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Question Reading Japanese

トレバー said:
OH SNAP! Is it better to just avoid learning words in isolation, and just focus on learning them in the context of what they're a part of? I'm reading the Super Metroid manual.
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I created a list of vocabulary words that I felt would be used often and I studied it so that I could start picking them out in things I read when walking around or in conversations that I was (kind of) part of.

Studying grammar and getting a good list of common vocabulary that you will use often is a good place to start before getting into more complicated stuff. It seems like you may already be past that level though. There is also the renshuu app for android, not sure if it is available for ios as well, which is decent for testing your self. Otherwise just talking to native Japanese is probably the best way as long as you find someone who doesn't constantly mumble or use slang/strong dialects.
 
トレバー said:
What do you do for work? I'm trying to figure out what I can do career wise with my Japanese skills.
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Originally a software engineer (programmer, database administrator). That's how I was able to work in Japan years ago. Now I'm a Program Manager for a technical product -- that is I help sell our product to customers and manage their adoption of it. I really don't know what makes sense from a career perspective these days. AI technology is a real game changer and it's very hard to anticipate how capable it will become and how society will adapt to it.
 
Wow, that's so cool! I'm terrified for the future to be honest… I don't want to sacrifice my body to retail, warehouse work forever… yah know???
 
トレバー said:
Wow, that's so cool! I'm terrified for the future to be honest… I don't want to sacrifice my body to retail, warehouse work forever… yah know???
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Definitely not. You need to learn some skills for sure. Or skillz because that's a cooler, yet incorrect, way to spell it.
 
Yeah, this whole AI thing is really a bummer for a lot of career options that were available 20 years ago. What coding language do you know?
 
トレバー said:
Yeah, this whole AI thing is really a bummer for a lot of career options that were available 20 years ago. What coding language do you know?
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I haven't coded professionally in over 25 years though I still use SQL now and again to query our data. Back in those days I was mainly writing UNIX scripts using bash or perl to manipulate data. I did some Windows GUI work as well using tools that are long gone now.
 
Holy buckets, that's awesome. I'm not sure which language to learn. Everybody recommends a different coding language, but I have a little experience in Java, HTML 5 and that's about it…. Finding a career is damn hard….
 
トレバー said:
Holy buckets, that's awesome. I'm not sure which language to learn. Everybody recommends a different coding language, but I have a little experience in Java, HTML 5 and that's about it…. Finding a career is damn hard….
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The language itself doesn't matter that much since once you know one you can pick up others. That being said, Python seems to be the primary language we use here. As far as career goes, try to do something that you enjoy. If you're going to college you don't have to stress too much on getting the perfect degree since people often end up working outside of their degree field anyway. But I'd definitely recommend trying to get professional summer jobs (internships). That will help you get hired maybe more so than the degree itself.
 
mdchachi said:
Ah gotcha. That's a little old to not have a career path set. But better late than never. The trades can be lucrative too.
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I'M IMPLODING, hahaha, no just kidding, but yeah, I thought things would be a lot different at my age. I am an artist, guitarist, and writer.
 
トレバー said:
I'M IMPLODING, hahaha, no just kidding, but yeah, I thought things would be a lot different at my age. I am an artist, guitarist, and writer.
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Ah ok. So you have a vocation but it doesn't pay the bills hence the less than ideal jobs. So I guess the key is to find work that lets you enjoy your vocation as much as possible. My niece is a high school teacher. I don't think she necessarily loves it but she has a lot of free time to do what she likes to do. She doesn't even work during the summers like a lot of teachers do.
 
You nailed it right on the noggin', and now I'm struggling through an existential crisis, hahahaha, kind of.... HAHA, but I would love to be a teacher of Japanese at a high school, but they make you get a Master's Degree and a teacher's certification.... whatever happened to learning on the job, or knowing someone, or an apprentice relationship, etc. There is way too much regulation these days and it's so GOT DAMN hard for anybody to get ahead these days without going to college and putting themselves in the hole! ARGH.... I miss the 70's....
 
You weren't even alive in the 70s. There are still jobs like that out there but they tend to be physical. HVAC, electrician, lineman, plumber, construction, etc. Health professions also.
 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, yeah, you're right... HAHAHA. Have you guys ever seen the word 部屋 pronounced BEYA? I just came across it in the Super Metroid manual.
 
トレバー said:
Have you guys ever seen the word 部屋 pronounced BEYA? I just came across it in the Super Metroid manual.
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Yes. Likely it was preceded by another word (again you're not giving full context). Almost always heya will take beya pronunciation if it's part of a compound word.

For example 角部屋 (kado-beya = corner room/corner apartment) or 仕事部屋 (shigoto-beya=workroom). Many words make this kind of switch. I always assumed it was because conversationally it's a natural conversion but I'm not really sure the actual why of it. Maybe some Valley Girls of the Heian Period started this way of speaking.

If you study Japanese you'll soon see this kind of pronunciation shift when you learn 分 (FUN=minute) and learn how to say 1, 2, 3, etc. minutes.
 
You can also look into joining the JET program. It's a program run by the Japanese government. They take college graduates from the US, Canada, UK, etc... and place them in cities in Japan, and you go around assisting the city's regular high school English teachers. You don't need a master's degree.

But I strongly urge you to get a degree/experience in something IN ADDITION to Japanese language. AI is rapidly diminishing the value of translation as a skill. Being fluent in Japanese is only marketable if you have some other solid skill that goes with it: accounting or legal or engineering or medical, etc... Don't get me wrong, its a great skill to have as a human being, and greatly expands your life and your life experiences. But as a marketable tool in today's workplace, its about as marketable as being able to tie your own shoes.

(slight exaggeration, but only slight).
 
Wow, you guys are great, and I love this forum. Thank you all for the amazing advice. I know in Japanese some shifts are h's become b's t's become d's s's become z's etc. Yeah, I hear you on the AI thing... damn dude... I'm bummin' a bit... HAHA. I'm not going to lie to you guys, hahaha. HUH.... maybe learn some PHYTHON, some JAPANESE... ugh, I've got a lot to figure out.... thanks homies. ,<3
 
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