Introduction:
Would it not be good if you could take a month off and enjoy the language and culture in Japan?
Most people will say “go to Tokyo” if you want to learn Japanese but what if you want to learn Japanese from your own home? How do you get the oomph of traveling without your living room to Japan? The response is already known for those who study living languages (diplomats, spies, etc.). They immerse themselves in the language and remain immersed as long as possible.
But the good news is that there are ways to achieve total Japanese immersion and learn Japanese at home without having to travel to Japan, and here are some of my recommendations.
Important things to know
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Pick a core Japanese curriculum and work with it every day
The “Minna no Nihongo” (“Japanese for Everyone”) series is used in most Japanese schools. Both kanji and Latin characters are used in the books. You’ll have to deal with kanji at some stage when studying Japanese, so you may as well get started now. Working on characters also provides a creative outlet in addition to academics.
You should spend about half of your study time checking/reviewing and half on new content. And every day you must focus on it.
This is the real secret to successfully learning Japanese at home. You need to learn the sound of your language, take up Japanese customs, and push your brain to think Japanese as quickly as possible (at least some of the time). So dig into Japanese culture and language.
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Watch anime, movies, and TV in Japanese
English subtitles are required, but if you find yourself reading rather than listening, turn them off. Even if you do not understand, it is best to absorb the language sounds. At one point you will find new characters and you will see how things are written by turning on subtitles in Japanese. Watch in the hand of a pen and notebook.
Japanese TV programs can be easily accessed via the internet, and an easy way of doing this is via YouTube. I recommend watching children’s cartoons like Doraemon personally to enjoy the Japanese language along with learning.
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Listen to Japanese radio, music, and podcasts
Keep your atmosphere as much as you can in Japanese. There is a lot of excellent music and thousands of radio broadcasts that you can hear when you are doing exercise, cooking, and relaxing. This is your downtime, so don’t get into every word.
Anywhere you look at Google, you can find a list of Japanese pop charts and you can also search for the tracks on YouTube.
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Your Local Japanese Community
If you live in a big enough area, there will almost certainly be a Japanese community or a Japanese grocery store nearby. If not, you might be able to find a small Japanese student group at your local university. Join this network and participate in activities such as taiko parties, cooking courses, and cultural events.
If you’re not sure where to look for your local Japanese group, try Meetup, Craigslist, or simply googling “Japanese” and your town or city. You may also try searching for a specific Japanese interest, such as taiko drumming, in the search bar, and you should be able to find something.
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Create Daily Habits
The perfect situation is to research every day for a short period of time. If you haven’t done so already, setting aside specific periods of the day for studying or immersion will greatly aid your immersion. Set aside the early morning for Japanese, for example, if you’re an early riser. Make it a Japanese-only session, and translate your thoughts into the language.
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Don’t Hurry, Stay Relaxed
Don’t try to hurry your Japanese learning at home by immersion. It’s all about truly “being” in your Japanese surroundings. Immersion lets you understand a language because you have an opportunity to live with it and become more familiar with it.
It isn’t about memorizing new words or testing yourself. This is not as objective as a standardized class. Put up your feet and enjoy your immersion – a time to live with the Japanese clearly.
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Conclusion
The important thing is to find every opportunity to consume as many Japanese courses as possible. You can create something like immersion without ever leaving home comfort, which will quickly develop your Japanese skills. You can also choose an online course for your improvement.
You are now able to learn from home Japanese. So, what are you waiting for?
