Learning a new language can be challenging for anyone, which is why a number of students tend to get frustrated by their lack of progress. It involves motivation, dedication, focus, and interest, and acquiring the Japanese language requires no less.
This widely used language takes some time to learn. You’ll need to get acquainted with its writing system, sharpen your listening skills, build your vocabulary, and understand the grammar in order to be able to speak fluently.
However, attending lessons for a certain number of hours per week won't be enough to perfect your Japanese language skills as you’ll need to work on them every day. If you’re unsure about where you should start, here are some tips you can try:
1. Find An Excellent Teacher
Japanese is complicated for some since the way words are pronounced is completely different from the English language. Therefore, the first step toward learning it should be working with a qualified teacher who's highly proficient in the language. You can visit this site and similar others to find a certified Japanese teacher who'll be instrumental in teaching and helping you practice until you master the language.
Learning Japanese when you’re living outside of Japan might be hard to due to the lack of native speakers to consult and practice with. Fortunately, you can always take advantage of digital platforms dedicated to learning Japanese. Once you find a community, pay attention to how native speakers communicate and pronounce words, and then mimic what you hear.
Of course, you can opt for face-to-face classes in your local area as well, which are often done either in groups or individually. There’s plenty of information online regarding reputable Japanese language schools. Learning Japanese doesn't have to be as challenging as a Japanese puzzle box, when you have an excellent teacher.
Other examples of online teaching platforms for include, Amazing Talker and Preply.
2. Memorize Five Words Per Day
First, focus on common words that'll allow you to build an excellent foundation for mastering Japanese. Even though verbs are usually considered the most important part of Japanese sentences, keep in mind that learning those alone won't be sufficient in the long run.
Being familiar with a new word takes roughly ten seconds, and then you'll need to practice it for an hour a day to master it. When memorizing each term, it’s advisable to look for its multiple meanings, any expressions associated with it, and connotations so you can maximize your understanding of it.
Once you’re done with the foundation words, you can move on to more complex ones. These words—including their meaning, written form, and pronunciation—will widen your vocabulary, and over time you’ll be able to use them naturally in conversation. A good way to practice this could be with a Japanese crossword puzzle.
3. Listen To Japanese Songs
Try breaking the tedious, boring routine of turning to textbooks and audio files of conversations by incorporating Japanese songs into your study sessions. First, listen to popular, preferably slow or mellow songs with commonly used and simple words that are relatively easy to understand.
As you progress, you can take on Japanese rock, fast-paced pop, and even rock songs as a challenge. If you’re up for it, do karaoke and sing the Japanese songs you like most to help you memorize vocabulary and practice your pronunciation in a fun way.
Listening to Japanese songs will help improve your listening skills, memory, and intonation. While doing it, see if you can write down the lyrics and look up the words to get a rough translation. Next, sing along using the lyrics so you can improve your reading skills and pronunciation. The more you listen to Japanese songs, the more you’ll familiarize yourself with the tone and accent of the language.
4. Watch Japanese Movies Or Anime
Japan boasts numerous films, with animated ones called ‘anime’ being the most popular. Live-action and anime movies alike are another great tool to learn Japanese and take your listening skills to the next level. By watching them, you'll also discover conversation etiquettes and social customs that you may not get from books.
In addition, you'll be exposed to numerous ways of speaking, including different accents. And thanks to technology, you can pause, stop, or rewind the movie and use subtitles to help you understand better.
You can watch a Japanese movie with subtitles first to understand the conversations and the plot. Next, rewatch the film without subtitles to determine if you’ll be able to get a grasp of what the characters are saying.
5. Understand Particles
Particles are essential in Japanese sentence construction as they tell you where someone or something goes, does, is, and more. They describe the relationship between one phrase and another when they’re attached to certain words. By knowing what they are and how they should be used, you'll be able to create sentences accurately.
Many Japanese particles have more than one meaning or purpose, so you need to find out what those are as well. There are eight fundamental particles, such as topic particles that tell you what the sentence is about and subject particles that identify the topic.
6. Shadow Native Speakers
Shadowing involves listening to a native speaker for two seconds and talking over them. It's best to begin with short statements and aim to pronounce the words perfectly.
Listen to the audio carefully to ensure that you understand the conversation. Repeat this several times and look up any expression you don't know until you fully grasp the meaning of what you're saying. Next, read the script silently while the audio is playing. Afterward, read out loud while listening, and in the end, follow along with the audio without using the script, and see to it that you keep the meaning of the conversation in mind.
7. Practice With A Conversation Partner
Taking a Japanese class won't provide the amount of practice you need to become a great speaker. That’s why you'll need to find a conversation partner.
Ensure that your conversation partner speaks your native tongue so you can clearly understand any explanations they provide. Talk about a wide range of topics such as movies, music, interests, hobbies, and your jobs. During each conversation, write down what you've learned so you can review them later on. Remember to ask questions as there are Japanese people who may be too polite to point out your mistakes.
Bottom Line
Traveling to Japan is undoubtedly a great way to improve your Japanese language skills. However, many people don’t have that luxury, so looking for alternative methods is vital.
Get in touch with a seasoned teacher or attend a trusted language school. Make your self-study sessions more enjoyable by watching Japanese TV shows, anime, movies, dramas, and YouTube videos as well as listening to Japanese music. Search for a good online community to join and a partner to help you practice. Whatever you decide to do, have fun with the process so it won’t be daunting or tiring for you.
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