Since when did emoticons need to speak Japanese

by **Steve Bildermann** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:03 pm

Provided he keeps his pointing fingers free of injury, a linguistically-challenged Joe Gaijin need rarely worry about telling his ningens from his ninjins or his anko from his unko. But many foreigners in Japan make the effort to learn the language, much to the inexplicable amazement of the natives. Melanie Burton investigates the level of foreign residents' Japanese-language ability.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fl20031104vf.htm

Al Agger,Arts Promoter, 33

Ability out of 10? 6. I can speak Japanese, but I can't read or write kanji. I'm at conversational level, I speak Japanese everyday. I also do Taiko drumming. When I got to rehearsal we only speak Japanese. Definitely I will learn to read and write in future, mostly for Taiko.

by **Taro Toporific** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:23 pm

Steve Bildermann wrote:Provided he keeps his pointing fingers free of injury, a linguistically-challenged Joe Gaijin need rarely worry about telling his ningens from his ninjins or his anko from his unko.....

The "survey" would have been more fun if they asked the question(s) in Japanese and then transcribed the Japanese and English translation, he, he. My favorite report on this topic was by our own FG member "x" who seems to have traveled backwards in time interview to me for his news story posted on his websitejapan.box.sk/

Foreigner in Japan 10 years but refuses to speak Japanese!
- - - "I just don't see the need to speak Japanese" - - -
Jul 09 2003, 23:01 (UTC+0) x writes:
Japan caters for it's English speaking foreign community. Road signs, train and subway stations are in both romanji and Japanese. Menus in restaurants are in English....

by **kamome** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 4:57 pm

Emoticon? I thought it was a Japanese-speaking avatar!

by **GomiGirl** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 5:58 pm

Am I the only person who cringes every time they see romanji..

People - the word is Roma-ji

by **Nagged** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 6:13 pm

Everyone has their own opinion on the subject.

Personally I prefer that other foreigners learn at least some Japanese. After all, what happens in an emergency where they don't know words for fire or earthquake etc?

I studied to the point when I could speak a reasonable level of Japanese before I came over (just from self study and living with Japanese friends, no big deal), laboring under the misapprehension that all of the other foreigners already here would naturally speak fluent Japanese - I was a little worried about being laughed at. You can imagine my astonishment when I found only a small percentage of foreigners actually did speak the language.

Anyway, none of this more Japanese than thou stupidity from me, the more Japanese speaking foreigners there are, the better we will fit in and the less hassle we will have too.

At the same time, let's not forget that some foreigners do come over here without much time to prepare so they need all the help they can get. If any of us suddenly got sent to country where we did not speak the language, we would be appreciate a helping hand too.

by **japslapper** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 6:51 pm

Everyone has their own opinion on the subject.

Personally I prefer that other foreigners learn at least some Japanese

I agree. There are 6000 languages world wide, each with a unique way of expressing things. I learn langauges because I like the variety - and I shudder the thought of being seen as a cultural imperialist. :evil:

I also try to avoid the Japanese who speak English, consider English as the only foreign Langauge or look at me as NOVA for free. I stay in Inaka because most people only speak Japanese.

I say if you are going to live in a foreign country, you should do you damn best to learn languages etc. Anyway besides Kanji - Japanese is not as hard to learn as a lot of langauges. After 2 years you should be conversational at least.

Because my Japanese is good I can make genuine friends and get an insight into the culture (which is why I am here) that I would not get without the language.

By not learning the language, you are reinforcing the myth that Japanese is hard and FGs are really different. Learn Kanji, learn some Kotawazas and have a good general knowledge of the nation and educate them!

....and for the locals that ask " I am not American, and no, I dont speak English!" :wink:

by **Nagged** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 1:30 am

Japslapper is spot on. I think you owe it to yourself and the folks in whose country you find yourself a guest.

I am sure other posters would have to agree that your life here will be all the better for it.

This is definitely a case of "When in Rome...".

by **devicenull** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 2:09 am

japslapper wrote:

Everyone has their own opinion on the subject.

Personally I prefer that other foreigners learn at least some Japanese

I agree. There are 6000 languages world wide, each with a unique way of expressing things. I learn langauges because I like the variety - and I shudder the thought of being seen as a cultural imperialist.

I also try to avoid the Japanese who speak English, consider English as the only foreign Langauge or look at me as NOVA for free. I stay in Inaka because most people only speak Japanese.

I say if you are going to live in a foreign country, you should do you damn best to learn languages etc. Anyway besides Kanji - Japanese is not as hard to learn as a lot of langauges. After 2 years you should be conversational at least.

Because my Japanese is good I can make genuine friends and get an insight into the culture (which is why I am here) that I would not get without the language.

By not learning the language, you are reinforcing the myth that Japanese is hard and FGs are really different. Learn Kanji, learn some Kotawazas and have a good general knowledge of the nation and educate them!

....and for the locals that ask " I am not American, and no, I dont speak English!"

for sure. kanji is a big one too. many japanese i know seem impressed that i am learning ALOT more kanji than my classmates. they are under the impression that kanji is hard for westerners to learn. i enjoy shattering that concept. for new vocab, i ALWAYS focus on the kanji (gotta learn it eventually, might as well do it now). this year, we are slated to learn all of 97 new kanji... :roll:

on my own, i will learn that in 2-3 months tops. the books i use on my own will throw up to 10 new kanji per page at me, and then use them relentlessly afterwards and introduce new readings. much better than the Genki method IMHO. calligraphy also helps alot. get into a calligraphy class, and japanese seem to be ALOT more honest about your skill level. i have never gotten a jouzu comment about my calligraphy, only criticism and comments about seeing improvement.

by **GomiGirl** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 12:54 pm

I was in Shanghai last week and found it so frustrating that I couldn't communicate at all.. I would hate to be living in a country where I had no way to communicate other than with English speakers.

by **Big Booger** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 1:49 pm

GomiGirl wrote:I was in Shanghai last week and found it so frustrating that I couldn't communicate at all.. I would hate to be living in a country where I had no way to communicate other than with English speakers.

I hate to think that a global city like Shanghai doesn't foster English more than what you experienced. English is the chosen international language for business, science, etc..

I should think that China would foster and promote English to maintain a global advantage. Guess not.

by **GomiGirl** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 2:06 pm

There were more people that spoke English than perhaps in Japan, however, I personally found it difficult as I prefer to speak Japanese to locals here - I just think that when in Rome...

by **Caustic Saint** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 2:12 pm

GomiGirl wrote:I was in Shanghai last week and found it so frustrating that I couldn't communicate at all.. I would hate to be living in a country where I had no way to communicate other than with English speakers.

I had the same experience when I went to Tokyo this Spring. I was so used to being able to read street signs, food packaging and menus in Korea (even though I may not know the meaning of everything, I could at least say it and deduce something from that) that it hit me like a brick to the head the first time I went into a Tokyo conbini. I felt like a total retard! I didn't play much food roulette and dranks lots of Pepsi Twist for those 4 days.

(How could I not when it came it those cool can-bottle hybrid things?)

As for talking with people I just smiled and bowed a lot. It was almost like being mute.

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Since when did emoticons need to speak Japanese

Since when did emoticons need to speak Japanese

Re: Since when did emoticons need to speak Japanese

ROMA-N-JI???

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