One of my biggest goals for studying abroad was improving my Japanese, but I didn’t realize how different real-life conversation would feel compared to studying from a textbook. Over time, though, something finally clicked. Before coming to Japan, I studied Japanese for around 1.5–2 years. Most of that time was spent self-studying, although I also took organized classes. When I first arrived in Japan, I quickly realized that despite years of studying, I could mostly only read and write Japanese. My conversational skills were limited. At first, this was discouraging because I assumed that knowing the grammar and vocabulary would naturally allow me to speak the language.
Eventually, after making Japanese friends and listening to their conversations, I began to understand the flow and structure of spoken Japanese. With practice, I slowly became more comfortable speaking. Over time, my conversations became more natural, and about a month and a half ago, I reached a milestone that I am incredibly proud of: I can now understand and speak Japanese naturally without constantly translating in my head. This achievement validates the hard work I put into learning the language and allows me to accomplish the goals that originally brought me to Japan.
Being able to communicate in Japanese has helped me overcome much of the language barrier between myself and native speakers. Simple tasks such as ordering food, asking about interests, completing class assignments, and having casual conversations have become much easier. More importantly, I have noticed that people’s personalities come out much more when they can speak in their native language. At first, many Japanese students seem shy or reserved because they are nervous about communicating in English. However, when I speak Japanese first, conversations become much more relaxed and natural.
I especially noticed this with my main group of friends. When they speak English, they often have to think carefully about what they want to say, which can make them seem less expressive. In Japanese, however, they can communicate their emotions, humor, and personalities much more freely. Being able to participate in those conversations has allowed me to build deeper friendships and gain a better understanding of the people around me.
I think this growth is best reflected in the trust that others place in me. Whenever I am with people who cannot speak Japanese well, they often rely on me to ask store clerks questions, order food, or help translate. I take pride in knowing that my friends have confidence in my ability to communicate, and it reminds me how far I have come since arriving in Japan.
