Language Leeches

[PopCulturePooka]

After more than a year in Japan today I had my first language leeche experience tonight.

Get on the train after a painful day at work, sit down, whip out my gameboy and get too work on Metroid Prime.

No sooner do I start when I hear and see a flurry of movement near me. look up and some old bat is hurridley flicking through an old notebook. I ignore her. About 2 minutes later I hear some bad english pronounciation of 'excuse me'.

I humour her for a bit, answering her badly formed inane questions like 'where are you from country?' etc before getting a bit dismissive and curt until the convo dies. When I get back to my GBA I realise the old bat distracted me enough to make me die RIGHT BEFORE A SAVE POINT.

It was VERY annoying really. I spend most of my day humouring people like her and I'm getting paid for it. I didn't like being expected to do it for free in my own time. Does that sound rude? Sure. But like someone said once on another forum, I'm not an english vending machine. The only time I'd really botheer I guess is if the leech is young female and cute.

Anyways, people in Japan do you have language leech experiences? How do you deal with them?

Oh a language leech is any person taht uses you to practice their english whether you like it or not. Not interested in you or anything like taht, jsut the fact that you speak eigo.


Also, english teachers... NEVER EVER tell students to practice their english by talking to foreingers on trains, in restaurants etc. Most of us hate it I've gathered.

 

[PaulTB]

No sooner do I start when I hear and see a flurry of movement near me. look up and some old bat is hurridley flicking through an old notebook. I ignore her. About 2 minutes later I hear some bad english pronounciation of 'excuse me'.

The notebook bit is taking liberties.

Also, english teachers... NEVER EVER tell students to practice their english by talking to foreingers on trains, in restaurants etc. Most of us hate it I've gathered.

It's not as if there aren't various clubs & organisations to get people who are interested in language exchange together.

 

[kirei_na_me]

This is one of one of my top pet peeves, and believe me, you don't have to be in Japan to be exposed to those leeches. It's really a pain in the arse if you have to feel obligated to the people who already irritate you the most because they're the co-workers of your husband, or even worse, they're the family of your husband's boss. I moved 30 miles away to get away from them and they're still trying to use my family to learn English. That's just the tip of the iceberg, too.

But anyway, I can sympathize. Oh, can I sympathize...

 

[PopCulturePooka]

One day when I feel like REALLY typing I'll tell you about my first GF here. That was a VERY big language leech problem.

 

[nekosasori]

I encounter lots of racism where I am, where it's the opposite - people avoid talking to me (fundraisers, salespeople) because they assume I can't speak English.

It occurs to me that no matter how annoying the "leeches", you only have yourself to blame for being taken advantage of. Just slowly say, "I'm sorry, I would like to be left alone", glower, and turn or walk away. How difficult can that be?

 

[kirei_na_me]

Well, my situation is a little more complicated than that. I have to be careful what I say to the boss and his family. I do try my best to stay clear of them now, though, because I learned my lesson. I've had terrible "leech" experiences.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

I encounter lots of racism where I am, where it's the opposite - people avoid talking to me (fundraisers, salespeople) because they assume I can't speak English.

It occurs to me that no matter how annoying the "leeches", you only have yourself to blame for being taken advantage of. Just slowly say, "I'm sorry, I would like to be left alone", glower, and turn or walk away. How difficult can that be?

Some people can be very cruel (am not )

 

[RockLee]

you should all be a little ashamed of not wanting to help other ppl ...If some older woman or person wanted to talk to me I would gladly be of asistance...afterall I would like other ppl to learn me something too...I'm kinda sociable and well in this case of studying other languages(espacially Japanese) I'm eager to learn...it's just me perhaps...but I don't see them as 'leeches'..just ppl who want to learn!!

 

[PopCulturePooka]

you should all be a little ashamed of not wanting to help other ppl ...If some older woman or person wanted to talk to me I would gladly be of asistance...afterall I would like other ppl to learn me something too...I'm kinda sociable and well in this case of studying other languages(espacially Japanese) I'm eager to learn...it's just me perhaps...but I don't see them as 'leeches'..just ppl who want to learn!!

Sorry, I see em as leeches.

They are complete strangers using me, yes using me, as a tool to furtehr their own english. Why an over 50 women has ANY reason to chat too a semi-punk guy with big spikes in his hair about if he can eat natto or not is beyond me.

Especially when I'm tired, stressed and just want to be left alone. She wants to do that? Join a club or language circle. Don't invade the personal space of others when they don't wanna be annoyed. When the first few answers are one word answers and the person isnt looking at you get the hint that they don't wanna talk. Don't ask 'What is your hobby?' again.

