Is going to Japan to learn Japanese worth it?

10 comments

1. I think to learn any language you have to immerse yourself in it. Whether it’s movies, books, audio, talking to others etc. I currently live in Japan (not a student, just SAHM though I did do a short course) and failed to learn the language due to lack of trying and confidence.

   I suspect through language school, you will probably meet other foreigners studying and have some accountability to follow the course (e.g. attend class) but other than that you’ll need to take the initiative to spend time immersing.

   I should mention that my best retentions of Japanese were reading books to my two year old and hearing natives use everyday phrases (like “Do you want a plastic bag?” at the grocery) but that’s about it. (Repetition does work!)

2. I lived there for 6 weeks in the summer of 2018 (after four years of high school Japanese) and I really enjoyed myself and picked things up in that short period of time. I had to stop learning Japanese because of engineering school and I was initially worried that I wouldn’t be able to pick back up quickly when I moved, but a lot of sources said the exact opposite and that living there for a while will help to increase your Japanese exorbitantly. A lot of people don’t speak English either, so you’re forced to practice all the time.

   I’m going to do an intense language program for 7 months at Waseda (just graduated from college) and I’m hoping I can improve significantly during that period. For me, I am planning to go to grad school in Japan (doing a course that’s taught in English) and I hope to stay there forever afterwards, so it’s kind of worth it for me. I’m also doing it at an elite university in Japan. I learn much better through exposure and practice rather than learning on paper, so if you do the same, then it might be worth it.

   I recommend maybe just visiting first and seeing if you even like the country, because it may be much different from what you expect. I had no expectations for when I visited there the first time and I ended up really loving everything because it was so different from what I’d thought. But you may go and absolutely hate it, regardless of all the research you’ve done. It’s up to you!

   My language program is pretty affordable and you can go no matter who you are, but you do have to apply through their program. I believe they require a transcript and they require you to show them that you have $7,500 in a bank account to get your student visa. The program is only $3,700 and my rent at a share house is $530 a month. I hope that helps!

3. As a general rule, you’ll get more out of being in Japan if you go after having acquired a decent foundation in the language, at least enough so that you’re able to converse with people and understand a good bit of what you hear.

   If you’re an absolute beginner, most of the benefits of being in Japan will be lost on you. You can probably get just as good (or better) language instruction in your home country, and you can find level-appropriate reading/listening materials on the internet.

4. You’d want to build up your skills at home first. Those schools hand you a stack of photocopies and say study it on your own time. There are some classroom lessons but its nothing that could bring you up to competency on its own. Many students at these schools are arriving with significant experience in Japanese. Maybe not fluent, but have probably been watching anime for years, have Japanese friends yada yada. It might be kind of hard to fit in as an absolute beginner. Have you considered just going to Japan for vacation? You might enjoy it a lot more.

5. If I would give you advice (advice I would give myself before I moved here), I would say use what you have around you to learn the language. Use the money you would spend on a language school instead on a Japanese teacher or tutor in your own country, practice with Japanese people online, and really study. Being in Japan is full immersion that’s correct, but so many other things here will distract you from full immersion (surviving in a different country, moving, working, not having enough time to study) that I honestly think it is better to study where you are.

   Now, if you want to live/work in Japan for some reason, then yes, move here and try to make your way. But if its just a token interest/cultural interest then you will get better mileage being in your own comfortable country while learning another language. The mental burden of being in some unknown place and unable to do basic things like.. going to a bar to order a drink, or to google in their language a good place to see the sights will seriously be tough.

6. I went to language school in Kyoto for 18 months and thought it was totally worth it. I started with knowing nothing but hiragana/katakana and ended up passing the N2 by the end of it.

   The course was completely in Japanese even from the very beginning. The only English I had was the translations in the textbook that we used for homework. 95% of my classmates were from Asian countries like Thailand and Taiwan who couldn’t speak English which forced us to use Japanese in class as it was the only way to communicate.

   It was by no means easy (3-5 hours of classes per day with 2-3 hours of homework) but I loved it. I grew so much as a person and would do it again.

   That said, just because it was worth it for me, doesn’t necessarily mean it would be worth it for you. The main downside is the tuition and living costs. I spent $20,000 of my own savings to live there for a year and that was being as frugal as possible. I even had to borrow money from my parents to continue the last 6 months of school since I ran out. If you have no plans of staying and working there, it’s a huge investment that may never pay off. But if money is no issue for you, go for it!

7. You *stopped* self-studying because you want to come here?

   Am I understanding that correctly?

8. Go! Just do it. If you have the money and opportunity to do so you will be way more motivated once you are there. Sure, you have to get used to Japan, but it’s much better to study in Japan with other people who do the same thing. You will have a great time.

9. There’s a lot of shit online. If you have the option, moving here to study the language full time is the ideal option to get good at a reasonable pace.

   You will have to spend time outside class, be social and go out of your way to make something of the experience on top of 8h per day of studying (4h class + 4h homework). It’s not easy though so be prepared for lots of hard work and culturally re-learning everything you learnt from childhood about how the world works.

10. If you will be living in Japan for a certain period of time (e.g., six months or more), as opposed to a short trip or stay, JLPT N3 or higher is a must. If you are a foreign student or if you are going to perform a job that is not easy, JLPT N2 or preferably N1 is a must.

    It will take hard work to reach this level in your own country, and it is important to have a big goal and policy to live in Japan and learn about the culture.

    If you are just traveling or staying in Japan for a short period of time, there will be more ways to make it easier and more enjoyable.