How hard is Japanese to learn (FLUENTLY)?

[SolidSnake526]

I ask because I've thought of moving there for a few years or so. I've always wanted to get out of this rat hole (USA - nation of morons and lobbyists for the most part) and go to a technologically advanced nation. Britain is the second choice because...well, I speak the language...

[Dreams]

I'll ignore your cultural and political ignorance, and just say that you'll get out of learning a language what you put into it. If you devote yourself to practicing a lot each day instead of just an hour a week, for example, it'll come quicker to you.

Get a good list of resources, and try to use as much of them as you can - books, internet, audio tapes, practice with actual Japanese materials, Japanese penpals or people you can snag in real life who speak it, teachers, etc. The biggest problem people face is memorizing kanji. And don't think you'll get away with just kana + speaking, especially if you plan on living there. Kanji is essential.

[SolidSnake526]

OK, so I exaggerated, but there are quite a few morons over here. Either way, thanks for the advice. I don't want to make it a permanent home (too far from family), but I'd like to go there even if just for a year or two (hopefully longer).

[Desu]

First, get rid of the idea that Japan is a novelty language, something that's "cool" or any stuff like that.

And second, it's really easily. Hiragana and katakana are basically big alphabets.

Not so sure about kanji though.

[Dreams]

And second, it's really easily.

No it isn't. Starting off, I remember what a nightmare advanced grammar patterns were to memorize. "When do I use this?" "Why do I have to use this?" "Why is it written this way?" "Why does this word change into this?"

[Yuki~]

"When do I use this?" "Why do I have to use this?" "Why is it written this way?" "Why does this word change into this?"

oh god.. don't even remember me those situations!
I remember that sensei almost got crazy when we were learning that "~てもらいます/~てくれます"..u__u
After a few classes, we finally understood this... XD

By the way, we're starting the second book next week! \o/

[geishaboy]

It's hard, it's really hard. Starting from scratch, if you want to speak Japanese to a level in which you can work and live in Japan, I would say maybe about 4 or so years of study (say, at a university or something), and thats if you take it seriously and put a lot of effort in.

I kind of get annoyed at people who say it is an easy language to learn, but can't actually speak it themselves, and those who think that it will be easy and they will just "learn fluent Japanese" overnight or something

[Desu]

Well, maybe I'm just good at languages.

I found it easy. My Japanese teacher said it was.

[Dreams]

Well, maybe I'm just good at languages.

I found it easy. My Japanese teacher said it was.

もう漢字をまだ学いでもいない。
お前が日本語で何かを書くことを見たい・・・
こっちが何の話をしてるか全く分からないんだろう。
雄ロバ。

[Yuki~]

i understood almost everything you wrote, Dreams ^^-

I'd like so much to have this computer in japanese.. but if id do it, my parents would kill me.. >___<''

[Dreams]

i understood almost everything you wrote, Dreams ^^-

'Cuz you rock. :3

This doesn't really relate to what you wrote, but sort of... it makes me giggle. I discovered tonight that I could switch the language on my iPod to Japanese. So I did.

[Yuki~]

really? wow thats cool ^^
i'd like to change my camera's language to japanese, but it has only chinese and korean...
>___<'
I'd like soo much to learn korean and chinese....!

[geishaboy]

Well, maybe I'm just good at languages.

I found it easy. My Japanese teacher said it was.

The basics are pretty easy, any idiot can pick it up. We're talking about REAL Japanese

Also, take note of what dreams said (seriously made me lol)

[maria]

I ask because I've thought of moving there for a few years or so. I've always wanted to get out of this rat hole (USA - nation of morons and lobbyists for the most part) and go to a technologically advanced nation. Britain is the second choice because...well, I speak the language...

You don't know what a rat hole is until you've lived in a third world country

[Chiisai nezumi]

i dont speak much japanese, hardly at all, the basics are simple, but verbs are really hard......

[Tsuchi]

speaking it seems easy enough (atleast what my sister tought me did), writing and reading seem to be much more difficult