Japanese Language Learners

[Presea]

Hello!  I wanted to create a thread for anyone learning Japanese to post about learning methods, grammar and vocab questions, and writing practice.

 

Of course, responses to grammar and vocab questions by any helpful rebels out there who are native or fluent speakers would be greatly appreciated. 

 

To start us off, I am very interested in the learning methods of other language learners (feel free to post methods you've used studying other languages as well): what has worked, what hasn't worked, what ideas do you have to try out in the future, etc.

 

My response: I am near fluent in Spanish, but that was accomplished through study abroad and now through conversing with my boyfriend and his family in Spanish.  I don't have the ability to drop everything and move to Japan for 6 months now, so there's not too much here I can apply to my Japanese learning efforts.  My sister is currently studying in Nagasaki (she's on her 4th year there), so, once I get to the point where I can hold a conversation, I can try to Skype with her in Japanese.  But I need to get to that point first!  I've tried using text books and My Japanese Coach for the Nintendo DS, but I would always get busy, drop it for a few months, and then have to start over from scratch.  I discovered the Pimsleur Language Program last November at my local public library (yay, free!), so I've been working my way through that during my 30+ minute commute to and from work.  It's great because I don't need to work time into my schedule to do it - I'm spending that time in my car no matter what!  However, I'm starting on level III, which I believe is the final segment of the program.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, hence my initiating this thread .

[Wildwanderer]

Practice practice practice. I did my learning as a study abroad student and then again as an English teacher six years later. Depending on where you live you might be able to find someone to chat with. If you are bear a major university or even a smaller college they might have some students who are usually eager to chat. Regardless of the program, it's more a matter of sticking to it. I found the most difficult part if Japanese was knowing how formal to be. Gan batte!

[looloos]

I've been using Tae Kim's Complete Guide to Japanese, which is free online.

 

Haven't got too far yet but I'm sticking with it. I'd like to at the very least be able to hold a conversation one day!

[Rin Asami]

I just found this thread so I'll post even though it is a little old. 

 

I'm currently studying Japanese on my own. (though I have been really slacking lately  )

 

I'm using a program called Human Japanese along with my own created courses on Memrise.com to study vocab for the Human Japanese. I also have started using Remembering the Kanji. I subscribe to a great newsletter called JALUP (Japanese Level Up) which is great because it, like Nerd Fitness, tries to turn learning into a game.

[PolyglotGirlie]

I originally used the michel thomas method. It's so expensive, but it's worth it! Just recently I followed that up with JapanesePod101.com on a basic account, and I love it. Yes it does cost money, but 8$ a month is not that much. 

 

One fun thing I like to do is watch anime without subtitles by using Hulu and covering them up. It's wonderful since I really don't have people to talk with. I have noticed when I listen more I can speak better, and I love anime any. It's actually what got me into Japanese.

 

One of the coolest things I have found is for people who cook. There is a Japanese website called cookpad  and it is completely in Japanese with recipes from people in Japan!! It's so good! 

[Angryboy]

On 07/06/2016 at 5:53 PM, PolyglotGirlie said:

I originally used the michel thomas method. It's so expensive, but it's worth it! Just recently I followed that up with JapanesePod101.com on a basic account, and I love it. Yes it does cost money, but 8$ a month is not that much.

As someone who currently has no money whatsoever, $8 is too much haha.

 

I was doing some Youtube surfacing a few months back and found a Japanese man called Yuta Aoki, did a lot of videos regarding dating in Japan and such... he also teaches people how to speak small amounts of Japanese by recording occasional (usually weekly) videos. You can subscribe to these videos through his website here: http://www.yutaaoki.com/blog/about-me. There's also a Youtuber who goes by the channel name "Abroadin Japan", a British guy who, from what I understand, teaches English there.

 

I'm still in the early stages of learning, but I believe that a mixture of native- and non-native-speaking can help maximize your potential. Native speakers can teach you subtleties but would struggle with learning-process because its an automatic thing for them. Non-natives are the opposite, good for learning but are more likely to sound forced/unnatural unless they've spoken it for a long time.

 

There are also a lot of apps that can help as well... me being the Windows-phone peasant that I am, naturally lack in any good apps. Flashcards rely on a teaching method that seems to be quite effective (an old teacher and friend of mine explained the psychology of it), and one such app that I've heard recommended a lot is Anki. Depending on what flashcard packs you download for it, it can teach various things.

 

And of course because I'm on a Windows Phone, I can't download that... I use an app called "Kana Everyday", got a bright pink icon if that helps you find it. Teaches how to draw the symbols correctly, has charts showing how to pronounce each symbol, etc etc... and finally a flashcard test to help you remember each symbol. I'd recommend this if you can get it, its been insanely helpful for teaching me kana.

 

With that said, I am still learning and don't actually know any words to say yet (beyond the few basics that everyone knows). If anyone has any recommendations for learning words/grammar/sentence-structure could you let me know? It would be immensely helpful!

 

Learning to speak Japanese is something on my bucket-list, and would probably prove useful in my career too.

[Kvedulf]

Because of the way I learn, and the fact that currently I'm more interested in being able to read Japanese than speak it fluently, I'm not a fan of youtube videos and audio learning. I prefer a text based approach and actually speaking to a Japanese speaker as opposed to listening to podcasts/youtube videos. My brain just switches off and phases out if the person isn't actually there (skype type things are ok, because the person is still responding and actually "there"). I really wish I could use the audio options for learning, because there are so many great Japanese resources out there that I can't study with  

 

I also like flashcards but I'm actually making them out of cardboard. Again, my brain doesn't do well if it isn't actively involved in the whole process. And I like repetitively writing the same hiragana until it looks acceptable over and over again anyway

 

 

[Dragon_Lady]

 

On 8/7/2016 at 11:19 PM, Kvedulf said:

Because of the way I learn, and the fact that currently I'm more interested in being able to read Japanese than speak it fluently, I'm not a fan of youtube videos and audio learning. I prefer a text based approach and actually speaking to a Japanese speaker as opposed to listening to podcasts/youtube videos. My brain just switches off and phases out if the person isn't actually there (skype type things are ok, because the person is still responding and actually "there"). I really wish I could use the audio options for learning, because there are so many great Japanese resources out there that I can't study with  

 

I also like flashcards but I'm actually making them out of cardboard. Again, my brain doesn't do well if it isn't actively involved in the whole process. And I like repetitively writing the same hiragana until it looks acceptable over and over again anyway

 

 

 

I'm with you as I really want to be able to read as well as speak, because I have no one nearby to speak with. I am doing Memrise and Tae Kim's to read/write/speak Japanese. It's going super super slow for me as I want to make sure I "got it" before I move forward. But it's nice to know there's a few of us here.

[JupiterStar]

Hey! Just wanted to offer myself as a potential partner via email/text/Skype/whatever for speaking or writing or anything really...I've been living in Japan for 5 years and am at N2 level, but could always use more practice  Also, more fluent people than me, I can definitely use someone to ask for help! もっとも上手な人、敬語か漢字か文法など、能力試験１級のために練習助けて呉れれてありがたいんです！