To me, communication is more than being able to tell somebody that his/her shoe is untied, or to hurry up because the train is leaving at 2. Certainly the basic, factual conversations are the basis of communication, but I like to think about its higher purposes. In a way, when I am communicating with somebody, I am trying to open a door for him/her into my brain, into my perception of reality; to let my emotions and opinions be make accessible. Or, (and this is much more difficult) I am trying to explain how a third person feels, or trying to open people up to understanding and RESPECTING the opinions of others, even if they disagree with them. Because I was raised to be considerate, sometimes I feel appalled by the way people feel free to completely disregard the effects of what they do or say to other people. Every human being is entitled to have their own divergent opinions and thoughts. Is that so hard to accept?
I like to believe I am a good enough writer. But becoming articulate in a second language is an enormous challenge. I want to be able to express myself in Japanese just as well as I do in English, but sometimes I wonder if that is even possible. I hope one day at least I will be able to write something like what I'm writing here. Speaking is a whole different level for me though, because I always second-guess myself and hesitant because I don't want to botch the pronunciation. Right now I'm just enjoying the experience of learning, and it's so great when I hear people talking and I recognize some of the things they are saying.
Speaking about communication, sometimes there are things you simply can't express, in any language.
These are all different versions of the same song, the top one is the original though.
I have the same feeling: sometimes I think about Japanese and I'm like "why can't I just speak this as naturally as I speak English?" On a positive note, we've learned SO much so far. Every once in a while, I give myself the "Real Folk Blues" or the "Hikari" test: listen to a familiar Japanese song and see how much of it you understand. It's interesting testing myself as time goes by because there's always another word or something I understand and it's awesome. Try it!
I agree though - music is also a splendid form of communication. And there are so many ways to say the same thing and depending on how u say it, ppl connect with it or not :)
I feel the same way you do, especially when I recognize random words from a movie or anime - the best feeling ever. Thats why learning japanese is so worthwhile even if its so hard.
That's beautiful, Johni. I agree with you. Communication is about humanity. It's difficult to express myself clearly in any way, but that's why I keep learning! I feel like every one of my courses are about developing clear communication. Whether it's in Japanese or English class (spoken and written communication), in ballet (a physical and gestural communication), or in architecture (visual communication), all are an effort to present ideas that can be understood by others.
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I have the same feeling: sometimes I think about Japanese and I'm like "why can't I just speak this as naturally as I speak English?" On a positive note, we've learned SO much so far. Every once in a while, I give myself the "Real Folk Blues" or the "Hikari" test: listen to a familiar Japanese song and see how much of it you understand. It's interesting testing myself as time goes by because there's always another word or something I understand and it's awesome. Try it!
ENJOY THE SILENCE WOOOO!
I agree though - music is also a splendid form of communication. And there are so many ways to say the same thing and depending on how u say it, ppl connect with it or not :)
I feel the same way you do, especially when I recognize random words from a movie or anime - the best feeling ever. Thats why learning japanese is so worthwhile even if its so hard.
That's beautiful, Johni. I agree with you. Communication is about humanity. It's difficult to express myself clearly in any way, but that's why I keep learning! I feel like every one of my courses are about developing clear communication. Whether it's in Japanese or English class (spoken and written communication), in ballet (a physical and gestural communication), or in architecture (visual communication), all are an effort to present ideas that can be understood by others.
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