Sources for Customer Service Interactions / Keigo Immersion

Japanese
#1

I struggle with those situations, comprehension wise.

When I talk casually to someone, everything is good. But if I have to make a phone call to reserve something, or talk to a receptionist, or similar - and I get a high-speed stream of keigo grammar thrown at me because dude is saying the same sentence 300 times a day and has compressed it into 400 words per second, I am completely lost.

This can be something as simple as a question in a konbini that came unexpected.

So there’s a massive gap. I can watch simple anime, I can’t talk to staff.

I tried searching for some youtube channels in this regard. Sadly everyone who actively focusses on those interactions speaks loud, clear and slow. Which is not what happens IRL.

Is there any resource around to practice listening for those situations, in a real-life-like way?
I have learned the common keigo-grammar on Bunpro, but I am completely unable to parse it at a high speed.

7 Likes
#2

It may be worth looking up more formal interviews and speeches on youtube, although the content may be hard regardless of the keigo.

I would recommend this youtube channel for that N4-N2 struggle with customer service interactions. She has a large back catalogue of natural and normal situations playing out in real time. Sometimes it is a bit clearer than in real life but most are pretty normal, in my opinion. There may be other channels or resources that people can recommend as well!

8 Likes
#3

Love Akane Sensei! (The account @JamesBunpro recommended).

Also going to recommend this one: https://youtu.be/DfOaP4xxw5w

I like this account because it has a lot more breadth of situations compared to other accounts which tend to only focus on buying food, shopping, etc. Not sure if you’re on Instagram, but she also posts a lot of content on there as well.

9 Likes
#4

This channel has several videos where she goes to different shops and things like that, then she breaks everything down and explains everything that was said.
Its on her 実用日本語 series. Everything is explained in japanese too (with subtitles) so you get that extra immersion.

7 Likes
#5

thanks for the recommendations

I have a lot of free time tonight, I will look through those 🫡

#6

I’ve spent the past 6 hours nolifing those channels and they’re precisely what I was looking for, thank you so much everyone

3 Likes
#7

OK … go! :smiley:

#8

I have been looking for something like this to improve my listening, great recommendations thanks

#9

Watched two videos and loved them! Then I subbed to every suggestion. Thank you for the great thread!