Why learning Japanese can be difficult?

Learning Japanese language is difficult if you are not a native speaker. Some people who are learning Nihongo tell me that Japanese isn’t that difficult to learn. I am like, “oh yeah?” I guess that Japanese language isn’t the most difficult because the grammar rules are pretty consistent even compared to English language.

But it is still a foreign language and if you are learning how to speak Japanese for the first time, there are some challenges. Today, I want to talk about five hardest things about learning my native language.

1) Formal and informal expressions: Japanese culture values respect and politeness especially toward the elderly people. Japanese polite language takes politeness to the next level and it can be quite complicated. But if you are learning the basic, you don’t have to worry about honorific and humble forms at least. That can drive you insane.

2) Three writing systems. Japanese language has three writing systems including Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji, which is the most difficult even for Japanese people. We started to learn Kanji in grade school and I studied Kanji in Japanese school my whole life in Japan. and there are many Kanji that I don’t know still…

3) Dialect: I believe that this is the real reason why many learners have trouble understanding native Japanese speakers. Actually, each prefecture in Japan has its own dialect. Of course, Kansai area (that includes Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka) has similar dialects but not quite the same. So when Japanese people are speaking different dialects, that itself tends to throw you off unless you are really used to that dialect and accent.

I still have trouble understanding Australian English and even British English. It is because I am just not too familiar with the sound.

4) Subject is often skipped in Japanese language: I think that makes learning English harder. In English, you do specify who is talking to who but in Japanese, people expect that these things are often understood and it is silly to repeat these words such as “I” “You”. But it can get very confusing and the third party is involved.

5) Speed: My students often tell me Japanese people need to speak slowly because they can’t keep up with their conversations. I totally understand because I still struggle to keep up with native speaker’s conversations when they are really fast.

Mastering a foreign language isn’t easy but it is rewarding to be able to communicate with local people while traveling and also you have an opportunity to learn a whole new concept of certain things by learning a foreign language and culture. To me, learning a foreign language is not really study but it is more for the cultural enrichment.