1. Learn hiragana and katakana 2. Use a textbook meant for learning Japanese 3. Learn first 200 kanji for memory but don’t memorize how to write every kanji 4. Do karaoke in Japanese and say out loud to learn to read faster
If by "Karaoke" you mean find a niche of the language the compels you to do more and absorb - I second that. it's very individual, for me it's mmos and singing anime ops and eds.
One of the best tips from me to beginners who want to self study: DON'T search forever. One of my biggest mistakes was that I searched for the BEST method to learn Japanese and at the end I ended up using more time to search the best method instead of actually learn things. Be committed. Start one phat and walk on it for a while.
"I make mistakes all the time". People make mistakes in their native language. Just think about how many times you get tongue-tied in English, how many times you can't remember the right word so just pick another. For some reason, everyone (including myself) will hold a second language to a higher standard than our native language.
same lol, my second language is english and my first is bahasa, somehow, my brain explain things better in english than in bahasa 🤡 I find words easier in english than in bahasa too, which is weird
English is my second language and Arabic is my first, honestly they're at the same level bit there are times were I find English less confusing then arabic
The most important thing is realising you made a mistake. Some people don't (in their native language) and never take their communication skills as far as they could. I think we are more critical of your second/learned language(s) because we don't quite know what level we're at. I think most people know where they stand with their native languages - e.g. uneducated people will know when they're talking to a smartypants.
@Austere Player I think your Arabic is really good, I don't write Arabic on my phone a lot either lol, my name's jailan and I'm from and live in Egypt, and yay another haikyuu fan!
did u memorize all of hiragana in a day? also do u think it’s necessary to put in a lot of time to memorize hiragana? ( by memorize i mean looking at the japanese character and automatically knowing what sound it makes )
same!!! its taking me longer to memorize katakana (i just watched one video lmao but i retain things quickly) and even kanji is easy-ish,,,, WHY KATAKANA VWKEUQJH SO HARD
@@robertoa5948 it took me maybe a week bc i wanted to be really sure i knew all the hiragana, and now i have memorized it perfectly. really depends the person though! i just took longer to be safe 😁
One thing I would suggest for watching Japanese content on TH-cam: Set up a second "channel" under your user. This then gives you a second user. If you then use the Japanese user for watching Japanese language content and the main user for watching content in your native language, the TH-cam algorithm will offer Japanese content to the Japanese user and not try to mix them in with the other user's recommendations. I forget where I heard about this, but it's something I wish I had done a lot sooner.
Except that TH-cam will still try to recommend on your English AND Japanese content. By setting up a second user, you keep the recommendations separate.
I started learning Japanese around 17years ago. My tips are to write as many emails as possible. When I was young there were not many places were you could find Japanese friends online, mostly mixi, so I can imagine it being easier to find email-pals. Most of my Japanese I learned by just writing as many emails with people as possible. It trains your reading as well and forces you to find the best ways to translate parts using google and other online resources.
I'm japanese so I don't know why I started watching this, but I am learning Korean so this actually helps a lot! And the Kanji thing is so true lmao. My mom looks up quite a few Kanji, because in real life, there are words that you don't use/read for years. (edit: I also plan to relearn French, even though I learned french for like 3 years in school, and am part French. I feel like I learned nothing :/)
@@teerich2011 how it going with that? I just started a few months ago, self learning. But it's a lot easier since I already speak japanese (a lot of similarities between the 2 languages)
I smell lies. I watched one of your videos and you don't look nor sound japanese at all. No hints of you living in Japan either. People have to stop pretending being something they're not.
@@theofficialpollo people also need to stop coming to conclusions without sufficient information. You don't know whether they grew up in the U.S. or elsewhere. Also, expecting "hints" of somebody living somewhere from gaming-videos or just one irl-video makes no sense. Also, he very much does look about "half-asian". Probably one parent from the U.S. and growing up there
I can totally relate to the whole learning Japanese over and over again. I studied in college and then completely stopped after graduating and am now trying to relearn. I've forgotten some basics but at the same time know a decent amount of intermediate japanese. It's an odd jumble of levels that I'm at, so thanks for the tips!
