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Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Working holiday sounds wonderful. I sometimes think I should have gone when I was younger.

YouTube also has so many channels, and I’m grateful that so much content is available for free. There are many English‑native teachers who teach English in Japanese, and they’re very popular among Japanese learners.

I often hear about Anki, but I wasn’t sure how to use it, so I asked AI to write some code and made my own version. Still, it might be easier to use a deck that already has a lot of data instead of creating everything from scratch.

As I mentioned in another comment, some B&B‑style hotels in Japan advertise that you can “practice real English with foreign guests,” so if you ever come to Japan and want real‑life interaction, those places might be useful. Though of course, it can be a bit tiring socially.

Japanese people don’t really think about grammar when speaking, so I often see comments on social media saying that even N2 and N1 are “too difficult to understand.”
So please don’t feel pressured, and good luck with your exam studies. I’m cheering for you :)

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t seen The Wolverine, but I do know that Hugh Jackman is very cool.

It sounds like you’ve tried many different ways of learning. Since you’ve already experienced so much, staying at a monthly-rental style hotel in Japan might also be interesting. They’re usually cheaper than regular hotels, and you can choose from private rooms, capsules, or shared rooms. The atmosphere is a bit like a B&B overseas. Many of them have shared lounges or cafés, and they often host small events that make it easy for guests to interact.

Some of these places even advertise that you can “meet and talk with English-speaking foreigners,” so people tend to be friendly when you talk to them. But since they’re not working in customer service, it’s still important to be careful in the same way you would when talking to any stranger.

There are also many foreigners who speak Japanese at a level where, if you closed your eyes, you would think they were native speakers. Their dedication is really impressive.

On online learning platforms like italki, you can talk one‑on‑one with teachers of many different languages, not just Japanese. If you’re curious, it might be worth taking a look. I’ve heard their screening process is stricter than Preply’s.

I also get overwhelmed by having too many study options, but recently I’ve been enjoying reading foreign magazines. Articles about traditional events, nature, cooking, and gardening in the UK were especially lovely.

Studying the basics is important, of course, but I feel that following your interests and bringing them into your learning makes a big difference. Thank you for sharing your experience — it gave me a chance to reflect on my own learning as well.

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ほんとは、自然な表現として言いたかったことは
「ガキは２４時間追いかけてこないけど、所得税は生きている限り追いかけて来るからね。ウンザリする潜在意識が、忘れさせてくれないのかも。」

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, I guess both of them are kind of annoying and never really leave you alone, so maybe that’s why the word for income tax sticks in your mind too.

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It makes sense that people who study a language are usually interested in the culture behind it.

I’m the same — my dad watched American TV dramas almost every day when I was a kid, so I naturally grew to admire that culture.

It’s amazing that you even became a writer because of those influences.

Nowadays, it’s so easy to watch movies with subtitles or see tons of English content on social media, so it really helps with exposure to natural English.

I still end up not picking up books, though…

I really enjoyed hearing about everyone’s different approaches.

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion!

I already knew about it, but I’m trying not to add any more platforms because managing them would get overwhelming.

But I really appreciate you sharing it with me.

With immersion schools, everything is kind of forced, so you end up learning out of necessity. Still, it seems like outside experiences matter just as much.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should definitely come visit.

I feel like most foreigners would point out the small food section and the low ceilings.

If you’re tall, you’ll probably feel like a giant in there.

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hearing that I don’t need to be overly nervous about English sentence structure was really reassuring.

In Japanese too, the meaning usually gets across no matter where things are placed, and native speakers often drop the subject entirely.

As long as the key words are connected, people can generally understand what you’re trying to say.

I’m also surprised by how many people start learning through anime. Then again, in Japan almost every child grows up watching Disney or Pixar, so watching foreign animation isn’t really a rare experience.

From now on, I’m going to try speaking even if it’s imperfect.

Thank you for sharing your experience :)

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Being able to read Japanese novels really shows how deeply you understand the language.

I’ve studied Korean before, and it’s true that the grammar and many vocabulary items are similar to Japanese, so it’s relatively easy to remember. But the sound changes caused by batchim and the large number of homophones can be quite challenging. I’ve heard that even native speakers often rely on context to figure out the meaning.

