Where should I go for STUDY ABROAD?

alcibiade
Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:37:58 +0000

Well, Asia is definitely where one feels “it is happening”. If you know you want to learn the language, I would recommend doing an intensive course in it, full time. It is a life long commitment and it may wed your career to Japan.

I lived in Japan 1990-1991 (almost 2 full years) and studied Japanese while working. I never got much past being able to use polite phrases (which is in stark contrast to learning 3 languages in Europe), and even when I could say more, the Japanese are not used to foreigners speaking their language - so even if you say it correctly, they may not understand.

I have never lived in China, but I have gone on many work trips there. I find it far more open and lively than Japan, on the way up instead of stagnating like Japan has for the last 20 years. It really depends on what your goals are, as you haven’t even said you’re doing it for a language.

Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy it. It is an extraordinary adventure to live in a different culture and learn the language.