April 2, 2026
Dear native English speakers
I used to admire the idea of talking with native English speakers when I was a student. However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison.
A woman I met at an English conversation circle had graduated from an American university and was living in a shared house with native English speakers because she didn’t want to forget her English. She lived on the first floor, and one day she asked an American man living upstairs to turn down his loud music late at night. In response, he got angry and, out of spite, started banging his furniture on the floor in the middle of the night to disturb her. She ended up becoming so stressed that she had to move out of the house. That American man was actually teaching English at a high school in Japan. The world can be scary.
Since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers. I think many Japanese people nowadays feel the same way.
Correction Settings
Dear native English speakers
I used to admire the idea of talking with native English speakers when I was a student.
However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison.
A woman I met at an English conversation circle had graduated from an American university and was living in a shared house with native English speakers because she didn’t want to forget her English.
She lived on the first floor, and one day she asked an American man living upstairs to turn down his loud music late at night.
In response, he got angry and, out of spite, started banging his furniture on the floor in the middle of the night to disturb her.
She ended up becoming so stressed that she had to move out of the house.
That American man was actually teaching English at a high school in Japan.
The world can be so scary. The world can be so scary.
Since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers.
I think many Japanese people nowadays feel the same way.
Feedback
Your English is very good! And yeah, Americans are not well known for their politeness. There are very nice and kind people in my home country, but they tend to feel more like a minority than a majority.
yesterday
Thank you for your message. There are good and bad people in every country. Connecting with English speakers, Japanese learners, and other language learners online is very inspiring to me. It brings me a sense of happiness. Thank you so much.
Dear native English speakers
I used to admire the idea of talking with native English speakers when I was a student.
However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison. However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison.
Yes, you guys are super polite.
A woman I met at an English conversation circle had graduated from an American university and was living in a shared house with native English speakers because she didn’t want to forget her English.
She lived on the first floor, and one day she asked an American man living upstairs to turn down his loud music late at night.
In response, he got angry and, out of spite, started banging his furniture on the floor in the middle of the night to disturb her.
She ended up becoming so stressed that she had to move out of the house.
That American man was actually teaching English at a high school in Japan.
The world can be scary.
Since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost so much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers.
Since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost so much interest in communicating with native English speakers.
Not all native English speakers are Americans. For example, Me 🤠.
I think many Japanese people nowadays feel the same way.
Feedback
I've heard so many bad things about Americans e.g. some of them calling Africa a country 😭. But I'm sure there are good ones, like the previous correctors. Just know that when there are bad people, there are always the good ones, even though they aren't much.
April 2, 2026
Thank you for your message. Africa is not a country—it’s a continent. Haha. But it’s also true that there are many highly capable people in the United States who lead the world. Systems such as banking and education in Japan were influenced by Western countries, and I think that long ago many Japanese people greatly admired the West.
That influence still remains today, and it’s also true that some Westerners look down on Japan. However, through this site, I can meet people who are learning multiple languages—especially Japanese—and people like you who take the time to write comments. It’s becoming a place where I can relax.
Interacting with people who study multiple languages is definitely important to me. Having moved beyond the stage of admiring Western countries and Western people, I feel that my understanding of different cultures may have deepened.
Dear native English speakers
I used to admire the idea of talking with native English speakers when I was a student.
However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison.
A woman I met at an English conversation circle had graduated from an American university and was living in a shared house with native English speakers because she didn’t want to forget her English.
She lived on the first floor, and one day she asked an American man living upstairs to turn down his loud music late at night.
In response, he got angry and, out of spite, started banging his furniture on the floor in the middle of the night to disturb her.
She ended up becoming so stressed that she had to move out of the house.
That American man was actually teaching English at a high school in Japan.
The world can be scary.
Since Ithe time I'd bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers.
Since the time I'd bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers.
"Since" alone sounds a little bit like you're stating "buying the books" as the reason for you losing interest
I think many Japanese people nowadays feel the same way.
Feedback
Even we Americans would think that guy's an asshole! 😅 I think rather than American culture being "rude" by default it's more like Japan is unique compared to many countries in how much considerateness is valued in its culture. American culture definitely encourages self-centeredness, which leads to inconsiderateness. My boyfriend always talks about how "thoughtful and considerate" I am but most of the time I'm like... isn't this just basic human decency?? Why does no one care about anyone else??? It's really disheartening but all you can do is try to be the change you want to see...
April 2, 2026
It's the small things too, such as when I learned Japanese parks don't have trash cans, and you're supposed to take your trash home with you to throw away. This could NEVER happen in the US or our parks would become landfills. People still litter everywhere in spite of the existence of trash cans. People will straight up throw trash out of their car window because they just can't be bothered to wait till they find a trash can. It's infuriating.
April 2, 2026
Thank you for your message. Japan was a defeated country of the United States, and there was once a time when many people strongly admired the American way of life. People wished to have things like cars, refrigerators, and large houses like Americans, and eventually that became possible.
Even today, many Japanese people still admire Westerners. Some adopt Western-style hairstyles or wear blue contact lenses. I sometimes think that this admiration is influenced by attractive models in fashion magazines who create that kind of image.
