Before this seems super obvious. I have passed officially n5 and have gotten through Genki2. So i should be about n4. I read and write a lot and do my best for speaking/listening. I watch a lot of different things without subs. I read out loud and shadow a lot. I also use hellotalk.
Ive been watching youtube videos for restaurant and travel Japanese. I want to be able to have light/easy conversations, order and get by in shops. Conversations im decent with already.
What do you recommend for the next 3-4 weeks? I dont care if its helpful for jlpt but rather for actually visiting Japan. What was your experience at n4 in Japan? Any experiences where it was a benefit? Any where it was a negative?
9 comments
You can probably ask for simple stuff/order food etc. but you’ll struggle to understand anything they reply to you.
Try to learn a bit about sonkeigo. This will help you understand announcements at the stations, business establishments etc. Genki is more on teineigo, right? And maybe try to learn a bit of casual Japanese.
It’s really manageable to travel or even live in Japan even with only N4. Working there is a different story.
I think you are going to be alright if you are only going for travel
If they speak too fast, just ask them to speak slowly, they’ll usually accommodate you and repeat the sentence slower.
すみません、ゆっくり話してもらえませんか？ is one sentence I hammered to my students who go there.
Have you learned Keigo? Most interactions in restaurants are like this:
> Waitress: いらっしゃいませ。ご注文はお決まりでしょうか？
> Customer: はい、メニューを見せてください。
> Waitress: かしこまりました。お飲み物はいかがなさいますか？
> Customer: コーヒーをお願いします。
> Waitress: かしこまりました。お食事はお決まりでしょうか？
> Customer: はい、チキンカツ丼をお願いします。
> Waitress: かしこまりました。ありがとうございます。
I would just learn vocab that is relevant to your stay. Just go though scenarios and practice asking for X etc. You will notice what words you are missing.
Learn the names of the train companies and lines you’ll be using. Especially in Tokyo. I know a lot of people who get super confused when they come to Japan because they don’t really understand the transportation system. They think “I take the train from Shinjuku to Nakano” is enough information, and then they walk into Keio Shinjuku Station and can’t figure out where the train to Nakano is.
You need to be sensitive to the situation. If the wait staff looks very busy, they don’t have the time to wait for you to think of the right word in japanese. I experienced that myself and could tell they were stressed. Similarly, if there’s a long line behind you in the combini.
Find the right situation to practice speaking with the staff and you’ll enjoy it more.
I’ve noticed there are several YT’s about ordering stuff from bakeries, etc.. You’ve probably already watched several, but definitely review.
I’d study the place names (kanji) of where you’ll be or would like to go. You can probably get official subway and train network maps online. Download those and study them in advance so you’re not spending all that time standing around puzzling at them when you’re there in Japan.
You might even want to download some station maps for larger stations (like Tokyo station) that might you be going through (and that have their own things in them). The stations can sometimes be multi-level and unless they’ve updated the maps, they’re a little abstract..so this has limited use.. but it still gives you a bit of a foundation to work with and it might save you some time or at least familiarize you with what’s available in the station.. It took me like an hour of pondering solutions before realizing I could use the takkyuubin service in Tokyo station. I think we used it to get our luggage to the airport. This was in lieu of finding a big storage locker and going through the trouble of coming back several days later to retrieve it.
Maybe try watching some of the “Night stroll through bla bla 4K” videos out there where someone’s walking around the street in a Japanese city, and see if you can pick out sounds. Or at least, try to identify which sounds you wish you could pick out, and then use that as a starting point to YT more specific videos on those things.
At N4, you should be somewhat ok if they use simpler and slower Japanese. So definitely make sure you have a few “I’m sorry, I’m not very good at Japanese, could you explain that more slowly?” phrases ready to go. If the person you’re talking to knows English (or whatever your language is), they may very well just switch to that (don’t be offended, they’re trying to be helpful; or maybe they’re jumping on the opportunity to practice _their_ foreign language skills with you!), but if they don’t or they realize you’re trying to practice (and they have time; i.e. there’s not a line of people behind you waiting to be served) they will likely be very tolerant and possibly impressed that you’re making the effort. They know Japanese is hard for foreigners.
Last time I went to Tokyo was the first time I’d been there since starting to learn Japanese. Bounded off the train into Starbucks, ordered coffee, and then was flummoxed by being asked if I wanted a cardboard tray to carry them in. There’s loads of things like that which the textbooks don’t teach you and tbh I’m not sure there’s a particularly good way of learning except by being there. So don’t be disappointed if that happens, it’s all good learning!
Other than that, my most useful phrases at that stage were around asking if it was ok to take photos etc. They certainly helped me feel less like an awkward tourist who might be putting their foot wrong.