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Language barrier shyness? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages |  | |
| Aritaurus Tetraglot Senior Member Canada Joined 6578 days ago 197 posts - 204 votes  Speaks: Cantonese, English*, Japanese, Mandarin Studies: Spanish | Message 1 of 4 14 March 2009 at 1:12pm | IP Logged |
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Last week, I was at the library just studying when a Japanese girl sitting across from me noticed that I was studying Japanese and started a conversation with me. At the time, we both had a bit of a language barrier since she didn't really speak much English and I had to try my best in Japanese to communicate with her. We had a bit of a conversation and she gave me her phone number before I left. This week, I actually wanted to call her out for a coffee to maybe have a chat and help each other out in our languages but she hasn't picked up twice. I'm just wondering - could it be that she's too afraid to converse in English? Would it better to just converse with her over e-mail? She's only replied to me once over e-mail so far when I wrote to her in Japanese. I do know from experience that many ESL learners who have just got here are often shy to converse in English especially being here just over a few weeks. I kind of understand how it is to learn a new language and to be afraid to speak it. Has anyone got any tips on how I should approach this without being too intimidating? Edited by Aritaurus on 14 March 2009 at 1:17pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| LittleKey Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5956 days ago 146 posts - 153 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French, Japanese | Message 2 of 4 14 March 2009 at 10:20pm | IP Logged |
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I think you should send her an email in Japanese saying that she doesn't need to be shy about her English proficiency, and that you're on equal ground because your Japanese isn't that great either.
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| Dark_Sunshine Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5769 days ago 340 posts - 357 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 3 of 4 16 March 2009 at 2:27pm | IP Logged |
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I don't know what gender you are, but If you're a man, try explaining that you're interested in language learning and that you're not trying to hit on her! As a woman, I think that would be my main concern- I usually prefer my language partners to be female because it would be very difficult to negotiate 'gender politics' in a second language and unfamiliar culture, should they ever arise.
If you're a woman, I'm not sure... maybe reassure her by saying that her English is better than your Japanese, so not to worry. -whether that's true or not! Good luck! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| qklilx Moderator United States Joined 6190 days ago 459 posts - 477 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Korean Personal Language Map | Message 4 of 4 18 March 2009 at 11:45pm | IP Logged |
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Did you ask for her number or did she offer it? If you asked for it and she's not responding to you then you're probably out of luck. Not to say that's certain, but given my own and several of my friends' experience with Japanese culture, her not responding is a sign that she's not interested. In Japanese culture a "no" is to be avoided, so what could be better than simply not responding if it's not face-to-face?
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