Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 13:40:59 MST
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Not a Myth at All
Organization: Brigham Young University, Provo UT USA
From: luke@newt.ee.byu.edu (David Luke)

In article <RHB.92Dec12184144@world.std.com> rhb@world.std.com (Robert H Brueckner) writes:

>But with Japanese people I do notice that it is very difficult
>to get into a Japanese conversation at all with them. They switch to
>English at the end of the first sentence and, even though my Japanese
>is passable and articulate, seem totally uninterested. This is what
>makes it so damnably hard to progress beyond my present plateau. I am
>not rude, or condescending, or awkward. But the average Japanese you
>meet does not seem very willing to strike up a conversation in his own
>language. Even when I say, "Shitsurei desu ga, jikosho^kai sasete
>itadakimasu," I will get an answer like, "Can I herp you preez?" I
>really wish I had studied Italian or Russian or whatever, because I
>would get a lot more opportunity to speak it with people who don't
>mind talking to strangers.

Hmm.  I'm not sure what to make of this.  Do you mean talking to Japanese
people here in the US?  Perhaps the problem is that the ones you are 
talking to are here to learn English, and thus don't want to speak 
Japanese with you.  This seems rather unlikely.  Most Japanese I've met
in the US are perfectly willing to speak Japanese.  With the exception
of one Japanese friend who's English is about as good as mine, most of
my conversations with Japanese people are in Japanese.

Do you mean talking with Japanese people in Japan?  Again, it seems 
unlikely that they would prefer English, given the English proficiency
level of the average Japanese.

Maybe your problem is the approach.  I have had very few problems 
speaking Japanese to Japanese in Japan, provided that it's a situation
where speaking is expected -- talking to clerks in shops, asking directions,
etc.  However, just walking up to someone on the street and starting to
talk at them is not likely to get you very far, since they are most likely
in a hurry, or have other things to think about, or maybe they figure
you're trying to sell something.

I can give you one hint.  "Shitsurei desu ga, jikosho^kai sasete
itadakimasu" is probably not a good opening line.  What would you do if
you're standing on the street corner and some Asian walks up to you and
says, in a heavy accent, "Excuse me, but I'm going to introduce myself"?
Your first reaction would likely be, who is this weirdo, and what does
he want from me?

The bottom line is that, if approached properly, a good percentage of
the Japanese (especially young people) seem to be very willing to talk
to foreigners.  Especially those who want to practice English are often
very willing to exchange some time helping you speak Japanese for time
of you speaking English with them.
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  David Luke                      "There's nothing worse than a brilliant     |
|  luke@wombat.ee.byu.edu           image of a fuzzy concept."                 |
|                                                               -- Ansel Adams |