I'm going to Japanese language school in my 30's... and it's hard

In the spring of 2024, I moved to Tokyo to attend Japanese language school. This is the first time I've been in a traditional classroom in more than 10 years. Going back to school in my 30's has certainly had its challenges, but I'm optimistic that I will make it out the other side with even more life lessons under my belt and some great new stories to tell from the journey!

Sources in this video:
"Becoming Fluent: How Cognitive Science Can Help Adults Learn a Foreign Language" by Richard Roberts and Roger Kreuz

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[jonesr]

Hi Josh, I'm thinking of attending Japanese language school in Fukuoka. I'm 70 years old.

[Mobik_]

I started Japanese at 33, I'm 35 right now and I'm about to give JLPT N3 and then N2 by December. I study around 4 hours every single day and I love the journey.

[Momo-qois]

I attended the Japanese language school in Shibuya when I was 36. It’s been 7 years now since then. I am still living in Tokyo and I can still survive!

[shibakaneki]

I did the same, at 30 I took a one way ticket for Japan and went to school to learn Japanese language. Moved from working life back to student's life. It was the best decision of my life, go for it, man!

[amarug]

Go for it, it's never too late! I started learning Japanese at 37. I didn't go to any school but I did my best to study by myself and practice speaking with a good friend who lives here in Switzerland. My plan was not to tell my wife and prank her once we went to Japan again. Three years later now, at 40, I would say I am more or less fully fluent (even when it comes to complex topics like science, geopolitics etc I can manage). We just came back from Japan and it was quite an adventure. My wife almost could not believe it when I suddenly dashed out rapid Japanese somewhere in a Ryokan in Gifu where the staff didn't understand any English. Also, it saved our butts because my wife had to go to a small hospital on the countryside and they could not speak a word of English there, not even the doctor. I spent half a day translating between nurses, doctors and my wife - after which she was fully convinced that my Japanese skill was not just a gimmick with a few sentences. I was a crazy experience, as I had been to Japan many times before but didn't know a word of Japanese and suddenly I could speak with everyone everywhere. Saved us trouble many time, not just the hospital. I already spoke 4 languages (Native German/Swiss Dialect, French, Finnish and English) which surely helped in some ways, particularly pronunciation, but it was difficult initially. Yet surely one of the most rewarding things I have chosen to do in the past three years. I especially felt flattered as I often got asked where in Japan Iived. Just keep it up, even if its a pain in the beginning, it's SO worth the trouble...

[fernandezsebastien]

Hi Josh, congratulations on following your dream. Greetings from Kyoto, from a 52 year old Japanese language learner. がんばります

[MacRoods]

I'm planning to go to a language school in Japan when I'm 30 (I'm 27 now), it's nice to see a detailed routine in that perspective

[Linguinestick]

All these comments give me some hope. I was planning my time next spring to go to Japanese language school in Fukuoka and at 35 I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the whole experience. But seeing so many others in similar sitautions gives new light to my idea. Thansk!

[isakso]

Thanks so much, I am 30 and want to go a language school, been doing my research and saving money... thank God I stumbled upon your video. Blessings man

[OtakuBoxes]

Best of luck to you! As someone who is in their lower 40's, I find your story very compelling and relatable. We just visited Japan for the first time this past month and we absolutely loved it.

[vasilikonstan]

So glad I stumbled onto your video. It was very well made, and your voice is so soothing. I am 46 years old and in my second year of learning Japanese. It is tough! But I keep pressing on.

[apronapronapron]

I'm currently 31 and this coming October I'm going to Japan to attend both language school and vocational school after that; a total of 3.5 years. I already been there a couple years ago for 10 months learning Japanese but regardless, and even being so close to the date I'm still having second thoughts about everything.
Thanks a lot for the video, this and all the comments of people sharing their experience gave me some peace of mind ☺

[nely]

That's awesome, Josh! I'm in my mid forties and started learning Japanese over two years ago and I really love it. I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to following you on your journey.

[wkzs]

Hey Josh, I'm 35 and I thought about attending the Japanese language school but I doubted a lot about that. Your video helped me and motivated me not to stop and just do! Thank you and good luck to your channel! I'll be waiting for more videos!

[wobblybelly]

about to go for my first japanese class tomorrow, and your video popped out this morning! What a great coincidence, good luck to both of us! :)

[TamaraGirodie]

Hey Josh! I’m 28 and just started a similar journey. I quit my job and moved to Japan for language school, 4 hours every weekday plus self study.

I agree with your internal struggles, and the shock of going from being a competent worker to being in the bottom half of the class (most students had a lot more prep than I did). And learning how to learn intensively again is a very weird feeling.

What helped me is realizing that this is the first time I am doing something huge that is only for myself. The grades don’t really matter since I won’t be going to university afterwards (I already have a Masters in my field) and this is all for fun and empowerment to live and thrive where I choose to.

がんばて！

[trollingisasport]

You can do it!
One piece of advice I would give is focusing on common verbs and adjectives. When people study a second language they usually don't learn through literacy so they miss a lot of the expressive nature of the language. Learning from children's books can help a lot. There are websites online where you can do this for free now.

[yucari]

Hi, Thank you for having an interest in the Japanese language. I admire your effort and dedication to learning it. As for Japanese Katakana words, even I, as a native Japanese speaker, sometimes get confused by them. They are supposed to be converted from English words, but they are sometimes modified in strange ways. Take your time and enjoy learning!

I hope you understand my English. I've started re-learning English again. 応援してます！

[mkrowenp]

Hello, Josh! Thank you for sharing your story! I’m 38, and in about two years, I plan to go to language school in Korea. I love the way you’ve shared your thoughts and tips in this video that have helped you. Very personal reasons and goals have really helped me learn why I want to learn a language. For instance, marrying into a Korean family and really wanting to bridge our communication better. 😊 it was hard for me to switch gears because I was learning Japanese in high school and college. I thought Japanese would be the language I would stick with!

[Alexandre_Keo]

I'm glad this came into my feeds. Love your style. Also, very inspirational. We never stop learning in life. 頑張って!