Speaking Japanese – Small Talk

nick — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:00:43 +0000

In every culture, "small talk" is used as a way of getting to know someone gradually. However, to non-native residents of Japan, it may seem that the period over which small talk is used continues longer, and that it is less often dropped in favor of more direct personal conversations, than is true in other countries. Speaking Japanese is complicated by Japan’s unique and hard to understand social customs.

This takes a long time to getting used to in Japan. Sometimes there is no small talk at all. In Western countries a lot of small talk is done in the office or at the workplace. In Japan, small talk is replaced by set expressions at the work place. Every day millions of Japanese in their workplace say exactly the same thing to their co-workers everyday all day. What they say is "otsukaresama desu". This is very hard to translate, but means something like "thanks for your co-operation". Imagine saying "Thanks for your co-operation today" ten to twenty times a day every work day of your life. Mind numbing stuff.

In Japan, a good conversationalist is one who takes an active role in small talk, introducing new topics and keeping things lively. Small talk can easily be made more personal by directing it toward topics in which you are truly interested. If you want become good at speaking Japanese learn to talk about yourself. Most Japanese don’t like to be the center of attention.

Often, as a foreigner you will be the topic of conversation. Your opinion will often be asked about Japan. You will be asked the same questions and complimented on your Japanese speaking ability. You will have the same conversation about where you are from, what you do and what you think of Japan. You can use the opportunity of small talk to offer interesting and honest opinions of what you think about Japan. Japanese will greatly appreciate this and think highly of you.

Learning to Read Japanese

nick — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 04:07:23 +0000

Learning to read Japanese is probably the most challenging, frustrating and time consuming aspect of learning Japanese. Most student choose only to learn how to speak Japanese as learning to read at a proficient level can take several years of study. The main problem is that current teaching and learning methods make it more difficult than it needs to be.

Let me explain…

On a basic level you can break written Japanese into three "alphabets"; Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji

Students usually go about learning written Japanese in that order. First, they learn Hiragana, then Katakana, then they get into memorizing hundreds of kanji. After this grammar points and vocabulary is then learnt and memorised.

Although this is a logical way to approach written Japanese it is not the most effective. The word you should be thinking in your brain right is WHY?

The reason is simple… there is no focus on learning to read Japanese. Everything is broken and learnt as if they are independent of each other. Breaking up Japanese and learning it in parts is pointless. It is a formula for slow progress and frustration. The best way is to start with Hiragana, but it is important to try to tie in learning Katakana and Kanji as quickly as possible.

Why?

The reason is, in order to read Japanese you need to do just that…..practice reading Japanese. You must place more emphasis on learning to read Kanji in context rather than memorizing hundreds of kanji in no context at all. Start learning Hiragana then kanji. Leave Katakana as it is not as important as kanji. Once you have learned a few hundred kanji start learning "Kanji vocabulary" – common everyday words. Then you start practicing to read.

You can make very progress by doing this. Now the only problem is you can’t read, right?

So how can you read?

Well you need help from a real person – a native Japanese or someone who understands Japanese very well. There is one very important aspect of Japanese that text books or software can never explain – cultural understanding. It is also grossly neglected by teachers and schools. I recommend you take a look at Read Japanese Fast.

It is the only program on the web that teaches how to read Kanji in context with Hiragana and Katakana. It can do wonders for your understanding of Japanese as well as your reading ability.

You need someone who understands Japanese at a academic and cultural level to read to you and explain how the Japanese language reads. The way Japanese communicate is greatly influenced by Japanese culture. This is something that you need to appreciate. Without having someone to coach and guide you through not only the fundamentals of reading, but also the cultural elements I can guarantee you will never be able to read or speak Japanese a proficient level.

Speak Japanese Fluently

nick — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:17:33 +0000

To speak Japanese fluently is usually the ultimate goal of anyone studying the Japanese language. To reach the level where you can speak Japanese fluently can become quite a time consuming challenge. Not because the language is so difficult, but because most of the methods people use to learn or study Japanese are unproductive and too confusing. In my experience the best foreign speakers of Japanese are usually people who have taken no formal Japanese classes, can’t read or write hiragana or katakana, don’t know any kanji and don’t have a clue about Japanese grammar. They are also usually non-English speakers as well. How are they able to speak the language so well? They are forced to because of there job. Due to their environment or situation they have no option but to speak Japanese.

When living in Japan I met hundreds of English teachers who could speak Japanese, but never at a fluent level. They were taking classes, studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, and investing quite a lot of money on text books and audio programs. They studied hard but just couldn’t get to a fluent level. Then occasionally I would met someone from Turkey or India. They would speak the language like a native. Yet, they had taken no classes or purchased little in the way of study material. These speakers of Japanese wouldn’t learn or study the language in the traditional sense. They wouldn’t spend time learning hiragana or katakana. They certainly wouldn’t learn kanji or study grammar. In fact they would no nothing about the language except they could speak fluently. They would just soak up and use the language from their environment. They learnt the language from example and experience. The fastest and most effective way to study anything, especially a language.

