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Can our accents be distinguished by Jap? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| Julie Tetraglot Senior Member SwitzerlandRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 1706 days ago 694 posts - 2 votes 5 sounds Speaks: Polish*, EnglishB2, German, SpanishB2 Studies: French, Swiss-German | Message 9 of 12 26 May 2008 at 9:39am | IP Logged | |||||
I certainly don't want to be rude and I understand the concept of total immersion but is it really such a disaster if someone tries to speak English to you? I mean, of course you want to speak your target language while being abroad but if someone from Spain comes to the UK, don't you ever try to speak Spanish? Nada? I know how disturbing it can be, especially considering you being an English native speaker - when my German accent wasn't native-like, here and there someone would switch to English after just a few words... although my English is worse than my German, actually. But... don't forget there are other people who just like you want to practice foreign languages, and it doesn't necessarily mean showing off. | ||||||
| Maximus Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 1552 days ago 417 posts - 1 votes Studies: Spanish, Japanese, Thai | Message 10 of 12 26 May 2008 at 11:26am | IP Logged | |||||
Dude, again this is based on the premise that one will always speak English better than we speak their language. I here a lot of unfounded claims that Japanese is impossible for a westerner, but I for one have enough confidence in my own language abilities to not have to come crawling for help by means of English. If I didn't feel that I could survive in Japan, I wouldn't have booked an immersion course so soon and I would have postponed my journey to Japan. If I wanted help in a foreign country, I would at least have the decency to ask in their language. As for the comments of Julie, allowing people to learn your language is one thing, but when everyone wants a piece of your language, it really sucks. It is probably not that bad for the pole, the Czech, the Hungarian who travels abroad because, even if one does want to practice their language with that person, it will be a one off rarity, often fueled with intercultural interest. This is because learners of those languages are few worldwide. When everyone all want to learn English it is different. You are bombarded everywhere and it is really frustrating. And most probably don't even have an interest in my culture, they just know English because they had to study it in school or they think it will make them rich or something. Of course, I doubt you can relate to my feelings on the situation given that you are not a native speaker of English. Because of that you won't be bombarded as much as we are. By the way, I don't like to encourage people to learn English anyway as I personally feel that by doing so they are removing from me a cultural identity. Because of this, and also combined with my own drive for learning foreign languages, I have absolutely no interest in my own language. Some people do, some people don't. I just don't. If I encountered a Spanish speaker in my town what would I do? Well I know that there are two types of travelers. Those who don't mind speaking their own language (this can be seen by their behaviour. For example they are willing to hook up with fellow countrymen for social events) and there are those who are so eager for immersion (those who avoid socialization with fellow countrymen, and I do know a few people like that!). If it is the first type of people, if the person was happy that I have a conversation in their language, I would do it (this is especially possible when you encounter yourself with a group of foreigners speaking their mothertongue). But if the person was the latter type, the type which reminds me of myself, I wouldn't be rude enough to force myself upon them. I was speaking to my friend about his attempts speaking with Bilinguals here in the UK, (equally fluent in both languages, thus in theory does require practice for any), and he says that people ignore your efforts and speak just English as they cannot comprehend why anyone needs to learn it. In other words, anything not English isn't teken seriously. This is exactly the attitude which I am against. This whole idea of English language supremacy offends me as I have too much respect for other cultures and other languages. If my drastic measure make me seem like an ahole, it is not so. I just know that I need to take drastic measure, even lying about my origin, just to avoid the rude bombardment. I am prepared to lie with strangers (in restaurants, shops, ectt the spur of the moment kind of thing, but not to someone with whom I have formed a close relationship as I believe they need to know about me. With anyone who has friendship qualities or treats me well, I wouldn't lie, but would be honest in expressing my desire for total immersion. | ||||||
 Keith Diglot Moderator JapanRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 1580 days ago 522 posts - 20 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, Japanese Personal Language Map | Message 11 of 12 26 May 2008 at 8:52pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Normally, you won't run into any Japanese who can speak English. When you do meet someone who can speak English, you are probably not in a normal situation. If you stay at a Gaijin House, you might meet some Japanese who can speak English who are living there. But remember, that is not the normal place for Japanese to be living! If you are in any place that is associated with foreigners then you are not in a normal place, so you will have a higher probability of bumping into someone who can speak English. Any other place you go, where you are not expected to be, you will not find anyone who can speak English.
It is just not common for Japanese people to be able to speak English. Perhaps everyone has studied English for 6 years in school, but that has only made them sick of studying English. This is not a country full of Eigo Bandits. Everyone is quite willing to speak Japanese. Very very few could even attempt to speak English. It's not something they really want to do. Since it's not likely that anyone will approach you, you will have to approach them and you will do so in Japanese. It won't take you long to be able to speak Japanese better than they (the average Japanese) speak English. You most likely already do! | ||||||
| Maximus Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 1552 days ago 417 posts - 1 votes Studies: Spanish, Japanese, Thai | Message 12 of 12 27 May 2008 at 7:29am | IP Logged | |||||
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Wow, thanks for the reassuring advice and insight/hindsight man! So according to what you say, their English learning experience is comparable to our (English people's) highschool French learning experiences! I because fill with hate towards the French language by the final year of highschool! Keith, just out of curiosity, in which city do you live? Oh, by the way, when you say Gaijin house, do you mean hotel, or foreign communities's residences? If you mean hotel, it is OK as I will be far from any of those! I believe the language school company with whom I will stay states that the host family be native Japanese speakers. I have heared that Japanese host families are really kind too.
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