Mastering Japanese-Lesson 12-Wrap Up!

For this final lesson of the program, I wanted to share with you one
final principle to eventually be applied in conjunction with the absorption
principle that you are presently putting into practice via your daily
marathon listening sessions.

As I mentioned before (maybe a million times already), the super solid
foundation that you are presently laying down one brick at a time is the
backbone that you will have to possess no matter what you decide to do
with the Japanese language from here on out. Whether you want to
become a professional translator or just be able to have basic
conversations with your Japanese friends, you will still have to learn
and absorb what you're presently studying. There is no way around this,
just like all babies have to learn to walk before they can run.

Now, today I'd like to talk about something called the "Specificity
Principle", which although is a term I borrowed from the sports
world is something that we can apply with great relevance to our
language studies today. Let me try explain what this principle is
all about.

Once training begins in a chosen field, one is exposed to a variety of
drills and exercises designed to enhance our overall performance.
For example, cross country runners or swimmers will cross train by
lifting weights and doing stretching. Likewise, for Japanese language
learners, there are a myriad of supplemental textbooks and language
schools out there geared towards developing our fluency.

However, the "Specificity Principle" while not downplaying the
importance of supplemental training methods, essentially states
that the best way to develop one's ability in performing a certain
act is to repetitively and specifically perform that very act.

That is why outside of supplemental training, basketball players
spend more time practicing playing basketball than anything else,
swimmers swim more than anything else, and professional fighters
fight (spar) more than anything else because both experience
and wisdom has revealed that the best way to achieve excellency
in doing something is to deliberately practice doing that very thing
over and over, while consistently honing one's skills throughout
the entire process.

Hence, this leads us to the next big step of your program. After
about a year or so of doing your listening sessions, I want you to
ask yourself the following big question:

************************************************************
"Eventually, what do I want to end up doing in Japanese?"
************************************************************

In other words, why are you studying Japanese? Do you want to
be able to enjoy Japanese television? Do you want to be able to
enjoy Japanese comics and animation? Do you want to
become a professional translator or maybe even an interpreter?
If so, in what field, because translators usually specialize?
Is there a particular position in a particular industry that you
are interested in working in? Are you a Christian missionary
who wants to bring the gospel to the unsaved. Whatever it
is, the easier you can specifically identify whatever it is you
want to do in Japanese, the sooner you can begin acquiring
the specialized vocabulary, knowledge and know-how needed to
succeed in your field.

Once you have specifically defined what it is you want to do
in Japanese, begin the practice of that very activity on a
regular basis. For example, let's say you want to prepare
yourself to become a professional financial translator. Try
translating one article a week from the Wall Street Journal
dealing with the stock market. Or let's say you have a dream
of acting in Japanese movies or television. Join a theater club
and/or partner up with somebody to practice scenes from
famous plays or movies. If you want to become a Christian
Pastor, maybe try to prepare some sermons in Japanese or
maybe try to create an FAQ pamphlet that would answer
common questions that your average Japanese person would
have about the Christian faith. If you just want to develop
conversation skills, join a Japanese-speaking only conversation
club (trust me, there are plenty out there) or maybe even take
a class dealing with a subject that you're greatly interested in.

And of course while you're doing this, continue on with the
marathon absorption listening sessions as they will only serve
to strengthen the primary Japanese activity you have chosen.

So there you have it The two principles you need to achieve
great success in the Japanese language.

THE ABSORPTION PRINCIPLE

and

THE SPECIFICITY PRINCIPLE

In closing, I just wanted to thank you, the reader, for giving this program
a try. Without your persistence, I myself might not have had the
persistence to keep writing these lessons week after week. Hence,
your passion and enthusiasm served as fuel for me too. What I wrote
was basically a distillation of the accumulation of my experiences and
thoughts pertaining to the study of the Japanese language over the
years. I hope they are useful to you.

Mastering Japanese-Lesson 11-Finding Work in Japanese

Okay, in this lesson I'm going to talk about finding work in Japan
as it relates to one's Japanese language ability. Given that I
worked as a professional staff dispatcher for five years prior
to assuming my present position as a translator at a power company,
I feel that this is a topic I should be able to discuss with some
degree of authority.

During my years as a bilingual staffing agent, I have had
the opportunity to meet with the heads and personnel
departments of some of the world's most prestigious and
well-known corporations in the world such as the Hilton
Hotel, Brinks Japan, UL Apex, Walt Disney, Rolls Royce
Japan and practically every major international law firm in
the world possessing a strong global presence. (Actually,
the same month I made an appointment to meet with
Lehman Brothers was the month the parent company of
the subsidiary I was working at decided to shut us down.
This happened near the end of 2008. Does that year ring a
bell? Well, at least I wasn't the only one to lose my job during
this　time.) I also worked with banks,　shipping firms, IT firms,
PR firms, fashion　companies, department stores, patent
offices, manufacturers, security firms and even travel agencies.

During this time, not only did I become quite familiar with the
Tokyo railway system but via fulfilling a myriad of bilingual
staffing requests which involved countless negotiations with
corporate officers of all different ranks and presiding over a
whole slew of interviews, over the years, both consciously and
unconsciously, I feel like I have acquired a fairly solid understanding
of many of the intricacies unique to the Japanese　workplace
and hiring methods especially as it relates to bilingual positions.　
The experience was quite eye-opening, not to mention the
many hours of Japanese language I absorbed.

I wanted to start off by providing a brief breakdown of the
types of job seekers presently in the market followed by a
brief and general explanation of their potential strengths and
limitations in the job market. Please keep in mind that this
list is not exhaustive by any means or a 100% accurate reflection
of the realities of today's job market in Japan. They are simply
general observations that I have come across from my many
years of working in Japan as a recruiter.

If there is any one thing I have learned in my 40 or so years
of living life on this planet is that life is ultimately wacky and
wild. In fact, if there is any one point that has impressed
itself considerably upon me is the fact that bilingual skill while
highly valued is not some magic silver bullet that will automatically
open the doors to a high-paying lucrative job. The truth is I
have witnessed countless examples of monolingual foreigners
outearn bilingual foreigners. There are so many other factors
that come into play such as one's age, gender, personality,
personal connections etcetera that it is practically impossible
to perfectly predict one's career trajectory based on just a
few outstandiing characteristics such as superb bilingual ability.

However, with regards to the following list, we will assume
the following four points of commonality:

a)
All job seekers have a proper visa to work in Japan
b)
Each person has at least a 4-year or the equivalent of a
4-year college degree (without this, you cannot get a
work visa anyway)
c)
Every person except group three (obviously) possesses
business-level English ability
d)
The job opportunities discussed here will intrinsically be
connected to the invisible skills and knowledge that one
possesses and not one's physical appearance. Hence,
modelling, acting jobs and the like will not be mentioned.

Further, the difference between a "Bilingual" and a
"Perfect Bilingual"listed here is that a "Perfect Bilingual"
can speak both accent-free English and Japanese like a
native whereas in the case of a "Bilingual'', his or her
native tongue is obviously the stronger of the two
languages.

=============================================================
1) Mono-lingual Native English-speaking Foreigners
College-educated foreigners of all ages from this group
in the beginning are pretty much relegated to the following
three types of jobs when they first get here:

a) English Conversation Instructor
b) English Conversation Instructor
OR
c) English Conversation Instructor

After a year or so goes by, some of them remain as English
conversation instructors but acquire more respectable teaching
positions at High Schools, Universities etcetera.

The others, usually those who become totally fedup with
teaching, are seduced into super high-pressure sales jobs
selling financial products or becoming "professional recruiters
(headhunters)". We're are talking about hours upon hours
of cold-calling and engaging in other practices that could be
considered shall we say "morally questionable" in order to
meet a set quota. Those who are able to survive the initial
cutthroat initiation process (usually those possessing both a
thick skin and an even thicker conscience) can move on to
make quite a bit of money and gain the sort of respectability
that I guess they felt like they weren't getting when they were
teaching English. However, for those who for whatever reason
weren't able to hack the pressures connected to a high-pressure
sales job, either end up studying Japanese and graduating
from this group or end up going back to one of the following jobs:

a) English Conversation Instructor
b) English Conversation Instructor
OR
c) English Conversation Instructor

Note:
I am also not mentioning the bartending jobs in Roppongi
or Foreign Guest House Manager jobs (basically apartment
maintenance, toilet/kitchen cleaning, taking out the garbage etc.)
that are sometimes available for monolinguals only.
=================================================================

2) Mono-lingual Non-native English speaking Foreigners

Minus any Japanese-speaking ability, non-native English
speaking foreigners are pretty much the same as native
English-speakers, just of inferior quality (linguistically speaking
that is), Hence, the description above basically applies to
them unless they can find a job doing the following:

a)
A translation job that allows them to translate from
their native tongue into English and/or vice versa.

b)
A teaching job that allows them to teach their
native tongue whether it be Arabic, French or
whatever. (But finding a language that will beat
English in terms of demand is going to be quite
a challenging proposition.)
==================================================================

***********CONCLUSION ONE************************************
If you're an English-speaking foreigner who cannot speak
Japanese, unless you possess some kind of special outstanding
skill or qualification in some field like law, finance, or IT/Engineering
, and I mean something really special, like Ivy League qualifications
followed by a couple of years of hardcore field work, you're teaching
English baby. I can almost 90% guarantee it. Hell, I've even seen
Harvard graduates and experienced lawyers come out here and end
up on the English teaching grill. Think about it like this. If
Tom Cruise somehow became broke, came to Japan and couldn't find an
acting job, he'd be teaching English.
***************************************************************

===============================================================
3) Mono-lingual Japanese

Obviously, the majority of the population falls into this category.
With regards to this group, all I can say is that as long as these
individuals stay based in Japan, linguistically speaking, they have
practically no limitations.

