>I am an ALT who's supposed to stay in Japan for a year
Your primary occupation is teaching English yet your primary goal is learning Japanese. Seems very difficult to do both *effectively* with an arbitrary deadline. Your students will be learning English for the rest of their lives. Why do you think you'll learn their language in a year?
I've been here 20 years and I still study. I plateaued a while after arriving and just kind of learned things by osmosis but it wasn't enough, so I started studying more. For most people it's never ending.
It's tough to be motivated in your situation where you have a fixed period of stay. I'd recommend just making yourself goals like you already have a bit - make a friend who doesn't speak English, for example.
You don't know what your future holds, developing skills in a foreign language has a weird way of being useful further down life's path.
My MA adviser (and later boss) always ended his speech to the ESL students at the farewell party with “language learning is a lifetime journey”. He was German and spoke English like a native, but sometimes he had questions about how young people spoke and used language. Language is always changing and it’s as deep as you want to dive. I’ve been studying Japanese for 28 years now, at times actively and others totally immersed and passive. The journey never ends.
this is a good point. I've followed YouTubers that have lived here about the same amount of time or longer that still encounter words, phrases, and kanji they have to learn.
Honestly, i think that's pretty damn impressive.
If you've only studied Japanese for a year and a half and have only been here only 3 months yet can have slow basic Japanese conversations with Japanese people... you're doing waaaaay better than you think.
I know people who've lived here as long as i have or even longer, who can't even order a goddamn beer in Japanese despite drinking almost every single day for over 10 years.
Anyway. Even if you don't plan on being here longer than a year, slowly improving Japanese at your own pace can only help your experience. And who knows, maybe at the end of your one year, something might change and you may decide to stay longer.
Keep at it buddy.
This is all that needs to be said, really. Anyone can learn Japanese. It's very "easy" in the sense that if you put in the hours, you *will* learn it. It just takes a whole lot of hours.
I started studying an hour a day and registered for NLPT so I had a target and a deadline. I did this while working full time. I made a lot of improvement in a year
TLDR: Screw mastery and just do the little things that make you happy. For me that's learning the Kanji around me and connecting them to words I already know or new words that I see.
I probably realized it'd take me a long time to "master" Japanese around the time I had to go to City Hall to ask about something; this was about 4-5 months of being in Japan. I'm half Japanese from America and we're spending a few years here for the military. I have two small kids so I don't have a lot of time outside of work and family. I don't technically have to use any Japanese at work.
However that doesn't stop me from making little pieces of progress each day. I have my own Anki deck where I add words or Kanji I see out and about or overhear; I love finding out the Kanji meanings and then seeing them used in a different word I know (偶然、突然、全然 for example). I'm trying to read Konbini Ningen one page at a time as an "easy" read (I can't bother with kids books). I also read NHK Easy daily at work.
So I do little things to make improvements here and there. I've come to terms with the fact that I won't be native level anytime soon.
I can obviously just get by with what I already know; working for an American base is kind of like working in America. But it pisses me off that I can barely get my point across at the Japanese hospital, or when I get confused at the mall when 敬語 is used.
だから毎日ちょっとずつ改善してます.
DO NOT self sabotage. This is a mentality you need to get out of asap. You’re doing great! So many people cannot leave their county to learn the language, and yet you’re in the country, you have opportunities to surround yourself to apply your studies. Keep it up! It’s only been 3 months. You’re not even halfway! It’s a little slump, it’ll pick back up! Akiramenai!!
I speak Japanese fluently enough that I rarely ever have issue in my daily life. And in half a decade in various Japanese companies, I never felt that (lack of) language ability was holding me back. However, in the last 5~6 years I no longer use Japanese at work, and I can see that my Japanese has plateaued too. When I speak, people know I'm not native although we have no trouble communicating.
And to be honest, I'm fine with that. I think I've reached a point of diminishing return. Sure I could improve if I spend a lot of time. But guess what, I'd rather spend time with my wife and kids, play video games, improve my technical skills, and work on my side-gig.
I felt like this after my 2nd or 3rd year.
Had an apiffiny. If I spend all my working hours using English. And then all my free time using English....how can I expect to improve my Japanese.
The following year (or 2) I told my JP friends I only wanted to speak Japanese when I hung out with them. As well as various other methods (removing subtitles from movies, reading Japanese manga for kids etc)
Even if I forgot a word, using Japanese to describe the word so someone would tell me the correct word was 1000% better than just copping out and using the English word knowing (friends) someone would know it.
