How I Became A Successful Japanese Language Translator
Have you ever wondered how challenging it can be to learn three scripts in one language!?The Japanese Language consists of three scripts and may seem extremely challenging in the beginning but it does get interesting as we learn more and more.
My story of learning Japanese begins way back in 2003 after my graduation in Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. As I was already interested in Languages, learning Japanese was not a big ordeal for me.
So below is a small write up on how my journey of learning the Japanese Language began.
How it all started
It started in 2004 in a tiny group class conducted by an Indian teacher who had lived in Japan for 14 years. His experience helped us a lot as we learnt a lot of things about the culture and not just the language per say. They say in Japan, knowing the language is 30% achievement but knowing the Japanese culture is 60% achievement! This means that even if you do not know the language well but understand their culture well, the Japanese will still, understand you and appreciate you.
In 2004, I got a chance to move to Japan. Moving there changed my whole view of looking at things in this world. Not only did I learn the language fast but I also absorbed the culture. Language being my strong point, I took it up as a serious thing and joined a full time 2-year Japanese Language course and got a degree certificate at the end of it. One of the easy ways to learn a language is to be constantly in touch with the native people. The more you speak the more fluent you can get.
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After giving a couple of professional exams, I returned to India and started working as a Japanese interpreter and translator for Toyota. Although constantly keeping in touch with a language was a challenge, now that I was back, I still tried to remain in touch with my Japanese friends. Talking to my Japanese colleagues in the company also helped. Watching Japanese movies and reading also helped me keep up with the language. Below are the top 5 ways you can keep in touch with the language.
Top 5 ways to keep in touch with the language
1. Keep in touch with your Japanese friends and colleagues
2. Constantly speak with your Japanese counterparts
3. Think in Japanese instead of your mother tongue before speaking in Japanese
4. Read books and watch movies related to the language
5. Try to crack all levels of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
Image Source: Nihonkai
The above points are just a few pointers to keep in touch with the language. There is a saying in Japanese “Fall down seven, get up eight” which means there’s always a way to get through challenging times if we keep trying. What do you feel are some of the other ways that you can keep in touch with the language?
So, this is how I made a career out of learning the Japanese Language. Now I would like to pursue an interest in writing. I hope that my writing journey takes me forward to a new and exciting career.