The reason I no longer easily admire Western countries may not be directly related to learning a language, but it might be part of the process of developing a deeper understanding of different cultures.
There are many foreigners in Japan now, and I hope that one day I can speak with kind and sincere people from other countries on equal terms—using Japanese, English, gestures, and facial expressions. Oh, trash can. It is a hard situation. Penalty might be a good rule.
Thank you.
April 2, 2026
I imagine it's almost like when you're a kid and think your parents are invulnerable, all-knowing beings. Then you grow up and realize they are just flawed humans like everyone. Idealization can only lead to disappointment. And conversely, I've gotten the feeling that Japanese people tend to dislike Westerners (or perhaps just foreigners in general). Owing to the behaviour of people such as the man in your OP, I'm sure. I don't get why people immigrate to places where they refuse to assimilate into the culture, and bring the bad elements from their own culture. Even though I won't exactly be a clueless tourist when I visit Japan, I don't think I'll be able to shake the feeling of "Sorry, sorry, I'll be out of your hair in a few weeks!" while I'm there.
I hope so too! There are definitely kind and sincere people out there. Your English is great, so I'm sure that won't be a barrier. And there are fines, but they're hard to enforce, so the litter goes on with impunity... 😔
yesterday
As an aside, Canadians (and I think English people to an extent) are rumored to be very polite, but I don't know how true that is 🤔
I used to admire the idea of talking with native English speakers when I was a student.
However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt howcould tell how much more polite Japanese people are in comparison.
However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I could tell how much more polite Japanese people are in comparison.
You might also consider "... I was often surprised by how much more polite Japanese people are in comparison."
A woman I met at an English conversation circle had graduated from an American university and was living in a shared house with native English speakers because she didn’t want to forget her English.
She lived on the first floor, and one day she asked an American man living upstairs to turn down his loud music late at night.
In response, he got angry and, out of spite, started banging his furniture on the floor in the middle of the night to disturb her.
She ended up becoming so stressed that she had to move out of the house.
That American man was actually teaching English at a high school in Japan.
The world can be scary.
SEver since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers.
Ever since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers.
"English learning books with audio" as in textbooks with an audio component? If so, I would say "textbook" instead of "learning book".
I think many Japanese people nowadays feel the same way.
Feedback
That's a shame, I'm sorry your friend had such a bad experience! But well written, your English writing is very good. :-)
April 2, 2026
Thank you very much for all the corrections and your comment. :)
Feedback
Dear @Japanesemelody,
Your English is flawless, so please accept my compliments on that first. Unfortunately, what you describe is true, and we Americans are often looked at unfavorably by people of other countries and cultures who find the behavior of some of us so discourteous. However, as with any generalization or stereotype, the description does not apply to all of us. I hope that you will reconsider and change your decision from avoiding conversation with us to finding people among us that you would enjoy conversing with. Sometimes this can be done through a shared interest. For example, if you have access to Facebook, you might find a group that shares a hobby or strong interest of yours, and although there is no guarantee there will not be some rude people in the group, it's also possible there will not be because the purpose of the conversation in a group like that is limited to something you have in common. I also think, if you spend time on this site, you will not find any native English speakers who are intentionally impolite. Hopefully, that may soften your resolve just a bit!
April 2, 2026
Thank you for your many messages. There are good people and bad people in every country, and that’s certainly true. There should be good Western people in Japan as well, but unfortunately, it may be that such people don’t come to Japan to work as English teachers.
When I was a high school student, we had an ALT teacher from the UK. I heard that he struggled with alcoholism and once collapsed at school. However, I have also met international students who studied seriously, and they were from Western countries as well.
Perhaps the reason I no longer strongly admire communicating with Westerners in English as easily as before is a kind of progress in my understanding of different cultures.
Since I can meet multilingual learners on this site, I would be happy if I could communicate with kind and sincere Western people—even if it’s online.
Thank you for your comment.
|
Dear native English speakers This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
I used to admire the idea of talking with native English speakers when I was a student. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison.
However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I You might also consider "... I was often surprised by how much more polite Japanese people are in comparison." This sentence has been marked as perfect! However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison. However, after I actually started communicating with them, I was often surprised, and there were times when I felt how polite Japanese people are in comparison. Yes, you guys are super polite. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
A woman I met at an English conversation circle had graduated from an American university and was living in a shared house with native English speakers because she didn’t want to forget her English. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
She lived on the first floor, and one day she asked an American man living upstairs to turn down his loud music late at night. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
In response, he got angry and, out of spite, started banging his furniture on the floor in the middle of the night to disturb her. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
She ended up becoming so stressed that she had to move out of the house. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
That American man was actually teaching English at a high school in Japan. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
The world can be scary. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! The world can be so scary. The world can be so scary. |
|
Since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost much of my interest in communicating with native English speakers.
"English learning books with audio" as in textbooks with an audio component? If so, I would say "textbook" instead of "learning book".
Since "Since" alone sounds a little bit like you're stating "buying the books" as the reason for you losing interest
Since I bought English learning books with audio, I’ve lost so much Not all native English speakers are Americans. For example, Me 🤠. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
|
I think many Japanese people nowadays feel the same way. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
You need LangCorrect Premium to access this feature.
Go Premium