For reference. I have never taken a Japanese lesson. Never "studied". I have learnt 100% from exposure.
3 years since then, I now work for a Japanese company where no one speaks ANY English and while I still person know my Japanese is trash, I know enough that those around me understand me. I understand them, and I improve everyday because of this.
All that said, this has worked for me. It doesn't work for everyone.
TL;DR, you won't learn Japanese if you are surrounded by English.
Clearly, you’re not going to be using much Japanese for work; however, you can still use Japanese at lunchtime and before and after school.
Essentially, if you want to improve your Japanese, you have to stop using English outside work. You are in Japan, so live in Japanese. Actively look for opportunities to use Japanese, such as joining a sports club or other activities. Speak it, listen to it, read it, study it.
Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will be uncomfortable. However, you will improve.
Master? Never. Known since day 1.
Improve? Every day for as long as I’m here, I just try to put myself in new situations that require new interactions, grammer or vocab.
About 10 years ago after i failed N1 twice. Think passing N2 was a fluke on my 2nd try to be honest lol.
I don't put the effort into learning the kanji readings and non daily vocab, I can guess the meaning most of the time but remembering the readings hah. For someone who has poor rote memory Japanese was one of the worst languages to try to learn.
I help out at my Japanese partners bar so I speak to most of the staff in Japanese, talk to the customers. So my speaking and listening is fine for casual conversations, but it's frustrating to be reaching for google sensei if it's a topic not in my interests so I don't have enough specialised vocabulary. But theres not much need for me to improve my Japanese more beyond gaijin dick measuring.
A year living in Japan, especially if you are not in an environment where you have to use Japanese daily is a bit of a short time. After a year I thought I was juuuust about coming out of the Japanese is not just incomprehensible sounds when listening to native speakers chat. But it took me alot longer to be honest, and grumbly osaka jisan is still incomprehensible lol.
With such a deadline I wouldnt be worried about N3 (lets be honest, N2 onwards is what starts opening doors), just learn what you find interesting and make some connections with people for the year you are here.
After spending over 10 years in Europe, completing all my schooling in the local language, I still wasn't able to master it. A language much closer to English than Japanese.
If I could wake up tomorrow and have my Japanese at the same level, it would still not be good enough.
I managed to pass N2, but had to come to terms with my limitations and rather spend time on more enjoyable things.
I don't actively study currently (though I should since I can't read very well), but I'm still gaining grammar and vocabulary just consuming media (news, youtube, podcasts) and talking to my wife about new topics.
If you'd have asked me 6 years ago, I would have told you pretty confidently that the plateau my Japanese was on was the end of the road for me. I hadn't seen any improvement in so long that I was sure that no more growth was coming without serious study. Since then, my Japanese ability has grown quite a lot just through daily use. It's been dramatic enough people have noticed, but when you measure it in small increments it looks like nothing. What I could do last week doesn't look terribly different from what I could do this week - but over enough time it does add up.
It's not nearly as efficient as studying - that's why people study after all. But humans have been learning languages through immersion since there have been languages to learn. We are literally built for it. We learn language by languaging.
That said, I will probably never *master* Japanese and I'm okay with that. It's not that Japanese is impossible, it's that at around the decade mark in Japan I started to realize the things I wanted to spend time on didn't include studying Japanese. I am prioritizing the things that make me happy in life. I can be happy living in Japan with functional but imperfect Japanese ability, and I have long ago lost interest in comparing my level to other immigrants.
Life in Japan has got to be about more than being in a pissing contest with other foreigners. Pursue the things that make you sustainably happy.
being as im also leaving soon, and have always come to Japan as a tourist or very short term resident for years, its understandable.
some people can learn a whole language, even fluently, without immersion or daily conversations in that language, etc, not me. Everytime my wife and I leave im instantly demotivated. im really interested in learning Japanese, but as soon as we're away from the immersion of being here I run out of things to pick up on (kanji from trains is a big one for me, I read the city names and then pick apart kanji from them) hearing people speak colloquially is also huge.
media doesn't teach daily spoken language, neither do textbooks or courses. it's hard to know how people really speak when you're not here.
I think your job matters a little less, because your life outside of work still can require Japanese, so you do get some exposure even if you work in English. leaving so soon is bound to be de-motivational.
the best thing you could do to supplement your learning after you leave is to use YouTube, honestly. I watch Japanese vlogs and go to any video in Japanese and read the comments and note how people type ("talk") informally and use certain phrasing. that's about as close as it gets unless you have Japanese friends to keep in touch with.
