"Random" Japanese.

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The only time I've ever had someone insert random Japanese into English conversation was with my Japanese professor, who is a native Japanese speaker, and also in a position of trying to encouraging me and others of her students to make Japanese a part of their natural thought process, which ultimately takes grueling repetition. In this case, inserting Japanese into conversation is perfectly legitimate since it encourages learning and, more importantly, is actually done correctly so that the correct things are being learned as a native Japanese speaker would naturally speak.

I have a couple of friends who are Japanese/Asian Studies majors and they do this all the time. It's little things like replacing "Umm..." with "Etto..." or using "chotto matte" or "sou desu ne" and general smalltalk. I've studied a little Japanese in highschool but I don't plan on making a career with it (so I haven't taken any classes in college, though I plan to take some elective classes eventually), but I know enough of the language that when I'm with certain friends, there's lots of Japanese words/sentences and phrases thrown about in our conversation.

I definitely agree that it is helpful in an educational setting because of the whole "Use it or Lose it" deal. I found that after 2 years of not studying Japanese I still remember quite a bit of it having to keep on my toes when certain friends speak to me. Unfortunately, I've forgotten things like Kanji (most of it) and some Katakana. I'm really out of practice, and the opportunities outside of a classroom setting to write in Japanese are virtually non-existant.

With that, I can definately tell when someone is obviously a Japanese student and is trying to use that technique in improving their proficiency w/ the language, and the people who watch too much Anime. I personally will never walk around going "OMG KAWAYUSU LOLOL SUGOI!" and use the suffix -chan on everyone's name. And I would refrain from speaking any Japanese in a Anime Convention or any Anime related event. I find that sort of thing awkward and grating.

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