In order to speak Japanese fluently you need to surround yourself with Japanese speakers and also not speak your native language. If you put yourself in a situation where you are forced to speak the language daily your Japanese will improve in leaps and bounds. If you spend too much time on rules about the language you will become knowledgeable about the structure of language and whatnot, but your speak ability will progress very slowly.

To develop the ability to speak you must observe how Japanese interact and then basically model what you see over and over. You have to become a bit of a actor and become Japanese. Japanese has to become a part or most of your life. Now, the problem is not many of us can just drop what we are doing and fly of to Japan. So how can you learn to speak Japanese without studying the language?

Surround yourself with as much Japanese as possible. Immerse yourself in real language as much as possible. This means making Japanese friends, getting a Japanese girlfriend or boy friend, watching Japanese television and listening to Japanese radio. You need to listen to Japanese speaking the real thing. Don’t listen to podcasts that are designed to teach you Japanese. There is too much in the way of explanation and unrealistic examples. Most of what is taught is too formalized anyway. Focus your life on mimicking Japanese. Speak to yourself in Japanese. So now you know what you need to do if you want to speak Japanese fluently. If you follow my advice you end up saving yourself a whole lot of time and money.

Japanese Phrases

nick — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:12:11 +0000

One of the great and convenient aspects of the Japanese language is the kimarimoku – set Japanese phrases or set expressions. If you have been studying Japanese for sometime you probably know some of them and using them when you see your Japanese friends. Naturally, many Japanese phrases are taught in standard text books and what not, but I have discovered (learned) many expressions or phrases only in certain situations one wouldn’t normally experience unless they were living in Japan.

My understanding of Japanese phrases or set expressions seems to evolve. First you learn them with some sort of basic English translation. Then you hear them and use them every day if you happen to be living in Japan. You then take them for granted and go around saying them half-heartedly and get sick of hearing the same expression or phrase in the same situation over and over, again and again, day in and day out. Then Buddha willing, you have an experience that finally brings the deeper meaning of the phrase or expression to you. It is all about the culture of the Japanese language. You can’t really learn the true deeper meanings of certain Japanese phrases or expressions unless you immerse yourself into the culture. And the only way you can do that is by living in Japan for several years.

Survival Japanese Expressions

Itadakimasu – An institutionalized expression said just before beginning to eat. This is NOT a Japanese version of "grace". It is in no way similar to grace at all. It is especially appropriate to say this when you are guest. It is showing appreciation to you host for the meal they have prepared for you. At home it is just a casual "starter gun" type meaning of "Lets eat". Often, when eating with Japanese I am asked for a translation of the word in English – there is none.

Gochisosamadeshita – Just as important and ritualized as "Idatakimasu", this phrase is said to express thanks to the host after finishing a meal. This expression is also said in a less formal manner when certain private details of someone’s private life is shared in a conversation. If you were to reveal the juicy details of how you met your first love your audience would thank you for sharing by say "Gochisosamadeshita".

Finally the expression of all expressions – the king of the castle expression. This is the one you will hear most often, and the one that will ponder on for years and years. It is…..wait for it……..Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. This one is a little hard to explain because it is so rooted in Japanese culture and mentality. It is a very formalized and ritualized way of saying, "Please help me". Not help me as in "save me I am in trouble", but more of a "when the time comes help us out" kind of meaning. It can also be used as a formal request as in "please take care of it"," make it so", "please do it" and …..I think you get the idea. It is said when business relations are being formed, and if it concerns something really serious it is usually accompanied by a bow.

Speaking Japanese is Easy With the Right Mindset

nick — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:03:42 +0000

Learning Japanese is not as complicated as people make it out to be. The most important aspect when learning something is mindset. This is most certainly true when it comes to learning and speaking Japanese. You can learn Japanese fast by following these simple steps and maintaining a positive mindset.

1. Memorize Japanese words and master verbs

Communication starts with words and phrases. In the case of Japanese verbs are very important. Japanese often speak in verbs, dropping the obvious subject or object. My Japanese wife pretty much much speaks to me in verbs. There are many great ways to learn and memorize vocabulary – word association, mnemonic devices and word recall techniques.

Grammar can be interesting, but it is more about understanding the language rather than communicating. Learning a language with too much a focus on grammar alone won’t really help you speak. Your best bet for fast language learning is to memorize as many Japanese words as you can, quickly.

2. Take an Interest in Japanese people and the Japanese Culture

The best way to learn Japanese fast is to immerse your life in anything and everything Japanese. It can be food, music, anime, a martial art or fine arts. It doesn’t really matter. You just need to have an open mind and take an interest. You can learn a lot about the language and the Japanese mindset this way

Seek out Japanese in your local area and establish friendships. There are many Japanese clubs you can join through meet up clubs and other services. You want to learn from real people, not text books and software.

3. Speak the language at every opportunity

Great non-native Japanese speakers always use their Japanese. They never hesitate or worry about what they are going to say. They just speak and put into practice what they have learned. For many people it is just stepping out of their comfort zone. Once you can do that, there is nothing really to fear.. You need to get out there and practice speaking as much as possible.

4. Learn to read Japanese

Reading Japanese can really help improve your speaking ability. The benefits of learning to read kanji are worth the effort. You can build vocabulary quickly and understand the structure of the language in detail.