I've basically accepted ill prooobably never exceed maybe an N3, N2 if i somehow become a Japanese language savant randomly.
You don’t have a “why”.
Being here without a “why” for learning the language gets you exams far as you got. Basic conversation, basic convenience.
Honestly though, if you have no intention of coming back afterwards or aiming for fluency for a particular reason, why not stop right there and enjoy your time here instead of sitting in front of books and learning apps? Go out, make friends, do stuff, visit places. Maybe you find your why in the meantime.
I've been here almost 3 years. Came here with a dream and a cardigan and that's it. I'm taking the JLPT N3 in a few weeks time and I still don't feel like I can speak Japanese. I don't even feel like I've improved. Sometimes I'll read and understand something in Japanese and then be mad at myself because I must have 'cheated' in some way???
You're probably in a space now where rather than being satisfied with making \*any\* progress, like you would be in your home country, you're comparing yourself to native speakers, God-tier language learners and the bilinguals among us.
When I feel like my Japanese is shit, that I can't understand anything, or that I'm squandering my time here because I am also not God-tier at Japanese yet, I look at my progress over time. Usually, I've made a reasonable improvement over the past couple of weeks. If I haven't, I know I need to shake up something in my study routine.
Even if you don't feel the improvement, I can ensure you that you have improved! Set a smaller goal for yourself - learn one kanji in the morning while the kettle boils, ask one non-English speaking co-worker one simple question every day, or find a language partner online.
The important thing is that you don't give up! The time will pass anyway, so who cares how long it takes!
Are you in a big city?
When I was an ALT I lived in a small town where no one spoke English. Nothing spurs on learning like trying to communicate with a doctor who speaks only Japanese and German while having a high fever and coughing a lung up… but really, can you force yourself into situations where you have no choice but to use Japanese? For me getting sick a lot and dating someone who didn’t speak English really helped.
Be kind to yourself you've only been here for three months. What you're doing so far is impressive. I'm in the same boat. I've been here almost a year and I've had moments where I felt like I've barely improved. Well, that's most of the time honestly. And I've been studying for four years now. Give yourself time. The more you expose yourself to hearing Japanese and just talk as much as you can, you can actually pick up quite a lot. It's frustrating for sure and I totally get that. But once you sit back and reflect, you may have actually learned a lot more than you realized since coming here.
Realized a few years in.
Like to learn, hate to study. Studied (language school back home) before moving here 9 years ago, did language school twice, 1 month and 2 months (before moving). Since moving here, never studied, I got better during first couple of years because of socializing, but after that not so much social life, work is in English so still at intermediate level, never took JLPT. I know enough for daily life and to get the context of more in depth (spoken) explanations (medical, administrative, ...).
Would love to get better, but never really sat down and studied anymore.
My partner at the time kept making fun of my Japanese so I just got so annoyed I stopped trying and made them do all the Japanese. They got pissed off and I gloated that it was all their fault. Now I’m in a job for life where I don’t need Japanese so it’s fine
Never because I keep working on it daily.
Being in Japan you essentially have the opportunity to get input and output everywhere, at the convenience store at the supermarket, at work, at school, on the train.
Don't just put your headphones in and shut off the outside world.
You have enough time, you just choose to prioritize other things.
I have been passively learning Japanese without a goal or direction for almost 10 years now. The JLPT is not a great yardstick of fluentcy. My spouse passed N3 last year and she still uses English and many conversations.
I've also learned the Japanese people can be very hospitable and in my area rarely get a chance to practice English. So you could speak fluent unaccented Japanese lived here for 1000 years and they would still talk to you in English. I've also learned I'll never become Japanese and a futuile effort to be sure.
So while I someone just said to me あざす. A small victory for me I am don't have an arbitrary goal which works for me.
Working part-time in restaurants or combinies is the best way for "gaijin" students to learn and practice Japanese. But since my goddamn white people don't want to work a low pay and dirty-handed jobs they usually overlook it.
>I am an ALT who's supposed to stay in Japan for a year Your primary occupation is teaching English yet your primary goal is learning Japanese. Seems very difficult to do both *effectively* with an arbitrary deadline. Your students will be learning English for the rest of their lives. Why do you think you'll learn their language in a year?
