Learning to Speak the Japanese Language

Learning to speak another language is a very important part of education for many people.  In addition to being an invaluable skill, learning how to speak more than one language opens up parts of your brain that are usually dormant or semi-dormant and helps your overall ability to think, analyze, and expand your intelligence. While Japanese might not be the first language that leaps into your mind when you think of picking up a new language, if you're going to do business in the Orient, you will want to learn to speak business Japanese fast.  It makes a big difference when it's time to make a deal.

Doing business in Japan is far different than doing business in many other parts of the world, and while learning the language isn't a requirement by any stretch, it is an extremely smart business move.  English is a common second language in Japan, and translators will normally be present to make sure everything is clearly understood.

However, you will quickly find that you get more done and more good deals if you take the effort to learn business Japanese.  In Japanese culture, a company can be judged by the character of the individuals who go to represent it.  This applies to other areas of life, as well.  I once had a professor from England who was pitching an exchange program with Tokyo for London over a UCLA program.  He thought the interview went badly, as they kept mentioning what UCLA could offer, but in the end he explained what they were about, what they're program could do, admitted why they couldn't provide some of the same experiences as UCLA but why their program was good anyway.  The Japanese University chose the exchange program with England because they were very impressed with the professor as an individual.

So who do you think will impress a Japanese business person more: a slick 80's cookie cutter business person, or someone who actually shows up with respect for the culture and can speak even the basic phrases of the language?  Even learning basic business Japanese can go a long way towards making a very positive impression as a respectful and capable person who understands the importance of character and honor - two attributes that are critically important in Japan but which are not often seen as a major deal in the United States (unfortunately).

Because of this, while an initial investment in an expensive language learning course might seem a little prohibitive, it will pay off after the very first business dealing in Japan when your character is judged excellent and your new business partners reward your character and respect by awarding you a larger contract, or perhaps you even win a contract that your company wasn't even in the running for prior to learning the language.  This is one of the largest advantages of learning to speak Japanese, and a reason that this should be on the top list of things to do among young business people who want to have the skills and ability to quickly ascend in the corporate world due to their success.

While Rosetta Stone programs may be a little out of the price range for the average individual, another excellent option is going with the online tutorials offered by Japanese Rocket Language Learning courses, which is an online 31 part course using video and audio to make learning much easier, as well as an assistance forum and even an entire section that is devoted solely to learning business related Japanese.  So take a look at it and you'll be in much better position in the future when negotiating business with any Japanese clients.