The Japanese language can be extremely convenient. There is no small talk, in most cases you don’t need to state the subject or object or sentences, and there are single words and expressions that can express a way of thinking or ideology that have no equivalent in English. If there is one word that is used and repeated more than any other in Japanese it is “Gambarimasu”. A quick look at a dictionary would tell you the word translates to “good luck” or “do your best”. However, as you will soon discover with many Japanese words, this one has a more complex meaning and importance in Japanese social culture. “Gambaru” or gambaru-ism is the primary philosophy of the Japanese.

The Deeper Meaning

I first remember hearing the word when working at a restaurant. I was making salads and slicing raw fish at a counter bar. A male customer was quite surprised to see me working there. We had a conversation about why and what I was doing in Japan. At the end of our conversation when he was getting ready to leave he said “Gambatte kudasai”. I wasn’t sure what he meant and my co-workers were unable to explain to me the meaning of the expression. Later, I found out the expression meant “Please, do your best”. I found this a little odd – a customer telling a me, either as a foreigner or staff member to do my best. Then I began hearing the word more and more. The term is used as encouragement, as a promise, as a dedication or a battle cry. When baseball players golfers, singers, sumo wrestlers, newly elected politicians and others are interviewed they invariably promise to gambaru. It is used and said almost in every situation imaginable. Well-wishers seeing friends and co-workers off abroad yell out “Gambatte”. Newly hired employees pledge that they will do their absolute best for their company by gambaru-ing. Control Freak parents expect nothing less than their children to gambaru in the their school work.

You hear it so often that you begin to understand that it is an important cultural expression, rather than someone expressing their intentions to be all they can be. Also, I have noticed parents often say it to their children as an expression of love ( my interpretation) , rather than an expectation of high performance. I saw parents say to their kids “Gambatte ne” on countless of occasions when they dropped them off to kindergarten.  It had me confused for while, because it was kindergarten, children no older then 3 or 4 years old. I thought it was strange to be saying “Do your best” to children at such a tender age. The I realized it was just a parting greeting, much like when we say “Have fun” to our own children.

It takes years to understand the Japanese language. Some words are so culturally ceremented that you need to experience several years of living in Japan to finally get them. It can be a very interesting learning process, but it is frustrating. So “Gambatte” and do your best.

In this lesson Kaoru Sensei will teach you numbers 1 to 10. Very easy stuff. Once you know numbers then it is very easy to tell the time, state your age and so on.

Large Numbers
It is Japanese units and large numbers that students find difficult to learn and memorize. In Japanese there is the unit “man”, 10,000. In English there no equivalent unit. As there is no English equivalent students find large numbers in Japanese very difficult to read, remember and translate into English. Having this extra unit in their number system can really throw you. Also Japanese think and speak numbers in terms of yen (“cents”) rather than dollars in regard to money. For example, for 1 dollar the Japanese equivalent is 100 yen. As a result, large dollar amounts become very large yen amounts and are difficult to work out and read. We will look at large numbers in a later lesson. The table below is just an introduction to Japanese units.

Japanese verbs……in my first post on verbs I introduced you to the plain form verbs, also known as the dictionary form verb. Now, allow me to introduce “masu”.  Masu form verbs differ to dictionary form verbs in that the masu form is used in formal situations. As a general rule the dictionary form is used when speaking to family and close friends. The “masu” form is used at the workplace, when meeting people for the first time and when speaking to “important” people. The “masu” form could be called the polite form.

  Japanese verbs fall into three groups based on the plain/dictionary form.           

In this lesson you will learn “dictionary” form and “masu” form of present tense affirmative verbs. Having to learn these two fundamental verb forms is a challenge and, unfortunately this is just the beginning. There are very difficult verbs forms ahead that will deprive of sleep if you let the frustration of trying to understand them get to you. I strongly recommend you put a great deal of your study time into learning verbs.

It is probably best to start with irregular verbs because there are only two and you’ll use them daily.?Here they are;

Irregular Verbs

It is probably best to start with irregular verbs because there are only two and you’ll use them daily.?Here they are;

Ru-ending Verbs

Ru-ending verbs can be broken in two groups; eru-ending and iru ending verbs. Knowing this will help you identify Ru-ending verbs form U-ending verbs. Some U-ending verbs do end with “ru” such as the verb “noru”(ride) and can confuse students.The masu form is made by dropping the ru and adding masu. Pretty easy stuff!

