Japanese
Japanese is considered by many linguists as one of the hardest languages to learn. The Japanese writing system in particular is difficult. With two phonetic alphabets consisting of 46 characters and over two thousand standardized Kanji to learn it doesn’t surprise me that most people feel overwhelmed with just the idea of learning Japanese. Cultural customs and the Japanese mindset also adds a lot of confusion to the learning process. However, with some good study methods you’ll find Japanese isn’t as hard as it is made out to believe. I have some tips that I found very beneficial in my pursuit of becoming a fluent speaker and reader of Japanese.
Start Learning Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji
Learn in Japanese is my best advice. Stay away from Japanese romaji and learn the kana and Kanji as soon as you can. Learning how to read the two kana alphabets, Hiragana and Katakana, and Kanji will speed up your learning process of the language. Kana and Kanji helps you build vocabulary rapidly and aids with the pronunciation of Japanese. Also, if you can’t read then you”ll never be able to understand Japanese grammar at a competent level. Learning Katakana and Hiragana doesn’t take too long if you commit to regular study. Kanji is different, but rather than being difficult it is just time consuming. I think about learning Kanji in terms of a very beneficial learning process rather than just a means to be able to read Japanese.
Online Radio
We are so lucky to have the internet as a learning resource. There are hundreds of Japanese podcasts out on the net. I do find the majority of them to be a little too structured, and most of the time the hosts are more interested in showing off their Japanese speaking ability than serving their audience. I find Japanese online radio stations to be the best source for listening practice. A talk show format is usually the best as it will give you a chance to hear natives speaking in a relaxed social manner. Japanese news, on the other hand, is very structured, boring and difficult to understand. I recommend doing a search on google for “Japanese Online radio”.
Japanese Dramas
Japanese television dramas are, for lack of a better word, crap. The story lines and acting in general are about as interesting and convincing as rice steam . Then again most TV shoes are like that anyway. However, Japanese dramas will give you an excellent exposure to Japanese culture and social customs as well as spoken Japanese. This stuff really is invaluable. The script is usual light on the polite lingo. You can find a heap of dramas on Youtube. Try searching for “Beautiful Life Japan drama” with Japanese superstar Takuya Kimura.
Live In Japan
About 130 million Japanese live in Japan. It is a sure bet they all speak Japanese. Total immersion in the language and culture is the fast track to learning and speaking Japanese fast. If you really are considering living in Japan try not to get a English teaching job. The culture of the job makes it very hard to find the motivation to study Japanese. Most English teachers in Japan can”t speak Japanese and get too distracted with the culture and lifestyle of the big cities. Living in a small city would force you to learn Japanese. However, with the culture and lack of social interaction you could find yourself very homesick only after a couple of months.
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