Turning Japanese

Turning Japanese

Japan can seem like an alien land to western travellers, with customs that are far removed from European customs, unrecognisable food and an even more unrecognisable writing script. In most western countries, travellers can usually recognise at least a few simple words outside shops, on menus, or on food packaging. In Japan, and other eastern hemisphere countries such as China, that is not always the case.

So how can western travellers cope when they go to Japan? It’s certainly worth going there if you like challenges and experiencing other cultures, as there is such a wide variety of scenery, history and cultural experiences to discover. Well, some travellers have been known to take pictures on a digital camera, of food, hotels, beer, even toilets, and show them to people to ask where they can find them. You may be lucky and find someone who speaks English of course, but that can’t be guaranteed. The best option is to learn a few phrases of Japanese to help you.

Japanese courses for travellers are becoming more popular in colleges around the country. If you are serious about learning more Japanese then there are also many universities now offering Japanese as a degree course. There are also obviously the usual range of books, CDs, podcasts and internet sites offering differing standards of Japanese tuition, and private tutors can also be found.

So how do you find the right course for you? Well, look at your needs. Is it just spoken Japanese, key phrases and words, that you want? If that is the case, then a brief series of evening classes would probably be ideal. This may also include recognition of some key written words. If you want to know how to read and write Japanese, as well as speak it, then it would be better for you to look for a longer series of courses as there are different ways of writing Japanese, and the writing system(s) are not usually introduced straight away. The British Association for Japanese Studies might be able to help you find suitable lessons.

If you want to learn Japanese for business purposes then the Japanese External Trade Organization is worth investigating as they offer a special proficiency test in business Japanese. It may also benefit you to spend some time learning Japan in the country. Just as in other ‘difficult’ languages such as Russian or Arabic, full immersion in the language and culture of the country is highly beneficial to learners. It would probably be best to go to a major city on one of the major islands as there are some differences in the language in more remote areas.

Of course there is also the option to teach English in Japan and you do not always need a teaching qualification to do so (although a degree is usually required). This would give you an opportunity to earn while you learn and experience the culture.

However you decide to learn Japanese, you can be sure that knowledge of the language will open up possibilities for you if you visit the country. Contacts in Japan, whether business or social, are based on introductions so the more people you can converse with, the better your chance of increasing your business or social networks.

Paula is a qualified EFL teacher who has taught in the UK and abroad. She has also taught adult literacy and numeracy in prisons and is now combining a small amount of private teaching with writing.