Comments on: Top 10 Reasons Why Expats Who Live In Japan Don’t Know Japanese

By: Wal

Wal — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 10:45:51 +0000

Hello Khazumoto,

yesterday I finished your free course made of 101 lessons. That’s a great stuff indeed.

Unfortunately there are two errors in this course.

It happened twice that I got two the same lessons instead of a new one.

First such a lesson was 90. It was not a new lesson but it was lesson 89.

Second time it was a lesson 97. It was not a new lesson but it was the previous one, 96.

So I want to ask you for sending me two links to the proper lessons, 90 and 97! Is it possible?

Wal

By: Waldemar

Waldemar — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 08:36:42 +0000

Hello Khatzumoto,

I have just finished the last lesson of this FREE course (101 lessons in total).
Unfortunately there are two errors in this course.

It happened twice that I got two the same lessons instead of a new one.

First such a lesson was 90. It was not a new lesson but it was lesson 89.

Second time it was a lesson 97. It was not a new lesson but it was the previous one, 96.

So I want to ask you for sending me two links to the proper lessons, 90 and 97!

It’s a masterpiece! I mean your course, many thanks for it. Greetings from Ireland.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 11:47:39 +0000

I definitely agree with how Japanese people are perceived to be borderline pretentious when it comes to the complexities of their language (at least by foreigners). But I think I have a lot of trust in the Japanese Education system, and they didn’t necessarily screw up the kanji lists. I’ve had a small taste of a Japanese local school, and the kanji learnt is categorised in topics, so for example in 3rd grade you learn kanji that is often used in literature, while in older years its focused on journals and articles. Most importantly you learn a mix of characters with simple and complex strokes; it just seems unfair to compare a small handful of kanji learnt by 5th and 6th graders.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 04:16:28 +0000

I grew up in Tokyo, and then moved back to teach English in Skizuoka-ken in my twenties. I had certain assumptions, as all foreigners do when they first move there. I loved Japan, and since I’d grown up with the culture, I expected to integrate easily. Sure, I looked different, and my Japanese would sound different, but I would be able to eventually find my place.

I think one of the main reasons why expats don’t learn the language is that after awhile, foreigners realize that no matter how much they bend themselves into a pretzel, they will never fit in. Sure, some will date or even marry Nihongin, but they are quirky oddities: the funny gaijin, the genius who actually knows how to use chopsticks, any caricature or personae the Japanese can create in order to place gaijin into their comfortable definitions of what a gaijin should be.

It’s human nature to want to fit in, and in a homogeneous society where “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down,” it can be psychologically devastating to realize that you will, in fact, never fit in. Not really. I’d imagine that on a subconscious level expats refuse to learn the language as a way of saying “F– you” to that cultural mentality.

By: NaomiD

NaomiD — Wed, 29 May 2013 06:08:09 +0000

Thanks for this wonderful article, Khatz. However, you say to not spend one or two hours practicing Japanese. I’m confused though. What does practice in this case constitute. I just started, and I’m learning kana before kanji. I’ve got 20 kanji down, and I have my schedule down to 10 new kanji a day with ample review time. There’s not much I can do with that, but I’m listening to Japanese music and talk radio and podcasts practically ALL day even in my sleep, on top of watching J-drama. Right now I can’t think of any other ways to practice the Japanese I CURRENTLY know short of playing my copy of Ore no Ryouri that I’ve been playing. Please accentuate on what you mean here?

By: lisbet

lisbet — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:32:19 +0000

Having taken Japanese classes in Japan, my experience was actually that most of the teachers are very very enthusiastic and sweet, but are just terrible teachers. They have little training and little practice and you’re better off doing it at home apart from one thing- the Nihongo “cafes” many of them offer- for a small fee one can show up and speak only Japanese with other learners in a low pressure environment, about the topic of the week. That, my friends, was worthwhile… because I met other foreign researchers, and I got to practice my nihongo without the panic that comes with talking to native speakers in Japan (for me- but I panic talking to people in general due to being very shy.)

By: I Can’t Learn Japanese/Spanish/Farsi/Whatever « Kara

I Can’t Learn Japanese/Spanish/Farsi/Whatever « Kara — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:11:40 +0000

[…] Top 10 Reasons Why Expats Who Live In Japan Don’t Know Japanese. The author makes some good points and addresses many of the arguments I’ve heard/read. Worth the read if you’re lagging in your studies and need a little motivation. In fact, the whole site is pretty good motivation, encouraging learners to create an immersion environment no matter where they live. I use it as my excuse for the giant Gackt calendar hanging on the wall in my bedroom […]

By: bridget

bridget — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 02:07:20 +0000

you really have hit the nail on the head in so many ways. I’ve been studying Japanese for a long time now, in high school, in university, and I spent a year at a Japanese university and I decided to try out the teaching english/living in Japan thing, but so many people, in both of those situations, as you said, create this enclave for themselves. Its insane. There are, however, plenty of opportunities to get yourself out of that, though.