I love her honesty about how long she's been studying Japanese, and even saying how she isn't at _that_ high of a level (but your Japanese is really good!!) Soo many people just try to flex how they became 'fluent' in 1-2 years by 'just watching anime'. They aren't really passionate about the language, they just care about impressing others. Your presentation style is really relatable and easy to follow, I'm sure this video will help out a lot of people _actually_ learn Japanese!
Well said, personal channels that focus on language content in general have rubbed me the wrong way. Their not so subtle way of display of skills shows even on the thumbnail. At the end you see that more energy and time have been used to show off then to teach. And i mean if your "guide and tips" dont really teach then its obvious videos are just a tool to flex.
Wouldn't it be the opposite, and that people that learn to be fluent in 1-2 years from just watching anime or singing songs are more passionate??? What you're saying doesn't make sense. Someone can choose to learn from mistakes that to learn from books/teachers.
The people who claim they learned Japanese in 1-2 years by watching anime? They wouldn’t be able to hold the most simplest conversation with a native speaker 😂
Anyone who claims they became fluent in a language in a year or two is lying. However, 10,000+ hours of listening to japanese is a requirement to become competent. Skill building does not lead to fluency in language learning.
I've been learning since 2013... After sooooo many books, experiences, and YEARS, I finally feel comfortable enough to pass the JLPT N2, which has been my goal for a while. In the meantime, I read manga, TRY to watch Netflix series in Japanese with Japanese subs, and talk to friends. PS: LOVE Toidai Easy Japanese!
I definitely agree with you that there's no need to learn how to write kanji. The most important thing is you can recognize, read and distinguish them from one another. And know their correct spelling in hiragana.
In terms of learning grammar, my primary resource has been a TH-cam channel called Organic Japanese with Cure Dolly. I'm only a few months into learning Japanese, but I've found this resource immensely helpful for learning Japanese structure, particularly the "Japanese from Scratch" series. The way the information is presented might be a little strange at first, but once you get used to it, it's amazing!
I can relate to the long time learning Japanese too. 15 years now since I took my first class, and Its always been so off and on in my study that I'm just...I catch words but really know nothing. But here I am, trying again, hoping to move to Japan in the next couple of years. So..here we go again!
a tip for anyone who has trouble getting through the text books without a tutor: i've discovered through many errors with not understanding the chapter review questions, that the subreddit /learnjapanese is super helpful! if you post a picture of the problems you have trouble with, someone will always help you better understand what it's asking of you.
I´m also learning since 2009, I started when I was 14 years old. I took the JLPT N3 test in Dec 2017 and this year or next year I want to get to N2 level :D And since 2 years I am a Japanese teacher:D
It's n3 necessary to apply for a job teaching japanese? I'm taking the n3 this year, and I was regretting that decision, I think I should take the N2 to apply for a japanese teaching job (since I'm going to graduate from college next year), since I feel relatively confident in passing n2, but I didn't wanted to take the risk
"I make mistakes all the time". My native language is turkish, I know and teach english and now I'm learning japanese. Trust me I struggle most with my native language lmao. Because of the pandemic I haven't been able to speak with anyone other than my mom and the people working at the supermarket but I was able to watch and read everything I couldn't watch and read before the pandemic. I am way more flurent in english now but I struggle a lot while using my native and I keep forgetting every single word and get to urge to throw in some english words. Language is something you should be exposed to all the time. Even if it's your native language, if you don't use it much you will begin to forget things. The same thing applies to foreign languages as well. If you take long breaks while learning japanese or another language, you will end up stagnating. Seriously sitting on a desk with a textbook in front of you and studying language is good, but you can only do that for a couple hours. There are many hours in a day and you should keep exposing yourself to the target language as much as possible. Watch things in japanese, listen to podcasts, listen to songs and sing along, read sth in japanese (manga or sth else doesn't matter) just use it and expose yourself to it. In time, it will become more and more familiar to your ears and your mouth as you keep listening and speaking. Language is a living thing, don't treat it like history or math. There are no formulas and strict ways.
