Choose Your Path to Fluency

Immerse Yourself in Japan’s Language and Culture in Tokyo

by Karin Ling

Multiple kanji readings, perplexing particles, three alphabets…yes, the Japanese language is a tricky one. The most effective way to cross the language divide is to pack your bags and head to Japan for complete immersion; once there, regardless of your level of fluency, you are sure to be chin-deep in opportunities to practice speaking Japanese because most locals speak little English. Add to this the culture of “saving face,” where communication hiccups are met not with impatience but graciousness. Could you possibly find a more conducive place for language learning?

Building Blocks at a Pre-College Intensity

There are two things to keep in mind when considering a language school: your personal goals and visa needs.

If you want the discipline of developing a solid base in the language, go for a school certified by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education. These schools can sponsor language students for the pre-college student visa for renewable periods of six months. (The initial processing takes six months.) The visa will also permit you to work part-time.

Study in Japan offers access to a listing of language schools. However, to pick one of the many certified schools, your best bet is to follow word-of-mouth advice, visit a school, sit in on a class, and judge for yourself.

The Naganuma School’s strict curriculum gets good results, judging from the fluency of some of its former students.

You could also seek a smaller school for a sense of community away from home. Shibuya Language School fits into this category, boasting flexibility (small classes taught by a rotating group of teachers) and cultural exposure (excursions out of Tokyo). They even offer the possibility of a homestay with a Japanese family.

Even if you want to avoid the visa process or the building blocks, almost all schools have less intensive courses. Focus on conversation, business Japanese, or whatever skills you desire.

Private Japanese Lessons

If you would rather not commit yourself to an institution, check out Private Japanese Lesson, which provides qualified teachers for private lessons in person, online, or as a visitor from 30 minutes to an hour.

Meet Your Neighbors

Another way of learning from the locals (at almost no cost) is through the Tokyo Nihongo Volunteer Network (TNVN). Encompassing Japanese Language classes around the capital, the Nihongo Volunteer activity originally blossomed in the early 90s to help out its population of foreigners displaced by the economic bubble burst. With the organization mainly consisting of homemakers and retired business people, the intention is not necessarily to provide pure Language Learning but to support its foreign residents as community members (from dealing with landlords to learning essential vocabulary for the grocery store).

You'll find class sizes ranging from large group lessons to one-on-one chats. Some groups will teach out of textbooks, while others will ask you when you arrive, "what do you want to learn?" For help with grammar, customs, or some neighborly advice, check out the listing of courses on www.tnvn.jp. You can also submit a request with a note of your criteria (location, desired course of study), and the TNVN will respond with recommendations. Your ward office's foreign residents' support section will also have information for your area.

Now that we've covered your language bases let's discuss a few ways to improve your skills.

Learning to Read in Japanese

If indecipherable kanjis deter you from reading, start with children’s books or mangas instead. Let the kanji readings spelled out in furigana and illustrations carry you along. 

You’ll find the monthly Hiragana Times available at any bookstore for grown-up topics. Insightful articles for those interested in Japan are translated paragraph by paragraph from English to Japanese. Challenge yourself by trying to figure out the Japanese part first.

Surprisingly helpful is Making Out in Japanese by Todd and Erika Geers. It is filled with expressions used in everyday “plain talk.” This is how people converse in the real world beyond the stilted dialogues of the textbook world.

Karaoke: A Passion for Song

What do you do when you know a good selection of J-pop? You take your skills to karaoke! A Thai girl once told me how, after a few months of schooling, her fluency and kanji abilities continued to advance thanks to regular karaoke outings. With the lyrics and music coming at you in real-time, you’ll have fluent Japanese rolling out of your mouth in no time.

Head to the Izakaya

The locals are shy about contact with foreigners. This is where the izakaya becomes the ideal setting. An izakaya resembles a tapa bar, where snacks are plentiful, and drinking renders socializing as smooth as butter. Whether it be a group of red-faced youths or businessmen with their ties off, chances are that sake will have loosened their tongues and inhibitions. Wait for the tap on the shoulder and the request to explain yourself since you are an intriguing foreigner….

Finding a Japanese Language Partner

If you’re self-conscious about subjecting the locals to your poor language skills, find a forgiving ear. Find a language partner. The classified section of the local free magazine, Metropolis is packed with ads requesting Japanese-English exchanges. Look for a match in age, interests, and convenient meeting location…and let the conversation flow.

Pillow Talk, Friendships, and Ways to Meet and Learn Japanese

You have no doubt been told that pillow talk is the most effective way to master a new language, but simple friendships work, too…if your heart is in it. The beauty of the concept is that language is no longer the hurdle but the tool used toward the greater goal (to satisfy your interest in someone). In Tokyo, international clubs, bars, and parties are aplenty. Go Tokyo offers ideas for ever-changing popular bar-restaurant-nightlife spaces that often draw an international mix where foreigners and locals may meet.

Whatever Works for You

We all have different ways of learning. The important thing is to take an approach you are comfortable with. Once you have made a good start, look at the aspects of language learning you are uncomfortable with. You will need to push yourself for more well-rounded fluency in these areas. The great thing about learning Japanese in situ is the challenge of adapting your communicative ability to the “only in Japan” contexts you will encounter. By the end of your stay in Japan, you may find that you’ve absorbed the language and become quite attached to the culture. Go on, give it your best shot — Gambatte! 

Karin Ling decided to pursue learning Japanese in Tokyo after learning Cantonese and English as a child and French as a young adult.