Well, I'm frustrated about learning Japanese...yet again. Big surprise there. I didn't mean to knock you out of your chair.
But seriously, cheerleaders really do help you learn. You know what I mean:
"Good job!"
"You can do this!"
"Keep trying!"
"Don't give up!"
"You did it!"
"I'm proud of you!"
Just FYI if you're thinking of learning Japanese (I can't speak for other languages) but there is none of that here. I don't know how people do it. I don't know how people learn languages without going home and bursting into tears every night. It's so unbelievably frustrating. Maybe they had an early start, maybe they have "a knack for learning languages." (I'm really envious of those people.)
But wait, you say! "You have a Japanese boyfriend! It should be EASY for you to learn Japanese!" If this myth hasn't been debunked for you, here it is! Having a Japanese S/O does NOT make it easier to learn Japanese. Seriously, hit the internet for this one and read stories from people with the same experiences. We speak English together. He does it for me because he's super chivalrous and he wants to make things easier for me. I love that he does this. Believe me I'm not complaining. But it doesn't help with learning Japanese.
I now no longer know the point of this blog. Just to vent I guess. Sometimes all I need is a hug and a friend to tell me "you can do this." I am seriously lacking that right now.
Of course you'll soon learn to speak Japanese well.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to study French from scratch without living France - I don't even understand what am I doing. :P
You're luckier than me. And you can do it!
BIG HUGS,
TJ
You can do it, Jamie!!! <3
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you say.
ReplyDeleteEveryone believes because you have a s/o who speaks the language you are learning, that you will become amazingly great at speaking it within a couple hours talking.
They say submerging yourself in the culture helps more than sticking your head in a couple books -- but you will always come across a large wall to stop you. My only tip is to make everything fun!!
Me and my Partner will say whatever word in Japanese/English and bounce it from off one another. Try asking your s/o to talk in Japanese more often to build your confidence. I'm sure he will understand if you suddenly blurt out in English you don't understand or to repeat it.