Yes! I've heard that kids don't actually learn languages much faster than adults when moving to a new place. It's just that adults tend to have much less time to dedicate to language learning while kids get thrown into school and activities wholly immersed in that other language except when talking to their parents. Parents usually only have a few hours after work that they can really dedicate to language (if that!)
@@1.merveilleuse anadilim türkçe benim de ama en çok türkçeyi unutuyorum kendimi ingilizce daha iyi ifade edebiliyorum mesela şu an gerçekten unutuyorsun araya ingilizce kelime atmak bilerek olmuyor yani refleks gibi bir şey
I'm just starting to learn Japanese and this was a great video for me. I also like the subtle humor and I think the editing is super clean! Thank you 🙏
Hearing you go through your troubles with learning the language and keeping your whole video really authentic to your process has actually motivated me!! It's true, what you said about studying all these materials are kinda hard without a tutor, because in self-study I struggle with tons of distractions ;w;: I will be continuing N4 this summer after half a year of hiatus! Thank you for your tips!! I think it will help me to learn more efficiently!!
I can relate to this so much. I'm embarrassed to say how long I've been studying Japanese, and I'm studying for the N2 now. It's the long breaks that sabotage progress, you're 100% right. Looking to move there very soon, enough is enough!
girl, could not believe that TH-cam recommended your video to me... it's a small world and now I know that you are a TH-camr! Beautiful video, you go, girl!!
Idk I haven't bothered with katakana too much. I did memorize hiragana but I feel like I'm doing OK without katakana. I will properly memorize it soon.
im Japanese even me sometimes i feel like Japanese is soo difficult and struggle too but i hope you enjoy learning Japanese more, keep at it!! 頑張って下さい！！
For me it's to put your phone's settings into japanese and using japanese subtitles when watching something in English or any other language,these really helped me (also listen to japanese nursery rhymes,i know it might sound ridiculous but because they're repetitive and easy you'll learn much faster,and also don't focus toooo much on it,it would be overwhelming,this is how i learned English from a super young age,good luck :)!!!) One more important thing, never.ever.focus too much on grammar,focus on talking and learn about basic structures,I became super fluent in English by doing the above and i never focused too much on grammar,what you need is vocabulary,I've been learning french for 8 years and i don't know anything because they focus too much on grammar,learn important sentences or general sentences,it's super helpful
The thing is that you finish hiragana and are like hey that was easy and fast (even tho you stayed up all night to learn it) and then you burn out katakana it takes you longer, its the realization that oh I have to learn this too :’(
From my experience the people who Learned the language were the people who used and talked Japanese everyday . The people who did not and just studied all Hit a hard wall
You hit the nail on the head, with any language, the learner needs to speak it everyday which helps with memory and grammar. The only issue is, finding a language partner when you live on the other side of the world. (I know there are various sites to video chat for a fee...)
Absolutely , it's the same for any language . A good example is those that join the French foreign legion . They Must learn French or fail . So they learn.Even non academic types learn surprisingly quickly.
@@johnjaleco5683 I love that concept of " learn the language or fail" Thats Why I want to go to the country of the language that I'm leaning so, I can put myself in that type of situation.
this video just lit up a lightbulb in my head and connected the dots on how to learn japanese without overwhelming myself. i feel like when i think about learning japanese its so stressful for me, but just now something just clicked, like i have a plan now, im not sure if it makes any sense at all but this video just inspired me so much, ありがとうございます😊
i started learning Japanese three days ago literally from zero. I'm suepr motivated now, i don't know how long the motivation will last, hope I'll be able to keep it cause i really want to study and settle in Japan so i really want to be fluent with the language too. I memorized the hiragana yesterday and today i read the story of urashimataro all by myself in Japanese!!! (the text was in hiragana so it helped xD), I'm so happy i could do this!! and thank you for the video, I'll try following your tips. stay blessed and safe! 🌸♥️
@@cat3070 yes, tho now im focusing on my exams so ive paused since one month 😅 ive learned hiragana,katakana, fifteen kanji radicals and ive also started learning conversational phrases and ive learned quite a few. ☺
OMG ALLISON! This is on my recommended section!! I remember you studying Japanese back in highschool - and I've been following your instagram, I'm so happy that you're doing what you love! I absolutely adore your channel by the way!
