Quote:
Originally Posted by YoshimiTheEthereal
How much college Japanese will I need to take to be fluent enough? I don't mean to get off-topic, but it's really important. The best I can do here in boring Kentucky is get a certificate, so for the last few years I have been teaching myself from books and websites (I am a senior in high school right now). How much more will I need?
|
I wouldn't say you need to be
fluent in Japanese before you go, but you'll need to know a hell of a lot. All of kana like your native language, a good amount of Kanji, and I'd say at least 2-3 years of rigorous study of the language. You learn a lot more in an environment of total immersion, so whatever Japanese you know will be used immensily in your first day there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
If you hate America, the best thing to do is spend 6 months or a year or two away from America. I guarantee you'll find a new appreciation for home and the things you hate will seem like not that big a deal any more.
|
This is just a common human emotion. People realize how lucky there were in a relationship when it's over. People realize how important other people are when they've lost them. Most people, if not the majority of them, don't appriciate what they have when they have it, but only after they've lost it. It's the whole reason this thread was created: MMM compared what he'd have to sacrifice if he chose to live in Japan, rather than living in Japan without thinking, realizing only afterwards the small things he'd be giving up.