How can you guys speak Japanese fluently?

23 comments

1. Just practice. Reading alot would probably help you develop speed. Thats basically where i am at too though. Can understand, but forget almost everything when i try to speak

2. Marry someone Japanese and work in a Japanese speaking environment. It’s tough without this kind of immersion.

3. Stop dissecting your language and let it flow. Parrot tv shows. Speak as often as you can. Speak to yourself.

   Speaking is like a muscle. Work it and feel the burn.

4. You have the exact issue of many Japanese who studied English for a long time do. Many Japanese tell me they can understand what the person saying but it’s hard to respond back quickly.

   As listening is improved by *Listening* speaking is improved by *speaking*.

   Its really ad simple as that. I recommend you download Hellotalk app and practice speaking there.

5. At N2 level it’s just a matter of exposure, you have enough theoretical knowledge of the language. And with exposure I mean both ways, input as well as output, the latter being the more important one.

6. I have no JPLT and fluent (dealing with customer in Japanese daily). I did consume Japanese drama quite a lot back in the day and also japanese friends circle so yeah, exposure and practice.

7. Quite a lot of people who study language think that we don’t learn language, we just copy what other people say. They think kids seem to learn language quickly because they have little socially to lose by making mistakes, and saying weird / things that can be easily misunderstood. Adults are different, so studying language in textbooks and classrooms builds confidence.

   Short version – don’t expect studying to make you more fluent. As much as possible, observe what other people say and copy them at the appropriate time. If you imitate other people, the listeners will have more confidence they understand you. That’s been my experience at least.

8. Do you know comprehensive input method to learn languages.

9. Lots of input and lots of speaking. The input will make things feel natural, but speaking more is really the only way to get comfortable speaking.

   Different output practices will help (writing, shadowing) but you only really get good at keeping with the flow of conversation by constantly getting caught in it. You’ll sink over and over until you can swim.

10. You’re using too much not-Japanese at this point. これからはインターネットでも日本語を使いましょう。

11. I have the same problem, I even passed n1(barely, possibly a fluke) but a 6 year old native can probably speak better than me 😭

12. Practice the skills you want to perfect.

13. I work IT support in Japan. 95% or so of the users speak no English. I get a lot of practice.

14. Define “fluent.” Linguists and language teachers have been arguing over that definition for 40+ years.

    For me, I can function, work, and live normally with minimal difficulty. That took 6 years of college-level instruction, plus self-study, plus immersion programs, plus an additional 10 years of “true” immersion. On paper I’m N2 but in practice I’m still stuck at this weird midway point between N3 and N2 with a smattering of N1 and/or nerd vocabulary.

    At the same time though, I feel like I’m losing it. I have less and less patience to sit down and parse official documents these days.

15. Pop songs Karaoke~~

    Jokes aside it really takes some immersive experience like 3 years in the foreign county, from my experience learning English.
    The younger generation will have their own language so have to learn from online platforms~

16. You can watch baseball, but that doesn’t mean you can hit a ball.

17. part time work that forces you to speak japanese.
    in my case , I got a combini job soon after I landed here. only took 6 months to get my speaking fixed,did that for four years while I was a student.

    I still sucks at kanji ( tried N2 three times and gave up ) I’m happy with N3 😂. now working full time and speaking japanese isn’t a problem anymore.

18. Practice is the key. Speaking to yourself in the language or reading out fav books out is good to help.

19. Do you work with all Japanese? I got a job with a friend that spoke decent English as i spoke hardly any Japanese nor knew any of the written languages, and then he quit. Now i communicate with co workers and customers as well as am able to fill out basic sign in/out sheets at different companies when delivering. I think immersion is best.

20. Gotta speak. Studying a language will not help you speak. You can have whatever JLPT level you want. It won’t help whatsoever with speaking. Put down the books and go outside and speak with people .

21. I studied at the Tachnomi School of Talking shit when drunk. My Japanese is very good and very fast, but not very polite.

22. I had the same problem until I became a regular at my local bar where nobody spoke a word of English.

23. IME, not trying to speak with jerks who only respond with “eeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhh????” when you spit out a perfectly pronounced sentence helps.

    You’re going to make mistakes. Heck, I misspeak in English all the time and that’s my native language. How much grace do you give non-native speakers of English?