I'm a beginner but I have some tips ♡ Dont take a year long break ♡ Learn katakana and hiragana together cause katakana is a nightmare if you don't learn it together ♡ For kanji I wouldn't know what to do, I'd focus on more common ones and take your advice for it I've always wanted to at least be able to read and write it semi-fluently, wish me luck!
I started learning Japanese by doing pretty much only WaniKani, I wasn't in a class yet and just occasionally skimmed textbooks without really learning anything but I was doing just under a level a week so I was learning Kanji really fast. Now I'm done with WaniKani and I'm in a second year Japanese class but I'm just worried that having been finished doing reviews and everything that I'll go and forget everything I learned.... My grammar and reading isn't good enough for me to actually read materials complicated enough that it'll contain those less common Kanji that I've learned, so I'm worried I'll have to repeat it (I enjoyed using WK but especially towards the end it really dragged, something like 3 hours a day plus all my Uni work) and that would really suck. But seriously having done WaniKani, everything else about Japanese is easier. Reading materials I don't quite understand the grammar of is easier as long as it's written with a decent amount of Kanji, most vocab even if I didn't already know it it's easier to remember if I know those readings and readings for the Kanji, it just feels good to recognize a term from WaniKani. Too bad the native materials I can understand are usually written with very little (if any) kanji. Long strings of hiragana make hardly any sense to me.
Thank you for saying that you've been studying for waaaay to long and that you still make mistakes. I only ever see people online say how fast they learned Japanese, which makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but really, it takes a long time! Great advice to make mistakes and keep learning!
Thanks, Allison! As someone who has been studying Japanese for a few months now I really appreciate the recommendations you provided. There is just so much to learn that it can be overwhelming on where to start and you gave me some great ideas 😀
Finally! That news app is perfect. Almost fully n4, but I struggled with reading the kanji in actual sentences due to scarce resources. That will help a ton!
I recommend the bunpro website(for grammar) and the bunpo app both available on apple and google play along with their Lirer app that covers (not all) but the general kanji words in different catogories.
I've recently restarted my way to the Japanese mastery and now I'm analyzing what went wrong before and how can I straighten it up. Your video was super helpful in that regard, thanks a lot! My main advice to those in the same place would be to NOT get overwhelmed. I have a mental capacity of a goldfish but get motivated really easily, so I just rush into everything and spend hours studying non-stop just to find myself totally burnt out after a week or so. Take it slow, take it easy, don't bite more than you can chew! A funny thing: your video got recommended to me after my yesterday's binge of native Japanese TH-cam content! P.S. You're incredibly cute and a pleasure to hear and look at! ^^
Thanks you 🥺 and yesss I definitely have done that before too 💀 studying too much in a short time is definitely detrimental, at least for me, since i don't want to even look at japanese after a few days of that kind of study schedule 😂
Love these tips! I didn’t realize I didn’t have to write for the JLPT 😭 Definitely will be changing how I’m studying and will pick up some of the Try books!
I studied 12 years. Took an 18 year break and was able to to go back and hold basic conversation and travel solo around Japan. My Japanese study was based on ichinensei through rokunensei shogaku kanji books. I had learned about 850. I feel it was as important hiragana. The books I used were made for Japanese kids. I no longer have them but was able to find them on youtube. Chibimarukochan and Sazae san animations also helped me a lot. This was my own personal journey. My Japanese is terrible but not so terrible that I couldn’t talk to people and travel solo.
As you say, shi, tsu, so, n, etc. are difficult to understand. The stroke order is important for learning hiragana, katakana, and kanji. And it is very important to write many times. When I was a kid, I wrote and practiced the same letters many times at home and at school and learned them. I myself can remember to read and write the letters I wrote and remembered. Good luck.
