Comments by "Jordan, inside-outsider in Japan" (@Jordan-inJapan) on "TAKASHii"
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@albertsmith99 that’s a good point. Things have been getting better in recent years. (Especially in the run-up to the Olympics, a lot of wheelchair-friendly infrastructure was put in). But still behind most other (‘developed’) countries.
Actually, I’m involved in a music project at a center for challenged artists, so I have some personal interest in this issue as well! One of the things we do is set up public events and performances to be as visible as possible, like, “hey, we’re here in your community, and some us have disabilities, but guess what, create art too!” And the lack of access thing does come up pretty often — like we’re constantly having to carry our two band members who are in wheelchairs up and down stairs. But that also serves the goal of drawing attention to the situation. So… long response, but yeah, I think that one’s level of ability has more impact that nationality in this country when it comes to discrimination!
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@aGGeRReS Good question! In fact, there have been essays written about this, and not everyone agrees on the answer. But I think it comes down to a few things. First, English and Japanese are just really different languages. Like, for most people it takes an immersive situation to force your brain to adjust and really be able to understand/speak fluently.
Second, Japanese culture itself is a barrier to learning foreign languages. People here don’t want to answer a question unless they’re really confident about their answer. So in English class, many people would rather say nothing than risk a grammar mistake. (You can’t learn a language this way.) To make matters worse, there seems to be a common belief among Japanese people that they just aren’t (genetically??) able to master foreign languages. “Well what do you expect? I’m Japanese!”
Finally, until recently at least, there just hasn’t been a real NEED to learn English here. I mean, it didn’t have any real effect on most people’s career or financial status. Most Japanese Prime Ministers and business leaders couldn’t speak it. For the average person, mastering English has been more of a party trick than anything. Sure, students hear again and again, “English is important for your future.” But for most people that just hasn’t been true. So people just focused on passing some important tests, and then forget it afterwards.
All that said, I get the sense that things are changing now, and there are not real financial imperatives to learning the language. So it makes sense to me that people’s English level will start to go up soon. Hopefully…🤞
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@aceent5145 Yeah, private lessons are a good option to supplement a mediocre income. Until recently, ALTs (and other employees) working directly for city governments were not allowed to do outside work. Many did, but we had to keep it hidden to avoid trouble. But since last year, the rules have changed and it’s officially allowed (nearly) nationwide, which makes things simpler.
To be honest though, the reason I’m able to own a house and raise a family on an ALT salary is because I’m not doing it on an ALT salary alone. My wife is Japanese and works for a major company that pays a decent salary. Since she has to do overtime work/ extended business trips etc, I’m the main domestic person in our family, cooking, taking care of kids, etc. So, my ALT job’s easy schedule makes it possible for me to support her career. So the REAL secret to making it in Japan is… 😆
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