Japanese or English at convenience store

35 comments

1. If they are having trouble speaking in Japanese, then by all means speak to them in English and (hopefully) it will be a smoother experience.

   It is VERY rare that Japanese people speak more than a few phrases of English, so I’m sure they will be pleasantly surprised.

2. I would only speak English to them if they don’t seem to understand anything at all, or if they approach you in English.

   A lot of people come here to study the language, or study on their own while working. Real life experience with the language is very beneficial for learning.

   There are also some people who feel frustrated when someone speaks English when they are speaking Japanese to them. It could be taken as either an insult to their skill/ability, or it could hurt their confidence and make them hesitant to try in the future.

   Also, keep in mind that not all foreigners speak English, so sticking to the language they know a little would be better than switching to a language they don’t know at all.

3. Just ask them “Do you need any help” in English.

   I think most people would appreciate it.

4. I think it just depends on your preference!

   I am an American living between downtown Tokyo and Fuji-San, I only know enough Japanese to avoid offenses, and to be polite in the most basic forms.

   If a cashier or (anybody else) looks at me and starts speaking in English immediately, I do not take offense because I appreciate their correct assumption. But there are plenty of times that I am spoken to immediately in Japanese… this is usually when I shrug my shoulders or simply say konnichiwa, thus making it clear that I did not understand what was said to me.

   But as a foreigner, I don’t expect anybody to speak any English.

   (If anything I feel a ton of guilt for not having the time to really focus and learn more Japanese. It’s just difficult when raising a child, maintaining a house (planning, shopping, cooking, cleaning), and keeping up with appointments. There’s no time for language learning beyond the cheat sheets that I keep by the washing machine 😭)

5. Use your judgement. Read their expression to know if they are trying to practice or just struggling to transact.

   Also, remember your duty to others in line. In that case use whatever moves the line fastest.

6. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if your corporate handbook has explicit instructions for this already; along with the “correct” way to say most of the stock phrases.

7. A presumption that someone that looks foreign speaks English, while usually accurate and probably well meaning, is still a presumption.

   I think it’s pretty reasonable to expect functional adults to be able to either navigate a convenience store interaction in Japanese, or to ask for help themselves, rather than that being on you.

8. I’m there primarily to buy my thing and get out. not really there for a language lesson… anything u can do to help me be as efficient as possible is very much appreciated. so yes – please switch to english as soon as u sense help is needed.

9. It sounds like you have the right idea.

   Some people are going to want a one-size-fits-all rule – they say you should only use one language or the other in all situations. But that’s not how life works, and language is ultimately a just tool for getting stuff done.

   Just remember that while capitalism might tell you that the stuff you need to get done is moving customers in and out of the store as fast as possible to maximize profit in the least amount of time, from the customer’s point of view, their visit to your convenience store is part of the farting around that when added up over the days and years ends up being a big chunk of people’s lives. So if you presumptuously jump to using English with someone just because they’re foreign and struggling with Japanese, you might be improving capitalism for your employer, but you might also be ruining the customer’s farting-around life by getting in the way of their attempt to fit in here.

   So just take a minute and look at what it seems like they would appreciate. It might be awkward if you guess wrong and choose the wrong language, but I always find it pretty easy to forgive a staff member who inflicts their English on me if they read the air and recognize it isn’t welcome and switch back to Japanese. The only people who ever make me truly angry are the people who insist on using English with me even after I use comprehensible Japanese, and those people tend to be people who aren’t doing it to make our customer service interaction better, they just do it because they want to show off their English.

10. As others have pointed out, not every foreigner knows English (well) or feels at ease using it. I would try in [やさしいにほんご](https://www.seikatubunka.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/chiiki_tabunka/tabunka/tabunkasuishin/0000001389.html) first. If that doesn’t help try in English. I think it’s great that you are bilingual and think about the needs and difficulties of foreigners in Japan!

11. Instead of wondering what to do each time, how about you ask your manager if you could wear a label or pin – or something like that – which says something along the lines of “English available”?

12. 90% of the foreigner in Japan are not from an English speaking country. You should talk to them in Vietnamese, Korean or Chinese.

13. I think it’s best to start with Japanese and only switch to English if the customer is struggling. As a resident I am always a bit annoyed when people automatically talk English to me – especially when I have spoken to them in Japanese first.

14. Welcome them first in Japanese. If they’re having issue communicating ask them “would english be ok?”

15. If it’s allowed, maybe you can wear a sticker or a pin that signifies that you speak English?

    Or, you can ask the person “I speak English and Japanese, which do you prefer?”

    This reminds me of a time in Osaka when I was ordering Takoyaki with the best Japanese I can manage. He was very patient and used exaggerated gestures or pointed at an item and said the Japanese word for it.

    It took a bit of struggling but I eventually ordered my takoyaki. I felt accomplished, and when he served my takoyaki he said in perfect English “you did a good job speaking Japanese, keep it up”. I’ve thought about how he was able to coach me in a way that didn’t frustrate or embarrass me, and I try to emulate that when speaking with others who are trying English.

    As you know since you are asking the question, it’s hard to know if the person prefers English or Japanese.

16. I would say continue what you’re doing, only using English when needed. It seems like you can judge when someone needs help and can’t understand Japanese.

    As others have said, some foreign people don’t speak English at all and Japanese is better even if their Japanese is basic. Again, you’ll have to judge that.

17. Stick to your script

18. You don’t need to pretend you don’t speak English. But this is Japan, so Japanese is the default unless there’s some reason to switch like them having obvious and significant difficulty.