Thank you so much for this video. There isn't really no one that explains the proces of learning japanese and the best way to do it so this reallly helps
I have been learning English for over 40 years... and still not very proficient, because in the past there was no TH-cam, no MP3, no internet connection for video conferencing for practising with native speakers... really appreciate how technology makes things easier, and I have started to learn Japanese a few months ago. Your tips are really helpful. Thanks!
Un consejo para aquellas personas que quieran empezar japonés: Como Allison dijo en el video, APRENDAN AL MENOS HIRAGANA ANTES DE EMPEZAR. Abandoné dos veces el idioma por no llegar al nivel necesario para las clases. Con muchísima determinación me propuse a aprender hiragana y katakana, por eso, hice unas tarjetas memotécnicas con cata caracter e inventé juegos para meorizar cada uno. ¡¡Espero que les sirva!!
@@beanburger5689 suerte en aprenderte las conjugaciones del español y los verbos irregulares! Ni yo, una persona hispanoparlante los usa bien jajsjajkfwllz
I self studied for years, just getting nowhere! Then I found WaniKani... WOW that changed EVERYTHING! I am nearing the end of my WaniKani journey, and though I have kept up with WaniKani everything else have been put on a backburner. "I'll focus on grammar after I'm done with WaniKani". But I have been reading, thanks to the amazing forum and the countless reading groups. And level by level, just doing WaniKani and a little reading, I got SO much better and can feel every level boosting my comprehension! I don't even use Anki to do flashcards of the new words from reading... I don't even look up any! I read for immersion, not for studying, so WaniKani has been my main source for learning, and the amount I understand now VS before WK is immense! I do need to focus on grammar eventually, and listening (I've bought some Harry Potter audiobooks in Japanese, cause knowing the source material helps, and it was one of the many reading groups ;) )
I really relate to your long history with Japanese and starting again and again (and again). I started in 2008 with high school classes. American public high school Japanese classes (which I acknowledge I was lucky to have access to; it’s rare to find American public schools that offer anything other than Spanish and maybe French now). We spent one year using Adventures in Japanese and then THREE YEARS on Genki 1. I was so embarrassed when I went to college and tried to test out of the first semester and couldn’t. I eventually took two years of Japanese in college, then spent several years doing next to nothing in Japanese, and now I’m working on it again (and hopefully going to attend a language school in Japan as soon as they start issuing new visas…) It’s amazing just how easy it is to get Japanese study materials these days, and just how much you can even get for free.
Very helpful video! I agree, katakana is way harder for some reason. You know how I gave a big step in memorizing katakana? I looked up a list of every Pokemon name and it happened to have next to each one the pronunciation in romaji. So I covered that part of the screen and started reading and checking. I was a huge fan with the first 150, so it was interesting to learn how their names sound originally. When I started learning hiragana, I remember at first though, lmao, I got to a point where I was spelling out words, checked them and thought like "Oh, so that one is not pronounced "ro" it's "ru", got it". Then I was reading some other word, checked it, and I was like "Wait, wasn't this "ru"?? I could've swore it was... ok so it's "ro", commited to memory". Now the third time it happened I was like dude! my memory is going to sht wth. But then I realised, I took a closer look and they actually look preeeetty similar ろ、る、ね、わ、れ、め、ぬ。My mind was blown lol
loved your tips, especially the karaoke one! I've been studying for a few years and am building back my knowledge that I lost when I fell off from studying for like a year.
i rlly love how tips and how you're telling it is so clear, this is so helpful! and i want to recommend a book too called "japanese from zero" if you're rlly a beginner, the explanation is so detailed and it's also teaching you in a slow pace, as for someone who may just want to have a casual study i really recommend this book, so you don't really get so much stressed by learning, also for people who has learning disabilities this book may be a very great choice! but i don't recommend for people who want to have intense studying! and i always put all the kanji and vocabularies to a flashcard app called quizlet to review what i've just learned and memorize kanji characters, you can also learn from other ppl's sets like japanese core vocab/ kanji, that really helps, bc it offers you a lot ways of studying like flashcards, match the words, short answer kinda thing where you type the answers, and there's a test option for you to see how much you progress! good luck, everyone, we can do this!
