Hey everyone,

I am currently a JET working in Japan (going into my second year), and I am planning on heading out into the Japanese workforce at the end of August 2012. I want to spend my time in the next year getting my speaking/writing up to speed with the Japanese that is most commonly used in the workplace.

I am at an N2 level of proficiency.

Any of you, have any suggested books and/or anki decks?

Thanks!

Do you mean like keigo or vocabulary that is going to appear more in a workplace context (eg economics, business related)?

Well to be completely honest your best resource is going to be the teachers in your staffroom because the language used in a corporate workplace is not going to be any different from the language used in the staffroom. It's just going to be tricky to get everyone there to stop talking to you like the English teacher and start treating you like a normal Japanese speaking member of the staff.

Maybe you could try taking part in more staff meetings and start writing up lesson plans and reports in Japanese. A Japanese teacher writes reports and lesson plans in the exact same style as a Japanese salary-man. The only difference will be vocabulary which can be picked up from newspapers like the Nikei and business Japanese books available at the bookstores. I think the book "business Japanese" has a few thousand vocabulary words listed in it. I don't know an anki deck for it.

kitakitsune Wrote:Well to be completely honest your best resource is going to be the teachers in your staffroom because the language used in a corporate workplace is not going to be any different from the language used in the staffroom. It's just going to be tricky to get everyone there to stop talking to you like the English teacher and start treating you like a normal Japanese speaking member of the staff.

Maybe you could try taking part in more staff meetings and start writing up lesson plans and reports in Japanese. A Japanese teacher writes reports and lesson plans in the exact same style as a Japanese salary-man. The only difference will be vocabulary which can be picked up from newspapers like the Nikei and business Japanese books available at the bookstores. I think the book "business Japanese" has a few thousand vocabulary words listed in it. I don't know an anki deck for it.

Yeah, I gotcha on that one. I actually already write up all my lesson plans in Japanese, but its hard to get most of the staff to realize that I can communicate with them. I go to 6 schools and work out of city hall, so I am never anywhere enough to properly develop a working relationship with all staff members. Anyway, I have people I get along with, but I am still an outsider because of my "foreignness" and my inability to be in a singe workplace on a daily basis.

I appreciate what you are saying, but I want to go more into things like; how to write business letters, how to properly deal with customers over the phone, how to ask work related questions, and how to express opinions properly. Keigo isn't a worry.

It just seems that its a bit much to ask from my teachers who are busy, busy, busy.

Regardless I appreciate the advice, and I will try and make more of an effort to get people to help me.

I'll also take a look at that "Business Japanese" book.

I guess what I am looking for is

SendaiDan Wrote:Do you mean like keigo or vocabulary that is going to appear more in a workplace context (eg economics, business related)?

I want anything that will help me to improve my functional communication skills in a workplace context. So yes, keigo, vocab, set-phrases, workplace expressions, etc, are what I am looking for.

Study for bjt.

Watch office dramas.

Check デジタルセンセ

It's basically a Japanese guide for サラリーマン. They talk about manners, 敬語, have templates for business letters and much more.

They even have manga for illustrating their points, and the language is native (it's made by natives for natives) yet simple.

Sebastian Wrote:Check デジタルセンセ

It's basically a Japanese guide for サラリーマン. They talk about manners, 敬語, have templates for business letters and much more.

They even have manga for illustrating their points, and the language is native (it's made by natives for natives) yet simple.

That sounds promising!

The most important thing in Japanese business, by far, is ordering the correct bento. There is no anki deck for this because anki cannot teach you true art.

I kind of like presidentinc. It's a youtube channel with short videos about the dos and don'ts of business etiquette.

If you're looking for a book, get this one.
Even my Japanese friends, tell me they should study this book...... :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Professio...770020384/

Also, I'd recommend watch Japanese TV Dramas and downloading the japanese subtitles.
Find some business dramas and study the drama scripts.

Yes, and kitakitsune is correct. Ordering bentos is the most important skill.
Not even JLPT N1 can prepare you for it...... :-)