First of all let me just say that I agree with the statement that you can not and should not try to learn japanese completely from TV shows of any kind.
However I agree just as much with those who say that it is a good tool for listening practice, and for picking up phrases and words you otherwise wouldn't.
In Sweden, we learn english in school from an early age, however this is true for many countries. But because we don't dub TV, atleast I personally have learned massive amounts of english that I wouldn't just by going to school. Try comparing our english knowledge to countries who dub all tv shows, and see who you'd rather try to have a conversation with.
"Japanese is not like english", you say. Of course it's not. But it's not like english doesn't have levels of politeness, much like japanese. You wouldn't get far in your career by learning english from The Wire or OZ, and then going to a job interview talking "yo, whazzaa!! can i aks if i'm be gettin this j-o-b or nawh?".
My point just beeing that watching shows enhances your language skills, if used correctly. I think you SHOULD try to broaden any language you're learning with TV/plays/shows/whateverthehellyoucanfind, just understand what it is you're learning!
On a side note, I don't remember who it was that claimed japanese people mostly always talk in the polite "-masu"-etc way. Well, surely that's true for the professional world where you don't know those you talk with. In my experience (lived 4 months in a mixed gaijin-japanese guesthouse) however, my japanese friends _very_ often used/use the shortest possible way to communicate anything
Like "baiku motteiru?" and such things.
So really, I wouldn't have been able to understand any of those things they said with just knowledge of "proper" japanese.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nathan
I could see someone picking up a word or two out of anime, maybe a couple short phrases, but never a much more. Mainly because the grammar of Japanese is so different from English.
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I think you are selling people a bit short. Just because the grammar is different won't mean people cant comprehend it.