I am about to suggest something here that might jam your gears
a bit. My experience has led me to believe that English is just not
that important to your average Japanese person out there unless
he or she has to perform a job that specifically requires English (like
a translation job to give an obvious example).

Sure I'm aware of the somewhat ridiculous Hollywood star power
connected to English ability because it is the language of the
United States (and let there be no doubt about it, although
England through her colonization efforts planted the initial seeds
leading to the physical spread of English, the US popularized
English, primarily through her entertainment industry), the fact
remains that practically and objectively speaking, English's role
in Japan is quite limited. Consider the following:

-The highest paying jobs in this country are not bilingual positions.
Actually, let me rephrase, the majority of jobs in this country
are not bilingual positions. Did you hear me here? Let me repeat
it so it really sinks in. THE MAJORITY OF JOBS IN THIS COUNTRY
ARE NOT BILINGUAL POSITIONS. If this isn't sufficient evidence
that you're average Japanese person doesn't need English, I don't
know what is.
-The majority of top executives of Japanese corporations are NOT
fluent in English. On the contrary, they tend to take the opposite
attitude of "If somebody wants to work or do business for us,
they had better learn Japanese." If they confront a situation where
English is necessary, they do the intelligent thing and hire a
professional translator.
-Even those who speak English very well have difficulty finding jobs in
which they can use their English. The simple truth of the matter is that
most people seldom have a chance to use English at work. Why?
Because as I just said, IT AIN'T THAT NECESSARY!
-The majority of adult English learners in Japan are female who for the
most part study the language because they see it as a potential way
to escape the confines hoisted upon them by traditional Japanese
corporations.

**************CONCLUSION TWO******************************
Japan as a nation does require English in a limited capacity
(specifically in the import sector), but these needs can be
fulfilled by a relatively small number of language specialists
who normally end up being ambitious Japanese females who
study English as a tool to escape the confining aspects of
Japanese society. Japan's limited need of English can be
perfectly exemplified in my present position as translator/
English proofreader at a power company. At our headoffice,
we have approximately 3000 employees. Now out of this number,
how many native English-speakers do you think we have employed
here? Besides me, there is one other person, so that's two in
total.

In other words, between the two of us, we handle all of the
native-English speaking needs at the head office of Japan's
biggest power company. I swear, people seriously exaggerate
how much Japan really needs English. Heck, even the United
States doesn't rely on the supremacy of the English language
to effectively carry out its international needs. We are also
dependent to a large extent on a large number of language
specialists, especially given the global fight on terrorism we
find ourselves presently entrenched in.
************************************************************

============================================================
3) Bilingual English-speaking Foreigner
If you are a bilingual English-speaking Foreigner who is
fluent in Japanese and I mean really fluent, meaning you
can speak, read and write at a business level, (being able
to spurt out a couple of phrases at a Roppongi bar
after having downed a couple of tequila sunrises doesn't
quite cut it), then give yourself a pat on the shoulder
and congratulate yourself because if you haven't already,
you're about to leave the English-teaching world behind
forever and embark on a new adventure.

Depending on your level of fluency and your age (the age
of 35 is generally considered to be the cutoff line for
those who are considering a career change.), there really isn't
anything you can't do. The question isn't so much, "what can
I do?" but is more along the lines of "what do you want
to do?" The skies, the limit. Finance, fashion, IT, shipping,
real estate, just pick your field and begin rocking and rolling.

If I was to make some general observations, most
corporations will still value your English ability and
might possibly work in a unique role for you that
will play to your native English-speaking ability.
This is actually a really good position to be in
because you'll have your own niche, a safety moat
that will keep your job protected through the years
while the surrounding Japanese characteristically sweat
and fret to meet their quotas and maintain good relations
with both their bosses and clients. And don't worry
about having to use English a little bit here or there,
because for the majority of your day you'll be surrounded
by Japanese.

Hence, when I think of potential employment opportunities
for this group of job seekers, what usually comes to mind
is the position of Coordinator; in other words, somebody
who serves as liason between the Japanese staff and
the English-speaking world. Such positions are normally
found in the hospitality industry, real estate agencies,
shipping companies, and trading corporations. These are
very attractive positions and can be quite high-paying.
=============================================================
4) Perfect Bilingual Foreigner

Basically, this person possesses two native languages,
English and Japanese. When he/she speaks Japanese,
his/her accent and the whole of his/her body language
is 100% native. On the other hand, the exact same
phenomenom occurs when the same person switches to
English. Its actually quite amazing, almost like dealing
with somebody who has multiple personality disorder.
These types are extremely rare. I would gather that
quite a bit of them actually have mixed blood, having
either a Japanese father or mother. Most of them
grew up in Japan. Maybe their parents came to Japan
as Christian missionaries or the father was transferred
to Japan on a long-term company assignment. Depending
on the economic status of the family, some will be sent
to prestigious international schools. Others will end up
going to the local schools.

Obviously, for this group, the skies, the limit. Given that
they essentially face no linguistic barriers, their limitations
will lie in other areas. However, those out of this group
who do decide to focus on the exploitation of their linguistic
talents, usually make great DJs and bilingual TV announcers.
And for obvious reasons, they also make great simultaneous
interpreters.
============================================================
5) Bilingual Japanese

As mentioned earlier, the majority of this population
are Japanese females, who view English ability as a
means to escape the stifling confines of a society that
keeps them boxed into certain predesignated roles
that are very hard to break out of minus a very strong
personality and even stronger ambition.

During my years as a temp staff dispatcher, this was
the group I dealt with the most. Bilingual executive
secretaries, group secretaries, receptionists, accounting
assistants, paralegals, booth translators for company
events etcetera.

I should also mention that this group does also include
those male Japanese who decide to work at a foreign
company in Japan. Basically, renegade Japanese who
dissatisfied with traditional corporate life decide to hedge
their bets for the fast track and fast cash to potentially
be had at the number of foreign-capitalized firms
primarily concentrated in the Minato Prefecture area
of Tokyo (think of investment banking). Many of the
existing GAIJIN headhunting firms deal specifically in
this area.
===========================================================
6) Perfect Bilingual Japanese

The majority of Japanese who can speak native-like
English are usually Japanese returnees who have spent
an extended period of time oversees and like their
foreign counterparts (#4 in this article) have no linguistic
limitations. Given that they also have no racial barriers,
I would say that they are at a distinct advantage when
compared to the Perfect Bilingual foreigner as they are
as capable as fitting into Japanese society as much
as they'd like or for those of these who feel somewhat
qualitatively superior than their Japanese peers as much
as their ego will let them. The sky is basically the limit
here.

One weakness I have noticed with this group however is
their tendency to attach too much importance to their
bilingual ability. The best way to illustrate how this can
be a weakness is to share something that the late great
martial artist Bruce Lee once said when asked how he
would react if attacked by somebody with a knife. I wasn't
able to find the direct quote, but it goes something
like this:

"The person holding a knife is likely to be too focused on
it. In his mind, all he has is one weapon. His only concern
is with how he can use the knife. That's all he can see.
He has essentially become blinded. I, on the other hand,
mentally and physically am not encumbered in such a way.
I've got my two hands and my two feet, all four of which
are deadly striking weapons. I could run or maybe pick up
some heavy object to bash his head in with. I am thinking
360 degrees all around this guy who thinks he's somehow
got the upperhand on me because of the one measly knife
he's holding."

Now let's rewrite the above quote a bit by substituting the
"blingual ability" in exchange of knife, and it will become
crystal clear how attaching too much importance to a certain
skill can hamper rather than help one's career prospects.
Here we go:

"The person with perfect English and Japanese bilingual ability
is likely to be too focused on his linguistic capabilities. His
only career concern is how he can utilize this bilingual ability.
That's all he can see. He has essentially become blinded to
all other potential skills and experiences he might be able to
offer and to a multitude of other possibly very lucrative
domestic opportunities he might be a good match for
because he insists on the utilization of his English skill at the
expense of everything else. He has become too attached to
this one skill, forgetting that language is simply a communication
tool, nothing more, nothing less."

