Here is written by one of my students from Taiwan. He is very good at Japanese.
AI might help his writing a bit in Japanese though.
日本に来る前の課題
私は日本に来る前の段階で、日本語能力が十分ではないことに悩みました。特に、ネイティブである日本人との会話を想像するだけでストレスを感じていました。また、日本語学校に応募するための書類を日本語で作成することも大きなハードルでした。手続き書類のほとんどが日本語で記載されており、それを理解するのに時間がかかり、不安を感じることが多かったです。
日本に到着直後の課題
日本に到着してからも、多くの困難に直面しました。まず、日本特有の文化や習慣に慣れるのが難しく、特にごみの分別方法や公共交通機関の利用方法については、最初の頃は戸惑うことが多かったです。また、敬語やため口の使い分けに自信がなく、緊張する場面が多くありました。銀行口座の開設や携帯電話の契約、役所での手続きの際には、専門的な日本語を理解するのに苦労しました。まだ日本語をうまく話せなかった頃は、日本語学校でさえも言語や文化の壁を強く感じることがあり、ホームシックや孤独感に悩まされることもありました。
日本語学習の進展と新たな課題
日本語学習が進むにつれて、新たな課題も出てきました。初級から中級に進むまでは順調でしたが、上級者向けの教材や実践の場が見つからず、学習が停滞することがありました。また、日本の制度や法律に関する知識が不十分であったため、健康保険や税金に関する手続きで戸惑う場面が何度もありました。このような実務的な課題は、勉強ではカバーしきれない部分もあり、対応に時間がかかりました。
一時帰国と日本語維持の課題
一時帰国中には、また別の課題に直面しました。日本語を使う機会が減ることで、せっかく習得したスキルを忘れてしまうのではないかという不安が常にありました。特に母語の影響が強く、中国語を話せば話すほど、日本語を思い出すのが難しくなるような気がして焦りを感じることもありました。このような状況では、日本語を維持し続けるための工夫や努力が必要だと痛感しました。
It sounds like you faced a lot of challenges in your journey with the Japanese language and adapting to life in Japan. The combination of language barriers, cultural differences, and practical matters like paperwork must have been overwhelming at times. Your experience highlights some common struggles many international students go through when transitioning to life in Japan.
Did you find any specific strategies or support systems that helped you overcome these challenges, especially in terms of maintaining your Japanese or navigating the practical aspects of life?
Here’s his experience translated into English:
Challenges Before Coming to Japan
Before coming to Japan, I struggled with my insufficient Japanese proficiency. Just imagining conversations with native Japanese speakers caused me stress. Also, creating documents in Japanese to apply for language schools was a significant hurdle. Most of the application forms were in Japanese, and it took time to understand them, which often made me feel anxious.
Challenges Right After Arriving in Japan
After arriving in Japan, I faced many difficulties. It was hard to get used to the unique culture and customs of Japan, especially in terms of waste sorting and using public transportation. I also lacked confidence in distinguishing between formal and informal speech, which made me nervous in many situations. When opening a bank account, signing a mobile phone contract, or handling paperwork at government offices, I struggled to understand the specialized Japanese. At times, even in the language school, I strongly felt the language and cultural barriers, and I experienced homesickness and loneliness.
Progress in Japanese Learning and New Challenges
As my Japanese improved, new challenges arose. The transition from beginner to intermediate level went smoothly, but I struggled to find appropriate advanced learning materials and opportunities for practice, which led to a plateau in my studies. Additionally, my lack of knowledge regarding Japan’s systems and laws made it difficult to handle tasks like health insurance and taxes. These practical challenges couldn’t be fully addressed through studying the language alone, so they took time to navigate.
Challenges During Temporary Return to Home Country and Maintaining Japanese
During my temporary return home, I faced another set of challenges. I constantly worried that I would forget the Japanese skills I had worked so hard to acquire due to the lack of opportunities to use the language. The stronger my native language (Chinese) became in my daily conversations, the more difficult it felt to recall Japanese, which caused me anxiety. This situation made me realize how important it was to put in extra effort to maintain my Japanese skills.