How long does it take to become fluent in Japanese?

Question

I'm learning Japanese. This question is for people who have studied it before. How long did you study before you became fluent? Did you learn it on your own or did you take a class?

Answer 1

Like with any language:
it depends on your age, your desire to learn, time you spend learning, and other factors. If you just take a class, it's going to be a long while. The best way to learn is to go there and speak only Japanese.
Good luck!

Answer 2

I've learned from all these responses that there is a huge range in what people believe "fluency" to be.

I studied Japanese on my own for years, two years formally in college, lived and worked in Japan for 7 years, am married to a Japanese man, co-authored an English conversation textbook which still sells pretty well in Japan after 10 years on the market, have 2 kids in Japanese Saturday school doing the full public school curriculum, and consult Japanese transfer families several hours a day in their language.

I can say almost anything I want to say in Japanese, and understand most conversations if they don't get too obscure or academic. Most of my Japanese friends would say I am "fluent". I still wouldn't feel comfortable saying that I am, because the more fluent I become, the more aware I am of the potential for further developing my Japanese ability.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at some of the responses you got from people who say they have a friend who is fluent (how do they know?) or that they became fluent in a matter of months. I thought I was doing pretty darn well after my first two years, but when I listen now to a radio interview I did then, I can only cringe.

Don't worry about when you will become fluent. No one can tell you that. Just have a lot of fun along the way. Study in ways that are interesting enough to keep you motivated. Sometimes for me that meant doing a language exchange, at others practicing karaoke songs, or even going to a new Japanese restaurant every night.

Actually I made the most progress in terms of proficiency while 1) working at a Japanese company in the US, and 2) having babies in Japan. It's been a fun ride, but I wouldn't recommend either of those as a real efficient strategy.

Generally Japanese people will appreciate any effort you make to learn their language. And every bit that you learn will open up your world a little more. Have fun!!!

PS: I don't know why the previous responders said this with such confidence, but Japanese is NOT tonal.

Answer 3

Language is like any other skill or aptitude: some people are proficient in languages, while others are better at math, science, or music. Everyone has the potential to learn, but the fact is that some people are just more capable of learning language than others.

Generally speaking, the younger you are when you are introduced to the language, the better. Babies are born with an unlimited capacity for learning language, and as they grow up, their minds gradually lose the capability to hear and produce sounds in the languages that they are not exposed to. The earlier a new language is introduced to them, the better their odds of eventually being fluent and having good accents. This does not mean that an adult cannot learn a new language; simply that an adult will have to work harder at it, and it is likely that s/he will never develop a really good accent.
How much and where you study are the factors that you have the most control over, so if you really want to be fluent, you'll need to focus on these (see "Where" and "How" sections). If you live in Japan or China or another East region for a year, you will certainly be advanced, and possibly even fluent towards the end of that year. If you're not living in a East region and not taking an immersion class, the amount of time it will take you is almost impossible to estimate, as it depends on the factors in the "How" section. I would say that someone taking daily classes and studying every day would need 6-8 years to become fluent. Any variations in how many classes and how often/much you study will affect how quickly you become fluent.

The time to become fluent also depends on the language you are studying, as well as your native language. Some languages are, generally speaking, more difficult than others, and thus take more time to master. * For example, a Chinese speaker will obviously not find Japanese more difficult than French or Spanish.

Answer 4

You constantly have to be studying Japanese there are 3 total alphabets and it's very hard to memorize all the characters of the 3rd, kanji. My mom is pretty fluent in Japanese after taking 7 years of classes and living in Japan for 3 of those years. It's a hard language but if you are willing to put in the work you can become almost fluent. It's more helpfult to take classes from a native speaker (someone born and lived in Japan), they can tell you if what you're saying is right or wrong.

Answer 5

It all depends on whether you can learn and retain information quickly or does it take you a long time, like if you have a learning disability or any kind of intellectual disability or just like to learn and comprehend slowly and recheck the information that you have just learned before you actually used it in the real world, like for business purposes. The best time to have learned a foreign language is when you are a baby or even an infant, because the brain is really fresh and not quite as well formed as an adult brain is right now. So, when you are real young, learning a language is just like learning to read english is like for the first time in a person's life.

Answer 6

Um, you learn a lot quicker if you relocate to Japan and try not to hang around fluent English speakers.

I'm not sure how much I buy the theory of children having the capacity to learn languages so much faster.

Picture this: Family moves from another country (doesn't matter which one) where dad works, there are a couple of people who speaks his native language. Mom stays in the house all day cooking and cleaning and tending to the kids. the kids are outside playing with the neighbor kids, none of whom speak their native language. They also attend public school during the school year, and maybe attend an ESL class part of the day.

So... dad has no real motivation to become fluent quickly because he has friends who can translate at work.

Mom is in the house all day with little to no contact to native speakers of English.

Kids are outside talking to their friends in English, because that's the only language the friends speak.

I think it's more about immersion and desire to learn. Kids are generally less self conscious with their language errors, also, and they're not afraid to try.

Answer 7

I am learning too, but I am so busy, that with independant study, I am still a beginner after two years. However, a friend of mine took an online class and completely submerged herself in it, and is now fluent in it after only three or four years. The problem is the diversity of the language, like the 8 different number systems. It is a beautiful language though!

Answer 8

As long as it takes. Everyone has a different learning ability. Study! Study! Study!
Now u go and learn that Japanese language. Let me know how long it takes you. I'm still trying to learn the English language.

Answer 9

I did not have to learn Japanese, but I did have to learn a completley new language - and one which has a completely different mentality to English, which is my mother tongue. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the laguage - take a trip to Japan, if you can, and LIVE there for a few months. Don't let any people with whom you come into contact speak with you in any language other than Japanese. You will soon find that you are learning much faster.

If an "immersion trip" is not an option, you should find a japanese individual who is prepared to converse with you at least one a day - and that he makes you speak in Japanese. You should even consider paying him to make him motivated.

Best of luck to you - I would love to learn Japanese!

Answer 10

hmm...a lot of people have said what i wanted to say. I have not formally learned Japanese yet, but I will eventually. In the past few years, I've been picking up quite a bit of Japanese meaning, culture, phrases and grammar. But really, it depends on who you are, how you learn, how determined you are to learn, how much you study, and how fast you learn. Spend time around Japanese things or in Japan. I spent a lot of time watching subbed anime, which is where I pick up a great deal of things. Learn more about Japanese culture. Think in Japanese, even if in small phrases, and speak Japanese. Practice writing, especially kanji. I'm Chinese so I recognize some of the kanji in Japanese writing, but I sure don't know how to use kanji in Japanese writing. But in all, I believe it would take at least four years if you're not in Japan, but fluency is a different matter. Fluency depends on how much you like Japanese and if you can truly "understand" and "convey" your meaning using the language, says my weird take on things....

Answer 11

Speaking Japanese & Loving Japanese Culture!