While learning Japanese everyone faces a very common question regarding how to improve Japanese. Actually, for English Speakers learning Japanese may take a bit more time but it is not impossible.
The main thing is that Japanese pronunciation is a bit different from English pronunciation, as always said that practice makes a man perfect so it’s the same in this case also.
It is pretty obvious that you are not going to learn Japanese overnight. But if you follow some efficient steps then you will surely be able to improve your Japanese and learn it a bit faster.
So, here I will discuss the steps that will definitely help you to improve in this complete process.
The first and most important point to improve your Japanese is to study less and practice more. Many people are there who often tell that at first, they will learn the language properly and then they will speak in front of the public. Now, this is the biggest mistake one makes. The best way to improve your speaking skills in any language is to practice speaking.
You need to find people who know the language and start speaking with them regularly. You can even find Japanese-speaking people online and start speaking with them. You need to remember that language is a skill and not just a collection of knowledge.
Suppose you are reading any Japanese content or maybe you are listening to a Japanese lesson and reading it out, in that case, I would suggest you read it loudly. Read it aloud several times until you can speak faster. This re-reading helps you to increase your temp and pronounce perfectly. When you read aloud it helps the muscle of your mouth and diaphragm to produce unfamiliar words and sounds.
Always try to learn actively and not passively. There is a misconception that you can learn a second language in the same way you learned your first language. It is not true. As an adult, you have to give your hundred percent to learn the language. As a child, we received our parents and elders while learning our first language. But the case will not be the same here. Only your willingness, your dedication, and your practice will help you to improve your Japanese.
If you are listening to any native speakers of Japanese, it can be in real-world, or any video, then try to listen carefully to their pronunciation of words and phrases and try to mimic whatever you hear. This will also help you to improve a lot.
More often in different situations, we see that most of the learner’s runoff. In this case, if you prepare your lines ahead of time, then you won’t be at a loss of words during a conversation. This will help you to learn how to say words and also how to say them in the appropriate context. Along with this keep practicing different phrases and words by using them in mock role-playing scenarios such as shopping, ordering at a restaurant, talking on the phone, etc.
Reviewing repeatedly is the key to perfection. Most of the learners don’t review. When you review and repeat the line again and again your speaking ability will improve. Most people are afraid of making mistakes and hence they avoid talking. The more you speak, the faster you learn. Don’t be discouraged in case you make mistakes. As we always know that we learn from mistakes.
- Make a habit of practicing Japanese daily, the more you practice the more you become perfect.
- Listen to some clips, try to copy those, and record those. First practice and then record. While recording, be sure that you try to match the tone and stress exactly. Playback the recording and listen to it, replay the original clip, and try to compare and contrast. Find out the points that need improvement and keep trying.
- Check whether any of your relatives or friends are interested in learning the language. If you learn together it will be more helpful for you.
- Use a good Japanese dictionary. This helps you to improve a lot.
- Try to understand and learn Japanese grammar bit by bit.
- Try to learn Japanese through the story. Don’t read a book once, carefully, try to read it multiple times sloppily.
- Rather than improving your technique, try to improve your practice and this will lead to improving your technique automatically.
And at the end, I would like to conclude by suggesting that keep following the above-mentioned procedures and don’t lose hope. Always remember the proverb
“ Slow and steady wins the race”
So instead of rushing, try to go slow and be perfect. You will definitely master the language within the required time.