Manga is fun to read, podcasts are also terrific, J-dramas often have a tendancy to make me tear up when I'm half way through a bottle of red, and my head is filling up new vocab  via Anki faster than the dollar is plumetting in value (but not by much).

There are so many amazing resources out there that we can use to facilitate learning Japanese. But what I noticed is most lacking in these forums is an overal emphasis on communicating and interacting with those that created all of this material in the first place. I'd like to start a thread which focuses on ways to communicate with Japanese folks themselves by pooling all current resources for communicating with them.

But before I list a few ways (which most have probably been mentioned on the boards at some point, but none really emphasized), let me debunk some self-limiting beliefs:

"I've only been learning Japanese for X amount of time, there's no way I can talk to a native speaker"

It's never too early to start speaking to native speakers. After finishing my first semester in Japanese, I starting hunting down people to talk to online. I remember the first time I tried having a conversation, I didn't know the word "toki", as in ビーチに行ったとき, only いつ, so I ended up saying いつビーチに行きました、 which left the person I was talking to utterly confused, but eventually she got it, corrected me, and I learned something new.

The earlier you start speaking, and the more you speak, the better speaker you will be in the future. There is such little emphasis on output on this site, but if you want a good accent, fluidity when speaking, and the ability to speak without needing a couple glasses of beer beforehand, you need to put in the hours speaking. They are as important (in my opinon more important) as the hours you're revewing in Anki or practicing listening.

"I don't live in Japan"

Thanks to that ethernet cable coming out of the back of your computer, this isn't really an issue any more. The internet allows you to do two things: 1. Talk to people through your computer, or 2) act as a device to get you in touch with others.

So let me begin by listing a few resources that are currently out there that can get you in touch with Japanese people:

Computer/Internet resources:

Craigslist
I made a few language partners on Craigslist. I posted an add stating I was seeking a language partner under the Personals / Strictly Platonic subsection, and got more replies than I expected.

Mixi
Mixi is a social networking site much like Facebook or Myspace, with the exception that it's completely invite only. It isn't terribly difficult to find someone to invite you, however. There are tons of communities devoted to language exchange, teeming with people that would love to communicate with you. The advantage to using Mixi is that the vast, vast majority of users are Japanese, so native English speakers are very high on demand when it comes to seeking language partners.

ICQ
Granted most of you probably haven't touched ICQ in about 10 years, but there are still a decent share of Japanese users. I've met my fair share myself.

Skype
Of all the listed resources, I recommend Skype the most simply becuase of it's emphasis on speaking instead of having text-based chats. If you live in a different timezone, this can be a bit challenging to find some people on in the middle of the night, but they are still out there. I recently had a converation with a 46 year old nurse who works really late shifts. (and learned a lot about the crap they have to deal with!)


Other resources

-Your local university or community college
Almost every uni or community college should have some sort of international center. Go there and find out if they have any language exchange programs. My own university had a very wide variety of programs: language exchange, student mentor services, conversation leader part time positions (of course you'll be speaking English, but it's a great way to start networking and finding other Japanese speakers), etc.

-Japanese resturaunts.
If you aren't the shy type, find a local Japanese resturant/ sushi place, etc., bring a few Japanese textbooks, and kindly ask a Japanese customer for some help. (Or try to chat up the people working there if they are Japanese!).

If anybody else has any good resources, please list them here, and also write about your experiences getting in touch with Japanese speakers.

Last edited by samesong (2008 December 20, 2:21 pm)