How long would it take a westerner to become a fluent speaker/writer/reader of the Japanese language?

Question

Any book recommendations?

Answer 1

To be truly fluent takes around 3 years (assuming you spend time speaking it frequently), though you also have to add in time if you aren't a 'quick study' or have trouble memorizing the required 1900 or so kanji for reading. It took me a little over 3..... ended up going to Tokyo and Osaka to practice. I actually liked the Rosetta Stone language program for learning the basics. Then I moved on to anime with subtitles (lots of different genres, I'm sure there's one you'd like). Now, I just click on Yahoo Japan and read the news or check out sites through one of the many websites that allow western computers to display kanji without installing software. I have trouble finding Japanese books in the States (I only found one magazine--- Vogue! eck.).

Answer 2

3000 hours I think. So 8 hours a day for a year, or 15 hours a week for 3 years.
I took 30 hours of Japanese 15 years ago and I can now count to 6 and say one sentence. (There is a book on the desk.)

Answer 3

Probably a long time. I took a year and a half of Japanese in college and I'm far from fluent.

Answer 4

I felt comfortable with my Japanese after living in Japan for about 8 months (I studied for 2 months before leaving). The reading/writing is much more difficult especially if you arent artistically inclined.

Answer 5

It depends on how dedicated you are, how fast you learn, if you're learning alone or through a tutor, et cetera.

This year is year three for learning through study in both classroom and independently and can speak basic sentences, read and write both sets of kana, and know 250 kanji.

Answer 6

speaker- not too long. two or three years. read and write- that will take a really long time. many years. probably 6-10 years

Answer 7

it only takes a year to nail the basics IF you study and live in japan. another year to master it :) so roughly, around two years. i'm doing it now. good luck!