I submit to you, that for the Japanese national, in practically
every industry, not only are there overwhelming more career
opportunities where English ability is not a decisive factor
but that the most juiciest opportunities lie within this category
as well. After all, if you're Japanese, remember Japan is your
country. Why shouldn't the best opportunities be available
to you?

Unfortunately, in general, I do not think the same thing
can be said for the foreigner staying in Japan for the longterm.
Lack of Japanese ability will only serve as an unwelcome
pair of handcuffs that will incapacitate your potential
both socially and professionally.

**************FINAL CONCLUSION****************************
If you are a foreigner in Japan planning to stay here for the
long-term, study Japanese, study Japanese, study Japanese!
Study Japanese with the motivation that a drowning man has for oxygen.
Every phrase learned, every Chinese character (KANJI) firmly
inputted into your memory bank will be paid back in spades
guaranteed. Even if you decide to remain an English instructor
or do some other type of work not necessarily requiring Japanese,
I would still recommend studying the language for how it
will greatly enhance your social life outside of work and the
tremendous amount of personal fulfilment you will derive from
engaging in such a stimulating and challenging endeavor.
*******************************************************

Mastering Japanese-Lesson10-The Accent Issue

Alright, in this lesson I want to talk about the most important
feature of the Japanese language that you would do good
to pay extra special attention to if you ever want to gain
the respect of the Japanese in Japanese. Of course,
it's easy for us to gain the respect of the Japanese in
English. English is our native tongue and combining
that with the Japanese worship of English equals an easy
recipe for igniting the admiration and respect of practically
any member of the Japanese population by simply opening
our mouths and speaking.

However, I'm talking about taking the road less travelled.
One of the true signs of achieving close to mastery in a
foreign language is the ability to command respect and
invoke a wide variety of feelings in the Japanese listener
via your skillful delivery of the many words and phrases
that you have absorbed in their native tongue not yours.

Along these lines, I want to get back to the point initially
mentioned concerning the most important characteristic to
be paid attention to during your quest to slay the Japanese
language dragon. Out of the following choices, which one do
you think it is?

a) A massive vocabulary
b) pronunciation
c) intonation
d) Grammar pattern mastery
e) Reading and Writing ability

Before I give you the answer, let me just first state upfront
that ultimately every characteristic mentioned above is
important to achieving fluency. (You should be happy to
know that the program you are presently on exercises all five
characteristics simulataneously. So keep on rocking!). So I
would not advise overemphasizing too strongly one characteristic
at the expense of all the others. But, and in light of the
uniqueness of Japanese culture this is a pretty major but,
out of the aforementioned features, there is one characteristic
that is held in higher esteem above all the others when it comes to
determining whether or not a foreigner's Japanese is good or bad..

In fact it is considered to be so important, that your skill level
in this area will be the ultimate decisive factor that will determine
whether or not a Japanese person will reply back to you in
their native tongue when you attempt to speak to him/her in
Japanese. In fact, I distinctly remember my linguistics professor
from university days lecturing on the composite facets of language
and he also stated that this is the one feature that will determine
whether or not your speech will "sound" pleasing to the listener.

That last sentence should have been more than a hint. Anyways, if
you guessed "c" for intonation, congratulations! You hit the hammer
right on the head. You may have passed level one of the Japanese
proficiency exam, possess a tremendous vocabulary and be able to
read newspapers fluently, but if you have a really thick accent, people
are going to have a hard time taking you seriously (especially in a
homogeneous country like this one) or you'll simply be written off as a bad
Japanese speaker. Let me use an example that should make things even
clearer. Imagine your favorite song being sung way out of tune.
Sucks, doesn't it? Well, that's how a really bad foreign accent sounds
to native Japanese speakers. Even if they can make out what you're saying,
they're whole nervous system is screaming "Boy, it sure is embarrasing to
speak to this foreigner in Japanese. Let's finish this conversation
ASAP or switch to English."

Honestly, I don't think its possible to overemphasize how crucial proper
intonation in this country really is. For example, when Japanese
sincerely compliment somebody on how well their Japanese is (I'm actually
talking about a real sincere compliment here, not the usual two-faced
compliment akin to being told you can use chopsticks so well), 99% of
the time, they will either consciously or otherwise be referring to
your accent. In fact, the accent is so important, that all other things
being equal, you can be refused to be hired for a job simply for
speaking with a foreign accent. Usually ads for these jobs stipulate
"native speakers only" in the list of required qualifications (obviously
illegal in the US.).

Here are some FAQs related to this issue:

****************************************************************
Question:
Why in Japan is it such a big deal whether one has an accent
or not ?

Answer:
Because it is one of the primary distinguishing features between a
native speaker and a non-native speaker. Most foreigners have an
accent. In fact it is very difficult to get rid of an accent without
DELIBERATE PRACTICE via a language coach or at least thousands
of hours of absorption. Hence, if you can speak accent-less Japanese,
it will raise eyebrows, especially in an island nation such as this one.
Most people will think that you grew up in Japan from a very young
age and as a result assume that you possess a native understanding
of both the language and the culture. Either way, they will definitely
warm up to you which is the exact opposite effect you will get if
you don't get rid of your accent.
*************************************************************
Question:
All right big-talking man! How good is your accent?

Answer:
Practically native. Not perfect but pretty close. I attribute
this to the marathon listening sessions I've been undergoing
over about the past four years.
***********************************************************
Question:
What do yout think is the best way to get rid of your accent?

Answer:
First, although passive and somewhat an unconscious process,
what you're doing right now with the listening sessions is an
excellent first step. Think about it, over time you will eventually
physically absorb literally hundreds of hours of native spoken
Japanese through your ears. That in and of itself will put you
a level above somebody who is going to Japanese school only
once or twice or even three times a week.

Second, employ the principle of "active listening" into your life.
A lot of people make a big deal about the accent thinking that
it is overwhelmingly difficult compared to the other aspects of
language learning. However, I think that its just a matter of
training our ears to focus and really listen to the differences
between your Japanese and a native speaker's? Are you able
to discern the difference with your ears?

It might be difficult in the beginning, because unless you are
a trained musician or a professional actor, most likely those
neural impulses of the brain connected to your active listening
muscles have gone dormant. Our education system trains
us well in being able to read and conceptualize via the written
word, but when it comes to the fine art of accent replication,
we become intimidated and make a big deal out of it simply
because we are not used to it. What a stupid reason!
Get used to it! Personally, I think it is ridiculous that every
Japanese language school I've visited without exception does
not have an accent class. I'm talking about one class simply
dedicated to teaching the basic A, B, C's of Japanese intonation.
I mean there are tons of grammar classes, tons of kanji classes,
a spree of conversation and newspaper article classes but
absolutely NO ACCENT CLASSES. And as I mentioned and as any
linguistic professor worth his salt will tell you, this is one of the
most IMPORTANT aspects of smooth communication. If your
accent sucks, your ability to communicate sucks! Period!

I think we can learn a lot from the art of acting in this sense.
When an actor is hired to play a role, memorizing the script lines
is just the first step, he or she also has to understand the culture
and the motivation behind the lines. Further, since he or she
also has to become at one with the character, perfectly adopting the
character's speaking style and rhythm is also required. For
example, look at all the great Australian actors who have spoken
in perfect American accents in their movies such as Mel Gibson
and Heath Ledger. Robert De Niro's performance of Vito Corleone
in the Godfather II is also worth mentioning. He won an oscar for
this role which was portrayed almost entirely in Italian, a language he
was not fluent in prior to accepting the role. In fact, he immersed
himself so thoroughly in this role that in those few scenes where he
did use English, he spoke haltingly as if English was his second language.

Check out this youtube and notice how De Niro's facial and body
gestures perfectly complement his Italian speaking style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GlsXzgOIBI

Thirdly, hire an outside pair of ears to help you strengthen your
awareness in terms of how off your accent is when you speak
Japanese. I did this for a while with some movie scripts and it helped
tremendously. I ended up realizing that fixing one's accent wasn't as
difficult as I thought it was. Japanese is pretty flat actually with just
a few fluctuations depending on the word or phrase. A Japanese
speaker actually reminds me of Slash (guitar player from G'N'R)
when he speaks English, kind of calm, cool, and collected. No
major highs or lows.
,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7CsYvuFpUo

I think this is a good speaking style to adopt if you're a beginner.
Smooth, relaxed, like a quiet spring breeze blowing through a
calm forest. No nervous tension, just relaxed, cool and in the
moment.

Mastering Japanese-Lesson 9-Martial Arts & Language Learning

Today I want to talk about how learning a language
is very similar to martial arts training or more specifically
Bruce Lee's martial arts philosophy.

Let me start by confessing that like probably every other
Asian American out there, I'm also a major Bruce Lee fan,
having spent many a long hour watching his movies and
reading his books. The concept that he coined, known as
Jeet Kune Do or "The Way of the Intercepting Fist"is really
quite revolutionary and very practical. However, what's
really great about Jeet Kune Do is that this philosophy can
be applied to other endeavors or artistic pursuits outside of
the martial arts. Unfortunately, I think most people never
really understood what Jeet Kune Do is all about. A lot of
people think it is another style like Karate or Wing Chun
with its own unique punches and kicks borrowed from a
bunch of other styles. Nothing could be further from the truth.

