Aspiring South African JETs 2012

[eFred]

And my reasons? Innumerable and probably downright silly! So you shall not know, but you may judge me for not pulling out the I Love Inaka, No Really! card.

What's in Inaka?

[eFred]

I'll have to agree with you Hatefulsandwitch.

You slipped up there . Hey, you can call me HS, it's what all the cool kids are doing here.

Ooh... I was waiting for someone to make that mistake...

[eFred]

There isn't a heck of a lot to talk about now, is there? What are you people getting up to while you wait to hear interview results/ wait to have your interviews? Anyone doing much Japanese learning?

Well, as we all know, I have not had my interview yet. In the meanwhile, I'm thinking happy thoughts and attempting to learn Japanese on my own until classes kick off. I was super busy doing stuff but it's cooled down so I have lots and lots of time to sit around and do nothing. Happy days.

As for hobbies and stuff, I took up knitting last year because of boredom and I kinda like it. I also play guitar (a little?) so I could work on that? PLUS, they're fixing my road (it was gravel before), I bought a skateboard so I'll be attempting to skate (but not before the interview, last time I was on a board, I busted my face so bad that it was actually funny)

Aaaanndd.... what else is everyone else doing to pass the time? If you're learning Japanese, you doing it on your own? Classes? Group of friends?

[E-and-T]

Wow... We are sUpEr busy right now!

I'm finishing up my job at the moment, while my fiancée is working furiously to hand in her PhD thesis before our wEdDiNg in four weeks!! While doing the final preparations we're doing a online TEFL course, and trying to pick up snippets of Japanese from some self-study of a perfectly labelled book called 'Japanese for Busy People'. We're also working our way through an audiobook on grammar called 'A Way with Words' by Prof. Drout... which is actually very interesting.

And of course, there's spending time with family and friends.

And Naruto... Thank god for Naruto.

Since my semi-permanent holiday starts next week, I'll be working on building the body of a god! It's only fair... It would be nice to walk into this marriage on equal footing .

[hatefulsandwich]

I didn't want April departure because it seems like too little time to get one's affairs into order and I also want the BIG Tokyo orientation experience . I don't know what early departers get.

I think the only way to learn Japanese is on your own in SA. That's why I lose it so quickly because, well, there's only so much stimulation one gets from watching Naruto. I mean, I love Naruto, but it does little to further my Japanese ability. I really enjoy the Pimsleur method of learning Japanese, but it doesn't help now that I don't have a job. I used to listen to the lessons whilst driving to and from work. I also tried Rosetta Stone... I hate it, personally. It's drawn-out and I always reach a level where I don't actually know what it wants me to do. It just highlights words in red and I'm like... Okay, whut?

I also play guitar! I just haven't for a while. I've been playing on an off for 11 years now... sigh. I once had aspirations in the direction of Rock Star-dom. Alas, my wrists have little tolerance for the activity and I seem to have been gifted with hands that would be better suited to a ten-year-old.

And Inaka pretty much means rural.

I've been planning on getting the body of a god, too. Well, no, I'd just like to lose some weight. But the heat, ye lords, the heat. And humidity. Makes physical activity downright disgusting.

[eFred]

Potentially 'duh' question. You know how we spell colour colour and not color? And there are many other words that is spelled slightly different and all that, well, this grammar test, it will be British English right? Not American English??? And if we do get to go to Japan (happythoughtshappythoughts) we teach.... American English spelling and all??

[RoBot]

Potentially 'duh' question. You know how we spell colour colour and not color? And there are many other words that is spelled slightly different and all that, well, this grammar test, it will be British English right? Not American English??? And if we do get to go to Japan (happythoughtshappythoughts) we teach.... American English spelling and all??

I was also wondering about this; I use British English as well, however if I have autocorrect on my laptop set to American English then it adds in Z's everywhere. Would love to know if I'll have to convert to American English if I get onto JET.

[hatefulsandwich]

The proficiency test isn't concerned with British vs American English - it wouldn't matter how things were spelt in context of what they're testing you anyway. I do imagine that the Japanese would want you to use American English in terms of spelling and certain terms, yes.

American English involves quite a lot of changing of spellings of things, but you tend to be able to pick it up. I must say I get very confused with the 's' changing to 'z' in a lot of words. There are also certain words that are completely different like with parts of cars.

Bonnet = Hood
Boot = Trunk
Hooter = Horn (Americans find it hilarious that we call the "horn" a hooter, btw, since a hooter is a slang term for, well, breast).

There are a lot of words that we're familiar with because of television, but don't use a heck of a lot. Like instead of "trash can" we'll use "rubbish bin". Conversely, the Americans understand what a rubbish bin is, too. They're just less likely to use the term.

Then of course there are the hilarious cultural differences between our ideas of what "bum" and "fanny" constitutes. In terms of food, we all know the great debates of cookies vs. biscuits, jam vs. jelly vs. jello, chips vs. crisps (vs. fries). There also appears to be confusion with to the term "drink" - like if you offer someone a drink some interpret it as strictly alcoholic and you should offer somebody "soda" as a separate thing. Certain Americans even use "coke" as a catch-all term for soda drinks.

I do know that certain things have cropped up in my dealings with Americans where I actually have no idea what they're talking about, but I can't bring up any examples at this point in time. I do know that we're the only people who calle traffic lights "robots" and I think we might be the only people who refer to aubergines as "brinjals" and courgettes as "marrows". I might be wrong on those counts, though.