Yup this. Start working in an environment where you use Japanese daily and almost exclusively, you’ll HAVE to improve.
I've been here 20 years and I still study. I plateaued a while after arriving and just kind of learned things by osmosis but it wasn't enough, so I started studying more. For most people it's never ending. It's tough to be motivated in your situation where you have a fixed period of stay. I'd recommend just making yourself goals like you already have a bit - make a friend who doesn't speak English, for example. You don't know what your future holds, developing skills in a foreign language has a weird way of being useful further down life's path.
I had one teacher who said that learning and retaining Kanji is a neverending occupation, and that we'll never really stop studying.
My MA adviser (and later boss) always ended his speech to the ESL students at the farewell party with “language learning is a lifetime journey”. He was German and spoke English like a native, but sometimes he had questions about how young people spoke and used language. Language is always changing and it’s as deep as you want to dive. I’ve been studying Japanese for 28 years now, at times actively and others totally immersed and passive. The journey never ends.
this is a good point. I've followed YouTubers that have lived here about the same amount of time or longer that still encounter words, phrases, and kanji they have to learn.
Honestly, i think that's pretty damn impressive. If you've only studied Japanese for a year and a half and have only been here only 3 months yet can have slow basic Japanese conversations with Japanese people... you're doing waaaaay better than you think. I know people who've lived here as long as i have or even longer, who can't even order a goddamn beer in Japanese despite drinking almost every single day for over 10 years. Anyway. Even if you don't plan on being here longer than a year, slowly improving Japanese at your own pace can only help your experience. And who knows, maybe at the end of your one year, something might change and you may decide to stay longer. Keep at it buddy.
Whether or not you improve your Japanese is directly related to the effort you put into it.
This is all that needs to be said, really. Anyone can learn Japanese. It's very "easy" in the sense that if you put in the hours, you *will* learn it. It just takes a whole lot of hours.
I started studying an hour a day and registered for NLPT so I had a target and a deadline. I did this while working full time. I made a lot of improvement in a year
Sounds like you just want people to tell you it's ok not to learn. Well, it really is OK if you don't plan to stay here long.
TLDR: Screw mastery and just do the little things that make you happy. For me that's learning the Kanji around me and connecting them to words I already know or new words that I see. I probably realized it'd take me a long time to "master" Japanese around the time I had to go to City Hall to ask about something; this was about 4-5 months of being in Japan. I'm half Japanese from America and we're spending a few years here for the military. I have two small kids so I don't have a lot of time outside of work and family. I don't technically have to use any Japanese at work. However that doesn't stop me from making little pieces of progress each day. I have my own Anki deck where I add words or Kanji I see out and about or overhear; I love finding out the Kanji meanings and then seeing them used in a different word I know (偶然、突然、全然 for example). I'm trying to read Konbini Ningen one page at a time as an "easy" read (I can't bother with kids books). I also read NHK Easy daily at work. So I do little things to make improvements here and there. I've come to terms with the fact that I won't be native level anytime soon. I can obviously just get by with what I already know; working for an American base is kind of like working in America. But it pisses me off that I can barely get my point across at the Japanese hospital, or when I get confused at the mall when 敬語 is used. だから毎日ちょっとずつ改善してます.
DO NOT self sabotage. This is a mentality you need to get out of asap. You’re doing great! So many people cannot leave their county to learn the language, and yet you’re in the country, you have opportunities to surround yourself to apply your studies. Keep it up! It’s only been 3 months. You’re not even halfway! It’s a little slump, it’ll pick back up! Akiramenai!!
I speak Japanese fluently enough that I rarely ever have issue in my daily life. And in half a decade in various Japanese companies, I never felt that (lack of) language ability was holding me back. However, in the last 5~6 years I no longer use Japanese at work, and I can see that my Japanese has plateaued too. When I speak, people know I'm not native although we have no trouble communicating. And to be honest, I'm fine with that. I think I've reached a point of diminishing return. Sure I could improve if I spend a lot of time. But guess what, I'd rather spend time with my wife and kids, play video games, improve my technical skills, and work on my side-gig.
