Should you use English or (possibly broken) Japanese in Japan?

Should you use English or (possibly broken) Japanese in Japan? - Japanese Lucky Coin Cat

So I'm going to Japan next month with friends, and I'm the only one speaking reasonably good Japanese. However, I am really nervous about how to approach people when, say, buying train tickets and such.

I seem to have a perfect Japanese accent that easily misleads people into thinking my Japanese is very good. I can understand clearly spoken Japanese quite well, but would constantly stumble and use "correct", but completely unidiomatic expressions while speaking. In fact while trying to practice speaking unscripted Japanese, I find that I would make ridiculous gaffes, like mixing in Old Japanese (too much ancient poetry and linguistic papers for me!) conjugations and using the inappropriate/an inconsistent politeness level. Obviously I'll practice more, but in short, I sound weird, incomprehensible, and with a good-sounding accent trying to speak long sections of Japanese. Being Chinese (and thus somewhat passing as Japanese in looks) would, I imagine, add to the confusion.

OTOH, I hear that Japanese people have trouble speaking English. In fact, on many websites of hotels, etc I find that the English version's grammar is so horrible that it is near unreadable. So I'm also nervous using English and embarrassing somebody who has poor English.

How should I get by? In both cases, I would understand the other person and vice versa (with some difficulty). Do Japanese people tend to be embarrassed if they are unable to reply to a question in English? Should I imitate a moderate Chinese accent when speaking Japanese?



Best Answer

I don't speak any Japanese but I would approach them in Japanese if you can, and if necessary ask them to speak more slowly / clearly and tell them that you are not native. No reason to put on a foreign accent! Choice of words and different grammar will make them realize that you aren't native soon enough.

Do Japanese people tend to be embarrassed if they are unable to reply to a question in English?

My impression: Most of them do. But some Japanese are really good in speaking English, and if they start speaking in English to you, you should switch to English as well in order to not embarrass them.




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Is English useful in Japan?

As mentioned above, while living in Japan not being able to speak English does not affect one's daily life. However, there are still advantages of learning the language. These advantages are not only \u201cit is easier to communicate when travelling abroad\u201d or \u201cit is beneficial when looking for a job\u201d.

How do Japanese feel about foreigners speaking Japanese?

"The majority of Japanese feel that foreigners are foreigners and Japanese are Japanese," said Shigehiko Toyama, a professor of English literature at Showa Women's University in Tokyo. "There are obvious distinctions. Foreigners who speak fluently blur those distinctions and that makes the Japanese feel uneasy."

Why Japanese are not good in English?

The reason Japanese have difficulty with English is because of the limited range of vocalization used in the Japanese language. Unless pronunciations and nuances of foreign languages are learned in childhood, the human ear and brain has difficulty in discerning them.

Can you live in Japan only speaking English?

The short answer is a resounding YES, but there is more to it than that. You can get a job without needing Japanese, but if you have already decided (or heard from others on reddit or Facebook groups) that you can only be an English teacher in Japan without speaking the language, you'd be dead wrong.



Do Japanese Really Suck at English? (English Test!)




More answers regarding should you use English or (possibly broken) Japanese in Japan?

Answer 2

As in any country, try to use the native language even if it's broken. It gives a good impression as it shows your interest in their culture making you an above-average tourist.

I would recommend Pismleur to get your broken Japanese ;)

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