Also there are some "Americanisms" in grammar and some people like to say it's just a difference between American and British English, but quite honestly it is incorrect English that has just become acceptable. I can't accept some of them, personally, though (the term "different than" irks me to no end). Before I start any fights, all countries seem to develop certain habits in English that are technically wrong, even the Brits. This is an excellent article I recently read on grammar mistakes that lots of people (including me) make regularly.

Don't forget we've got some odd South Africanisms as well and it's very much influenced by Afrikaans ways of doing things. Doing things "now now" or "just now" - other speakers of English have no concept of what this means. Saying "shame" to somebody who isn't South African elicits quite a different response and it's generally not welcome. Phrases like "Howzit?" and "Is it?" are technically incomplete phrases and also considered quirks of South African English. We also use "hey" in a slightly different way in terms of exclamation and questioning - like when we say "ja, hey" or "hey?" as a bit of a rude replacement for "pardon?"

Finally I'll touch on that I'm sure most people are aware of is the term "Coloured" and Coloured culture in general. That seems to be quite a uniquely South African thing, the term "Coloured" is considered derogatory in some other countries. We, of course, have an actual Coloured culture that is quite distinct from "Black" culture whereas internationally they don't really distinguish the two. That said, of course, a South African Coloured person might be offended at being called Black because they don't identify with it as their culture as such - and some because they like differentiate in terms of race although at the end of the day that would technically make a lot of (if not most) people Coloured.

There you are, children. A big lesson for the day courtesy of the ever-verbose Hateful Sand Witch. I could go on, I'm sure, but I think that's more than enough to ruminate on now.

EDIT: Okay, editing a few typing errors. If you come across anything else that's incorrect, just ignore it. I would make quite a competent English teacher, but maybe not the best typist .

[RoBot]

^^^^ Love this post. I used to live in Kenya & I had a few SA friends at my school & I picked up 'hey' & 'ya' which drove my parents nuts!! I think as we meet people from different counties we pick up mannerisms & saying which lead to an international accent. I love when an accent has a mixture of places in it!

[hatefulsandwich]

I agree, I actually speak in very different ways depending on whose company I find myself in. I've got a mild "Southern suburbs" accent which can sound pretty uneducated, but I went to high school in the North, so I can speak quite clear and posh English if I want. I have group of friends who have a very rough Southern accent and we sound like a comedy skit when we're together. I have a friend who talks like a stoner and I use the stoner lingo around him. When I was little I was friends with some Coloured girls and landed up getting the accent.

[RoBot]

[quote="hatefulsandwich"]I agree, I actually speak in very different ways depending on whose company I find myself in.[quote]

Ditto! Crucible of accents- ace.

[Cape2Tokyo]

Wow! I have not been on this forum in quite some time. The joys of studying!

Guys, I feel so unJapanese at the moment Everybody has been learning Japanese to pass the time, except for me!

I am busy doing a post-graduate certificate course at the University of Cape Town (UCT). So, at the moment I am supplementing my law degree with all the practical aspects of being a candidate attorney like drafting pleadings, summons, applications and all that jazz. ''Graduate'' in the middle of June so I have no time to embark on any cool Japanese lessons. Unfortunately!

For most of us Capetonians, our interview will be in exactly one week. Nerves! Hopefully, with my 0% Japanese ability and all, I will impress them with my desire to learn the language from the minute I get ACCEPTED. Oh, I do know how to say ''hello, my name is Sean'' - I pray they have a sense of humour.

When I get any free moment, I read every bit of Japanese current events that become available. As far as my interest in the country is concerned, it will be an absolute dream to live there!

Holding thumbs for all of you guys! If you wish to add me on Facebook, go ahead. Will be fantastic to chat to JET applicants from the get go!

Sean-Michael O'Toole

[eFred]

The proficiency test isn't concerned with British vs American English - it wouldn't matter how things were spelt in context of what they're testing you anyway. I do imagine that the Japanese would want you to use American English in terms of spelling and certain terms, yes.

American English involves quite a lot of changing of spellings of things, but you tend to be able to pick it up. I must say I get very confused with the 's' changing to 'z' in a lot of words.

Figures that it would be all 'Amelika Amelika'. I asked because sometimes I see "JET Programme" and other times "JET Program" so I wondered how we would teach spelling... thanks

[eFred]

I agree, I actually speak in very different ways depending on whose company I find myself in.

Ditto! Crucible of accents- ace.

On the topic of accents. In the interview, obviously they test how clear your speech is or how your voice carry's or whatever, there's been some talk of a 'neutral' accent, this does not necessarily apply to JET, my brother is looking to apply at EPIK and having looked over their application I noticed again this 'neutral' accent thing. WHAT IS A NEUTRAL ACCENT? (I mean, the SA accent can be pretty harsh and crass, no matter which words you use, if you hadn't been to a ... nice school...)

[Teishou]

The proficiency test isn't concerned with British vs American English - it wouldn't matter how things were spelt in context of what they're testing you anyway. I do imagine that the Japanese would want you to use American English in terms of spelling and certain terms, yes.

American English involves quite a lot of changing of spellings of things, but you tend to be able to pick it up. I must say I get very confused with the 's' changing to 'z' in a lot of words.

What's this changing "s" to "z" thing?