I am currently learning Japanese (trying to, I’m still learning kana) and I really want to learn the Kansai dialect. If I wanted to go to a language school in Japan or any language class, will they teach Kansai dialect or is that something you learn on your own time? Are there specific language schools that offer it? Is it difficult to learn and how do you learn it if not through a school? (A lot of questions I hope I worded it correctly 👍)
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Idk about language schools, but I can guarantee it will be difficult because written material are almost always standard dialect. Be ready to relearn certain aspects of Japanese.
Aussieman community has dialect resources. There’s some Kansai pitch accent decks and of course the church of ヒカル
I think you will pick it up if you are speaking to native speakers on your own. I regularly talk with a friend from japan who is from kansai and I started using some of the dialect on my own without thinking.
In any case, it will be useful to know the standard as well.
When i was studying Japanese in Kyoto some of my classmates used to ask the teachers to teach us Kansai-ben and they said it would be unethical because if you showed up to an important interview and you could only speak a regional dialect it wouldn’t be very professional and you probably wouldn’t get the job. You gotta learn it on your own time by making friends with people who speak it. And learn how to code switch.