Thanks for all the tips! I started learning Japanese a few months ago and am still an absolute beginner but I'm motivated to get better - and the sources you mentioned will definitely help.
I loved your video, you are so nice! Thank you for sharing all these information. I could related to you so many times in the video. I am also a slow learner and tried a couple of times last year to learn Japanese. I was depressed and feeling very bad, I jumped on and off of it like 3 times. But I am ok now and very happy learn. It again with a freed mind! I think the biggest mistake is that we are always comparing ourselves to other learners. I wish you all the very best in Japan 🙂
Label things in your house Take a sticky note or something and write “窓” on it and stick it on a window. Take another one and write “時計” on it and stick it on a clock
I totally agree about kanji. Recognition is way more valuable than handwriting. On the IME keyboard, if you can recognize the right kanji you are done. The only thing I can really write in kanji is my address (and I'm moving...)
Knowing how to write kanji from memory really means that you can recognize kanji at a high level, and that you won’t get confused by similar kanji characters.
I started 2 years ago for fun and my path so far has been: - Learned Hiragana - Went through Minna I, followed by Genki I and casually pick up Katakana; write down an example sentence for every sentence pattern you learn until it gets engraved into your brain. - Using Kanji Tree to learn vocab and Kanji pretty much daily (to this day!); I completely ignore how to write Kanji and honestly even Katakana though haha - Played Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine in Japanese - Went through Minna II - Played Super Mario Galaxy in Japanese - Went through Genki II and (because I'm a little weird) went through a book called 日本語基本文法辞典 and kept writing down an example sentence for every sentence pattern on a piece of paper - And actually write with friends whose native language is Japanese, forcing you to practice, practice, practice. Still a long way to go, but I'm already super happy with where I am now =D
I have studied Japanese off and on since 2002 - I started studying Japanese through Berlitz with a private tutor (back in 2002 Japanese was not offered at high schools in my area and I think it still may not be🤔) I did this for a couple years and then studied with another private tutor outside Berlitz for about a few more years. It was very one and one and I learned a lot in a short time. I was honestly shocked at how slow and boring studying Japanese became in an actual classroom setting. I also felt I got lost in a class of so many and the teachers often made it feel as though I was taking a mandatory class rather than because I had interest in it. I still can read a lot and my listening is pretty good but I struggle so much conversationally 😪
Perfect video! Many thanks to the author of the channel for the recommendations! The problem with many people is that they want to take a "magic pill" or get "secret knowledge" and immediately have skills and abilities. However, the truth of life is that knowledge, skills, and abilities do not come by themselves. You can't learn a foreign language without doing anything, without wasting your time and effort, just like you can't learn to ride a bike lying on a comfy couch, listening to lectures and watching videos about "modern methods of learning" on a bike. To really learn something, you have to really practice every day. You're going to fall down while you're learning, and you're going to get bumps - that's normal! The ups and downs of learning are an integral part of our lives. Motivation from success and depression from failure will always be your study companions. However, every student has problems in his or her studies that he or she lacks the knowledge to solve. It can be: poor memorization of words; no progress in language learning; the student can speak, but does not understand speech by ear; misunderstanding of grammar; incorrect pronunciation, etc. Agree that a problem you don't know how to solve is very demotivating. In order to find the answer to our question we have to spend a lot of time to read videos, articles and books by polyglots. In today's world, we have to solve problems as quickly as possible. I don't have time to study and analyze a huge amount of information. My goal is to master the basic knowledge of a foreign language as quickly as possible and already start earning money effectively in the international arena. I settled on the practical guide by Yuriy Ivantsiv " Polyglot's Notes: practical tips for learning foreign language". This book is always in my bag. If I have a problem while learning a language, I quickly find the answer in this book. There are many different techniques and tips for learning a foreign language in Polyglot Notes. I have made my own individual schedule and plan for language learning. Now I know what I am going to study, how I am going to study, when I am going to study and what results I am going to achieve. No problem could stop me! With an effective language learning plan my professional skills are more and more in demand internationally every day. Friends, don't stop there! Everyone has talents that millions of people around the world need! Learn the language and make your ideas and dreams come true! Thanks to the author of the channel for the informative and useful video! Your videos motivate me.
