Throughout all of my studies of Japanese, I have always had a pretty good understanding of the material. While there were some topics and patterns that took more time to memorize or understand, I overall had a pretty easy time understanding the structure of Japanese, how to form sentence, and how to conjugate verbs. With that being said, I struggled with improving my conversational Japanese this semester. I generally keep to myself, which may be an explanation for why I struggled with having a conversation in Japanese. I already have a bit of trouble trying to think of things to say in a conversation, so when paired with a language I’m not fluent in, it becomes more trouble.

The main area where I noticed my struggle with conversational Japanese was in Virtual Language Tables (VLT), where I had online conversations with students at Osaka Metropolitan University. I often had trouble speaking smoothly since I was too focused on understanding what my partner was saying or thinking about what to say. This lack of on-the-spot thinking paired with the pressure of continuing the conversation led to me speaking at a level of Japanese under what I actually was capable of. I was able to form long, connecting sentences for homework assignments, but when participating in VLT, I could only say simple questions or responses.

In an effort to resolve this issue, I made more of an effort to not stress out or obsess over VLT before it started. When I first started doing VLT, I would spend 20 minutes before the meeting rereading through notes and thinking about every form and word I would need in the conversation. This habit made VLT an assignment rather than a normal conversation. When I was more relaxed and prepared less prior to VLT, I was able to keep the conversation going better and didn’t have problems forming more complex sentences.

Another thing that helped me improve my conversational Japanese was listening to Japanese music. I mainly listen to Japanese music, and gradually, I would pick up some of the vocabulary or sentence structures. While it may not seem helpful, constantly hearing Japanese and immersing myself in the language made me feel more confident and comfortable speaking it.

When I recognized my weakness and tried strategies to turn it into a strength, I noticed that my Japanese as a whole was improving. After I addressed the areas where I needed improvement, I was able to focus on improving those areas and my Japanese overall. For example, when I realized I didn’t form very complex sentences in VLT, I focused on making longer sentences with multiple parts. This also helped me to improve my writing. Likewise, when I focused on improving my vocabulary for my writing, my speaking also improved.

While I may not be able to find a job that incorporates my Computer Science major and Japanese minor, they will still be beneficial in my future. For example, a lot of the media I like, whether games, shows, movies, books, or music is Japanese, so as I improve my Japanese, I will be able to apply it those interests. That application of my Japanese will in turn improve my Japanese further as I surround myself with the language. Also, I am planning on going to Japan once I become confident enough in my Japanese. While it may seem obvious, knowing Japanese won’t just help me navigate Japan, but also help me to appreciate the culture and potentially get a job in Japan or working with Japanese people.

Here are the links to the reports I wrote for VLT for JAPN 301 and JAPN 302. While not recordings or videos, they help justify the struggles and progress I’ve made in my Japanese studies.