I wouldn't mind being able to speak Japanese fluently. The problem is, I don't think I have the energy to work enough for that to happen.Hungry_bunny
On the other hand, when I went to Tokyo on a few day's notice several years ago, I was able to cram a surprising amount of vocabulary and syntax into my head. I certainly wasn't fluent, but was able to do all the touristy stuff, transactions, asking for directions, and (most impressive to me), successfully navigating a couple of subway stations that only had kanji (no Roman or kana characters) signage :)
I am an intermediate student. I have studied it for mostly 5 years with proper books. Learning Kanas and a lot of words and grammar. My last step is learning to read kanjis...
Still, I understand about 50% of every hard dialogues. Still, there is still stuff I don't have a clue about but I am happy for now. The tongue will not be a problems when I am going to move out to Tokyo.
[QUOTE="Hungry_bunny"]I wouldn't mind being able to speak Japanese fluently. The problem is, I don't think I have the energy to work enough for that to happen.xaos
On the other hand, when I went to Tokyo on a few day's notice several years ago, I was able to cram a surprising amount of vocabulary and syntax into my head. I certainly wasn't fluent, but was able to do all the touristy stuff, transactions, asking for directions, and (most impressive to me), successfully navigating a couple of subway stations that only had kanji (no Roman or kana characters) signage :)I'd be up for that, that actually sounds like a lot of fun. But the thought of spending even more extra hours in books and class rooms for one more language doesn't interest me at this time.
I've learnt some, I've even got a couple of qualifications in it but yeah because I started learning through a seperate course and other tests were coming up I never really got all I could out of it. Sometime when its more practical I want to do it for real so I can go over and maybe live there but I'm along way from that right now.
I took 4 years of it in high school, but have been taking it on and off in college so I'm pretty rusty. I was planning to minor in it, but engineering courses take WAY too much time lol. I'm going to need a 5th year before I graduate, so I might still go for it if I can fit it in. If not, it's not a big deal since it doesn't mean much anyway. I'm still planning to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test level 2 and then level 1 eventually... lol
i would love to learn it, but i think i would rather attempt it as a hobby. And besides, i should really concentrate on my other studies atm, its getting a little tough
I *am* learning it. It is the only course available from my faculty that can fulfill my major. Though I do enjoy learning it, I would prefer to be learning Sanskrit since there is a professor from Harvard (who is my South Asian History prof) who is fluent in written and spoken Sanskrit teaching a course this year only but it is a level below what I need.
At least once I become better at understanding Japanese I won't need to have subtitles all the time for all the Japanese films I watch and I will be able to import games before they have to get localized.
I have my Japanese Profieciency Certification Grade 1 (highest), which was a 12 year road, with 10 of those 12 years living in Japan. That's why it ticks me off to see weeaboos with less than a semester's worth of in-class experience (hey, but they watch a lot of anime) try to "school" people in the language by spouting off simple Japanese (or anime phrases) while typing them with Roman letters, or stick random Japanese words in an English sentence. They will always have an enemy in the people that studied for communication and not just to show-off (due to some inadequacy in their own lives) and watch anime.
I will eventually learn it, right now, I'm learning Mandarin Chinese in college. I chose mandarin because I didn't want to feel like a weeaboo or an otaku. But unlike them, I realize that there is more to Japan than anime, manga, and jpop/rock
Heh, i'm half-assedly learning it. Rosetta Stone ftw! Except i've only done the first hour.. though, i've done it like 3 times over now! in the span of about a year! :P
Seriously though, it would be really nice if i could get fluent enough to go be a tourist for a couple weeks. the concept of learning all the hira/kata/kanji is daunting, though x.x
I have my Japanese Profieciency Certification Grade 1 (highest), which was a 12 year road, with 10 of those 12 years living in Japan. That's why it ticks me off to see weeaboos with less than a semester's worth of in-class experience (hey, but they watch a lot of anime) try to "school" people in the language or stick random Japanese words in an English sentence. They will always have an enemy in the people that studied for communication and not just to show-off (due to some inadequacy in their own lives) and watch anime.Neoyamaneko
Damn, I'm jealous of and commend anyone who's passed level 1 lol. Passing level 1 is a true sign of being a pro. It scares the hell out of me because it's hard even for native speakers lol.
Learning Japanese is the most counterintuitive thing one can possibly do. They have a monosyllabic written language but a polysyllabic spoken language. It is so dang confusing.
I can read a little bit (had to change my sister's printer back from Japanese to English), but I wish I knew more Japanese. I would love to learn the language.
I'll try learning japanese through a real teacher, not animes, or japanese movie.Makemap
Well, you never know when you'll need to be able to say in Japanese "Oh no! Giant Super Robot Megalove Battleforce is making up the mistake!" or some such
I'm learning it. I know basic stuff, but right now I'm focused on learning the kanji first. Right now I know 500 kanji.the_foreign_guy
ur flip right? flip power! xD. i have a chinese otaku friend, and he's basically just bombing the class, not putting any effort....he's one of those people that just watches anime and buys tons of manga. you probably watch anime too but at least you put effort into learning (500 kanji, thats amazing)
i was going to a few years ago but then i stopped watching anime and after that there was no real need to learn besides spainish is a lot more usful in daily life or in the future
I have my Japanese Profieciency Certification Grade 1 (highest), which was a 12 year road, with 10 of those 12 years living in Japan. That's why it ticks me off to see weeaboos with less than a semester's worth of in-class experience (hey, but they watch a lot of anime) try to "school" people in the language by spouting off simple Japanese (or anime phrases) while typing them with Roman letters, or stick random Japanese words in an English sentence. They will always have an enemy in the people that studied for communication and not just to show-off (due to some inadequacy in their own lives) and watch anime.Neoyamaneko
No offence but that is really slow...granted our course is brutally hard and I am majoring in it. I am at past JLPT3 standard now and I am expected to be level 2 by this coming April (2009) and should be fine with the summer JLPT (which I'll proably take in Sendai as it's our closest place). I am expected to be at JLPT1 by December 09...that should give you some idea of my how much I work (6 hours a day outside of class on average, and I have about 3 hours of class a day) Our course is unusual I guess in that it isn't spoken first and written later but quite even (we didn't even learn kana on the course, we were mailed te materials for it and told to do it prior to coming to univeristy!!). I am currently in my second year in Akita-ken (yes, our university is insane enough to send us to Japan after only one year's study...though I guess we do 2 years worth of content in a year). I may not be chinese but apparently I am a bit of a Kanji whiz. I seem to have a knack for it (what can I say? I am a compulsive writer).
[QUOTE="the_foreign_guy"]I'm learning it. I know basic stuff, but right now I'm focused on learning the kanji first. Right now I know 500 kanji.lonewolf604
ur flip right? flip power! xD. i have a chinese otaku friend, and he's basically just bombing the class, not putting any effort....he's one of those people that just watches anime and buys tons of manga. you probably watch anime too but at least you put effort into learning (500 kanji, thats amazing)
Agreed. 500 kanji (learnt thoroughly) one self study is very impressive. I can do it now but only because I've had a stick shoved up my ass to do it from my teachers all of last year that I can't help but learn. I am currently at around 750 kanji (there is little read/write distiction for me. If I can read I can write 99% of the time). Though in all fullness that number is honestly more like 600.
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