19. Not all foreigners speak English. The important thing most of us struggle with is the speaking in polite speech instead of normal speech. If you say おはし、the お can throw people off because it usually isn’t taught with that honorific.

    I would say respond with the language they are trying to speak. A learner beginning will take up to 7 seconds to hear, understand, and formulate a reply. Most people feel awkward after 2 seconds. Just things to keep in mind. If they make the effort to speak Japanese and don’t ask for English, just plough on in Japanese.

20. When Japanese people try and struggle to talk in English, I ask them if they prefer English or Japanese so they have the choice, because I don’t know if they want to practice or feel forced to speak English.

    If you are unsure if the foreigner prefers English or Japanese and they’re trying in Japanese, you could ask in simple Japanese. Usually learners are better at listening than speaking.

21. I struggle with this all the time as well. I just start with Japanese, and if it is clear that they don’t know, then I speak English. Never been complained about so it works me personally

22. Honestly. My first few years here I would feel defeated if the cashier spoke English. I’d struggle a lot in Japanese but I know the only way to learn is to power through those situations. Getting the English treatment really put me down and reminded me I still sucked.

    I guess you just need to get a read whether they want to speak Japanese or not. If they are really trying I would modify your Japanese to be a little simpler so they can walk away feeling a little successful. Since you speak both English adn Japanese fluently you should know how to dumb down your Japanese in a way for English speakers to better understand.

23. Can you put something on your name tag like ENGLISH OK so that if they want they could talk to you?

24. If someone comes in and plainly can’t speak Japanese, it’s great if you can use English with them. Like if they’re a tourist.

    Just keep in mind that a lot of people are trying to learn and improve their Japanese, and shops like convenience stores are a pretty safe place to try.

    If someone is struggling to say “ファミチキ…を一つ…ください。” and you immediately answer with “One Fami Chiki? Sure.” it can feel very discouraging. (Sorry if you don’t work at Family Mart. haha)

    It’s nice that you’re giving them a chance to try though. If anything, throw them the word in Japanese you think they’re looking for.

25. This week I went to exchange my permit.

    I was standing with many other foreigners. A Japanese man accompanied by a foreigner woman (seemed couple) went towards me, and the japanese man, not the foreigner woman, asked me few questions in japanese, not in english.

    This literally made my day, close to receiving the japanese permit. It felt like “I acknowledge you as a fellow human living here, equal to me”.

    One of the things that make people feel being “part of the country” is speaking to them the language of the country. By speaking english, despite all the good will that you may have, you implicitly say “I don’t see you as a resident in Japan, you have something to prove me otherwise”. And this really hurts.

    So unless there is a big struggle for understanding, I recommend speaking Japanese.

26. It’s pretty rude to assume someone speaks English unless you hear them speaking it.

    Perhaps have buttons that say “English” and “日本語”, to invite those for which English is easier to use it.

27. I’m from south east asia and has been living in Japan for 10+ years. I got mildly infuriated when I’m in a drug store and the person there tried to help me in Chinese.

28. My Japanese is shit but I wanna try and show you that im trying to learn. I wouldn’t be offended if you spoke English to me. It just makes my life easier

29. I would only talk to them in English if they are genuinely confused/struggling, or if they approach you in English. If you aren’t sure, you can ask them in Japanese if they’d like to switch to English.

    I have a foreign looking face and usually, before I can even get a word out, I’m spoken to in English. It’s not even my first language so it is kind of frustrating when they assume I didn’t bother learning Japanese but must know English…

30. Japanese is the default language in Japan, so I vote that it’s best to always start with Japanese. Only switch to slower/easier Japanese or English if someone struggles to respond 🙂

     

    Gestures can also help a lot though, like even if you’re still fully speaking Japanese, you can hold the pasta (as an example) and gesture towards the microwave with your other hand when you’re asking if they want it heated up.

31. If someone speaks to me in English just because I’m white, I just speak Japanese back.

    If they continue to speak English to me, I just continue speaking Japanese.

    In all honesty, it does make me offended when people do this. I sometimes go places with a Chinese friend who speaks no Japanese. Despite this, when we go to restaurants, the waiter or clerk speaks to them, then I reply in Japanese, then they continue speaking with my Chinese friend.

    Unless a foreigner is completely hopeless with Japanese to the point that you can’t understand what they mean, please speak to them in Japanese.

32. Please please please do not speak to foreign-looking customers in English unless there is a serious communication problem.

    Imagine if you immigrated to America and lived there the majority of your life, you go into a convenience store, and the cashier greets with with “Knee hayao” in broken Chinese.

33. The eternal question… There is no easy answer. Some people would very much appreciate it, while others would get angry or hurt for a variety of reasons, many of which the other commenters have pointed out. The best solution may be to put an “I can speak English” sticker on your nametag and then use Japanese—perhaps very simple Japanese—until they use English first.

    I’ve been here 20 years. At this point I fully understand when a Japanese person speaks to me in English that they are either trying to practice their English or they are trying to help. I’m happy to help them practice for the length of a conversation and while I don’t need the help, I very much appreciate the intention. But I think a lot of new people get frustrated by it and feel insulted.

    That in mind, the sticker on your nametag may be the easiest solution.

34. Use Japanese first, or if they use Japanese with you.

    Only switch to English if they obviously don’t understand what you are saying. Or they approach you with English first.

    Remember that not every foreigner speaks English either, so you might not be helping them by switching languages.

35. Its important to not assume that everyone speaks English. There are a lot of non English speaking people in Japan too. Ive met a few and it ended up being easier for us to speak in Japanese rather than for them to try and speak to me in English.