I found a new hero for Japanese language learners. Watch this video! This guy is fluent in Japanese. His speed of speaking matches the speed of native Japanese. It is really impressive. In this, his first video on YouTube, he is speaking without a script. He pauses to think about what he wants to say, not how to say it, nor does he pause to recall any words. The second video he posted is much more impressive, however it is longer and is audio-only, with him and two other people. But if you listen to that one, you will think it is a Japanese guy speaking. Here is a link to that video.
So, what did you think?
Do you know how and when he learned (in terms of age)?
ReplyDeleteIt's a mystery.
ReplyDeleteI have my own hero for Japanese language learning. He was starting his 5th year of JET when I arrived for my first year. He came to Japan straight from college (New Zealand) with completely 0 Japanese under his belt. When I met him at his 4 year mark he was at native level. The girl I was dating met him about 3-4 months after that and in her words "he's just like a Japanese person". I had another friend who was at about 1kyu level Japanese and had studied throughout college and about 6 - 7 years in total. He was "fluent". When I asked this girl to compare the two she told me the second guy was "like a baby" compared to the first guy.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I've always looked up to him as my hero in Japanese. 4 years and he mopped the floor with every other native I've ever met no matter how long they've studied. I have no idea how he did it other than his admission that "you have to put the time in".
Every single time he's given me any advice on Japanese study I've followed it.