Anyone started learning japanese? I’m about to embark but feeling scared!

[TemalRustic]

My learning objectives are aimed towards reading (I just want to read manga/video games and learning to read when traveling to Japan would be useful, too!).

Anyone else learning?

Great way to learn is by watching childrens shows in that language, they are easy to follow and that's also how native kids learn. I was learning Korean at one point before a short trip and this is how I picked up most of the basics.

 

[Cirice]

During lockdown I found some youtube channels dedicated to learn japanese and I've been following some lessons from them !
Once you start I don't think you'll find it scary. I know I always wanted to know more even when I encountered difficulties (like, to write >>)

 

[Princess Mipha]

I'm not learning and not interested in it, as it has no use for me.
But I have two friends that are actually learning it. One of them is a bit lazy in doing so, which ended up in him not being really progressive.
The other one started only recently and he said it's easier than it looks! I still don't understand anything besides "Kawaii", but if it's written in japanese signs I wouldn't know what it is at all. D;

 

[SublimeDonut]

I'm learning too! Started october of last year and by now I can read hiragana and katakana and construct basic sentences. Most of my practicing is in duolingo, which is very useful, but it's not enough on its own if you ask me. i use https://kanji.koohii.com/ for practicing kanji. it has user uploaded mnemonics, flash cards, forum for questions and stuff. this blog https://kanjiportraits.wordpress.com/ by a college japanese teacher is also fantastic. on her posts she breaks apart the kanji and analyses their history. it's useful for memorizing kanji because if you go by their radicals it'll get confusing really fast, they sometimes have nothing to do with the meaning of the kanji itself, they're just there because historically that kanji looked more like the concept they represent.

 

[bestfriendsally]

I'm learning too! Started october of last year and by now I can read hiragana and katakana and construct basic sentences. Most of my practicing is in duolingo, which is very useful, but it's not enough on its own if you ask me. i use https://kanji.koohii.com/ for practicing kanji. it has user uploaded mnemonics, flash cards, forum for questions and stuff. this blog https://kanjiportraits.wordpress.com/ by a college japanese teacher is also fantastic. on her posts she breaks apart the kanji and analyses their history. it's useful for memorizing kanji because if you go by their radicals it'll get confusing really fast, they sometimes have nothing to do with the meaning of the kanji itself, they're just there because historically that kanji looked more like the concept they represent.

oohh. thanks for the great links :3

 

[mocha.]

I tried to learn Japanese a few years ago and actually wanted to pursue a university course to deepen my understanding. I found the Reddit su forum “learn Japanese” really helpful, as well as the YouTube channel and website JapanesePod101 I first began by learning the basic alphabets (and didn’t really progress onto Kanji) and words but life got in the way and so did other studies so I didn’t spend much time on it and therefore have forgotten most of what I’ve learned!

A few tips I can give are - be patient. It’s a very complicated language and learning it via a website/video is entirely different to learning it IN Japan. If you’re ever able to, visiting Japan would be such a good opportunity to develop your language skills and converse with other Japanese people to understand what words are most commonly used. I originally wanted to learn it as I wanted to travel to Japan to teach children for a couple of years. I’d still love to do that but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to!

Also, a lot of people recommend reading children’s books as the language used is obviously simple/basic and a good starting point for developing your reading skills towards manga.

finally, don’t give up! It’s all about practice and is a very tricky language that can take years to perfect, but the Japanese culture and language is (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful in the world. I’m excited for you!

edit; also a lot of people on Reddit recommended the ‘Genki’ books, they’re quite expensive and you need to buy 2 for the questions & answers but they are jam packed with information!

 

[snaily]

i definitely second consuming media made for actual japanese people once you've got the hang of basic grammar and vocabulary! starting with kids stuff and then moving on to more advanced stuff once you feel comfortable with that. content designed for learners is really useful too but it's handy to learn things in context, and you'll probably pick up on more words and phrases that you'll hear in actual conversation rather than textbook sentences. keeping a diary or even a social media account where you write in the language you're learning can also be really helpful when getting used to actually creating your own sentences.

maybe this advice is for more advanced people idk but everyone here already gave lots of good beginners advice!

 

[Fridaynightcatlady]

Hey everyone! Thanks for all your comments and advice!

Quick update: so I’m taking private lessons and so far I’ve managed to memorize all Kana It’s not much but with work and other stuff going on, it’s feels like a nice accomplishment. For those interested, I’m also using Genki I and an app called Kana to practice my katakana/hiragana. I haven’t reached kanji yet in my lessons, so I’m not stressing so much about that yet! Haha.

Post automatically merged: Mar 21, 2021

Great way to learn is by watching childrens shows in that language, they are easy to follow and that's also how native kids learn. I was learning Korean at one point before a short trip and this is how I picked up most of the basics.

Any shows you can recommend and where to find them?

 

[chocopug]

I've been taking Japanese classes since last year. I just registered for the next term in fact. I love my classes and I love the language. It's intimidating at first but I think many languages are. Keep at it and you'll see progress

I'm finding kanji difficult but I'm slowly getting there. I use wanikani.com for kanji.

