Difference in Dialects
 

So... I'm in the second semester of my first year of Japanese at my university, and I'm having a hard time understanding the main differences between the dialect that I'm learning (Kyoto dialect) and Tokyo dialect. Is there much difference to native speakers, and what exactly are the main differences?

If you are in the second semester of your first year of Japanese you should not even begin to concern yourself with different dialects. You should be learning hyojungo (標準語) only. This is standard Japanese, sometimes thought of as "Tokyo dialect". Messing around with Kansai dialects now will only confuse you down the line.

Not only that, it will do you no good in any of the Japanese language aptitude exams.

今夜が山田！！！！！！

Huh?
.........................

That's a line from the variety show ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで！！on 日テレ.

lol spot on! it is indeed. Its the only "dialectual" japanese i know :)

But that's not dialectical. It just means "Tonight is Yamada." I watch that show, but I don't remember that "memorable" line.

It's not so much that I'm concerned about it, I'm just sort of curious about the differences; like if they're grammatical or more of an accent type thing like English spoken in England vs. the US.

It's a combination of everything from grammar to accent, from words themselves to sentence endings, etc. The differences are almost always much greater than Japanese-learners abroad tend to think.

I spent the first half of my life in Nagoya and the latter half in Tokyo. The distance between the two cities is shorter than that between L.A. and Frisco in California. The differences between the two dialects, however, are much greater than those between L.A. and Atlanta. This is why I had no choice but to learn the Tokyo dialect and become bidialectal.

My son, who was born and raised in mid-town Tokyo only speaks the Tokyo dialect. When we go to Nagoya for the holidays and my son talks to his cousins there, he sometimes has to ask them to repeat or rephrase what they have said. Thanks to TV and school, his Nagoya cousins, grand-parents, etc. can translate what they've said into a Tokyo-ish speech whenever he doesn't understand.

When I go to places like Aomori and Akita in the north, I don't understand more than 10-20% of what two older locals say to each other. But then, you have no trouble communicating in hotels, shops, stations, airports, etc. They will switch to a more standard-ish Japanese for you.

You said "dialect you are learning" and for most non-native speakers, they should never need to learn another dialect. I learned for survival living in Kansai, but that was only after graduating with a degree in Japanese. That's when you can start making sense of dialects (without living there).

My Japanese teacher is from Kyoto, so that is the dialect that we are learning. I don't really have a choice in the matter >_>

Are the differences very important in the early stages of learning Japanese (I like this, that is a big house, I want to eat, etc.) or just when you get into more advanced stages? I don't really want to be hindered in my speaking ability this early on, but it's not like there are other Japanese professors at my university.

This is important, Jesselt. Is she teaching you Kyoto dialect, or is she just from Kyoto? Are you using a normal Japanese textbook?

I would say, yes, it is different enough that if she is teaching you Kyoto dialect instead of standardized Japanese, then that is a problem. At the same time, I would be shocked if a teacher were to teach Kyoto-dialect over standardized Japanese in a first-year classroom.

That would be like entering an English classroom, but being taught Cajun.

I had professors from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagasaki, (and the US) and they all taught the same way and the same standardized Japanese.

Oh dear >_>

She did tell everyone on the first day something like "I'm from Kyoto, so that is the dialect of Japanese that I'll be teaching you instead of standard dialect" but I suppose that it's very possible that she misspoke. She often has a hard time trying to explain things in English, so she could have meant to say something like "Even though I speak Kyoto dialect I'll be teaching you standard" or something. I hope.

Because I don't really know the differences between the dialects I can't say for sure that I'm using a standard Japanese text book... I'm sure that it must be standard if it really seems that strange to teach anything other than standard though.

Are you serious? This is just so...unheard-of! Are you saying that you are being taught Kyoto dialect and not "standard Japanese with a Kyoto accent" because your teacher is from Kyoto?

Could you write a couple of sentences that you've been learning? We will be able to tell in a second if it's Kyoto dialect or not.

I'm sure she is teaching you guys standard Japanese.

I haven't seen a Japanese textbook for foreigners that actually starts you off on a dialect, that would be just silly.

Besides, dialects are meant to be spoken only, you can't write an essay or newspaper article in any dialect, you would sound like a moron.

Okay, well I'm sure I must be learning standard then, judging by the reactions. I wasn't aware that there was that much of a difference!

Now that you guys mention it, she must have just been talking about an accent. Thanks for your help =)