U-ending Verbs
U-ending verbs are a little more complicated and require more attention. The way the verbs conjugate depends on the vowel or consonant that proceeds the u. When conjugating to the “masu” form just drop the u and add “imasu”. Have a careful look at the chart;

The subject of whaling certainly stirs the emotions of most people. New Zealanders and Australians are particularly found of whales and are currently doing all that they can to legally stop Japan from killing these beautiful creatures. Whaling is a gruesome and barbaric practice. Just do a search on Youtube and you really will see some disgusting and disturbing images.

I believe whales should be protected and respected. I am all for a total whale ban. However, living in Japan for so long had given me more of a balanced understanding of whaling and what it is to Japan. On two occasions I have eaten whale. The first occasion I was unaware of what I was eating and on the second I was in a position where I felt I was strongly compelled to eat it. My employer at the time had taken me and my mother out to dinner. He was the president of a large chain of restaurants. He ordered the whale meat especially for my mother and I. I felt it would be insulting to not eat the meat. It was actually raw whale meat. It was cold and quite tough. I felt it really didn’t taste all that good.

Why Japan whales

Japan’s whaling certain gives the country a very bad public image in New Zealand and Australia. I have spoken to many Japanese about this and they find it difficult to understand. Whale meat is pretty much on a par with beef. Japan don’t see whale as wonderful majestic mammals. Unfortunate as it is they see them as a food source and viable industry.

In fairness to Japan it should be known that the reality is most Japanese don’t eat whale. A majority of my friends and students have in fact never eaten whale. Traditionally whale was a cheap source of protein for the Japanese diet and was prepared for school lunches. In elementary school in Japan lunch is provided for students. Now , most Japanese now don’t eat whale, either because they choose not too or because it is not sold at most supermarkets. It has now become more a delicacy served at expensive restaurants.

The arguments the Japanese make for whaling is that it is a tradition, a food source and that they use the entire whale carcass for not only food, but oil and materials for crafts. Japan believe they have a right to choose it’s own food source and hunt what it wants.

I guess what makes New Zealand, Australia and the US angry are the lies, and dirty work Japan does to go about getting a ban on commercial whale hunting lifted. Japan maintains that it hunts whale for scientific research. I am not sure as why Japan needs to research whales or the kind of research it does. It is interesting to note that since the International Whaling Commission suspension on commercial whaling in 1987 Japan has managed to steadily increased it’s catch of whales under its special permit for scientific research, from 273 in 1987 to over 1200 in 2005. Japan also hunts very close to New Zealand and Australia. In recent years there have been dangerous classes with protesters and whaling boats.

Japan has also been accused of bribing developing countries to help them get votes to pass a resolution calling for the return of commercial whaling. Japan has also threatened to pull out of the International Whaling Commission altogether. Japan also believes whales are depleting fish stocks.

A few nights ago I had some Japanese friends over for drinks. We were talking about a friend who had given me a gift. The gift was a digital photo frame. A photo frame that makes slide shows of photos you upload. A great present. The friend had kindly uploaded photos of my students, friends and family. A mutual friend who was drinking with me complimented the friend who had given me the present by describing him as “mame”. I had never heard a person being described as “mame” up until then (mame can mean bean). Trying to get my Japanese friends to explain what it meant was quite a challenge. Also, no dictionary we had in the house could really explain the meaning of the word. This is often the nature of certain Japanese vocabulary.

Untranslatable Japanese Words

There are words in Japanese that are simply untranslatable. In order to understand these untranslatable words you need to live in Japan for quite some time. But just living in Japan isn’t enough. You need to live the life of a Japanese – speak the language, mix with Japanese and do what they do. There are words of phrases in Japanese that have had me confused for months or even years. Then one day something unique only to Japan will happen and I will finally experience the true meaning of one of the words. Vocabulary in Japan is strongly associated to cultural understanding and cultural experience.

The Japanese language is so uniquely diversified. During the course of one meal at a restaurant the different “styles” of conversations you can overhear is mind boggling. You could hear business contacts having a polite conversation where keigo is being used, a family speaking a local dialect, young people talking using lots of new katakana words, an old couple communicating with grunts and high pitched yeps, and some Japanese conversing with no words at all. As a result there is also lots of Japanese that gets lost in translation for the foreigner.

