so I'm taking introductory Japanese. I
think I'll be able to get around after the
intro course. But how easy or difficult is
it to pick up the language once in Japan.

How long till yah can talk good ?

Don't start!

It never ends!!!!

Half of my life has been taken up by the study of Japanese and still the counter people at MacDonalds talk to the Japanese people with me when I am the one who made the damn order!!!

[This message has been edited by mogski (edited 01 February 2002).]

Depends how you define good, my boy, and who good you are at remembering it.

All ya gotta say is "konnichi wa" and the locals will go "your Japanese is great!" In an interview here, Terje Haakonsen said his message to his Japanese fans was "daijoubu ?" (a worried tone "are you/is it all right?") I'm sure he must get praised too. However, no matter how long you stay or how good you get seemingly, there'll still be cases where you get on the phone or go to McDonalds or whatever, say something pretty complex in very accurate Japanese and the guy/girl responds in elementary stuttering English. C'est la vie (in Japan).

Everyone looking for a girlfriend or something more animalistic in the personal columns confidently says "nihongo ok" or "nihongo perapera". It's hilarious !

Seriously though, if you want to get good, learn to read Japanese. Lots of Westerners think its too much trouble and come out with lots of dogma as to why you don't need to bother, but believe me, it's the key to getting really good. You also get nonsense like "Japanese people are more frank when they speak English" and stuff like that, but it's invariably Westerners who can't speak Japanese very well that say it. Any Japanese you speak will be appreciated (most of the time), and it'll help you enjoy Japan more.

ganbatte !

Hi barok, I had the impression you were a Japan long timer. Not so?

I agree with NoFakie - get started on the kanji as soon as you can, and look for texts that include reading. All romanized texts are a snare and delusion.

barok, I think it's not so easy to get used to it, but just try. Hey Mogski..LOL same for me with English!! When i took a TOEIC (Test Of English International Conversation) English exam last September, i got lost while the tapes were played for listening test.
Just practice and try to have opportunities to talk in Japanese. It works! And don't be affraid to speak Japanese over the phone. If you dont understand what the other says, you can ask and people can be patient - that's what i have been learning in my daily life through talking over the phone in English.
As to pronounciation, i think it depends on your mother tongue. If English were your mother tongue, maybe hard while you are a beginner for Japanese. We write like Ra Ri Ru Re Ro ( using "R"), but the pronounciation for them are more like La Li Lu Le Lo. Not the same, but closer. Only 5 single vowels - A E I O U. Pronounce them clearly. Double vowels are sometimes may be hard (OU for arigatOU, AI for gozAImashita etc). Sometimes when you try to pronounce " Arigatou gozaimashita", it sounds like " ArigaTU goJImashita". But works. When you can't pronounce Japanese correctly, Japanese people may laugh/grin/giggle, but it never means to make fun of you. Don't mind. It just sounds funny.
The most thing i worry about you barok is Kanji sign boards when you get around
As NoFakie said, i think it works to read Japanese stuff. Long way....I try to read Japan Times, not sure when the day will come when i can read it without dictionary LOL.

Good luck