I got 日本語上手ed for the first time…

4 comments

1. Same, bro, same… I couldn’t communicate for the life of me at first, only relaxed talking via Skype ect with Japanese friend (when I felt comfortable enough to let myself go & not worry about any mistakes) helped me to get to the better place in my anxiety-ridden brain. Just time and practice, you can do it!~

2. Ah man, getting 日本語上手ed is a brutal pill to swallow. I’ve taken a couple of those hits myself recently, stay strong!

3. おめでとう!　Getting 上手’d is a rite of passage for all Japanese language learners!

4. I’ve been nihongo jouzu’d a couple of times and honestly, don’t get put off by it. take it as a compliment or, as me and my friends do, keep a tally of it and have a giggle whenever it happens. it’s all good + actually the couple times it happened to me whilst in Japan were really good memories (first time I had to speak Japanese whilst on my way to Japan, I hadn’t slept in 36 hours and I tried to tell the lady next to me on the plane that I’d give her my pen after I’d used it. it was badddd but she was so lovely about it + I hold that as a cherished memory).

   As for how long it takes for you to gain confidence, it really depends. with daily use and exposure (ie. attending classes held entirely in the language), you’ll notice a huge difference in the first week (particularly with listening), and you’ll be a lot more confident when talking in a month. you won’t be perfect, but you’ll be less afraid to make mistakes. lord knows my Japanese is garbled, but the aim of the game is to be understood first and be correct later.

   the fact you were even able to ask how the person was is great! I know a lot of folk who just tense up and can’t get anything out at all. we all start somewhere!