Non-japanese, how long did it take for you to adjust to the Japanese language while in Japan?

Question

I am not one of those people who think that by going to a country with no previous knowledge of it's language, I can learn the language without studying but through immersement alone.

I AM WELL AWARE IT CAN TAKE YEARS OF STUDYING TO SPEAK A LANGUAGE WELL

Now that's out the way, the actual question. How long did it take you to adjust to the Japanese language while living in Japan? How long did you study the Japanese language for before immersing yourself?

Please state whether the first year of learning Japanese was slow for you. I know that learning it on a college course can be slow for the first year or 2, but as I am a self-learner, I have studied at quite a fast pace during the last 9 months or so.

Answer 1

I studied on and off, mostly by myself but not entirely, for about 2 years before I went to Japan, which I think helped a lot in the long run but when I got there it was basically nothing. It took about 6 months of intensive study before I could carry on a conversation comfortably, and then I still really sucked at it. But once I could do that I started speaking it all the time and I feel like that was when I really started improving.

"gorenraku wa nihongo de onegaishimasu"=what the last person said, but the implication is a bit "if you choose to contact (me/us), please do so in Japanese (as opposed to some other language)" (sorry, I tend to overanalyze translation things obnoxiously)

Answer 2

After several years I'm not fluent. I've taken classes in the UK and here in Japan. Real life is different from classes/study. There are a lot of different accents in Japan. Immersion is very, very difficult.

I know some people who have lived here for 30 years and can only speak the most basic nihongo.

Answer 3

I can take up to a year before you have even a decent understanding of everyday conversations. You will be able to make out words but will find it hard to keep up with the pace they speak at.

Answer 4

I studied on and off and would say I was late beginning to early intermediate language ability  when I arrived, but I couldn't understand much at all for 6 months or so. Slowly I picked it up and really started to get better once I started taking private lessons that helped get rid of a lot of anxiety I had about  learning the language. Also, where I live there is a lot of slang so I can understand people a lot better when I go to Tokyo or a big city. Do yourself a favor and learn katakana and hirigana before you come, you will be doing yourself a huge favor and you you can memorize the characters in a few weeks if you work at it. One good point is that Japanese people don't use a lot of long sentences, just a lot of short phrases, so learning to get by can be quite easy, while learning the language and Kanji can take decades if you want to be an expert. Also, how many Japanese friends you make and how often you are exposed to it will make a huge difference. If you stay in your apartment all day and only spend time with other foreigners, you will be slow to pick it up. Ask lots of questions, and try not to be too shy.  

Answer 5

I studied it for six months before going. I couldn't understand a thing when I got there. After about 6 months to a year I could get by. I don't know if that meets your definition of adjusted. You could live in Japan for decades and never be fully adjusted (unless those decades started when you were a kid).

"Go-renraku wa Nihongo de onegaishimasu!" means "Please communicate or respond in Japanese."

Answer 6

Well i have been studying japanese for only a few months and i can understand only one accent of it nearly fluently. and also

"Go-renraku wa Nihongo de onegashimasu" translates into "if you speak with me please do so in japanese" but thats how then again thats how i translate it .