If I was to try to explain Jeet Kune Do in my own words,
I would boil it down to this:

"Do what's right for you in a given situation."

For example, let's take a look at the following problem
situation:

A CASE SCENARIO:
A thoroughly intoxicated 6'4, 230 pound man throws a
left hook at you. How should you react?

a) Run like hell.

b) Intercept with a faster punch of your own.

c) Kick him in the balls.

d) Side kick him in his knee caps.

e) Grab the nearest heaviest object and smash
him over the head with it.

So what do you think the right answer is?

The answer is all of them or none of them. That's right!
It all depends on the situation. Let's say you're trapped
inside a fairly small room, then forgot about option A.
If you're only five feet tall in comparison to his six foot
four inch stature, then forget about option B and there
might not be enough leg room to be able to execute a
side kick for option D ad infinitum ad nauseum.

Do you get the point here?

Everybody is different and every situation is different.
Hence, the best action you can take will always be
contingent on the following two points:

1) Your ability (or to be more accurate, your ability to express your
true ability honestly minus any superficial trappings) and・・・

2) The situation you find yourself in.

Now let's look at a similar situation in the linguistic realm:
While taking a stroll outside, a non-English speaking Japanese
person comes up to you and asks for directions to Shibuya
Station in Japanese. Here are your choices:

a)
Feeling nervous about your ability to express yourself,
you just tell the person in English that you don't understand.

b)
Gesture with your finger towards the direction of
the station.

c)
Explain in fluent Japanese how to get to the station.

Again, the best choice is the one that most suits
your ability. If you simply cannot speak Japanese,
then forget about option C. Move towards option A.
However, let's say you're already quite near the
the station. Then suddenly option B becomes very practical.

This is basically the heart and soul of JKD. Taking the
most efficient action that you are capable of at a given
time.　　However, it doesn't stop there. Since the most
efficient　action is directly connected to your capabilities.
It logically　follows that if you expand your capabilities,
your range　of efficient actions will also expand resulting
in potentially　quite different outcomes of the aforementioned
and following situations:

Situation One:
You find yourself traveling through the countryside
in Japan. You're in an area where there are no
foreigners, the local population speaks no English
and you are lost.

Situation Two:
You are in a job interview where its success is
contigent on your Japanese language ability.

Situation Three:
You are having dinner at your friend's house. All of
a sudden he/she passes out. You immediately
call the 104 emergency info number and are told
there are no English operators on staff at the moment.

Whattaya gonna do?

Well, Bruce's answer would be train baby! Train every
muscle in your body. Be prepared for any and every
situation.

The fanaticism aside, I think we can agree that the more
situations we are prepared for (linguistically speaking),
the less struggles we will have and the more enjoyable
life in Japan will be.

So the first thing we start with are the basic
techniques　that are the same for all beginners.
For example,　basic jab, front kick, roundhouse
kick etcetera.

In the linquistic realm, this could be likened to
grammar patterns and vocabulary. For example,

これはーーーーーです。This is a --------.

Now let's take a look at the three stages of growth
in Bruce Lee's JKD and how it relates to language
learning.

********************************************************
STAGE ONE
Before I learned a punch, a punch was just a punch.
LINGUISTIC REALM INTERPRETATION:
Before I learned a given grammar pattern, I just
spoke (my own native tongue) without even thinking
about it.
********************************************************
STAGE TWO:
After I learned a punch, it was no longer a punch.
LINGUISTIC REALM INTERPRETATION:
After I learned how to say something in another language,
it felt so unnatural, slow and cumbersome to me and I
also viewed the same phrase in my native tongue in a new
a fresh, objective light.
********************************************************
STAGE THREE:
I finally came back to the realization that a punch is
just a punch.
LINGUISTIC REALM INTERPRETATION:
(After hundreds of hours of absorption), utilizing the grammar
patterns that have become second nature to me, I can express
myself without even thinking in Japanese just like my
native English. In other words, I no longer have to think
about what to say, it happens
********************************************************
Did you ever have a time when you just instantaneously
responded to somebody with the perfect answer or phrase
without even thinking about it? If so, that's what I'm talking
about.

In other words, at the stage you're at right now, please be
PERSISTENT! Keep doing what you're doing. Don't worry,
in due time, we will shift you over to live speaking situations.
However, if you jump into the ring too early, you'll just end
up injuring yourself or linguistically speaking, end up solidifying
bad habits that will have to be undone later.

Keep up with the absorption for now! Metaphorically speaking
first THOROUGHLY learn how to correctly throw that jab,
side kick, backfist etcetera before stepping into the ring.
You'll be much better for it. And please don't forget that the
emphasized word "thoroughly" in this context means hundreds
of hours of absorption.

Before closing, I just wanted to share the following snippet
from an interview conducted with Wallay Jay, one of the
elite martial artists Bruce Lee trained with during his
California days.

Interview Question:
In your opinion, what was the most intriguing attribute Bruce
possessed?

Answer:
He was smart, very clever. The secret is 'REPETITION'.

Did you catch that? The secret is REPETITION.

Please keep on with the listening sessions.

Mastering Japanese-Lesson 8-Japanese Mindset & Culture

In this lesson, we are going to explore the sometimes unfathomable
and very mysterious aspects of the Japanese mindset and culture
as it relates to Japanese language study. These are very important
things you should know because a nation's language is strongly linked
to its culture. Hence, the more your knowledge deepens of one, the
more insight you develop into the other and vice versa.

When I was 17 years old, my father was transferred to Japan from
the States for a couple of years on business. This resulted in the
whole family including me being suddenly relocated into a foreign land
whose language and ways were completely Greek to us. I ended up
attending a private Catholic international school called St. Joseph
whose curricula was all-English. It was a very high quality (and also
very expensive) education whose graduates ended up attending some
of the finest universities in the world (mainly concentrated in the US).

One class that I'll never forget was our history class taught by a jolly,
rotund man named Mr. Alf. He had a theater background and his
lectures could be as entertaining as they were informative. Further,
having lived in Japan for quite a long time, his insight into the cultural
differences between Japan and the West were very perceptive. One
day he was talking about the attitudinal differences that Americans and
Japanese respectively have toward their nation's languages. What he
said struck me as quite profound and to this day I have never forgotten
his comment.

"Americans" he said, "don't really give a damn how somebody speaks
English as long as they speak it." "On the the hand, the Japanese
don't expect non-Japanese to speak their language and are actually
quite uncomfortable with foreigners who are as fluent as native
speakers."

His comment reminds of the following other interesting quotes:

"Seeing that you speak Japanese, they will wag their heads and
smile condescendingly, and will admit to each other that you are
really quite intelligent-much as we would do in the presence of a
pig or ape of somewhat unusual attainments."
(Basil Hall Chamberlain, 1904)

"The foreigner in Japan, so long as he is not thought to be a
permanent immigrant, is treated very politely, but always as an
outsider. If he speaks Japanese at all, no matter how badly,
he is praised for this remarkable accomplishment, as though he
or she were an idiot child who suddenly showed a streak of
intelligence.
(Edwin O. Reischauer, 1977)

When I look back over the years at my own experience of
having pretty much spent two lifetimes both here (in Japan)
and the US, I recall Mr. Alf's above comment along with the
others and it strikes me how very right he was. In a
heterogenous society such as the US, (especially if you live
in a fairly big city like San Francisco), it is commonplace to be
exposed to a myriad of different accents, rhythms and speaking
styles as one goes about one's daily routine whether it be
grabbing a cab driven by a Lebanese, purchasing a newspaper
from a Russian, calling the local phone company and speaking
to a Chinese-accented operator, depositing a check at the bank
with a Korean, stopping at the deli to get a sandwich from a
Romanian etcetera. And I'm not referring to stereotypical roles,
you could easily switch the nationalities of each of the above and
in terms of realism the scenario depicted above would still be just
as valid.

Contrast this with homogenous Japan, outside of that rare exception
that occasionally slips through the crack (and that person is usually
one of those rare cases of being a foreigner who was born and grew
up in Japan. In other words the native-Japanese speaking foreigner),
foreigners who can speak Japanese fluently but have foreign accents
are usually nine times out of 10 relegated to roles that are specifically
connected to their native tongue (especially if its English) or are in a
"specially-created position" where they only deal with other foreigners
just like them. However, outside of fastfood joints, it is very rare and
I would surmise also very difficult for a foreigner although being fluent
in Japanese to land a career position that has nothing whatsoever to
do with his or her foreignness.

So basically in a nutshell what we are dealing with is a high degree of
xenophobia characteristic of all ethnic groups but in Japan's case
bordering on extreme levels of paranoia bolstered by fear and deep
insecurity.

