese. The International District (Chinatown, but we're politically correct) reflects this. Hard to find exact numbers due to some peoples' annoying tendency to group all Asians into one.

That's a bit surprising. I thought it had one of the largest in the country.

 

[bakaKanadajin]

There's not really that much of a Japanese population here.

Japanese don't tend to accumulate in ethno-centric little pockets. Most that come to the West do so as individual students and then professionals, research associates, etc. Toronto and Vancouver Canada both have fairly well-sized Japanese populations but as I said you won't find them clinging to one another in the same way as other groups. That's not meant to sound derogatory but let's call a spade a spade shall we?

If Seattle is anything like Vancouver (and I understand they are similar in many ways) there should definitely be some Japanese folks there since its a main westcoast portal from the East. While there may be no discernable 'Japan town', if you turn a few stones over you will find them at least socializing together on a semi frequent basis.

To start, internet based language exchange introduction sites, university student centers advertising English study, etc., will be likely places you may run into Japanese ESL students who wish to study. After that as you network outwards, you'll find that although they live independently and kind of scattered there are certain pulse points they're all linked to. From there you'll find the more socially oriented events, outings, groupings, etc. For example group outings to public areas for BBQ's (well summer's over but, just as an example), a group might accumulate and attend a festival or exhibition of some kind or to go to a well known landmark or something, kind of like field trips. You may find yourself doing a lot of really touristy stuff.

That was my experience in Toronto anyway, I found tons of Japanese folks to hang out with and study with.

Another tip, Chinese and Japanese don't tend to mix well it seems but Korean and Japanese young people really get along and co-mingle, again just my experience in Toronto. If there are Korean areas in Seattle you may very well run into some Japanese cats there.

I found these after a quick 1min google search:
Learn Japanese Seattle, Japanese lessons Seattle, Japanese classes Seattle, Study Japanese Seattle
http://www.seattlejapaneseschool.org/
http://www.seattlelanguageexchange.com/

 

[grapefruit]

There's not really that much of a Japanese population here. It's a lot more Chinese and Vietnamese. The International District (Chinatown, but we're politically correct) reflects this. Hard to find exact numbers due to some peoples' annoying tendency to group all Asians into one.



Those are the very parts I'm asking about.

edit> oh right, it was just 2ch users. Nevermind.

There are tons of Japanese in Seattle. Go to Uwajimaya in the International District. Pick up the free Japanese newspaper "Soy Sauce."
Also, you can visit the following site.
シアトル最大の日本語情報サイト Junglecity.com

UW has ESL programs teeming with Japanese students. Many community colleges in Seattle are full of Japanese. Go to Seattle Central Community College, Bellevue Community College, North Gate Community College and so on. You can usually find posts that look for conversation partners. I might even run into you

 

[tada]

There are tons of Japanese in Seattle. Go to Uwajimaya in the International District. Pick up the free Japanese newspaper "Soy Sauce."

I go to Uwajimaya/Kinokuniya like once a week.

It just seems like there are a lot less Japanese than there actually are due to them being more "hidden". And even then, there's a huge difference in language ability and other areas between those coming here for college and fourth-generation Japanese-Americans. Beyond the second generation, it's rare for a Japanese-American to have any significant degree of Japanese ability. Of course, I would be an exception to this rule (I'm a yonsei).

I signed up for a conversation partner, but I really don't know if I'll get one. A lot of them seem very one-way (hardly anyone on that list I saw wanted to learn English)

 

[tada]

That about sums it up, if you have no challeges in learning the language at every level, then #1, you have stopped learning or #2 you you know the language better than any Jappanese scholar for all hystory of all time.
Learning never stops and so do the challenges/frustrations.

It didn't feel frustrating to me when I was a beginner, it has only recently started to become frustrating.

 

[Ashikaga]

Another thing you might want to consider doing...

Have you thought about placing an ad for Language Partners on craigslist?

I found my language exchange partner on craigslist a few years back. I think it's worth a try.

 

[grapefruit]

Another thing you might want to consider doing...
Have you thought about placing an ad for Language Partners on craigslist?
I found my language exchange partner on craigslist a few years back. I think it's worth a try.

That's a great idea. I wonder why I didn't think of that.

 

[Amigo]

Let me tell you something...

I started to study English when I was 9 years old. I didn't know a lot of Spanish words yet when I took up English! However I never could speak English well enough to keep a conversation until I went to England to study it with 29! In just a week I already was talking and talking without stopping. I was taken aback when I noticed I was talking all the time in English. I almost didn't need to study 'cause I knew all grammar! but just to talk happily with friends.
Read, write, learn Kanjis and set phrases, and, when you go to Japan, the only thing you'll need to learn is how to talk.

About Japanese I chat by "messenger" with a couple of Japanese good friends almost every weekend. I can keep my writting and readying's level, but neither speaking nor listening's level. (In fact I don't have any speaking and listening's level)
Now I'm working hard to save money to go to Japan to study and learn how to speak it for at least a year, while talking to my friends and making other friends.

My grain of sand

(In English people say "my two cents", in Spain people say "my grain of sand")