How many people in the U.S. can speak Japanese in the JLPT N1 level, except native Japanese?
This is a tricky question. First, because (as far as I know) there is no hard data on non-native speakers of Japanese and their approximate ability level. Second, because N1 of the JLPT is predominately very formal language which is rarely used in daily speech, even by native speakers, it’s a bit tough to say if someone ‘speaks’ at an N1 level. And third, because there may be a fair number of people who have an N1 ability level, but never bother to take the JLPT.A look at pass rates for the JLPT, however, shows that just shy of 20,000 people who took N1 outside of Japan passed. And that’s worldwide.I would hazard a guess and say that near-fluent, non-native speakers of Japanese are rare outside of Japan.
How many people speak nihongo (japanese)?
two, yo momma and jeffrey
Can japanese people speak english?
yes japanese people speak english, but i will warn you that it might be a little hard to understand. it's required for japanese students to learn english in middle school and beyond, so the would definitely have more second language skills than we do in america, since we only need like two years of a language in high school. whoever said that the japanese school system is horrible is wrong. how the kids interact with eachother in the classrooms is a different story, but just looking at the education, japanese people are one of the most educated people in the world. anyways, back to your question, they probably might have some idea what you are saying, but it greatly depends on where you are. if you are in a big city like tokyo, then most likely you will find some people who can speak english well. you might want to learn some basic japanese though, if you're planning on understanding what theyre trying to say.
Do Japanese people like foreigners who try to speak Japanese?
Outside of Japan, I have run into two very distinct types of people.The first and most common, are people who are thrilled that you are learning their language and will do everything in their power to forward your progress. I had two Japanese old ladies at a restaurant practically adopt me when I would stop there for dinner after Japanese class.The second type, which I would estimate at about 20%, don’t want to have anything to do with it. I’ve had entire conversations where I spoke only Japanese and the person I was speaking to spoke only English.One time, when I was in Paris for business, I went to a Sukiyaki place near my hotel. I proceeded to speak in Japanese. The people there immediately started speaking French to me. I told them I didn’t speak French, which was true. They then shifted to English. I told them I didn’t speak English, which was a lie. They then asked me what language I did speak. I made up some “mock Russian”, which thankfully, they didn’t speak. Essentially, I left them no choice other than Japanese. They were not happy, but as I said, they represent only about 20%.On the same trip, I got onto an elevator full of Japanese business men. I don’t remember what I said but one of them responded with “o jouzu desu nee” (you’re good) to which I responded “ton demo nai” (no way). Today I would probably say “mata heta desu” (I’m still bad). Anyway, this resulted in more friends as a result of trying to speak Japanese. Everytime I ran into some of them in the elevator they wanted to help me with my Japanese.So I would say that most Japanese people don’t mind and are even happy. There is that 20% though, that don’t want you to try and speak Japanese.
How many North American people can speak and read Japanese?
(In the U.S.,) Comparatively, almost none. Your average American will probably only understand, “konnichiwa,” “sayonara,” and “domo arigato [Mr. Roboto]” along with some food and brand names. Anime fans will most likely know a few more words, like “oniichan,” “itadakimasu,” “neko,” etc. Even less know how to read basic hiragana or katakana, much less, kanji. The vast majority of Americans who have some ability to speak or read have spent a few years actually living in Japan, and as many people know, most Americans don't actually have a passport.One of the primary reasons for this is because there's very few places in the country where a person can put their Japanese to use. The number 1 place is Hawaii, where apparently, Japanese there is treated like Spanish is in the continental U.S. Other places are Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and possibly New York. The only reason I've gotten any kind of skill in speaking is because many tourists that go to Las Vegas come here on day trips.Canada will probably be a different story since they have Working Holiday Visas that allow Japanese people to come there and their citizens to go to Japan for up to a year.
Do Japanese people speak English?
