Post by Jembru on Apr 19, 2014 19:40:31 GMT
This thread is for discussing studying in Japan. My hope is that those who have experienced this can answer the questions of those planning on heading out there, or just share their experiences and opinions with the rest of the community.
I recently touched on this in the Japanese only thread and thought it was interesting enough to discuss in English so that everyone can join in and express their thoughts more freely.
I've worked in Japan, but I didn't study Japanese while I was there. This has always made me wonder if maybe I should have taken night classes, or just made a more deliberate effort to learn the language while there. However you look at it, the answer will always be, yes... yes I should have!! ^^
Like many people who've never studied overseas, I always had the belief that just being in a foreign country would magically flood your brain and make you fluent in no time. You know, like that guy from the Last Samurai. Since joining Gaiwa and starting the conversation group, I've been lucky enough to meet people who have studied in Japan, as well as those who have, at least in my opinion, mastered the language. The same is true for German, as I met various expats living in Germany, who reported to me their experiences with learning the language. What has surprised me the most, is just how varied people's experiences are. I've met those who said it took them several years (the number 6 comes up a surprising amount when asking people how long it took them to get to a comfortable fluency, and I'd be interested to see if this number appears during our discussions here too), and I've also met those who had been studying for several years without being able to break into spoken Japanese/German, and then reported that within a matter of weeks of arriving, they went from having no idea what was going on around them, to cracking wise with their new friends in their second language!
Being me, I'm obviously fascinated to know if there is a trick, or key to getting the most out of studying overseas. Does the amount of Japanese you previously knew affect how much you get out of it? Does it all come down to your determination or even your personality? I doubt any of these questions has a real answer, but it's fascinating to ponder them all the same.
Chocopie recently brought up something pretty interesting. She noticed when comparing JLPT pass rates, that at N5, the lowest level, pass rates appear higher for those who sat the exam in Japan, but after that, the difference is insignificant. From this, she suggested that it may be that the very basics of the language are easier to pick up if you're in Japan, but after that, it really comes down to individual effort.
When studying for my TEFL, I remember reading that people generally learn languages faster in the earlier phases, and slow down when they hit intermediate (don't I know it ^^). There are a few reasons for this actually, but one theory is that we learn obscure things easier than things that feel familiar. A beginner is highly charged for learning.. they're excited, wide-eyed and everything they learn seems alien to them. Later on, its all 'same old sounds and patterns.. (often just slightly) different meaning'. Maybe then, being in Japan just adds to the thrill of those earlier encounters with the language, helping things to stick even faster. Or is it also that a larger percentage of beginners are in Japan solely to study, while those taking later exams, are probably living and working in Japan long term, squeezing in study when they have free time; pretty much the same as those studying at higher levels outside of Japan!
Well, that's my thoughts on the matter for now. If you have experienced studying in Japan please tell us what you thought of it.
-What level were you when you went?
-Do you feel you developed faster in Japan compared to studying by yourself in your home country?
-Is there anything you wish you'd done differently when you were there?
-What advice would you give someone planning on heading out to Japan to study?
Of course, if you would like to share your experiences in Japanese, you can also join in with the Japanese only discussion. Anything goes in that thread, so there's no need to worry about drifting off-topic!
I recently touched on this in the Japanese only thread and thought it was interesting enough to discuss in English so that everyone can join in and express their thoughts more freely.
I've worked in Japan, but I didn't study Japanese while I was there. This has always made me wonder if maybe I should have taken night classes, or just made a more deliberate effort to learn the language while there. However you look at it, the answer will always be, yes... yes I should have!! ^^
Like many people who've never studied overseas, I always had the belief that just being in a foreign country would magically flood your brain and make you fluent in no time. You know, like that guy from the Last Samurai. Since joining Gaiwa and starting the conversation group, I've been lucky enough to meet people who have studied in Japan, as well as those who have, at least in my opinion, mastered the language. The same is true for German, as I met various expats living in Germany, who reported to me their experiences with learning the language. What has surprised me the most, is just how varied people's experiences are. I've met those who said it took them several years (the number 6 comes up a surprising amount when asking people how long it took them to get to a comfortable fluency, and I'd be interested to see if this number appears during our discussions here too), and I've also met those who had been studying for several years without being able to break into spoken Japanese/German, and then reported that within a matter of weeks of arriving, they went from having no idea what was going on around them, to cracking wise with their new friends in their second language!
Being me, I'm obviously fascinated to know if there is a trick, or key to getting the most out of studying overseas. Does the amount of Japanese you previously knew affect how much you get out of it? Does it all come down to your determination or even your personality? I doubt any of these questions has a real answer, but it's fascinating to ponder them all the same.
Chocopie recently brought up something pretty interesting. She noticed when comparing JLPT pass rates, that at N5, the lowest level, pass rates appear higher for those who sat the exam in Japan, but after that, the difference is insignificant. From this, she suggested that it may be that the very basics of the language are easier to pick up if you're in Japan, but after that, it really comes down to individual effort.
When studying for my TEFL, I remember reading that people generally learn languages faster in the earlier phases, and slow down when they hit intermediate (don't I know it ^^). There are a few reasons for this actually, but one theory is that we learn obscure things easier than things that feel familiar. A beginner is highly charged for learning.. they're excited, wide-eyed and everything they learn seems alien to them. Later on, its all 'same old sounds and patterns.. (often just slightly) different meaning'. Maybe then, being in Japan just adds to the thrill of those earlier encounters with the language, helping things to stick even faster. Or is it also that a larger percentage of beginners are in Japan solely to study, while those taking later exams, are probably living and working in Japan long term, squeezing in study when they have free time; pretty much the same as those studying at higher levels outside of Japan!
Well, that's my thoughts on the matter for now. If you have experienced studying in Japan please tell us what you thought of it.
-What level were you when you went?
-Do you feel you developed faster in Japan compared to studying by yourself in your home country?
-Is there anything you wish you'd done differently when you were there?
-What advice would you give someone planning on heading out to Japan to study?
Of course, if you would like to share your experiences in Japanese, you can also join in with the Japanese only discussion. Anything goes in that thread, so there's no need to worry about drifting off-topic!
