Study Japanese

Japanese is an amazing language, but for most people it is very tough to learn. Most students never reach a fluent speaking level and thus miss out on the enjoyment of being able to converse with Japanese.

So, why learn and study Japanese?

Well, for many people learning Japanese is more about;

* Understanding Japanese culture

* Enjoying Manga and Anime

* Ordering food at Japanese restaurants

* Having a Japanese homestay

* Visiting Japan while on holiday

All great reasons to study the language a little and learn the basics.

Living in or just visiting Japan can be an incredibly rewarding and a life changing experience if you know how to speak Japanese! In fact, the opportunities are endless if you can speak functional and fluent Japanese. With my understanding of Japanese I have been able to do some amazing things.

Thanks to my Japanese speaking skills I…

* Taught English at several universities in Japan

* Made several life long friends. I was the MC and “best man” at two weddings for my Japanese friends

* Established my own English Language conversation school

* Married the girl of my dreams

* Teach Japanese online

Unfortunately Japanese is difficult language to learn. Many students don’t know how to study Japanese effectively. The biggest problem isn’t grammar, kanji or keigo. The problem is Japanese is made overly complicated due to teaching and learning methods. The biggest flaw being that functional Japanese is not really taught in terms of how it is spoken in Japan. Also, deeply rooted cultural aspects and societal behavior is not explained. This is the reason most people never reach a proficient speaking level of Japanese.

Due to poor current teaching and learning methods it takes most students many months or several years just to learn the basics of the language. Unfortunately, most of what is studied is formalized text book language that is not really spoken everyday in Japan.

To speak real Japanese – to actually engage in a conversation with a native speaker – you need to understand the language at an intimate level. No text book can teach this. Normally, this would require you to live in Japan for some time.

In a nut shell; just studying Japanese isn’t enough. I’ve know many students, who study hours and hours, struggle to have simple conversations with native Japanese. The secret is to understand that learning doesn’t always lead to effective communication.

So here it is. If you have read this far then you are about to be rewarded. If you want to be a great speaker, learn social behavior and cultural aspects of Japanese then the solution is simple. Model the language. Model native speakers. Watch an hour of Japanese drama every day. Hit the pause button every so often and model the actors – what they say and how they say. Do this for a month and you will be amazed with your progress.