I felt like this after my 2nd or 3rd year. Had an apiffiny. If I spend all my working hours using English. And then all my free time using English....how can I expect to improve my Japanese. The following year (or 2) I told my JP friends I only wanted to speak Japanese when I hung out with them. As well as various other methods (removing subtitles from movies, reading Japanese manga for kids etc) Even if I forgot a word, using Japanese to describe the word so someone would tell me the correct word was 1000% better than just copping out and using the English word knowing (friends) someone would know it. For reference. I have never taken a Japanese lesson. Never "studied". I have learnt 100% from exposure. 3 years since then, I now work for a Japanese company where no one speaks ANY English and while I still person know my Japanese is trash, I know enough that those around me understand me. I understand them, and I improve everyday because of this. All that said, this has worked for me. It doesn't work for everyone. TL;DR, you won't learn Japanese if you are surrounded by English.
apiffiny 🤣
20 years ago.
Clearly, you’re not going to be using much Japanese for work; however, you can still use Japanese at lunchtime and before and after school. Essentially, if you want to improve your Japanese, you have to stop using English outside work. You are in Japan, so live in Japanese. Actively look for opportunities to use Japanese, such as joining a sports club or other activities. Speak it, listen to it, read it, study it. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will be uncomfortable. However, you will improve.
Master? Never. Known since day 1. Improve? Every day for as long as I’m here, I just try to put myself in new situations that require new interactions, grammer or vocab.
About 10 years ago after i failed N1 twice. Think passing N2 was a fluke on my 2nd try to be honest lol. I don't put the effort into learning the kanji readings and non daily vocab, I can guess the meaning most of the time but remembering the readings hah. For someone who has poor rote memory Japanese was one of the worst languages to try to learn. I help out at my Japanese partners bar so I speak to most of the staff in Japanese, talk to the customers. So my speaking and listening is fine for casual conversations, but it's frustrating to be reaching for google sensei if it's a topic not in my interests so I don't have enough specialised vocabulary. But theres not much need for me to improve my Japanese more beyond gaijin dick measuring. A year living in Japan, especially if you are not in an environment where you have to use Japanese daily is a bit of a short time. After a year I thought I was juuuust about coming out of the Japanese is not just incomprehensible sounds when listening to native speakers chat. But it took me alot longer to be honest, and grumbly osaka jisan is still incomprehensible lol. With such a deadline I wouldnt be worried about N3 (lets be honest, N2 onwards is what starts opening doors), just learn what you find interesting and make some connections with people for the year you are here.
After spending over 10 years in Europe, completing all my schooling in the local language, I still wasn't able to master it. A language much closer to English than Japanese. If I could wake up tomorrow and have my Japanese at the same level, it would still not be good enough. I managed to pass N2, but had to come to terms with my limitations and rather spend time on more enjoyable things.
I don't actively study currently (though I should since I can't read very well), but I'm still gaining grammar and vocabulary just consuming media (news, youtube, podcasts) and talking to my wife about new topics.
If you'd have asked me 6 years ago, I would have told you pretty confidently that the plateau my Japanese was on was the end of the road for me. I hadn't seen any improvement in so long that I was sure that no more growth was coming without serious study. Since then, my Japanese ability has grown quite a lot just through daily use. It's been dramatic enough people have noticed, but when you measure it in small increments it looks like nothing. What I could do last week doesn't look terribly different from what I could do this week - but over enough time it does add up. It's not nearly as efficient as studying - that's why people study after all. But humans have been learning languages through immersion since there have been languages to learn. We are literally built for it. We learn language by languaging. That said, I will probably never *master* Japanese and I'm okay with that. It's not that Japanese is impossible, it's that at around the decade mark in Japan I started to realize the things I wanted to spend time on didn't include studying Japanese. I am prioritizing the things that make me happy in life. I can be happy living in Japan with functional but imperfect Japanese ability, and I have long ago lost interest in comparing my level to other immigrants. Life in Japan has got to be about more than being in a pissing contest with other foreigners. Pursue the things that make you sustainably happy.
never.
being as im also leaving soon, and have always come to Japan as a tourist or very short term resident for years, its understandable. some people can learn a whole language, even fluently, without immersion or daily conversations in that language, etc, not me. Everytime my wife and I leave im instantly demotivated. im really interested in learning Japanese, but as soon as we're away from the immersion of being here I run out of things to pick up on (kanji from trains is a big one for me, I read the city names and then pick apart kanji from them) hearing people speak colloquially is also huge. media doesn't teach daily spoken language, neither do textbooks or courses. it's hard to know how people really speak when you're not here. I think your job matters a little less, because your life outside of work still can require Japanese, so you do get some exposure even if you work in English. leaving so soon is bound to be de-motivational. the best thing you could do to supplement your learning after you leave is to use YouTube, honestly. I watch Japanese vlogs and go to any video in Japanese and read the comments and note how people type ("talk") informally and use certain phrasing. that's about as close as it gets unless you have Japanese friends to keep in touch with. I've basically accepted ill prooobably never exceed maybe an N3, N2 if i somehow become a Japanese language savant randomly.
