Japanese for Beginners – Best tips for Japanese Language Learning
From their sweet mochi to their spicy ramen, Japan is a country full of culture and Japanese is one of the most beautiful yet complicated languages to exist. Whether you gained interest in learning this language due to their world-famous anime or whether you just wish to visit the country and watch Mount Fuji among the clouds with your loved ones, either ways, you’ve made up your mind to learn this beautiful language. As a beginner, it’s always good to dive into a learning journey with a couple of tips and tricks. Here are a couple of those tips that should help you in the language learning process:
Concentrate on the alphabets
The Japanese language is just as complicated as attractive as it looks. Do not at any cost, skip the alphabets. Japanese has 3 kinds of alphabets, These are:
- Hiragana which is crucial for all beginners, Higarana is primarily used for native Japanese words and consists of 46 characters or 51 phonetic characters. It’s the key to understanding how and why Japanese words sound the way they do.
- Katakana is used for non-Japanese or loanwords [a word adopted from a foreign language]. These include technical and scientific terms, as well as the names of some plants and animals. Katakana can give you more trouble than Hiragana as it won’t be so frequently used.
- Kanji is believed to be the most challenging part of the Japanese learning process. It’s one of the most critical aspects of learning Japanese. Knowing very basic Kanji will enable you to understand, speak and write simple Japanese. Kanji comes with many complexities, as English meanings can’t always be directly translated from Japanese words.
Practice Grammar
Start off by forgetting everything you know about English grammar. Japanese grammar is nothing like the English grammar. Unlike many romance languages, Japanese has only two tenses: past and present or future. However, there are two forms: polite and plain. The latter is used for casual speech.
Learn the basics
Similar to other language learning processes, start off by learning basic greetings, a few catchphrases, commonly used words and then build on that. Don’t just memorize these, develop the habit of writing them as well. Read them, write them and then finally say them aloud as well. This should help you practice and perfect your basics before you step into a much intense terrain.
Invest into apps and books
Don’t hesitate to invest into reasonably priced apps like Duolingo and Multibhashi.These apps would provide you with expert guidance through certified trainers and also make available to you many resources to learn from, such as new study material, quizlet and flashcards.
Do not forget Japanese books either. Investment into books in the present goes a long way in the future. Read the books, copy and make a note of complicated and important words and finally read them to yourself.
Set realistic goals
The most important part of learning any language is to set logical and realistic goals. Avoid trying to over work yourself, at the same time prepare and follow a rigid schedule. With the right goals and right methods in mind, you can master Japanese in no time.
Finally
Let the failures not deter you! Remember each step tried is a step towards success! Do spare a few minutes everyday and practice instead of keeping a few hours a week. It would help in a long way!