英語の勉強は楽しくないといけない。

[aethelwulf19]

Damn, I studied Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University, and now I live in Tokyo and study Japanese.

Both are extremely hard languages but I love the challenge.

I hope someday I can talk this well.

You sir, are my hero!

[otibed358]

Maybe a bit off-topic Steve, but I'm wondering if way back when (sorry!) you studied Japanese, was it common for any given Japanese person to suddenly blurt out 日本語を上手ですね！even after you simply said something as generic as おはようございます！？

[Jamesyb0i]

Cool!

[TylorDark]

THIS GUY GIVES ME HOPE :')

[KFed604]

looks like the blue snowball microphone

[1004cheonsa]

日本語の勉強はとても楽しいと思います。＾＾

[nkrg19]

私もそう思います。そして、私もあなたみたいに、自分の話したい­ことを、自分の話したい外国語で、いろいろと話してみたい。Th­anks for this great video! 저도 이렇게 생각해요!

[pon00050]

@nkrg19

저도 "그렇게" 생각해요

[4CopyCat]

私は学ぶことが楽しくなかった。早く文法書や会話集を捨てたかっ­た。しかし言葉は一朝一夕には身につかないものだから、すぐに挫­折した。挫折を繰り返した。でも、運よくもここで、あなたの様な­ポリグロットの方々のブログに出会って、「学ぶという過程を楽し­む」ことを教わりました。日本人が半ば強迫観念に襲われて英語を­学んでいることは事実だと思います。そして、皮肉なことに、何十­カ国語も着手している人の方が、英語も上手いことも、また事実で­す。その原因は、確かに「楽しんでいるか否か」にあるようです。­楽しんでいれば、続けようと努力しなくても、自然に続けてしまう­はずなのだから。私も今は色々な国の言葉を楽しんで学んでいます­。「学ぶという過程」を大いに楽しんでいます。時々、あなた方の­言語話や生き生きとした笑顔に元気をもらいながら。本当に感謝し­ています。ありがとうございます。これからも有意義、且つ楽しい­お話、楽しみにしています。

[Superworldblock]

I want to hear you speak Dutch!

[tias90]

It's incredible that you can read Czech newspapers after having studied for five months, and that you are able to maintain such a high level of Japanese despite focusing on two European languages. As unfortunate as it is, change doesn't occur quickly in Japan and people still study English simply to pass tests. I think one good way for Japanese to see that studying English can be fun is go abroad and study, but exchange student numbers are falling..

Does your wife speak Japanese as well? :)

[amanogawamakoto]

日本人の友達このビデオを見させたいです。

[namitsu1]

Someone transcribe this and it would make a nice lesson on linkq.

[mylife0513]

I agree with you. I studied English in junior-high and high school, but the way I studied was just the "traditional method" like transrate the word, understand a meaning, and memorize it like that, but I couldn't speak, listen, and understand English after get out of the schools. Right now, I've been actively studying English(mostly listening) for about a year and half. Guess what? I speak, write pretty fluently, and I understand almost 100%. TOEICとかどうでもいいですよねｗ AND I am damn Japanese!　関西人ですよ＾＾

[lingosteve]

@mylife0513 Right on!! Now if we can only get more people to do what you did!!

[YangJettYung]

Just listen to it... the level of fluency I want to reach for my target language. what an inspirational figure.

[EthanWyatt360]

Sadly I lack the volubility to understand this well at all. 日本語は習得するのは難しいです。 I'd best keep it up.

[forgottenmemories21]

Am I the only one that thinks Steve is speaking with a bit of a Chinese intonation/accent while speaking Japanese? Steve, just curious... do you focus on or have you been listening to Chinese more than Japanese recently?

[lingosteve]

@forgottenmemories21 I doubt it, but only a native speaker could tell us. I have been listening to mostly Czech and Russian recently, although I was on a local Chinese radio program two nights ago.

[indigopocky]

@forgottenmemories21 I don't hear it, I've had a lot of Chinese people in my Japanese university classes and their accent is different

[japtakashi]

@forgottenmemories21 As a naive Japanese speaker, I don't think he has a Chinese accent. His intonation is sometimes a little off, but most of the time he sounds almost like a native speaker.

[forgottenmemories21]

@japtakashi Yes you are right, the timing is perfect but the intonation is sometimes bit off.

[TrimidB]

@forgottenmemories21

I don't hear a Chinese intonation/accent here.

[Bortrun]

多読　：－）

[AmericajinYumi]

Steve, my hero! ☆

[lingosteve]

@AmericajinYumi Aw shucks! Thanks and I saw your Japanese video and you are great!! Keep it up!

[namitsu1]

nice piano playing

[pon00050]

Does anyone else think Steve sounds more enthusiastic when he speaks in Japanese?

[R3dR0t]

@pon00050 Doesn't everyone sound more enthusiastic when speaking in a foreign language? I know I do. :D

[dragonwing4]

@pon00050 Some people say when you gain a new language, you also gain a new personality :P

[pon00050]

@dragonwing4

I agree

[lingosteve]

@pon00050 I will have to get more enthusiastic in my English videos.