listen to japanese podcasts... there are a huge variety of them and it should give you a ton of exposure to various vocabularies, speech patterns, and subject matter to make for easier comprehension and ultimately production.

Honestly, the main thing I wish someone had told me when I moved here was that, yes, even I would feel culture shock. Having travelled quite widely and have stayed for extended periods in other countries, I though I'd be immune to it, or that it was just something that Americans from the middle of nowhere suffered from. That wasn't the case. Everyone deals with it in different ways, but most important is to realise that things here aren't better or worse - they are just -different-; look for the reasons behind things.
As for Osaka though, that place rules (er, that is if you like drinking etc, I can't really comment on anything else!). It's my favourite place in Japan.

Other advice... don't be afraid to talk to people. don't automatically hate other foreigners you run into. try not to form a gaijin bubble around yourself. Don't be offended by people expressing surprise that you can use chopsticks. and as for when they complement your Japanese, don't be offended there either; most of the people here have studied English for 6 years and can't speak a word of it, so they know how hard learning a language is and so are genuinely complementing you and encouraging you.
And (if you are a guy) steel yourself for just how drop dead fine the girls are over here!!!
Good luck!

I'm not sure how your workplace is going to be set up, but good luck not getting stuck in a gaijin bubble.

I would guess that a lot of the people here on campus don't even realize that there are foreigners, because they make us take all our classes in one single building, in a small corner of campus that no Japanese people go. Unless we go through some hardcore red tape, we're not even allowed to take real classes -- just the special classes meant for foreigners which are taught in English.

I feel like the only reason we're there is to give the university a reputation for being progressive and international

So my best advice is to become actual friends with Japanese people. I mean people who will talk to you in whatever language they are comfortable with (*cough*Japanese*cough*) and not be constantly asking you questions about English.
It's painfully obvious when you are being used as a "free eikaiwa"

Last edited by Asriel (2010 May 18, 5:45 am)

mistamark wrote:

Don't be offended by people expressing surprise that you can use chopsticks. and as for when they complement your Japanese, don't be offended there either; most of the people here have studied English for 6 years and can't speak a word of it, so they know how hard learning a language is and so are genuinely complementing you and encouraging you.

Umm, no.
People heap on the 日本語お上手ですね after they hear you just say one word like "konnichi ha". It's oseji at best, like telling an obviously old woman how she looks young. Foreigners who fumble their sushi all over their lap/floor also get 箸お上手ですね.

One shouldn't take offence (it's not intended with any malice), but it is definitely NOT a sincere compliment or an attempt at encouragement.

Asriel wrote:

I would guess that a lot of the people here on campus don't even realize that there are foreigners, because they make us take all our classes in one single building, in a small corner of campus that no Japanese people go. Unless we go through some hardcore red tape, we're not even allowed to take real classes -- just the special classes meant for foreigners which are taught in English.

Every exchange program I've ever heard of, in Japan and in Canada, is like that. They put you in the foreigner friendly classes until your language level is sufficient to take native classes (about JLPT1 / TOEIC score above 700 level generally).

Personally I had no problem avoiding the gaijin bubble when I was an exchange student, but I didn't live in the dorms, I joined a club, I applied for conversation partners, I ate in the cafeteria instead of going to McDonalds, and I studied in the international lounge which always had lots of jp girls come over looking for conversation or subjects to take surveys (rarely guys though).

Everyone I knew who was in a gaijin bubble was in that bubble because they never made an effort.

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2010 May 18, 7:08 am)

Are you sure that those Koreans are 交換留学生? Likely they are enrolled as full students.
International student != exchange student

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2010 May 18, 6:36 am)

My girlfriend and many of my friends were exchange students at my university. The ones with good English (as judged by TOEIC or TOEFL) got into real classes in addition to their ESL, the ones with poorer English just had ESL at a separate CAMPUS (you think a separate building is bad). There is no point in throwing a student to the wolves. Opening all classes up to students who cannot understand the language and will end up dropping or failing just fills up the limited number of seats for degree students who NEED the course to graduate.

I also had many friends who were international students there for the full 4 year degree and they were treated exactly as regular students, as were my western friends enrolled as 4 year degree international students in Japan. I also knew a number of exchange students at 3-4 other universities in Canada and it was always the same.

If your university requires a lot of red tape for a foreign student registered as an exchange student with >JLPT1 Japanese (certified by test) to take a native class, it's probably because they very rarely have students of such high level. My university in Japan was one of the top schools for language programs and iirc takes the most 留学生 compared to other universities, but we still only had 5 people in native classes the year I graduated the program. Exchange students usually have their own faculty at most universities, and taking courses outside of your faculty (any "real" courses) usually requires some extra paperwork unless there is an established cross-faculty program in place (aka it's a common procedure). If you were enrolled as an international student instead of an exchange student you'd already be in that other faculty and thus no paperwork.

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2010 May 18, 7:08 am)

Jarvik7 wrote:

The ones with good English (as judged by TOEIC or TOEFL) got into real classes in addition to their ESL,...

This I can see. My university only admits students with a certain level on TOEIC or TOEFL.

Jarvik7 wrote:

I also had many friends who were international students there for the full 4 year degree and they were treated exactly as regular students, as were my western friends enrolled as 4 year degree international students in Japan.

I was going to say something here, but then I realized that I was just agreeing and saying the same things you did.

Jarvik7 wrote:

...it's probably because they very rarely have students of such high level...

I can agree, this is probably true. Most of the natives I've talked to tell me that students of my program are notoriously horrible at Japanese (often those with -no- experience whatsoever).


All I'm trying to say is -- in my experience, the reason the gaijin bubble only exists because the unseen forces will try to push you into it. Just be conscious of it.

well, let's be honest.
You do have some 英語 that I would consider pretty お上手

Lol

I know Jarvik- not a real mistake, but humorous And I agree, your 英語 is pretty 上手。

I've gotten the old 英語お上手ですね as well- after taking a phone call in English around Japanese people- it's like... uhhh, native speaker よ。Maybe it's the shock of actually hearing English spoken the way it's supposed to be.

Jarvik7 wrote:

さんきゅう
あい　どんと　のー　はう　つー　てーく　ざっと

nice- but next time in katakana please!

A good way to think of it is as "Wow! You said a Japanese word!" and not "Your Japanese is good!".

Thanks for this post, Zorlee. So inspirational. I would be interested in knowing how you got a job in Japan ?