America says: If you want to be one of us, learn English!
Japan says: You will never be one of us, so why bother learning
Japanese?

In other words, speaking from personal experience, what it comes
down to is this: DEEP DOWN INSIDE, THE JAPANESE REALLY DON'T WANT
YOU TO BECOME TOO GOOD AT THEIR LANGUAGE.

Right now, you've just started studying and maybe you're receiving
a lot of praise from your Japanese friends encouraging you and
urging you to keep up with your studies. Well, what I'm about to say
might not be pretty but I believe there is a ring of truth to it. So
here goes: I submit to you that the Japanese friends who you speak
English to now will cease to be your friends once your Japanese
reaches a level exceeding their English level and you begin to speak
to them in Japanese.

I'm sorry to say this and I hope to God that I am wrong but from my
own and my many friends' personal experience, this phenomenom has
reared its ugly head time and time again. I can't even count how many
girls suddenly lost interest in dating me once I stopped speaking English
to them and or how many other so-called "friends" suddenly stopped
hanging out with me once my Japanese level started to become
dangerously fluent.

This leads me to my next point. It can be summed up in the following
four words:

"The Japanese English Complex"

Have you ever wondered why the Japanese don't have any
problems speaking their own language fluently with Chinese,
Koreans or other Asians that can speak Japanese but when it
comes to Westerners or those whose native language is English,
they've just got to speak English or at the least slip in as many
English words as they can into the conversation. The answer is
simple, it all comes down to the English complex.

I don't think one can even begin to measure the psychological
toll Japan suffered after being defeated by the Americans in WWII.
I'm talking about psychological ramifications that continue to hold
this nation in bondage to this day. It has basically divided the
country into two camps:

*****************************************************************
CAMP A:
The Japanese in this camp have a severe inferiority complex towards
native English speakers. In the sixties, seventies and eighties, this
worship complex was limited to only caucasians but has now extended
to native English speakers of all colors and backgrounds. This type of
person actually wishes he or she wasn't born Japanese having been
so brainwashed into believing in the superiority of the American or
Western culture. I wouldn't even try speaking Japanese to a person
from this camp. Variant strains from the thought processes of this
camp can manifest themselves in the following ways:

1)
The Japanese (usually female) who dates foreigners because
not only can this person practice his/her English but it elevates
his/her self-esteem. He or she somehow feels more sophisticated
and suave than the "simpleton" and "uncool" masses.

2)
The Japanese person who would never date a Chinese or Korean
but if the individual in question were a Chinese-American or Korean-
American, would have no reservations whatsoever in dating that
person. In other words, if you're a Chinese from China or a Korean
from Korea, VERY BAD. But if you're a Chinese or Korean born and
raised in America, VERY GOOD! What kind of messed up thinking is
that? (Actually, a lot of Japanese I met in this states think like
this.)

3)
The Japanese parent who would rather have his/her daughter or son
marry a white westerner rather than a Chinese or Korean even though
the Chinese or Korean is obviously racially and culturally closer to the
Japanese.

4)
The Japanese returnee (帰国子女）who feels ultra-special or superior
because he or she can essentially speak both languages like a native.
However, this person's "superiority complex" is just the other side
of the coin known as the "inferiority complex".

Here are a couple of interesting quotes shedding more light on this
interesting pyschological phenomenom:

"They also point to Japan’s longstanding unease with the rest of Asia
and its own sense of identity… Much of Japan’s history in the last
century and a half has been guided by the goal of becoming more like
the West and less like Asia. Today, China and South Korea’s rise
to challenge Japan’s position as Asia’s economic, diplomatic and
cultural leader is inspiring renewed xenophobia against them here."

"Japan is VERY westernized. they basically put the white man on a
pedestal. hence the portrayal of japanese with caucasian features,
how pathetic is that really. it’s quite strange how they supposedly
“belittle” chinese and koreans by depicting them as having asian
features which they for the most part have as well."

******************************************************************
CAMP B:

The Japanese in this camp deep down inside are basically
right-wingers. They are still extremely frustrated about the
fact that Japan lost WWII and the fact that their present
constitution is a document drawn up by the United States.
They pity those from Camp A, considering them to hopelessly
brainwashed. This reminds me of one comment I overheard heard
from some Japanese bloke who when referring to a fairly attractive
Japanese girl walking arm-in-arm with a foreigner remarked,
"Everytime I see that I swear I wanna slap the girl and stab the guy."

However, since they view the global dissemination of English as a
product of Western imperialism, they refuse to succumb to, as
they see it, the Englicizing of the world. Hence, they have a
tendency to take the attitude that foreigners in Japan should
learn Japanese. However, that is putting it quite lightly. If they
could have their way, there wouldn't be any foreigners in Japan,
they would rewrite the consitution, begin bearing arms (I doubt the
United States would allow this.) and I guess try to take over the
whole world again. In Japanese this type of mentality can be
expressed in the word 島国根性(shimaguni konjou)

In terms of language, ironically, it is easier to speak Japanese with
those from this group but forget about ever trying to be friends with
somebody from this camp unless you are Japanese-blooded. The
Japanese in this group tend to be very racist but they will accept
full-blooded Japanese who were raised abroad due to extenuating circumstances
(or half-Japanese that look pure Japanese like Rie Miyazawa for example).

The underlying thought processes of this group tend to manifest
themselves in the following ways:

1)
Everytime you see a JAPANESE ONLY sign hanging on some
establishment, rest assured you are dealing with Camp B folks.

2)
They would never, ever date a foreigner with a foreigner being
strictly defined as an individual with zero Japanese blood in him
or her and they look down on interracial relationships.

3)
Ironically, sometimes native-Japanese speaking foreigners will
adopt this attitude, basking in feelings of superiority because
they can speak Japanese just like a native and adopt a
condescending attitude towards foreigners like us who have had
to struggle to learn the language. (Talk about immaturity!) A lot
of these types of folks grew up in Japan attending international
schools. My response:

"Look retard! Of course you can speak Japanese like a native
speaker, duh!. The reason is because YOU ARE a native speaker."

This ridiculous attitude would be equivalent to me getting a big head
because I was born and raised in English. Big deal. I can't see
the point in bragging about something in which you didn't have to
work to achieve.

4)
Have a tendency to be male and heavily into comic books,
computer games and Japanese-only pornography.

5) Right-wing politicians like Shintaro Ishihara and nationalistic
authors like Yukio Mishima (this guy actually committed suicide
via ritual disembowelment). For more details, check out the
following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shintar%C5%8D_Ishihara

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Mishima

6)
Have a tendency to be company presidents of Japanese
corporations that deal only in the domestic market.
I'm worried that maybe a substantial amount of this
lesson might have come across as a bit negative. If so,
please know that it wasn't my intention. Again, I reiterate
that I have meant for all of the above to be observations
not criticisms.
**************************************************************

However, on a more positive note, before closing I should
mention that there is another camp out there. Let's call them the
CAMP C folks. It is because of these hearty friendly folk that I
live in Japan and will continue to live in Japan. The Japanese from
this group have a healthy pride in being Japanese that is not
arrogant in any way but actually translates itself into a healthy
respect for other people and cultures. Some positive manifestations
from this group are the following examples:

1)
Japanese people who appreciate your efforts to learn their
language and have no hangups or prejudices speaking with you
in Japanese. This also includes the non-English speaking
Japanese who will date you and has no qualms whatsoever
about speaking Japanese with you because he or she is
interested in you as a person and not as an English-speaking
tool or a fashion object.

2)
The Japanese boss who doesn't single you out for special
treatment just because you are a foreigner and assigns you
work duties commensurate with your ability that challenge
you and allow you to grow.

3)
People from this camp have a tendency to be among those
whom Jesus refers to in His famous Sermon on the Mount
as being the poor, the meek and the peacemakers. I'm talking
about the humble stopkeeper who goes that extra mile to
wrap up your mikan so they won't spill out on the way home,
or that co-worker who's always there if there is something
heavy on your heart that you need to discuss, or even that
stationmaster when no matter how late it is greets your return
home with a friendly smile.

4)
Tend to be Christians. No surprise here. Maybe the "C"here
should stand for Christians.

5)
Will actually have a tendency to criticize many aspects of
Japanese society. But it will be balanced and usually quite
accurate. Not tending towards the ridiculous Western man
worship characteristic of Camp A.

6)
Usually characterized by an educated middle-aged Japanese
couple with children who are interested in studying English
to expand their horizons and learn more about the world.

Alright, I am going to close it here before I end up writing
another 20 paragraphs. If you have interesting thoughts or
observations of your own that you would like to add, I'd love
to hear them.

Stay-tuned for the next lesson, where I will talk about the
amazing similarities between learning a language and martial
arts training.

