How much Japanese do you need to (or should) know before taking part in a student exchange program to Japan?

I'm interested in going to japan, probably with Student Exchange Australia, does anyone have experience with them? I'm thinking of doing the 1 year program.How much Japanese do you need to (or should) know before taking part in a student exchange program to Japan?While I am not familiar with Student Exchange Australia, I have lived in Japan for 12 years and seen a lot of exchange students coming and going. I think the answer depends on your goals - do you want to become a fluent speaker, or just have an interesting cultural experience?



If you want to become fluent, I would recommend trying to be placed in the countryside, at arms length from the big cities. There will be fewer English speakers there, and fewer distractions. Conversely, it's possible to live in Tokyo for many years, and not pick up much Japanese at all. You can gain great fluency in one year if you surround yourself with good Japanese friends.



As to how much you need to know before going? You could get by with just learning the basic polite greetings, as most of what you learn beyond that may just make you nervous and clam up when you finally get to Japan.



If you really wanted to give yourself a head start, just concentrate for a couple of weeks on learning the two basic 'alphabets' of katakana and hiragana. They are easy to learn, and will give you the best foundation to work on. Most people I've seen who don't master those two written systems (and doggedly stick with 'romaji' - transliterating the words into the English alphabet) do not get past the basics. Just get yourself some big notepads and write, write, write them over and over until you can memorize them. It may be daunting at first, but you will appreciate the work when you get there.



Japan is a wonderful country, with highs and lows just like any other culture. The only other thing to take is an open mind, and you will have a fantastic time!How much Japanese do you need to (or should) know before taking part in a student exchange program to Japan?I'm not sure HOW MUCH Japanese you should know, but you should try to learn as much as you can.



Japan has a culture built around respect, and as with any country, learning their language is the best way to earn their favor.



It's not too hard to learn Japanese. I talked to this man at my barber shop about wanting to learn and he hooked me up with this learn Japanese tutorial book.



Good luck and happy trails.