I don't necessarily blame her. Odds are some newer English teacher in the country gave ehr 'homework' that was too speak to any foreigner she saw.

Its not about being sociable. I'm sociable when I wanna be. I'll make obvious signs I wanna be sociable. Playing gameboy while being as un-noticeable as possible is not giving signs I wanna be sociable.

Heheh hold up, I'll post about my ex, I remembered I psoted it elsewhere. Copy paste.

 

[kirei_na_me]

Believe me, I've helped more than a few people with their English, and was happy to do so at first. It gets to a point where you have to stop being taken advantage of, though. It can be a nuisance when it's clear that some people are posing as friends just so they can learn English. I don't want to be around someone that I don't get on with just because they want their child to play with those native English-speaking children.

 

[PopCulturePooka]

This is it, the sad story:

I got burnt by my first 'girlfriend' in Japan.

I'd been chasing the girl for a long while so had a case of the rose coloured glasses.

Anyways I eventually start going out with her. Try to call her to meet and she hangs up. messages later that phone calls are too hard. I'm thinking 'ok not so bad' and ask where she wants too meet. Movies? Shibuya? Yokohama?

Nope. A park bench at a Depato is ok.

So I get there sit down, she turns up and we exchange pleasentries and the 'date' begins. She goes 'Can I ask you some questions?'

Me: Sure

She then opens her bag, pulls out her notebook, textbook and pens and procedes to go to a bunch of marked pages and asks me questions about them. Thinking this is a one off I answer her ****, rather half-assed. She then kisses me a little and goes home.

Not a good sign. Then our other few dates (remember the rose coloured glasses) turn out exactly the same. park bench, Eigo textbook. Whenever I refused to answer her questions she'd ask me in her f**king ridiculous 'cute' voice 'Are you teacher?'.

So I finally get her to come to my house. I pick her up at the station we get to my house, I start getting frisky and she tells me too stop. I ask why. She goes 'Can I ask you some question?' and the textbook comes out. I sent her home. Dumped her the next day, funnily enough to alot of waterworks from her.

Silly little girl she was. I also know she never told any of friends about me and never wanted too meet anywhere else except the park bench.

 

[RockLee]

hehe poor you ...well...I would dump her too for that...If she just wanted to use me for being a tutor...you can hardly call it your girlfriend !!

 

[Daniel]

Too cheap to pay for a tutor. Luckily the japanese I know here, who wants to learn english gladly pay for my time

 

[RockLee]

Well...see it as this...you live in America, you know this girl who is Japanese and only talks Japanese...you want to learn Japanese and try to talk to as much Japanese people you encounter too train your skills...is it LEECHING??I think it's just trying to practice and be sociable at the same time

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Well...see it as this...you live in America, you know this girl who is Japanese and only talks Japanese...you want to learn Japanese and try to talk to as much Japanese people you encounter too train your skills...is it LEECHING??I think it's just trying to practice and be sociable at the same time

Then you ask them. You talk to them and ask if they mind being your tutor/language exchange buddy. You check too see if they are cool with the whole thing.

Not annoy some complete stranger.

 

[Elizabeth]

Depending on the situation I think I would either start using very high level words or try to throw them off with questions in really bad Engrish/Japanese grammar.

 

[kirei_na_me]

Hey, Elizabeth...I really like that idea...

 

[Glenn]

I like that idea too. Hell, you could just use big words that make no sense together:

The syntactical associations of this dilemma are not of the vigintillion persuasion.

Haha, that would get you some blank looks! Even if they understood what you were saying, you would probably get some blank looks! Hahahahaha!

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Hehe someone from another board apparantly gets it alot.

He replies to them in Hebrew!

 

[Glenn]

That was another thing that I thought of -- reply in really bad Spanish!

 

[jovial_jon]

...or just make up words like...oh, i dunno 'unintalantable' or funny sounding ones like 'flibble' (knowing my luck yhey probably ARE words)

 

[RockLee]

that's mean !! making up words...now now play nicely kids !!

 

[Glenn]

@jovial jon - It appears as though you succeeded, at least according to Merriam-Webster's Online. I like that idea too! This thread has been a great mood elevator!

 

[jovial_jon]

I wouldn't really do that! don't worry Rock Lee...I think it is mean too

 

[kirei_na_me]

I think it's f'ing hilarious! Especially as I've been so stressed out about that and the whole situation lately!