First off wanna say thanks to those who answered my last question about my output struggles, y’all really helped.
(For those who have no idea what I mean and want more backstory, click here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/s/Jltv8EGTpQ )
But I also noticed something today that’s honestly been bothering me for a while.
Whenever I run into my Japanese-speaking housemates, I barely say anything beyond surface-level stuff. Like, today I ran into someone after we went to Edo Wonderland together and all I said was 「めっちゃ良い日だった、ありがとう！」or just a quick 「お疲れ！」
But when I saw the English-speaking friend who was with us, I went on full storytelling mode. I was like, “Bro, that was so fun! I’m still thinking about the parade. When we dressed in kimono, I felt like a real samurai haha. I even dreamed about it!”
It’s not that I can’t say those things in Japanese. I totally could if I tried. But in the moment, I just… don’t. I keep things short, almost like my brain doesn’t want to bother, or I feel too lazy to push through the extra mental effort. I also get a bit anxious that I’ll mess up or sound awkward.
But that “laziness” disappears when speaking English. I can chat freely and express everything I’m feeling without even thinking about it.
I don’t want to stay stuck in this mode where my second language self is just the “safe, polite, quiet version” of me. I want to express myself the same way I do in my native language.
Has anyone else gone through this? How did you break through?
by uberfr0st