Question for NON native Japanese speakers?

Question

I am in grade 11 (highschool level) class for Japanese. I am wondering if I will know enough by the end of grade twelve to live in Japan comfortably? Basically - how long does it take to be fluent? Is it really hard to become used to? I am also researching my options at Tokyo University, would that be extremely difficult to learn anything because I'm not native? (They do have international students.)

Thanks

Answer 1

I've been in Japan for 22 years and can get by but  still find some words i cant understand...i wasnt smart to begin with so thats just me...

But like everything else you learn from experience...

Its the best teacher so if you get into Todai (Tokyo U) It will be an experience of a lifetime for you.

In the meantime, keep at it, talk to as many native speakers as you can, teach english to japanese people...in exchange for lessons

Practice makes perfect so you'll learn faster if you use it

Good Luck

Gambatte

Answer 2

Not a chance.

However, do not let something like that stop you from going to Japan if you want to. You will pick up the language faster if immersed in the culture, and it is possible to get by with very basic Japanese while you learn.

The hard part might be getting a job, but there are places in the tourist industry which I believe would be willing to employ an English-speaker even if their Japanese is limited - ski resorts and the like.

It's tough getting by, but it would be worth the hardship, as language won't be the only thing you will take from the experience.

Answer 3

Well, that depends primarily on how you're learning it.  If it's just high school Japanese, without you doing anything on the side, it takes about seven years just to achieve competency.  But there's hope.  If you can read fairly well in Hiragana and Katakana, you're doing well.  True fluency only comes with total immersion.  The good news is that Japanese people generally take it easy on foreigeners learning their language.

Basically, if you've studied it in school, a bit on your own, and you can read pretty well, you should adjust to immersion really quickly.

Answer 4

How comfortable you will be depends a lot on the themes that you studied.  Did you focus more on grammar?  OR did you focus on conversation with conversational "themes" as topics? I don't know what you r curriculum was like, but 4 years of high school Japanese is generally not enough to be able to "function comfortably" in Japan.  

Are you looking to go to school in Japan, or just better your Japanese?  If you are looking for a language based program, it might be a good idea to look into majoring in Japanese in colllege.  Many colleges also have study abroad programs for

American students who wish to better their language and cultural skills.  

Unless you plan on making Japan a semi-permanant home, or establighins a career that would have Japan as a major componant to it,  would strongly advise against attending a Japanese university just to go to school in Japan.  A year abroad would be more beneficial.  Study aboad programs in college are also taylored to non-native speakers, so you will spend a lot more time focusing on the language and the culture.  Whereas, if you just dive in and go to a Japanese university, they will expect that you will already have the competence in the language to function in a university setting.