How Do You Tell If You Are Becoming Fluent in Japanese?
Compliments on your skills by Japanese people don’t mean a thing — the signs are more subtle
Every learner of the Japanese language will inevitably wonder, “when am I considered fluent?”
As DC Palter highlights in Why You Can Never Say You’re Fluent in Japanese, getting complimented on your Japanese language ability is not a sign of proficiency.
When my American friends spoke even a little Japanese, they were always met with effusive compliments: “Nihongo o-jouzu desu ne.” (Your Japanese is so good!)
The truth is, no one is going to come up to you and tell you that you’re amazingly good at Japanese. Compliments are just cultural scripts that Japanese people employ to show their politeness.
So, how do you gauge your Japanese skills? How do you know if you’re fluent in Japanese?
Sure, there are tests you can take. Yet, as I have written elsewhere, the JLPT test is not a good gauge of fluency.
When I had lived in Japan long enough, I realized that the signs that point to your Japanese fluency are more subtle.
