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Should I learn Japanese if I want to understand this country deeper?

I

If time can talk...

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At first sorry if I put this thread in the wrong place lol
I want to know more about Japan and Japanese people,to understand its society and culture as deep as I can,to find out the way in which its people think...Should I learn Japanese?Or it's enough if I just communicate with Japanese people in English,French,or some other languages?I don't have much time to learn many things,I wanna know if there's much difference.
Merci a vous tous!!
 
It's so different that I can't even begin to relate it to you.
 
There's the difference that the vast majority of Japanese people don't speak another language well enough to get to know them nevermind the culture, virtually none French and their English is quite limited....if that's what you're asking. ☝
 
IMO (and that's all it is ...!) the seat, the basis, the root of all cultures is the language.

It doesn't matter how much, or how little you learn. If you begin to gain an insight into how a language is constructed and how it is used .... you learn more of the culture.

ﾆ淡ﾆ停?｡ﾆ停?
 
If time can talk... said:
I want to know more about Japan and Japanese people,to understand its society and culture as deep as I can,to find out the way in which its people think...
Click to expand...
Than I concur with Sensuikan San in that you must learn the language in order for you to much better understand their society and culture and the way they think. Without a knowledge of their language you will really learn nothing that you cannot learn from a book which is really just one person's opinion.
 
When you study a different langauge you not only learn the langauge, but you learn about the the people that speak it.
 
I'll respectfully disagree - as anthropologists can glean a very deep understanding of a culture without learning "the language". Certainly you're going to learn some words, but it's not a requirement I think to learn about a people.

Now if you're interested in breaking through their history and the absolute details - you're going to need someone translating.
 
WHEATTHlNS said:
I'll respectfully disagree - as anthropologists can glean a very deep understanding of a culture without learning "the language".
Click to expand...

The problem is, no one can prove the anthropologists are wrong since the people they study are all dead! But then it also depends on what aspect of the culture you're interested in. If you are interested in the Japanese language itself then you pretty much have to learn the Japanese first...
 
Some good suggestions given above, I do think. I'd probably go for learning Japanese...although there seems as though there should be some focus to the desire to learn about Japanese people, or society, and if that were to be more on culture, then perhaps the research required would be fine in English or French, or Chinese.

At my uni here, I teach about 7 people from China who have lived here in Japan for three years already. I can ask them what they think, and let you know later. (NOTE* as some know, this is not a promise to do it tomorrow....unfortunately (although I do my best)... I'll try to make it soon enough.) THANKS !!
 
"Lost in Translation" I think many aspects of foreign cultures suffer from this. Even the bible is supposedly not truthfully and correctly translated. You can learn many things from a peoples language. More less cultural information from holidays to personal interactions. Also reaching high enough level of Japanese knowledge, you more than likely bound to read possible documented history of the culture in it's original unedited language. From that you can problem gain the richest amount of information into the people and thier culture.
 
im sure that learning to speak japanese will help u understand japan' culture, but, for me, only until i left teaching and entered a proper japanese company ,away from japanese people,who wanted learn English, that i started to understand japan better.to do that i had to learn japanese of course.so in that case,from my experience i would say yes. but i ve met some very obsevent people who dont speak japanese,but know far more than i about the country and its cultutre.
 
It depends on you.

To learn Japanese or not depends on how much you touch Japan and
Japanese. You could also enjoy Japan-watching from outstanding with
living in German community.
 
I don't really think it gives you an insight more to the culture, but it could help you feel like how it would be to be Japanese. I can't really develop on the point as it matters what sort of a person you are. Sure, though, if your going to japan, learn! It is very useful even tho there are english signs about, and that so many Japanese know, well...limited, English/Engrish.
 
No!

Learning the language of a culture would never help you understand it better.

















Anyone's sarcasm meter go off the hook on that one?
 
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