Mastering Japanese-Lesson 7-Supplementary Methods

For this lesson, I wanted to briefly touch on some optional supplementary
methods you can utilize to enhance what you are already doing. These
are just other ideas you can apply in order to inject some variety into
your listening sessions. However, please keep in mind that under no
circumstances are these options to transplant or be considered substitutes
for the listening sessions. Remember, no matter what you do from here on
out, whether it is take another Japanese class or pursue another study
program, please remember that these listening sessions are the strong foundation upon which everything else will be built. And remember the following important principle: It's working even when it doesn't seem to be working. (whatever you
absorb consistently, will eventually become a part of you. No ifs, ands, ors
or buts about it.) Remember, its what you do on a daily basis CONSISTENTLY
that will form the whole of your life.

Oops! I've slipped into my preaching mode again. Before I go on and on
for about another 20 paragraphs, here are some interesting supplementary
methods that I have either individually and/or collectively dabbled in over
the past years.

********Studying the movie scripts of my favorite Japanese Films********

I used to be and still am a huge Akira Kurosawa fan. However, what
frustrated me more than anything were all of those parts that I couldn't
understand no matter how many times I rewinded and re-watched a
certain scene. Finally, one day I said the heck with it and went
out to the bookstore and purchased the original scripts of all of
my favorite Kurosawa films like The Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. I studied
the scripts just like we studied the conversations from our textbooks
and then watched each movie 10 times while reading along with
the script. After that, I threw away the scripts and then after letting a
couple of days pass (watching the same movie 10 times can get a
bit tedious), I watched the movies again. And LO AND BEHOLD,
I was able to understand all of the movie in the dialogue. I felt as
if I had suddenly acquired a Japanese pair of ears. My conversational
and listening ability exploded after that.

****************Shopping and conversation************************

Everytime I step outside the confines of my living quarters
and hit the town, no matter where I go or what I do, there
are always a multitude of opportunities to speak Japanese.
For example, while shopping, be proactive and ask questions
about whatever item you're interested in. I swear I've honestly
had up 20 to 30 minute conversations just doing this depending
on how crowded a certain place was. The important thing
is to make an effort to be outgoing. If you're lost, stop somewhere
and ask. If you see something in a shop you're interested in, stop in
and inquire about it. Restaurants are also ideal. I get to know my waiters
or waitresses really as I ask them about any special recommendations,
the history of the restaurant etcetera. Hair salons are great
for conversation too. I just love chatting it up about all kinds of
things while I get my haircut. Basically, the more you open up
to the country, the more it opens up to you and the more you
want to continue studying Japanese.

*******************Conversation Clubs********************************

These are groups with a good mix of both foreigners and Japanese
of all different ages and backgrounds. They are usually divided
appropriately into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced level.
I went once and found it to be quite fun but eventually my Japanese
reached a level where I decided I would rather just converse freely with
native Japanese speakers only instead of feeling somewhat
handcuffed by the controlled environment. However, for beginners, I
think its a great opportunity to break the ice and practice the
fundamentals of self-_expression in Japanese.

Here's one ad I found in the classifieds of Metropolis magazine.
【Nihon Club International is a volunteer group to help foreign people
learn Japanese and make friends at Tokyo Volunteer Action Center,
1 min from Iidabashi stn. 19:00-21:00, every Thursday. Free of Charge.
nci_tokyo@yahoo.co.jp】

******************Language-exchange partners************************

This can actually be very effective if both you and your partner
are serious about exchanging languages. Basically, the following
two conditions must be met in order for a language exchange
to be successful:

a)
Both partners must be serious about learning his/her respective
foreign language (as opposed to using language exchange as a
guise to try and find a boyfriend and girlfriend.)

b)
Both partners should have a specific curriculum prepared that
details exactly what he/she respectively wants to study.

c)
Both partners must be committed to meeting regularly on a weekly basis.

Unfortunately, to be honest with you, my experience with language
exchanges is that they rarely last. Especially, if they are of mixed
gender (a male and a female). However, if you get two language
geeks (like me for instance) together (picture Bill Gates and Steve Allen
programming together), then I think there is a high chance that it
will succeed.

Actually, the Metropolis classifieds every week normally have a ton
of ads posted by those seeking a language exchange partner. I believe
that some of them are sincere and serious. However, beware of those
whose ultimate motives are shall we say not of the most holiest nature.

*********************Hire a private teacher***************************

To be honest with you, this is one of the best methods. And even
though I didn't mention it earlier, I actually hired a professional and
private Japanese teacher at 3000 yen an hour to help me get through
the Kurosawa movie scripts I was raving about earlier. Once the
element of paying hard cash on the barrel is involved, all of the BS
that you usually have to deal with in a language exchange is
thrown right out the window and an element of seriousness and intensity
normally not present in a casual free gathering comes into play.
When money is involved both the student and the teacher get really
serious.

***********************Television******************************

Out of all my Japanese friends, the ones who can speak English
the most naturally are all addicted to American TV and movies. I highly,
highly recommend this method for the following reasons:

1) It's free!
2) It's effortless. Just turn on the tube and space out.
3) It fulfils the absorption component of the "Absorption Principle"
first explained in Lesson One.

If you were to watch an hour of TV a day combined with the listening
sessions you're doing, your fluency would go right through the roof.
In the beginning, I think the trick is to pick a program that you would
be interested in even if you were to watch it in English.
　
*******************Bilingual Comic Books****************************

When you have some time, head over to the foreign section of
Kinokuniya bookstore in Shinjuku and check out the assortment
of bilingual comics they have. You might find something you're
really interested in. These juicy bilingual manga contain an
abundance of riches to be mined from their texts as at just a
glance you can learn how to say a variety of expressions in
real, living Japanese. Again, I think its important to choose
a manga that you are really interested in.

*************************Bible**************************************

You can never go wrong with G-d's word. I have a Japanese
version along with a professional MP3 download recording of
both the Old and New Testaments. As you become progressively
more fluent, I highly recommend that you get a hold of the same
tools and make savoring a bit of the Lord's word in Japanese a
daily delight for both linguistic and spiritual nourishment. Now
that's 一石二鳥（Killing two birds with one stone.).

==================================================================

The above methods or ideas presented here are just a sampling of
the myriad of ways you can add a little spice into your Japanese
study life. However, if I was to summarize all of the above into
one basic principle, it would basically be this:

"After developing basic fluency, do what you are naturally passionate
about in Japanese."

Hence, if you love PC games, play them in Japanese. If you're into
vampire lore, pick up some Dracula manga. No matter what your thing is,
try to find a way to do it in Japanese. Doing so will greatly accelerate the
learning process because it will be fueled by your passion.

In the next lesson we are going to look at how Japan's culture
and nationalism affect us as foreign learners of Japanese. Very
interesting stuff there. Stay tuned!

Lesson 6-The BENEFITS! ! !

Dear Reader

I hope that everything went smooth this week with your
listening sessions. By the time you read this, I've
got my fingers crossed that you are almost done with
or have already finished listening to the first set of
conversations 100 times. Much congratulations if you did.
I'm really proud of you and impressed with the persistence
you have shown towards this program. Your enthusiasm
also keeps me motivated to keep creating these lessons.

By this time, because you have absorbed the contents of your
first set so thoroughly, you should be able to recognize with full
understanding any of the words or phrases from the conversations
when you encounter them in your daily life. Further, you should also
be able to effortlessly read any of the kanji that appeared as well.

In contrast to last week's lesson which focused on how to avoid
falling into the biggest booby trap, this week I want to move away
from the negative and focus on the positive benefits to be gained
from sticking to this program. These positive points will hopefully
serve as more motivational fuel to keep you moving forward.

********************FIRST BENEFIT***********************
Firstly, one of the tremendous benefits you'll obtain from doing this
program is that your speaking skills will improve hand-in-hand with
your listening and reading skills. PLEASE NEVER FORGET the basic
mechanics underlying the Absorption Principle: You can only output
what you have first inputted. Absorption and lots of it must come
first. What a lot of beginners do is skip the absorption process all
together. As a result, they get into the bad habit of practicing
incorrect Japanese over and over and over again. Their pronunciation
and intonation is all messed up. Their grammar is all over the place.
Their foreign accent is so thick that its no wonder Japanese people
reply back to them in English. All of these problems could have been
avoided, had they understood and applied the absorption process.

**********************SECOND BENEFIT**********************
This leads me to the second great benefit to be gained from this
study process, Over time, your pronunciation and accent will become
very native-like. In my case, although my accent isn't 100% perfect,
the one aspect of my Japanese ability that has received more praise
than any other is that I sound very native (not perfect but close and
very natural), as if I must have absorbed the language from a very young
age. I smile whenever I receive such positive feedback because I know that
these marathon listening sessions are the secret weapon and source behind
my authentic pronunciation and accent. But then again, if you take some
common sense and think about it, after literally hundreds of hours of pure
absorption, how can one not sound close to a native. Again, and I'll never
get tired of saying it, your output is simply an accurate reflection of
your input period. SO KEEP ON ABSORBING BABY!