Great video! I moved to Tokyo just a few months ago and have been furiously learning as much as possible! Obviously very beginner, started about 5 months ago and just getting into Genki 2 this month and so this video is especially helpful :)
An alternative to the karaoke suggestion - Apple Music has a mode where it displays the lyrics. There is a J-Pop radio channel, and a Breaking J-Pop playlist that updates every 2 weeks.
LITERALY how I feel about spanish class at my school, I learned more using memorize for a week than I did for TWO YEARS of the Spanish class, I don’t think I’ll ever take Japanese classes or any language class for that matter, or if I do in taking a placement test if it’s offered 🤷♂️ 🤷♀️ Edit: also I agree with the kanji thing, that’s like memorizing every English word from vehemently to overmorrow like dude no- that’s wack asf, but it’d also so hard not to do, but I’ve been learning to take rate ambiguity in language so I’m getting better at not doing this 😌
Overmorrow. Nice, a new word to look up! Yes hard to memorize entire language, but most important is getting the most commonly said information which takes years
@@teerich2011 Ok. Look it up, but don’t use it it’s heavily outdated, and will come off as very odd if you try to use it as a vernacular, or in vernacular speech.
@@depressedteadepressoespres186 haha I EMBODY oddness! I use "big" words quite a bit, and at one time was trying to learn a new word a day (might have to get one of those calendars again). Some antiquated words should be revived, instead of nonsensical words like twerk and floss (new meanings)
@@teerich2011 Honestly, sure dude you do you just don’t over do it because depending on the person it might not end well 😅. like I like the words 吾 and 吾輩, however I’d probably only use them once in a while because of how obsolete and archaic they are (well not quite for 吾輩 but, then we’d be getting off topic, so I won’t go into detail lol), also not everyone will know what overmorrow means, so if you’re talking about something that you want to get out ASAP (so if you’re trying to tell someone a story as fast as you can before you have to part with them, it’ll be best to use more common phrasing that way all is understood, and you need not explain anymore than you have to) .
It only takes three months to learn to write all the 常用漢字 from memory, and the “cost” of learning similar kanji (in groups) is low compared to learning kanji of completely different appearance. Another main benefit of learning the whole set is that you’ll know if encountered kanji is within that group or outside it, like a name kanji or something of low frequency. Mainly though, you would spend as much time learning 500 disassociated kanji than you would 2200 organized kanji.
it's almost one year since i learn japanese as a japanese literature student in my university, im planning to take jlpt N4 exam. thank god youtube recommend me this video
I recommend Namasensei videos for total beginners. self studying grammar can be a pain, especially starting out with little knowledge of vocab and kanji.
Hello everyone, once i have a japanese teacher who told me a great tip to make hiragana and katakana learning so much easier! you only need a piece of paper and your pencil, and then all you have to do is, write every single character there. Then you cut one by one and make yourself a memotest game! Then you mix the pieces randomly and get one, and say what character is! It´s a very fun game and it helps a lot!
This was super helpful, thank you! I'm now getting really serious about learning Japanese, once I get better I'm going to start pestering my friends in Japanese :)
I studied Japanese for 5 years and still at begginer level but in this last year I have learn a lot and improved my vocabullary thanks to Vtubers. The need that you have to comunicate with a native speaker that don't know a single word in other lenguange make you improve, research, be crative about communication. I do not live in Japan so I can't have the total immersion experience but this social reclusion time watching Japanese Vtubers make me learn a lot of things, even stuff that nobody teach you in lenguage school.
I agree when you said Genki is harder without a tutor. I started japanese over 10 years ago and took n4. At that time I had a tutor which made studying a bit easier. But after she went back to Japan I tried to study Genki2 and gave up, and since then I studied a little bit here and there but my understanding of Japanese is MUCH better than speaking. Your advice is 👌 dont learn to write every kanji (like I did) and waste your time, you want to be able to read more than write! And practice speaking cause Just understanding will get you no where.