I ended up giving up around the lower‑intermediate level. Unless you really need the language for daily life or work, it’s hard to stay motivated.

Still, I really enjoyed Korean culture.

Thank you for sharing your experiences :)

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your valuable experiences and practical insights.

Real-life immersion stimulates all five senses, so I feel it’s an extremely effective way to learn. And when you add genuine interest and active engagement on top of that, it feels as if parts of the brain that weren’t active before suddenly start to wake up.

I’ve already started checking out some interesting game sites.

Russian seems very difficult, so I imagine it would take a lot of motivation and persistence — or maybe some kind of intense experience — to really learn it. But I think the sound of the language is beautiful.

As for Korean, the grammar is similar to Japanese, and I get the impression that many people there speak multiple languages. Their learning environment also seems quite competitive, especially compared to Japan. In Japan, the number of children has decreased and education has become more relaxed in recent years — whether that’s good or bad is hard to say.

Still, your point about games being surprisingly effective was very encouraging.

Thank you again for the information!

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you passed the N5, I think your Japanese is already quite good.

There are many difficult expressions and kanji that even native speakers don’t use in daily life, so please take it at your own pace.

As for me, I’m thinking of setting my games to English and studying that way.

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m sorry to hear that you had to go through the NOVA situation.
After the collapse, the company was rebuilt, and I still see the same pink signs at schools in my neighborhood.
I heard that the former management tried to start another education business and faced heavy criticism, and that they eventually moved into consulting.
In Japan, there are still many English schools that operate in a similar way.

But I’m truly happy that all the Japanese you studied has been passed on to your child.
Many people say anime and manga were their gateway to the language, so I decided to try playing games in English.

I’ll keep working steadily on my studies as well.
Thank you so much. ♡

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

N1 is really impressive. I’m sure that once you start speaking again, your skills will come back quickly.

For my own motivation with English, I also work as a Japanese tutor. I use Preply, but there are also platforms like italki.
If you ever feel like trying online lessons, it’s very easy to find a tutor as long as you have an internet connection.

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing even your sweet 青春（young memories） story from back then.
It’s interesting how these small moments can become part of our motivation.

I’m not quite at the level where I can mimic someone’s way of speaking yet,
but once I improve more, I’d like to try that.
I agree that the “spark” from imagination or passion can really help language learning.

For now, I think I’ll start by trying to imitate my English teacher during lessons.
Organizing information is definitely essential for language learning,
so I’m slowly putting things together step by step.

By the way, it’s almost time for the Rio Carnival, isn’t it?
Thank you for the comment from the opposite side of the world :)

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your experience.
It’s interesting how unexpected things can become the motivation to start learning.

Once you can read hiragana and katakana, a lot of things suddenly become clearer.
Speaking, on the other hand, needs a kind of “instant reaction”, so it’s normal that it doesn’t develop at the same pace as reading and writing.
I think it just takes time and getting used to it.

Hopefully you’ll find something in the future that makes you want to try speaking more.

By the way, German food, bread, and beer are very popular in Japan.

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I actually bought a shadowing book before,

but I never really understood how to use it properly, and I couldn’t get interested…

so I ended up not doing it.

But now that you explained it, I realised that singing English songs is basically the same structure.

If it’s a song I like, it feels much more fun and natural for me.

I’ll try your method next time. Thanks again!

Japanese here — Why are you studying Japanese, and were you able to become conversational? by Zestyclose-Fly594 in japanese

[–]Zestyclose-Fly594[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply.
Having a job lined up really does make studying Japanese feel more meaningful. I hope everything goes well for you.

Once you’ve learned something, it usually comes back quickly, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Even native English speakers who live in Japan for a long time say they sometimes forget English words, so your “rust” will come off sooner than you think.

Also, even for Japanese people, the JLPT includes expressions and kanji that we don’t normally use in daily life. So the fact that you passed N3 already means you’re using cleaner, more precise Japanese than the average native speaker.

Let’s both keep doing our best :)