Tips and tricks to know
-
Consume Vocab and Kanji Simultaneously (with This Tool)
Let’s face it: learning kanji is not the friendliest of tasks. It can be slow, dull, and grueling. In most textbooks there is no real context for the kanji and, with over 2,000 characters in regular use, no visible end to your sufferings. Not feeling the speed, are we?
But fear not, there is a solution. Now I’m sure to be contested on this point, but if you’re here, and your goal is fast fluency, you’re going to want to bypass the whole kanji and stroke-order affair….at least for now. With the constant advance of electronic communication, it is becoming less necessary to be able to write kanji, and more important to be able to spell it out in hiragana on a smartphone or computer.
What you will need to do, however, is build yourself a fully-stocked arsenal of vocabulary. Overwhelming, yes, but here’s a start:
You need to get yourself a goal.
-
Master Using Everyday Grammar (with a Partner-in-crime)
You’re dying to start speaking now, but you might be hearing incredibly complex grammar from your anime or Japanese movies and you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Here’s the thing: if you’re bent on learning to speak fast, you’ve got to bite off one piece at a time.
Instead of kicking yourself for not being able to understand everything, make it your business to master the art of small talk. When you meet someone for the first time, what do you say? How about when you wake up in the morning and greet your roommates or host family? You probably make pretty simple (perhaps half-asleep) pleasantries and small talk.And you can most certainly do this in Japanese. Since it’s stuff you say every day, you can make a nice little habit of it. Great way to do this: recruit a Japanese-learning buddy.
-
Make Your Textbooks Go Further (By Talking to Them)
First of all, if you don’t have grammar textbooks, get yourself over to Amazon as fast as possible. The internet is fine for piecing together different approaches to Japanese grammar, but if you want to get that solid foundation and build momentum, it’s best to get all of your grammar in one basic place before you start supplementing.
Now I’m sure you’ve researched online and found suggestions like Japanese for Busy People, Genki Japanese, and the like. These are great resources for vocabulary, grammar, and phrases. That’s for certain. However, they do contain a whole lot of English explanation and translation. This is fine for initial comprehension, but having the English there to lead you around by the hand just ends up hindering your progress.
Hands down, full immersion is the way to go. If you’re in it for the speed, there’s nothing better than throwing yourself into the proverbial deep end and trying to keep your head above the kana (hiragana and katakana). You’ll definitely find that you’ll get comfortable in there pretty fast. It essentially introduces itself to you in the first chapter and invites you to do the same. At first, you’ll have to keep a smartphone handy to familiarize yourself with that basic vocabulary, but commit them to memory in context here, and just like you did as a kid, get comfortable with the grammar by repetition. The only translation is in your head.
Now here’s the pesky thing about the textbook study. First and foremost, it seems excruciatingly boring. And lonely. And you might feel as if you’re just inhaling the grammar but not retaining it. Personally, I used to get frustrated that while I was sitting there learning grammar rules, I was missing opportunities to speak.
-
Swap Out Your Habits (To Find the Hidden Time)
This is the big one.
Ask yourself this question and answer honestly: Why am I not getting any better at Japanese?
You might say a few of these:
- I have no time to study.
- I have no patience because I’m not improving.
- When I come home from work/school, I just want to relax.
Hey man, I thought you wanted to learn Japanese faster?
The cruel and honest fact: learning faster means you have to work harder. The best way to get comfortable with a language is by immersing yourself in it.
So ask yourself: how badly do you want this? If it’s really bad, consider me your conscience kicking your butt out of bed. We’re going to analyze your day and uncover all that time that you don’t have. We’re going to cram Japanese into your life.
You can also visit MULTIBHASHI website or app, by this, you can learn Japanese easier and faster.
Highly qualified language experts: Choose from a wide range of highly qualified and dedicated language experts.
Customized Curriculum & Personal Training
No universal curriculum for all learners! Everything is customized according to a learner’s needs and fluency level.
Fits your schedule: No more fixed timings! Schedule a session according to your convenience and learn from anywhere and anytime.
