Anyone who has fumbled their way through a basic conversation short after arriving has undoubtedly been a bit bemused to hear this comment. It doesn't take long until you realize that this is just a space-filling compliment that isn't actually taken to heart ... in fact you may become frustrated hearing this line when you are actually able to speak the language at an advanced level. (I'm at とても上手な, which is a baby step forward). The day that someone calls my Japanese うまい is the day I realize I've been here too long.
Anyway, to the point now! I was teaching my adult English class and did a short intro activity where all the students went around having short conversations with each other. I ran into one of the new students and we talked about our interests and such. She asked me what kinds of things I'd be doing over the next weekend and I said I'd probably spend some time studying Japanese and finishing my homework for my class. In spite of the fact that we had only spoken English to each other in the short time we'd been acquainted the 日本語は上手です line came out as if she couldn't control her own voice. She paused awkwardly midway through when she realized what she was saying but finished the short sentence anyway. To save the situation I gave the まだ下手です line and all was well again.
It would be a crime not to include this song:
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