Weak Points
It's been a long time coming with my Japanese. I spent years here in Chicago, studying in various contexts: by myself, in classes, lessons, and with friends. I struggled through textbooks, native materials. It was hard, but I stuck with it, and eventually I got where I am now: "pretty good." I can more or less have a conversation about normal, everyday topics with little difficulty. I still make lots of mistakes—forgetting words, misusing grammar points, etc.—but generally, I know enough to find ways to convey what I want to say anyways.
For a while now, when I've had the chance to try and use my Japanese in person, native speakers have been surprised to learn I'd never visited. Without any immediate plan or need, it's difficult to imagine someone sticking with it. But I think I've also gotten too close to my own Japanese in a way; like you get too close to something you're working on. I tend to talk to the same people again and again, and use my Japanese in familiar ways. I wasn't quite sure where my language ability stood—or what was missing.
You need to do the skills you aim to improve at, test yourself, find your weak points, and practice the things that are hard.
When my partner and I went to Tokyo for a week, I had the perfect opportunity to test myself, and see where I stood. At first, I was holding back, didn't use my Japanese as often as I could've. I think in a city as big as Tokyo, they're so used to tourists that much of the city is set up for English as well. Often in those first few days, when someone started speaking to me in English, I just went with it. Slowly, I loosened up a bit, and began using my Japanese more. I asked questions about words I didn't know. I ordered meals for the both of us, in places that didn't speak English. It gave me a bit more confidence—okay, I can do this—but also showed me some of the areas I need to work on, and I've been thinking more about my Japanese study routine based on this important feedback.
It wasn't always easy to understand spoken Japanese. I tend to lean on reading for practice, sticking to listening practice through my classes and chats with friends, as well as podcasts. But my teachers and friends already know what my Japanese level is, and subtly shape their language to match my ability. In Japan, I sometimes struggled when questions were asked of me, or even simply when overhearing conversations between natives on the train, or announcements over shop PAs. I'm going to try and incorporate more direct listening practice into my routine, especially native materials, rather than study materials like podcasts for Japanese learners.
I also struggled a bit with reading, particularly handwritten Japanese. It's not uncommon to see a restaurant sign or menu written by hand, and these often stumped me, leaving me to piece together what I could make out based on context. Our most difficult experience came in a restaurant, where no English was used, and we were both exhausted from a long day. There's not much to do besides practice this more. I'm going to look for more handwritten materials, but just need to improve my reading ability overall. It's easy to get the gist of something and gloss over the specifics, or even just understand the meaning of a word and set aside the reading or pronunciation if I don't know off-hand. It's not always possible to be intensive about things like this, and getting the gist is usually enough; but if I want to become fluent, I need to push myself further.
The more I've studied things on my own, practiced various skills for various hobbies, the more I've realized there's overlap in how you learn things. You need to do the skills you aim to improve at, test yourself, find your weak points, and practice the things that are hard. This is often easier said than done. It might sound simple, but it's a lot easier to practice things you already know you're good at. I think it's important to try and do as many fun things as possible while studying to keep your motivation high, but some level of discomfort is also necessary.
It was a blast to go to Japan. A fun trip filled with delicious meals, beautiful moments, and delight—but also a bit of frustration and difficulty. Still, these tough times might've felt discouraging in the moment, but they showed me how far I've come, and how far I've got to go. Now to get back to work.