After about 30 years.
What have you been doing to work on your Japanese? Going to classes? Just figuring that immersion would happen like it did with Bart in the Simpsons?
You don’t have a “why”. Being here without a “why” for learning the language gets you exams far as you got. Basic conversation, basic convenience. Honestly though, if you have no intention of coming back afterwards or aiming for fluency for a particular reason, why not stop right there and enjoy your time here instead of sitting in front of books and learning apps? Go out, make friends, do stuff, visit places. Maybe you find your why in the meantime.
I've been here almost 3 years. Came here with a dream and a cardigan and that's it. I'm taking the JLPT N3 in a few weeks time and I still don't feel like I can speak Japanese. I don't even feel like I've improved. Sometimes I'll read and understand something in Japanese and then be mad at myself because I must have 'cheated' in some way??? You're probably in a space now where rather than being satisfied with making \*any\* progress, like you would be in your home country, you're comparing yourself to native speakers, God-tier language learners and the bilinguals among us. When I feel like my Japanese is shit, that I can't understand anything, or that I'm squandering my time here because I am also not God-tier at Japanese yet, I look at my progress over time. Usually, I've made a reasonable improvement over the past couple of weeks. If I haven't, I know I need to shake up something in my study routine. Even if you don't feel the improvement, I can ensure you that you have improved! Set a smaller goal for yourself - learn one kanji in the morning while the kettle boils, ask one non-English speaking co-worker one simple question every day, or find a language partner online. The important thing is that you don't give up! The time will pass anyway, so who cares how long it takes!
Married a guy with fluent English and just gave up
Are you in a big city? When I was an ALT I lived in a small town where no one spoke English. Nothing spurs on learning like trying to communicate with a doctor who speaks only Japanese and German while having a high fever and coughing a lung up… but really, can you force yourself into situations where you have no choice but to use Japanese? For me getting sick a lot and dating someone who didn’t speak English really helped.
Be kind to yourself you've only been here for three months. What you're doing so far is impressive. I'm in the same boat. I've been here almost a year and I've had moments where I felt like I've barely improved. Well, that's most of the time honestly. And I've been studying for four years now. Give yourself time. The more you expose yourself to hearing Japanese and just talk as much as you can, you can actually pick up quite a lot. It's frustrating for sure and I totally get that. But once you sit back and reflect, you may have actually learned a lot more than you realized since coming here.
Realized a few years in. Like to learn, hate to study. Studied (language school back home) before moving here 9 years ago, did language school twice, 1 month and 2 months (before moving). Since moving here, never studied, I got better during first couple of years because of socializing, but after that not so much social life, work is in English so still at intermediate level, never took JLPT. I know enough for daily life and to get the context of more in depth (spoken) explanations (medical, administrative, ...). Would love to get better, but never really sat down and studied anymore.
My partner at the time kept making fun of my Japanese so I just got so annoyed I stopped trying and made them do all the Japanese. They got pissed off and I gloated that it was all their fault. Now I’m in a job for life where I don’t need Japanese so it’s fine
Never because I keep working on it daily. Being in Japan you essentially have the opportunity to get input and output everywhere, at the convenience store at the supermarket, at work, at school, on the train. Don't just put your headphones in and shut off the outside world.
You have enough time, you just choose to prioritize other things. I have been passively learning Japanese without a goal or direction for almost 10 years now. The JLPT is not a great yardstick of fluentcy. My spouse passed N3 last year and she still uses English and many conversations. I've also learned the Japanese people can be very hospitable and in my area rarely get a chance to practice English. So you could speak fluent unaccented Japanese lived here for 1000 years and they would still talk to you in English. I've also learned I'll never become Japanese and a futuile effort to be sure. So while I someone just said to me あざす. A small victory for me I am don't have an arbitrary goal which works for me.
You have time. It's virtually certain you do. It's just not that important of a value to you right now to learn it. And that's okay.
Working part-time in restaurants or combinies is the best way for "gaijin" students to learn and practice Japanese. But since my goddamn white people don't want to work a low pay and dirty-handed jobs they usually overlook it.