The other thing that I’m happy you touched on was the nihonjin-ron. So many of my Japanese teachers (and textbooks!) have been condescending about foreigners learning Japanese. People and materials that are not positive or supportive are in no way creating a suitable environment for a language learner.

thanks for a great post!

By: The Wait That Kills: Before You Pwn, You Must First Own | AJATT | All Japanese All The Time

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:01:25 +0000

[…] Japanese government is one of the more hands-on bureaucracies in the world, and I wouldn’t trust them to teach garden variety Yamato kids, let alone ethnic minorities. The HKSAR administration is one […]

By: Top 10 Reasons Why Expats Who Live In Japan Don’t Know Japanese | JapanLike

Top 10 Reasons Why Expats Who Live In Japan Don’t Know Japanese | JapanLike — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:58:55 +0000

[…] Top 10 Reasons Why Expats Who Live In Japan Don’t Know Japanese 1 www.alljapaneseallthetime.com — A lot of people from foreign countries — including people of Japanese descent — come to Japan without a lick of Japanese. And stay that way. For years. Here’s why. I just made this list up based on personal observations, so it’s not complete or definitive. If you have any ideas, feel free to add or whatever. […]

By: earn

earn — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:27:28 +0000

Hi Khatzumoto!
This is my 2nd day peeking into your blog and I’m so in love with it~!
Currently I’m studying Korean and I’m so0o using your methods [man!how could i miss your blog last year] because I’ve been trying various methods that didn’t work and I’m now very, absolutely whole-heartedly believe, THIS IS IT!!!

Thanks for being so motivating and inspiring and-all-those-kinda-praises!!!

By: Joey Jelasic

Joey Jelasic — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:37:26 +0000

This is so true!

for nanpa its all about the non-verbals anyway ; )

By: All Japanese All The Time Dot Com: How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. » If Immersion Works So Well, Then Why Can People Live In a Country For Double-Digit Years And Never Learn The Language?

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:01:36 +0000

[…] my Khatzumoto attempt at an answer. It’s really an extension of ideas previously covered here by me, and here by AntiMoon, and summarized in the words of Kató Lomb as recorded in her Polyglot: How I […]

By: My 外人 reconsideration, or what I think of being a foreigner in Japan so far. « leaves no footprints

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:15:11 +0000

[…] want to be a second-class novelty any longer than I have to. To be fair, so many people have said this before so I will summarize – how in the world could I expect to thrive in Japan without becoming […]

By: Smilax

Smilax — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:05:32 +0000

I think you mean “monbukagakushou” instead of “monbugakusho”.
文部科学省… right? @_@

By: Pandi

Pandi — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:15:04 +0000

Ha, I love this. =D
I agree with 8 and 10. I remember seeing those commercials with that stuff; you can’t get far with only 10 minutes a day. You would lose all that information during the day, and would have to spend another 10 minutes the next day on that same material.

By: khatzumoto

khatzumoto — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:34:24 +0000

>I’m wondering if it would be good to talk to them in Japanese
It would, if and only iff you have them CORRECT you mercilessly. Tell them, the smallest mistake, awkward pronunciation must be pointed out, even (if they’re cruel people) ridiculed mercilessly. And if you find yourself making too many mistakes, then an input-heavy silent period may be in order. I had to take one of those at one point.

By: Chelsey

Chelsey — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:11:35 +0000

Hi Khatz,
I have a Japanese roommate and two Japanese conversation partners (none of whom I speak to in Japanese intensively). I’m not that advanced in my speaking, hence the reason we don’t speak in Japanese that often. I’m wondering if it would be good to talk to them in Japanese or if it would damage my skills…I’ve been studying for 4 years, but am just now getting “good” at speaking….

PS: I like your site. 🙂

By: All Japanese All The Time Dot Com: How to Learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency » One Kanji Poster to Rule them All, One Kanji Poster to Bind Them, One Kanji Poster to View them All, and into the Mind Grind Them

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:15:46 +0000

[…] first such product I have come across. Most kanji posters come in either phonetic order or, worse, scholastic order, and generally only have relatively few characters on […]

By: khatzumoto

khatzumoto — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:02:43 +0000

It sounds like you answered your own question. If you have your own method and it works…then I’d say keep using it 🙂 .

I applied the Heisig method to www.zhongwen.com, so I had to made up a lot of my own keyword names.