How to learn the Japanese language without any coaching?
Japanese is effectively the sole language of Japan, and almost all of the 128 million natives speak it. It is a member of the Japonic (or Japanese-Ryukyuan) language family, and its relation to other languages, such as Korean, is debated. Japonic languages have been grouped with other language families such as Ainu, Austroasiatic, and the now-discredited Altaic, but none of these proposals has gained widespread acceptance. Japanese is an agglutinative, mora-timed language with simple phonotactics, a pure vowel system, a phonemic vowel and consonant length, and a lexically significant pitch accent. Little is known of the language’s prehistory, or when it first appeared in Japan. Chinese documents from the 3rd century recorded a few Japanese words, but substantial texts did not appear until the 8th century. During the Heian period (794–1185), the Chinese had considerable influence on the vocabulary and phonology of Old Japanese. Late Middle Japanese (1185–1600) included changes in features that brought it closer to the modern language and the first appearance of European loanwords. English loanwords, in particular, have become frequent, and Japanese words from English roots have proliferated.
Try out some of these home learning Japanese tips to see how self-study can lead to fluency!
Practice Grammar and Vocabulary with Written Japanese
When learning Japanese on your own, one of the most difficult tasks is developing writing skills. It is the toughest part of learning the Japanese language. You won’t be able to perfect your writing on your own, but you will be able to improve certain skills.
Utilize YouTube
There are a number of YouTube channels dedicated to teaching Japanese to beginners and intermediate students. Among the best YouTube channels to look for are those that provide grammatical tutorials, vocabulary explanations, and simple Japanese dialogues.
Mix Japanese Dictations with Songs
For young Japanese children, dictation is a common elementary school exercise. It ensures that they learn how to write in Japanese correctly, and it can be just as effective for learning Japanese as a second language! It only takes a text and someone reading it to you.
Watch Japanese television and films on a regular basis
Choose a Japanese TV show or film that you think you’ll enjoy. Watch it with English subtitles for the first time. If it’s a movie, you’ll have to watch it again. If it’s a TV show, just skip to the next episode. Instead of English subtitles, watch it with Japanese subtitles this time.
Create and Apply Japanese Flashcards
Flashcards are obviously not ideal for all aspects of Japanese learning, but for the simpler elements of the language, such as vocabulary definitions or translations, word genders, and different verb forms, homemade flashcards can be an effective practice.
Written Japanese Exercises (with an Answer Guide)
Written exercises are often regarded as the bane of many students’ Japanese learning experiences, but this valuable practice tool should not be overlooked. By improving your writing skills, you’ll be reinforcing all of the grammar rules you’ve been learning.
Have a good time while learning about Japan.
Use online gamified apps that aim to teach Japanese in a game-like format. One of the most well-known of these is Duolingo, which incorporates mini-games, levels, and learning streaks to make learning Japanese enjoyable. You can also learn Japanese by playing a variety of online games. These games are ideal for beginners who want to practise common vocabulary topics or grammar constructs like verb conjugations.
Immersion
Travel to Japan to take advantage of the opportunity to learn new words and phrases and put what you’ve learned into practice by conversing with natives while staying with them. Of course, not everyone has the luxury of travelling. Fortunately, you don’t have to leave your city or town to benefit from interacting with Japanese speakers! Another option is to use a website like mylanguageexchange.com or italki.com to find a Japanese language exchange partner.
Sign up for a self-paced Japanese course.
A self-guided Japanese course, regardless of level, can be an excellent way to learn Japanese grammar and vocabulary in a systematic fashion. It can also give you more opportunities to speak, listen to, read, and write Japanese at a level that will benefit your current abilities. You could look into sites like ielanguages.com or informal courses, which provide more interactive learning based on your level.
Finally,
While there are many dialects and accents in Japan, experts agree that the largely monolingual status that exists here is very unusual. Most countries have many major languages that are commonly spoken within their territories. According to Ken Machida, a linguistics professor at Nagoya University, there are between 6,000 and 7,000 living languages in the world today, which, if equally spread, equates to around 30 per region. According to a 2006 Japan Foundation poll, 2.98 million people in 133 countries are learning the language at 13,639 institutions outside of Japan. This figure, which is up 26.4 per cent from the previous survey in 2003, excludes people who educate themselves or take private lessons.
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