Thanks for the A2A.I don’t know what percentage of Germans speak English but I can assure you the number of Japanese who speak English in a way that is more than just a few phrases (even though it is part of compulsory education) is really small - I think about 2–3% at best.The reason for this is as follows:There is no need - simply put, Japanese people don’t need to speak English in order to live their daily lives and unless you are doing business with English speakers, hanging out with expats or married to someone who speaks English, there is no one to practice/converse with.The only place where you can get a proper English education is in expat schools (American schools, British schools, etc.). This is because simply, most Japanese English teachers have not even lived in a English speaking countries for more than a couple of years at most (I think 3 months is the common length). THIS IS AN IMPROVEMENT. In the past, it was common for English teachers to have NEVER EVEN SET FOOT IN AN ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY.Although there are people who lived in an English speaking country while they were kids and went back to Japan due to their parent’s work situation, most lose their language skills because of reasons one and two. I know so many people who grew up in the US who were native level English speakers growing up who went back to Japan during their teenage years and completely lost their ability by the time they are out in the workforce.There is kind of an anti-English feeling in Japan. What I mean by this is that if you do speak English, you’re either seen as highly intelligent (not necessarily but again, since English is part of school, those who do good in English are considered “smart”) and cool or you’re trying too hard to be cool. The problem is that if you’re seen as “trying too hard to be cool,” it discourages most people from putting in real effort to learn the language.To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised that more people are fluent in German in Japan because of #4 and there’s a history of people who used German as their trade language (German was mandatory for doctors pre-WWII and the Japanese legal system is based on the German system so academic law researchers probably use it too)…well, maybe not.
Do people speak spanish in Japan? Or only few people learn it?
By rule japanese is the most important language in Japan. Then comes english as the second one. But then, do people speak spanish in Japan? What i mean is, if i go to Japan as a native spanish speaker, will i find people who speak spanish? For example in America it'd not be weird to hear someone speaking english, spanish,french,german,ect... but it'd be weird hearing someone speaking some dialect like Quechua or something like that. Does the same happen in Japan with spanish?
Do many people speak English in Japan?
NO. English is taught as a subject in Japan, but it is not spoken at home, and as a result, most Japanese don't know how to speak straight unbroken English. But most Japanese can understand some of your English though. Just speak more slowly. Some businessmen and people who studied in the United States may be able to talk to you in perfect English, but this is not the case for the rest of the population. Near the American bases in Okinawa, Japan, there are lots of Okinawans who have worked for the Americans, and many of them do speak impeccable and perfect English. As a whole, the people from Okinawa tend to be better in speaking the English language than those who live in the Japanese mainland.
Am i worthless to Japanese people if i'm American but i don't speak english well?
First if all, your English is perfectly fine. I can tell by your punctuation, complete sentences, and your use of the adverb "well" that your command of the English language is probably above average. I think your main difficulties are with shyness and limited interpersonal skills. For both, the only way to improve is to just put yourself out there and be open and warm to people. It takes time to become comfortable doing so, but keep at it. Those are good skills to have no matter what language you speak or what country you reside in. You have to understand that while Japan is very welcoming of occidental influences, their view of what constitutes "American" most likely comes from 90210 and Friends reruns. "American" to them equals blond hair, blue eyes, white skin. Especially since Japan as a country does not have multiple races living together, they're not familiar with black, latino, or native american culture. Their definition of what is "American" is pretty narrow. That's pretty sad considering multiracialism is what really makes the USA and American history unique. You would do them a favor by exposing them to your unique experiences as a latin american, and opening their eyes and helping them broaden their perspective of what constitutes "American." So continue to reach out to them and humor them with more "mainstream" activities (music, going dancing, movies, TV, parties, camping, etc), but also give them a chance to experience something more unique. Also, in doing more "mainstream" activities with these Japanese visitors, it may help you relate to and get to know some of your more "mainstream" fellow American colleagues and friends. Lastly, I second Pimp Master G's opinion that teaching English in Japan would be a great opportunity for you. Get certified to teach ESL or foreign languages. They are always looking for people who can speak eloquent and proper English and has a solid command of grammar and syntax. Meanwhile, your Japanese will improve exponentially and you will gain a much deeper appreciation for the culture while teaching in Japan.