TUJ Circle

The Communication Network of Temple University, Japan Campus

‘nerima’

日本語の勉強、頑張って!(Go to a Japanese Bar)

Yes, I am studying Japanese

Yes, I am studying Japanese

Yes, you read the title right.
In this post, I want to talk about going to a Japanese bar in order to study Japanese.

When I first came to TUJ, I met a student who was really great at speaking Japanese. I asked him how long he had been studying and he said, “a year and a half.”
Any student of Japanese knows that a year and a half is a fairly short amount of time to get a tight grasp on Japanese. Eager for tips, I asked him what has helped him the most in his journey to fluency, and he said going to his local bar.

I was so suprised! He said he didn’t even learn from taking a class.

After going to a bar myself, I have seen how helpful it can be. You’re able to hear different speeds of talking, different accents and intonations, and you’re forced to speak– even if you’re usually too nervous!

For two months, I have been going to a bar in my neighborhood every Friday night. I bring my notebook and pen, electronic Japanese-English dictionary, and of course, money to spend. The bar is great for learning Japanese.
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焼肉がおいしいよ!(Yakiniku is delicious!)

My friends and I went to a yakiniku restaurant in Nerima-ku.

hot coals at Yakiniku

Hot coals at yakiniku

beef and chicken on the grill!

Beef and chicken sizzle on the piping hot grill

Rush for the last piece!

The last pieces :(

Yakiniku is great on a Saturday night with friends before heading to a party!