***********************THIRD BENEFIT**************************
The third positive point to be mentioned is that you will actually really
study and retain the contents of your chosen textbook thoroughly. In
a sense, you will literally squeeze every drop of blood out of that text.
After I've listened to a set of conversations one hundred times, its a
great feeling to know that I will never have to go back to it again.
I'm liberated of it and when I'm done with the whole text I either
wholeheartedly give it away or throw it in the trash. It's a great
feeling!

**********************FOURTH BENEFIT***************************
The fourth benefit is that studying a foreign language is really good
for your brain. Here are some interesting quotes that I randomly
picked up from the web:

「Researchers from University College London studied the brains of 105
people -80 of whom were bilingual. They found learning other languages
altered grey matter -the area of the brain which processes information -
in the same way exercise builds muscles.」
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3739690.stm


「Did you know that most people experience a general improvement in
memory from studying a language? There's more. Are you geting older?
It has also been demonstrated that you can halt the age-related decline
in mental function by learning a new language. You can tuck that little tip
away for later in life, or better yet, start learning a new language today.」
SOURCE: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-18-2005-67283.asp

「But language acquisition, in particular, has a protective effect on the
brain, not only on language related skills such as vocabulary, but also on
non-verbal and cognitive skills.」
SOURCE:
http://www.linguaguide.com/articles/38/1/Keep-youromr-mind-young-
The-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language/Page1.html

Personally, I found that one of the greatest things I acquired from
studying Japanese is the objectivity I developed in perceiving my own
native American language and culture. Language study, in a sense,
allowed me to step outside of myself and perceive myself in a new way
that I had never perceived myself before. I found this to be incredibly
stimulating. This mental flexibility which I gained over time even sharpened
my clarity when it comes to expressing myself in my own native tongue.
I sometimes teach English part-time once or twice a week and find that
my Japanese language study has made me a much better English teacher
as I am able to sympathize with the student in his or her struggles and
share the methods I utilized to attain fluency in Japanese.

*********************FIFTH BENEFIT*************************
The fifth thing is the abundance of employment opportunities that will
open up to you as you become more and more fluent in the language.
Before I achieved my present position as a professional translator
at one of Japan's most prestigious power companies, I worked for five years
as a staffing recruiter introducing secretaries, accounting assistants, receptionists etcetera to a wide variety of corporations that had a consistent
need for such staffing. From this lucrative experience, I can honestly say that the type of staff we most valued was a foreigner (especially a native English speaker) under the age of 35 with upper-advanced Japanese skills (both speaking and writing ability). The reason that this profile is valued so much is because its so rare. There are tons of Koreans speaking Japanese but I sure don't see a lot of Westerners like us fluent. So study Japanese and achieve instant
differentiation power.
=================================================================

Well since this is getting kind of long, I'm gonna stop it here. But I
hope this will be added incentive for you to keep on with your listening
sessions.

In the next lesson, I'm going to talk about some interesting ways
you can apply and practice what you've been studying and even
introduce a few conversation clubs located in the Tokyo area.
However, as I've mentioned before about a million times, I wouldn't
worry so much about output yet. At least for the first three months,
diligently just stick to your listening sessions. Don't worry, in due
time, everything will come together.

Mastering Japanese-Lesson 5-Avoiding the big booby trap

In this lesson, I am going to talk about the absolute number one reason
why people throw in the towel midway when it comes to attempting to
achieve anything. Without a doubt, this is the reason behind practically
every failed diet or fitness program, its the reason why marriages fail
and end in divorce, it's the culprit behind why some once earnest Christians
quit going to church and start backsliding. It'll cause the relapse of the
recovering alcoholic or drug addict and will cause the promising young
student to drop out of school or the talented young executive to suddenly
cease climbing the ladder of corporate career success. Satan has used
this tool to mercilessly cause the downfall of multitudes upon multitudes, especially those who were so close, just inches away from finishing the race.

Let's identify this destructive beast for what it is, so that we can nip it in
the bud before it has an opportunity to do damage. First, let's take a look at
some examples of the thought processes that occur inside people's heads
just before they throw in the towel.

====================================================================
The promising student:
"Man this class is boring. Forget this. I'm quitting.!"
----------------------------------------------------------------
The martial arts student: "
"I've been practicing for months now and I'm still no better
than when I first started."
OR
"Even though I've been training longer, John got his black belt
before I did. Screw this. I'm quitting."
----------------------------------------------------------------
The once earnest churchgoer:
"I've been attending church faithfully for years now and G-d still hasn't
hooked me up with a wife. Forget this Church crap. The evolutionists
must be right. I'm quitting."
OR
"I've been praying all night and I still feel sexually frustrated.
Forget this prayer and God stuff. "
OR
"My mom died of cancer in spite of my prayers. I'm
just can't trust God anymore. "
----------------------------------------------------------------
The once happily married individual:
"My partner just doesn't turn me on like he/she used to.
That new employee in the office who smiled at me the day,
he/she is much more attractive. Maybe I will ask him/her out."
OR
"That original heartthumping spark that was there during our
honeymoon has faded away."
----------------------------------------------------------------
The promising young executive:
"My boss is younger than me. I can't take this humiliation.
Forget it. I'm quitting."
OR
"Even though I have a passion for selling electronics. My
brother is making more money as a lawyer. Screw this
job. I'm going where the money is period."
===============================================================

There is actually a common denominator inherent in each of the above
statements. Are you able to spot it? Basically, each and every one of
these statements is in one way or another saying, "I am quitting because
what is happening or has happened is CONTRARY TO MY EXPECTATIONS."
In other words, before the promising student ever enrolled in his or her first
class, before the aspiring martial artist ever stepped into the training hall, before the new believer ever attended his or her first worship service and before
the talented young executive began his/her first day of work, they all had unfortunately already set themselves up to fail by "BEING TOO EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO THE RESULTS OF THEIR EFFORTS!"

Don't get me wrong here. It's okay to have great expectations. For the
new believer, expect and look forward to the Lord doing great and wonderful
things in your life, for the aspiring martial artist, look forward to getting in
shape and developing physical self-defence confidence, and for the student undergoing this "5 every 2" listening absorption language system, expect and
look forward to achieving enhanced fluency. Expect and look forward to great
things BUT DON'T BE EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO THE HOW, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, OR WHERE
OF THE RESULTS or you'll lose heart when things don't go the way you had
anticipated.

Any human being who has been alive on earth for any period of time should
realize that life hardly ever runs according to our expectations. If it had, I
would be more famous than Tom Cruise and richer than Bill Gates by now(joking
here but I think you get my point.) Think about it. The Jewish ruling majority
during the Roman occupation of Israel missed the coming of G-d's promised messiah to them, simply because they were blinded or too attached to certain expectations of how He would be revealed to them. They expected a political conquerer according
to certain prophecies.

Nobody knows exactly when Jesus is coming back. But does that mean,
Christian believers are to become lax in their faith. Quite the contrary! Jesus
urges us to remain attentive, alert and to constantly maintain our ferventness
for the things of the L-rd. Likewise, I urge you to maintain persistence when
the initial honeymoon enthusiasm of the early listening sessions dies out (and it surely will), or during those times when a lack of enthusiasm and boredom
sets in.

Remember, there are many things you do on a daily or weekly basis that
you are not emotionally attached to whatsoever. In other words, 99% of
the time, you habitually do these things whether you are bored, tired, angry
or feeling happy or excited like bathing, brushing your teeth, eating meals
etcetera. I want the listening sessions to be treated in the same way.
Just do it with the faith that you'll be better for it in the end.

In fact the secret to maintaining audacious persistence is a biblical
principle. The secret lies in the following one word: FAITH

Without it, it would be almost impossible to achieve anything because
we would always be looking for short-term results instead of just putting
in our time and paying our dues to achieve our goals. Remember that
Scripture says that Faith is the evidence of things not yet seen. In layman's
terms, I like to rephrase it by saying faith no-matter-what! No matter
whether I'm bored, tired, in a bad mood or whatever, I will have faith that
this system will work and will exercise my faith by sticking to it. PERIOD.
This is the kind of faith that will build dynamic results.

I think Joseph in Egypt from the book of Genesis is an amazing example
of someone who had tremendous faith in G-d NO MATTER WHAT. Here
was a guy who was sold into slavery by his very own brothers. He ended
up being a servant boy in Egypt where he ended up being thrown into prison
for two years on a false accusation. TWO YEARS! Man, I've had times
in my life when I've thrown in the towel if things didn't go my way for two
hours. It was all because I'd become attached to the results instead of
just relaxing and trusting in G-d's power and promises.

Remind yourself of how amazingly simple this program is. All you have to
do is study five conversations once every two weeks and then on a daily
basis, twice a day for only about 15 minutes, all you have to do is just let
the tape roll, while you absorb the conents of the conversation. Dude,
nothing could be easier. So on this note, I wish you the very best as you
begin your second week of listening to the first set of conversations.
Remember, no emotional attachments. Its not going to dramatically
change your life and these listening sessions should never get in the way
of the important things in your life, like spending time with your family or
pursuing other goals.

Now here are some actual questions I received from participants along with
some ones that I anticipated might be stirring around in your head.

