EDIT: sorry I an unable to reply to everyone, but I truly appreciate all of the personal stories and advice! This is all extremely helpful and motivating, as well.
I feel like I can’t be alone with this problem so here’s hoping someone can offer advice and or personal experience…
I’ve lived here for over ten years. I’m many years past the 「日本語上手ですね！」stage and into the (what seems to be genuinely sincere) 「日本人よりも日本語上手い！違和感全くないな！」stage.
I have always had somewhat of a skill of picking up and (subconsciously) emulating dialects. This has left me with a pretty good and (apparently) very natural way of speaking in Japanese. It makes daily conversation very easy and has helped me assimilate quite well.
However…it is deceptive. My vocabulary is very limited and I would say that I read at the level of an elementary school student. After many years of having plateaued, I have just emotionally given up. It is having an effect on my marriage and my friendships. Luckily (or unluckily), I work for/by myself so work is unaffected. However, future work prospects seem extremely limited which leads to additional self-doubt and stress.
Is anyone else in a similar position or has anyone else been in a similar position in the past who has overcome this? Does anyone have any experience attending Japanese language school this late into their time in Japan? For those who have, do you have any recommendations for how to approach as someone with very disproportionate listening/speaking skills versus reading/vocabulary skill? I bring up language school because I imagine it would require me to be more disciplined.
Any help or personal stories would be sincerely appreciated!
by tikitwinnie