This article is by That Japan Girl. She's very knowledgeable about Japan and the Japanese language. Find her links at the bottom of this article! Enjoy!
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When it comes to speaking Japanese, what makes the situation
difficult is exactly the thing that makes it so exciting. Another person is
there, listening to you speak, and responding to what you’re saying to them.
They can interrupt you whenever they want, cut you off and talk over you. They
can ask you to clarify something, to repeat what you just said or to start all
over from the beginning. They can talk fast or slow, shout or whisper, speak in
standard Japanese or hit you with that Kansai-ben.
Bottom line is: you’ll never know what flow a conversation
takes.
And that’s what makes it so exciting to speak Japanese!