************************FAQ*******************************
QUESTION:
There are still some niggling nagging questions in the back of my mind
about the nuances of some little particles like sou nanDA, kitaNOyo...
sutekidaNA... my wife said I should just 'feel' them so I'm trying that.

ANSWER:
a)　The DA in sou nanDA is the colloquial version of DESU.

b) There is no difference in meaning whatsoever between 来たよand
来たのよ. However, the の in 来たのよ adds a feminine emphatic
flavor to the word. No heterosexual guy would ever say kitaNOyo.

c) The "NA" in sutekidaNA is equivalent to "NE", which is used
for emphasis. I'm sure you've heard it being used before. If
I say よかったな！In English, it means, (It was) good, wasn't it.
The NA is equivalent to the wasn't it.

By the way, your wife is right. You should just relax and "feel" the
gist of the words. Once you hear these expressions within their
appropriate conversational context enough times, you'll start to
understand what they mean in your bones.
---------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Now I was just wondering, this will help my listening and reading a lot...
how will it help my speaking?

ANSWER:
The answer to this question is two-fold. First, at this stage, don't
worry so much about output(speaking). Input (absorption) is much,
much more important Second, you'll find your speaking ability
naturally improving hand-in-hand as your listening and reading
comprehension improve.
-----------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION:
I was able to complete this weeks mission! And it actually was quite fun,
though sometimes I did get sleepy listening to the conversations over
and over. I feel that I am more familiar with the situations and phrases...
but I still think the guy speaks too quickly for me to follow him fully. I
was just supposed to read along right? Not shadow with my own voice?

ANSWER:
Just read along only. NO LISTENING AND REPEATING. You do NOT
have to shadow the recording with your own voice. Your eyes should
just be able to read the script in step with the guy (or girl). Further,
don't worry about getting sleepy. Trust me, the input is happening. It
actually might be getting deeper into your subconscious when you're
in a more relaxed state. Just let the tape roll five times and you're done.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Explain the following:
kitaNOyo - a kind of more casual __expression... a stronger casual tone?
niwa ga aruNOyo - same kind of thing? does this happen with women and men?
nanishitaNda - a kind of __expression, asking for an explanation?
sorekara and sorede - whats the difference??

ANSWER:
a) kitaNOyo-As mentioned above, a casual female _expression.

b) niwa ga aruNOyo-The "NO" paints a feminine flavor to the sentence.

c) nanishitaNda - means "What did you do?"

d) sorekara and sorede-
SOREKARA means "and then".
For example:　本を読んだ。それから日本語を勉強した。
　　　　　　　（I read a book. And then I studied Japanese.)

SOREDE means "and so" inferring a logical connection between the
preceding and subsequent action.

For example. 仕事をした。それで＄１００稼いだ。(Ｉ　worked. And so I earned $100.)
With SOREKARA, there is no logical connection between the two actions. You
just did this and then you did that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Matey, I understand the importance of repetition. But isn't listening to
a set of conversations 100 times a little crazy?

ANSWER:
It's not any more crazy than a professional golfer waking up early in the
morning, to make a thousand putts until his hand starts bleeding. He
goes back in the house, slaps a bandage on his hand and then makes a
thousand more putts. It's not any more crazy than a young Arnold
Schwarzenegger working out eight hours a day, seven days a week.
It's not any more crazy than an aspiring piano player practicing the
same musical scales hundreds of times over and over again. Let me
put it this way, let's say your playing basketball and see you an opportunity
to make a winning shot, but its a difficult long shot. Which would you prefer?
That you had practiced that shot before 50 times or 100 times. Think of it
this way, after you've listened to a set of conversations 100 times, that's it
baby. You'll never ever have to go back to it again to review or whatever.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. 15 minutes in the morning and at night
over a period of two weeks is not extreme.
----------------------------------------------------------------------


Next lesson will talk about the benefits to be gained from language study.

STAY TUNED!

Mastering Japanese-Lesson 4-The Marathon Begins!

Dear Reader,

By the time you get to this lesson, I trust that you have throughly
familiarized yourself with the contents of the first five conversations
from the textbook you purchased. Remember, you don't have to necessarily
master the contents, just familiarize yourself with the contents and make
sure that there aren't any phrases or words that you can't understand.
A quick run-through will be sufficient. Remember, once you start the
listening sessions, trust me, you'll be reviewing the contents plenty
over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Alrighty. I'm feeling REALLY excited. We have finally arrived at
the point where you're about to begin your listening marathon sessions.
(Please don't be intimidated by the word "marathon". I mean it in
a very positive sense with all of the accompanying benefits to be
gained.) For Lesson Four, now that the stage is set and all of the
groundwork has been laid, I want to quickly go over the basic logistical
points that should be adhered to while engaged in your listening
sessions.

First, get your MP3 player (assuming that you have downloaded
the first five conversations into your Mp3 player, I normally just
download the whole CD at once into my MP3), your textbook and a
ballpoint pen. Your next homework assignmet starting next Monday,
May 10th, will be the following super-duper two simple steps
to be done EVERY weekday this week:

==========================================================
SUPER-DUPER SIMPLE STEP #1
Sometime in the morning, find a quiet place where you will not
be disturbed for about 15 to 20 minutes, open your textbook
to conversation one, press play on your MP3 player and read
along with your textbook while listening to conversations
1 thru 5.

After finished, with your pen, put a check mark somewhere
on a blank spot in your textbook to indicate that you've listened
to the set of five conversations once.

Rewind back to Conversation 1 and repeat four more times.

SUPER-DUPER OUTRAGEOUSLY SIMPLE STEP# 2:
Sometime in the evening, find a quiet place where you
will not be disturbed and repeat the above super-duper
simple step #1. (At the end of the day, you should have
listened to one set of five conversations 10 times.)
=======================================================

And that's it! Pretty simple heh? Regardless, rest assured
you're on your way towards building a strong foundation. The great
thing about this program is that you actually really learn and retain
what you study unlike practically every class one takes in college
or otherwise.

Before wrapping up, here are answers to some anticipated FAQs
that might be stirring around inside your head.

***********************FAQ***********************
QUESTION:
Dude, what's the deal with having to put down a check mark
with my ballpoint pent every time I've listened to a set once?
I can count up to five in my head. Do I really need to do this?

ANSWER:
Dude, I know it might seem ridiculous but the truth is and I'm
speaking from experience here, I don't know how many times I've
lost my place during my listening sessions and have had to
start over again simply because I didn't track of where
I was with a pen. I know it sounds ridiculuous but during the
sessions, trust me, your mind will wander. You'll start to day
dream or maybe the phone will ring or you'll have a sudden
urge to use the bathroom or whatever. After one of these
momentary lapses of concentration, once you come back, you'll
be kicking yourself in the shins as you as futilely ask yourself
"Have I listened to a set 3 times or 4 times?" Trust me. Use a
pen to mark off where you are and you'll save yourself a lot of
time and frustration.
--------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Do I have to physically read along with the textbook while I'm
listening to the conversations? Sometimes I'm pressed for
time in the morning or in the evening and would rather just
let the tape roll while riding the train or driving to work etc.

ANSWER:
NO and you'll thank me later for being firm about this. The
reason is because while you're reading along with the text
while the recording is playing, you're also simultaneously
strengthening your kanji reading ability right along with your
listening and comprehension skills. Trust me. You'll see.
One day, about six months down the road, you'll pick up
a manga or a Japanese magazine off the upper shelf of a train
(assuming you're in Japan that is) you're on, you'll randomly
be flipping the pages and then all of a sudden blurt out to
yourself, "Dang brother, I can read quite a bit of this thing."
You'll get off the train and a big, unstoppable smile
will spread across your face as you say to yourself, "Yeah,
Rich was right."
------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Do I have to divide my listening sessions into the morning and
evening? What if I do one session in the afternoon and one
session in the evening? Or what if I have just one long session
and listen to a set 10 times all at once.

ANSWER:
Absolutely no problem. Dude. Do whatever is most convenient
for you. Practically speaking, I don't care when you do it, as
long as within the 24 hours of a given weekday, you absorb
a set 10 times within that day. Personally, I have just found
that listening to a set five times in the morning and night has
been most convenient. To be honest with you, there have
actually been times when due to uncontrollable circumstances
I have had to do a long 10-times-at-once session which I
found to be a bit tedious and frustrating. And there have been
times when I just fell asleep early some nights and then had to
listen to a set 15 times the next day etcetera. I mean life is
life. Sometimes you'll have to be flexible in order to meet your
goals. However, in general following the "inch-by-inch, its a
cinch" principle is most effective. For me, this translates into
listening to a one set of five conversations five times in the
morning and five times in the evening.
----------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to wrap up this lesson here. Anyway, good luck with
your listening sessions. And please do not hesitate to comment
should you have any concerns or questions.

In our next lesson, I'm going to reveal the absolute number one
reason why people throw in the towel midway to achieving their
goals. Stay tuned.