My best friend who speaks Japanese recommended the Genki books, they're not cheap but I've found them really good so far.

I suggest trying to find a language exchange/conversation partner if you can. I've found that really useful in the past. We do lots of conversation practice in my classes, and I also speak it as much as I can with my friends (one is a native speaker, so that's really helpful!). It's so important to try and speak the language as much as you can... there's a reason why immersive language learning often recommended (I did some immersive Korean classes when I lived over there, it felt like they were breaking my brain at the time but they did wonders for my Korean skills!)

 

[amemome]

Good luck! I learned in college and it was a lot of fun. I think if you're not already immersed in the language and culture, your best bet to improve pronunciation, reading, and writing is going to be practicing every day. If you can find a friend who is also learning, practicing conversations with them would be great! Listening to Japanese language media will also help you pick up and retain vocab as well as help you develop an ear for how things sound.

 

[Kirbyz]

ive always wanted to learn japanese, korean too! i plan on traveling there with my cousin who also wants learn in the future when we’re actually able to. i love both languages, i really want to be able to speak and understand them fluently. i want to be able to go to japan and speak japanese, and south korea and speak korean, and have people actually understand me. i would actually be really proud if i was able to accomplish this, as it’s been my dream for many years to be able to speak and understand both of these beautiful languages.

 

[Blueskyy]

That's amazing! I used to have the Duolingo app and tried learning a few languages, but I lost interest for whatever reason. I took Spanish for 4 years in high school so did Portuguese for a bit since it was pretty similar, but then just stopped. I tried a little Chinese but that was a challenge. I think I just need to be in 100% before I start a language in order to learn it. It sounds like you're ready, so if you're up for the challenge go for it!

 

[trashpedia]

Okay Ill be honest, I always wanted to learn Japanese but I never had the time, especially nowadays with me being in college and such

I originally wanted to learn it because I wanted to get in contact with relatives of mine that live there and I always wondering how they're doing every now and then since they usually chat with my mom online occasionally too.

It wouldn't be my first Eastern language (which is Vietnamese, which is what I normally speak with my parents at home), but I'm not very well versed with Vietnamese that much so it's definitely going to be a challenge regardless.

 

[DJ_Saidez]

やぁ！
I've been teaching myself Japanese for almost 2 years now, and I'm at an upper-beginner level (A2/N4) now
I'm a sloppy student so it's still hard for me to express myself well (but that goes for all my languages lol), but I've made some great friends along the way that keep me going!
Animal Crossing (あつ森), even if it's still pretty intimidating, has been a great tool for me to learn Japanese and be exposed to new words and get used to different speech patterns, but I sometimes find myself having to switch back and forth between English and Japanese because I get tired, and that's OK!

Piece of advice, and this goes to learning any language or really even any skill: Don't be afraid of making mistakes.
You can watch all the anime you want, but you won't make a lot of progress until you put yourself out there and CONNECT with people. Build your own sentences, communicate with people, make mistakes, look up a word for the 45th time, because that's how you can improve.
And I'm not going to lie, it's going to be pretty challenging, you'll have to be consistent and put in a lot of effort. But if your heart's really in it, it'll be soooo worth it
And remember, be consistent, but don't overdo it, otherwise you'll burn out. Mix things up and keep it fun! Reward yourself once in a while, even if it's not Japanese-related

 

[DJ_Saidez]

Ok now here's a bunch of resources for those who are curious
I really don't like Duolingo by the way (edit: or many textbooks for that matter)

Tofugu This has articles on grammar and culture and Japanese in general, starting with a hiragana and katakana guide which is where I think you should start
Maggie Sensei and Wasabi JPN are two other really great grammar sites I recommend

Mangajin was a magazine that used manga to dissect sentences while also explaining cultural aspects, I personally really like its system, and even though it's slightly dated (90s) I still think it's very useful
Minato JF has online courses that can take you up from absolute beginner to an intermediate level (B1), and if your native language isn't English this supports several other languages too (Portuguese, Vietnamese, etc.)
Marshall Yin combines a forum with a set of lessons that go all the way up to JLPT N1 (explanation), good for those that like structured learning and being with a community of other learners (curated and managed by one person who's more than happy to help those that need it)

Japanese Ammo with Misa and Miku Real Japanese are two great YouTube channels to check out, they also explain grammar and give example sentences and all that good stuff, see for yourself

Now, how to find native speakers to practice with? Both HelloTalk and Tandem are built exactly for this, and I highly suggest you try them out

And for reading practice, I uploaded the first 13 editions of Yotsubato! on my Google Drive, and Animal Crossing is also really good, since both of them have furigana (something you'll soon learn to love)

Sorry for so many of them, this is something I'm passionate about and I want to give you options
Everything I linked is free, and there's plenty of other resources I haven't listed here that's out there waiting for you

頑張ってね！Good luck!