Hi,
I am currently applying for CSULB, majoring in Japanese. I am not really interested in other CSUs, but my mom wants me to apply for more than just one place in case I get rejected. Problem is, only CSULB offers a degree in Japanese. The closest thing I can pick from Fullerton or LA is a degree to teach students whose English is their second language. It seems they do offer Japanese classes, but just not a degree. It’s not on the list of the degrees that I can choose.
Is it wise to just apply for Fullerton and LA anyway, even though they don’t offer what I look for? In the worst case scenario, I get rejected by LB, but accepted by either of the other two, should I just go there? Or should I wait and apply again for LB?
Thanks.
A bigger question is what do you plan to do with just a Japanese degree?
That’s what I am worried about as well. I want to become a translator or an interpreter, but I’m not sure where else to go from there. I could work for a game localizing company, or a tour guide, ect.
I work overseas and can tell u that translators are a dime a dozen. There are PLENTY of fluent, multi-lingual people in the world. You only get a premium for speaking another language if u combine it w a specialized skill. Teaching English and/or being a tour guide pays peanuts. Speaking Japanese and having no other capabilities is useless. Even 5th graders in japan speak great japanese.
Is your ambition to live/work in japan? Then u will need a work visa. Simply speaking Japanese isn’t going to get u a work visa. I travel to japan regularly have met a number of people working in japan who have a work visa based on some surprising skills: construction workers, english-speaking ski instructors. They barely know any Japanese, but they were granted visas because there is a shortage of that skillset. There is no shortage of japanese speakers in japan. Also, japan is a 1st World country. It doesn’t need Japanese-speaking NGO workers to build village schools and dig water wells.
Definitely develop your Japanese if that is your passion, but definitely combine it w some other major.
Picking universities based on them offering a Japanese major is really limiting.
There are a lot of Japanese companies in Torrance, maybe you can get a job at hose companies.
I would imagine that Japanese companies in Torrance would want someone who could offer something besides just being able to speak Japanese.
Like I said earlier, even little kids are multilingual.
I know that I should have something else besides just speaking Japanese, but I don’t know what it is yet. Which is why I hope I can be a translator or whatever of some sort.
About how Japan doesn’t have a shortage of Japanese speakers, I think you are missing the point and getting a little exaggerating. And no, little kids aren’t multilingual, unless they are taught by their parents. Even then, they could probably understand what’s said in a certain language, but they can’t translate.
You can start out being an admin. But I know people who went to an American school in Japan and because of her Japanese language, she has moved up nicely in the Japanese corporate world. Last I’ve heard her title had something with the word executive. I don’t think she was considered super right or ambitious. So who knows.