Today I wanted to also discuss two pieces of life advice.
The first is having the mindset to just do it no matter the situation.
I get stressed or anxious quite easily and I’ve been put in a lot of stressful situations over the years and to be honest even though I’m here now, there’s something literally everyday that stresses me out.
But the point is, I’m still doing it despite all of that. And you can too! If I can manage, you definitely can too! I’ve been saying this to some of my friends too, but the time is now.
There is no magical perfect time to begin. There will always be issues to consider.
You just have to DO IT.
Like if you want it, you have to make it happen. It’s not going to come simply, but I think it’s totally possible to make your goals come true. Of course you have to be realistic in your goals too, but as long as it’s within relative reason, it’s possible.
For me, I’ve been wanting to come back to Japan ever since 2020, but with the pandemic, it was so difficult. But I made it here now for this year, and I am incredibly grateful for that.
It was a dream that has now become a reality after a lot of hard effort and time.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 20’s so far:
Number 1: Just do it
Number 2 Ask for what you want. Project it out into the world. Also don’t be afraid to ask for help. No one can survive this difficult world all on our own.
Number 3: Keep in contact with your friends from abroad and don’t be afraid to reach out even if it’s been years. They’ll usually be happy to meet up.
2nd Piece of Life Advice in Relation to Language Learning Abroad
But today I want to talk something important to remember and realize about real life communication. This is coming from my 1.5 months here, but in real life situations (not role-plays) it’s OKAY not to have perfect grammar or complete sentences.
The point is to get your message across.
Especially when you are on a time crunch (about to miss your next bus), just say what you need.
Don’t worry about perfecting it.
This is something I am still working on changing my mindset about as someone who is a perfectionist and actually enjoys learning from textbooks.
When you are just trying to communicate, DON’T worry about always trying to using the more advanced grammar or vocabulary word.
You might judge yourself after (I always do), but Japanese people will be impressed by the amount you can speak at all or read as a foreigner. They’re not going to say oh you said だけでなく not のみならず. Or you used the wrong particle there. It was a は not が. Obviously no one would do that in any language.
Yes, grammar is important. I think vocabulary is even more important actually in the long run. But for real life, you have everything at your disposal too (like gestures, your phone, pointing, etc) which aids in communication. Nothing is singled out like on a test.
I hope this gives you some confidence to try speaking more
framed in beige 