Family :o

[Step]

recently my japanese mom complains about my sis cause she doesn't talk in japanese anymore like ya.. not at all



but imo it's not like she's not interested in the japanese language, I mean she still takes japanese lessons with some of her half japanese friends



guess it's that puberty thingy.. lol



I kinda feel sorry for my mom because german is a foreign language for her after all.. hm well, I always try to talk in both languages



hope you don't mind I started a topic.. but ya, I'd like to hear some experiences from you



edit: sry for boring title <img src='http://www.halvsie.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='<_<' />

[sayakachan3]

Nice to see a new thread, it's been AGES! Unless you count crazy ole what's his face with the Nostradamus thread (which we don't).



It sucks for your mum but might be best not to push it - my dad used to insist on us speaking Japanese with him and we did, but now even though I speak Japanese, I express myself better in English but I have a complex about using it with him and it affects our ability to communicate.

[Retishi]

I remember when I first moved to the States I stopped talking Japanese to my mom in front of my white friends because they would make fun of me, and pretty much started ignoring all of my Japanese heritage (keep in mind I was in the boondocks with no other Japanese or pretty much any other minorities around). That started when I was about 8 years old, but by the time I got to high school I smartened up and realized that knowing Japanese would be good for my future so started spending every other summer with my relatives in Japan.



I think the best your mom can do is speak to your sister in Japanese from her side, but not try to force her to respond in Japanese. At least she's taking Japanese lessons so she won't lose it completely, and eventually as she gets older she'll probably feel more comfortable speaking in Japanese again (sort of what happened with me).

[maeku 476]

[quote name='Retishi' date='01 November 2010 - 02:39 AM' timestamp='1288575559' post='228723']

I think the best your mom can do is speak to your sister in Japanese from her side, but not try to force her to respond in Japanese. At least she's taking Japanese lessons so she won't lose it completely, and eventually as she gets older she'll probably feel more comfortable speaking in Japanese again (sort of what happened with me).

[/quote]



i do agree with retishi... my mother insisted in speaking in Japanese to my sis and I and we d always travel to Japan during our school summer holirdays..she didnt really force us so we thought it was "normal'... now that I am 34 i have ralized even more the "treasure" we have so i am studing properly Japanese... still have long way to go, but u got to start from somewhere..cause although i speak, i dont read and write.. plus since i started studing i realized how many mistakes i used to make while speaking in Japanese..



btw... it is great -as sasa mentioned- that u started a new topic..and a good one actually!

[Step]

first of all thanks for your responds and sorry I couldn't reply but I was so busy with school (last year, final exams and such but now it's all over!). I've been lurking here from time to time but really never had the chance to write something. anyway I'm back now.



mh yes, about my sister, she still "refuses" to talk in Japanese but my mum kind of stopped complaining about it all the time, so it's good. it's just sooo complicated anyway! Really!!



@Retishi: I knoooow how you're feeling. When for example I got a call from my mum and friends were around me it was always so awkward to talk in Japanese haha! But I got over it by now and most of my close friends know that my mum is from Japan so they don't really make fun of it anymore.



@maeku: yes, I find speaking Japanese to friends not so difficult because it's mostly simple language. but when it comes to writing or speaking to you know my mum's friends or even strangers, I sometimes fail so hard.. was never good at keigo. I think I got better at it though hehe <img src='http://www.halvsie.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[hapadeity]

might not pertain much to the topic but just thought i say it's really discouraging when some Japanese people are reluctant to speak japanese and instead use english when you try to talk with them in japanese, especially when you initiated....so cold.