Introduction:
Japanese is an East Asian language spoken by about 128 million people, primarily in Japan, where it is the national language. It is a member of the Japonic (or Japanese-Ryukyuan) language family, and its relation to other languages such as Korean is debated. Japonic languages have been grouped with other language families such as Ainu, Austroasiatic, and the now-discredited Altaic, but none of these proposals has gained widespread acceptance.
It is often said that globalization opens international markets, which is one of the reasons why learning Japanese is important. Japan is the third-largest economy in the world after the United States and China. The Japanese economy is larger than those of Germany and the United Kingdom, which are ranked fourth and fifth-largest.
Benefits of Learning Japanese
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1. Provides more opportunities for international understanding
The Pacific Rim and Asia continue to increase their global importance. The relationships between the U.S. and Japan have strategic and economic significance. Thus, it is critical that more Americans should be proficient in Japanese. It’s common knowledge that the Japanese are very nationalistic and even if they can speak and write in another language they would prefer to have their written texts in Japanese. Thus, access to information could be easier if people know the language. Fluency in Japanese allows people to improve communication and gain deeper knowledge and a higher understanding of Japan as a nation and as a culture.
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2. Prepares you for a better future
As the Asian economy rises, more opportunities for work would be available. Japanese is a language that is not commonly taught or studied, like French, German or Spanish. Learning Japanese will boost your professional value. When you learn Japanese, you’ll have less competition in opportunities available in different fields, such as business, social sciences, humanities, technology, science, journalism, and tourism. If you want to be a translator for the government or a language services provider, your competition is lower when you speak Japanese compared to other more commonly taught languages.
You could also have better chances of promotion. If you’re working for an international corporation, speaking a foreign language like Japanese creates more opportunities for you to be assigned to an overseas branch.
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3.Makes you understand Japanese culture
The Japanese culture is unique. It’s a combination of traditional and modern practices. Typically, social conducts are not something you will see in the West. Their cultural traditions are ingrained in the people, young and old, and these traditions dictate the way they react, interact and behave. These are also manifested in the way they write, read, hear and talk. The younger generation could exhibit very modern behaviors, talk and dress differently but they still follow traditions their elders have taught them.
Understanding the Japanese language will open your eyes to Japanese history, martial arts, entertainment, culture, and fashion.
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4.Makes you appreciate your own culture and language
Learning Japanese will help you to appreciate your own culture as well as your own language because it improves your communication and cognitive skills. Accessing a culture that is very different from yours will heighten your awareness that cultures and languages vary.
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5.Improves your skills in studying your other academic lessons
As a student, learning Japanese helps you gain broader perspectives, higher thinking skills, and new learning strategies that you can apply to your other academic subjects.
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6. You can qualify as an English teacher in Japan
Your proficiency in Japanese can be your stepping-stone to teach English in Japanese high schools or even work in some local Japanese organizations of the government. The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) is an annual program where foreign students who pass the criteria and review process can stay and teach in Japan for one full year. It is a program to promote internationalization through the development of mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. Its aim is to increase Japanese education in foreign languages. You can continue to study the Japanese language during your stay.
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7. It’s your gateway to more Asian cultures and languages
Other Asian nations, such as Korea, China, and India exerted influence over Japanese history. Although the Asian cultures are different, they also share some similarities, which you’ll be able to recognize when you study the language. You’ll see the values they share with the country, including aesthetics, ethics, and religious beliefs.
It will likewise help you learn other languages in Asia. Japanese grammar is quite similar to Korean grammar. Both have advanced honorifics systems to show respect to persons of higher stature, older family members, and strangers. Their writing system has similarities with the Chinese writing system, therefore, it would be easier for you to learn and understand either Chinese or Korean.
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8. You’ll have access to advanced technology
Japan is a nation that is geographically isolated. Considering the devastation of the country during WWII and the fact that natural resources are scarce on the island, it’s impressive how the Japanese were able to turn things around. It is astonishing how the Japanese were able to rely on their scientific knowledge and creativity to make their country economically successful. They are leaders in various fields of technology such as fermentation processes, industrial robotics, semiconductor manufacturing, electronics, and optical media. They are great innovators, attested by their being on top of the list of patent filings in the world. Each year, around 420,000 patent applications are filed by Japanese inventors.
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Conclusion:
If you work in the technology field, especially robotics, learning Japanese will be very advantageous for you. You’ll be able to understand Japanese cutting-edge technology. Aside from the robotic tools that help the manufacturing and other labor-intensive industries, Japan has created various robots, including animals and humanoids for various applications.
Globalization has opened new markets and allowed countries to engage in trade faster. However, there is always the problem of communication because nations speak different languages, which is why learning new languages are increasingly encouraged. Being able to speak other languages improves economic ties because communication is facilitated and understanding is enhanced.
There are various ways to learn the Japanese language in your spare time. Such as Books, Apps, Online classes, Audiobooks, E-Learning etc. Whatever method you choose, please have proper research on it. Multibhashi is an online platform where you can choose to learn this language. Our trained trainers will teach you this language from the basics.