These moments where you hear a new word you haven’t heard and can’t understand really make you realize that you are not Japanese. They sort remind you of your limited cultural congeniality to Japan and put you back in your place as an outsider. However, the moment you discover the true and deeper meaning of one of these elusive words it can only be described as enlightenment. They are moments of learning bliss that can never happen in a classroom or be explained by a teacher. The only way to learn them is by cultural discovery.

Japanese seem to have and use less vocabulary than English speakers. However, some Japanese words can expresses concepts, ways of thinking and aspects of life that English simply cannot. I feel the strong and important association of the Japanese language and Japanese culture is often neglected by teachers in the classroom. It should be taught to students of Japanese.  Language and culture are taught, but separately with no emphasis on the connection they have. Real Japanese, spoken Japanese language is more about culture than it is about grammar or vocabulary. Study the culture and you’ll understand the language better.

Teaching English in Japan can be a worthwhile and rewarding experience. Not so much because of the of the job, more because of the opportunities that Japan can give you. The actual job and enjoyment of the job itself really depends on where you work and who you work for. If you desire to work for a large commercial eikaiwa (English conversation) school then your job will most likely be pretty average. It doesn’t mean the you won’t have fun. Just, the actual job and working conditions are pretty average. Working in Japan as a English conversation teacher is just a job. Don’t expect to be well paid for what you do.

I sometimes think that rather than being a teacher the average Eiakiawa teacher is a part coach part entertainer. Japanese students are very teacher dependent. You have to “baby” students English with simple exercise and drills. Getting them to freely talk and express their opinions is very difficult and at times frustrating. Also, all students have a confidence problem and will never recognize there own ability or improvement. Students will speak negatively of their ability even when they are reasonably fluent. “I can’t speak English very well” and “I’m not good at English” are proclamations you hear all the time. Some Japanese are also ashamed to use there language skills. They hide there skills or again just speak badly of their ability.

English Teachers

Qualified Teachers: Qualified teachers coming to Japan should know that unless you are working at a University your teaching qualification won’t really make you any more important than anyone with a any kind of degree or anyone without a degree. There is just too much demand for teachers. Most companies are solely focused on making money rather than providing quality teaching. Not trying to discount anyone with a degree, but your education and qualification would most likely not prepare you for English conversational lessons in Japan. At most schools you teach 2 to 8 students, usually about 4. The environment is not a like classroom. It is usually a small room where everyone sits down while the teacher coaches students.

NOVA

NOVA: The Eikaiwa Giant finally bit the dust. It was just a matter of time. It actually blows my mind when I think about how large and how much consumer trust the company had. NOVA had about %45 market share of the Eikaiwa School industry. In the year2005, NOVA had almost 500,000 students. It is extremely unfortunate for the 6000 staff who have lost their jobs and haven’t been paid for the last few months. Also thousands, and I do mean thousands, of students have lost a lot of cash. Some students had purchased 3 year contracts and other students had paid for contracts for kids classes for 2008. They will get nothing. However, the warning signs were there for about 6 months. Anyone who joined NOVA in the last 6 months were far too trusting or just plain stupid.

Japanase Universities

University jobs: These are the jobs to get. The money is excellent. I work part time at a Fine Arts university. Admittedly it is not the greatest university out there, but the money is very good. I receive about US$95 for a 80 minute lesson. I can do pretty much what I want. I have no homework or reports to write or anything like like. However, I am required to try and get classes of 15 to 30 students conversing. This is near impossible. When Japanese get together in large numbers they just switch off completely. They say nothing, no eye contact, no facial expressions. I pretty much get zero participation with my students. Forget about the polite diligent student. That is a myth. Students won’t greet me, they roll up 30 minutes late for a class and say nothing, sleep during lessons and never do their homework.

When I think about the industry and the huge demand for teachers and products in Japan it just blows my mind. A culture or society conditioned not to express their inner feelings or thoughts, and in my opinion socially challenged, compared to other cultures or countries, spends millions and millions of dollars on learning English. Students learn English with no real goal in mind, and are often afraid or ashamed to use their English abroad. Learning English is more of a hobby, than about learning a skill in Japan.