Hi Allison, thank you for introducing Wanikani to me!! I'm a false (more likely a real hahaha) beginner, and with Wanikani I've actually felt some progress. Somehow learning with Anki has been quite a bumpy road.
I would recommend visual novels as a great addition to your other studying materials (as a sole studying material VNs wouldn't be that effective) - especially those with a lot of voiced lines and, of course, an interesting plot :) There are literally tons of them, so any Japanese learner will surely find something engaging enough for themselves
Wanikani is amazing! I tried it when I found out about it from one of your other videos the other day! I personally feel like its absolutely worth the price! And I'm also using the Genki textbook but I got it in PDF form, so I write parts down I feel like are important. I know it's a lot of work but it really helps! I am saving up to get the workbook tho😂. Love your videos Allison!💕
1. Learn hiragana and katakana
2. Use a textbook meant for learning Japanese
3. Learn first 200 kanji for memory but don’t memorize how to write every kanji
4. Do karaoke in Japanese and say out loud to learn to read faster
omw to sing 冬のはなし from given brb 🚶♀️
@@ナナ彡 THATS WHAT I DID!
@@jodishu423 CULTURED
1; I’m learning hiragana and katakana
2; I have Japanese from zero textbook
3; all I know is 可愛い、私、笑、日本語
4; I do it every day
If by "Karaoke" you mean find a niche of the language the compels you to do more and absorb - I second that. it's very individual, for me it's mmos and singing anime ops and eds.
One of the best tips from me to beginners who want to self study: DON'T search forever. One of my biggest mistakes was that I searched for the BEST method to learn Japanese and at the end I ended up using more time to search the best method instead of actually learn things. Be committed. Start one phat and walk on it for a while.
Me too, and I've switched between methods so many time it threw off my actual learning process
Soo truuee, thank u for this comment
Well imma tell you the best method. Refold
I have to agree
Thank you so much
"I have a lot of experience with learning japanese.... over and over again"
This is painfully relatable
yup i studied same things
I keep studying then stoping and forgetting everything😭✋
@@itzyontop Anki
It never ends.
Pain peko..
"I make mistakes all the time". People make mistakes in their native language. Just think about how many times you get tongue-tied in English, how many times you can't remember the right word so just pick another.
For some reason, everyone (including myself) will hold a second language to a higher standard than our native language.
same lol, my second language is english and my first is bahasa, somehow, my brain explain things better in english than in bahasa 🤡 I find words easier in english than in bahasa too, which is weird
English is my second language and Arabic is my first, honestly they're at the same level bit there are times were I find English less confusing then arabic
yeah german is my first language and i get tounge tied in it all the time and have to just say stuff in english
The most important thing is realising you made a mistake. Some people don't (in their native language) and never take their communication skills as far as they could. I think we are more critical of your second/learned language(s) because we don't quite know what level we're at. I think most people know where they stand with their native languages - e.g. uneducated people will know when they're talking to a smartypants.
@Austere Player I think your Arabic is really good, I don't write Arabic on my phone a lot either lol, my name's jailan and I'm from and live in Egypt, and yay another haikyuu fan!
so true with the katakana, i learned hiragana in a day or two but gosh katakana is such a pain😭 kanji comes easy to me for some reason though
did u memorize all of hiragana in a day? also do u think it’s necessary to put in a lot of time to memorize hiragana? ( by memorize i mean looking at the japanese character and automatically knowing what sound it makes )
@@robertoa5948 it depends on the person. i would take it slowly if that’s the kind of learner you are! do what is best for you!
LMAOO YEAH I hate katakana sm. I literally memorized it involuntarily 😂
same!!! its taking me longer to memorize katakana (i just watched one video lmao but i retain things quickly) and even kanji is easy-ish,,,, WHY KATAKANA VWKEUQJH SO HARD
@@robertoa5948 it took me maybe a week bc i wanted to be really sure i knew all the hiragana, and now i have memorized it perfectly. really depends the person though! i just took longer to be safe 😁
One thing I would suggest for watching Japanese content on TH-cam: Set up a second "channel" under your user. This then gives you a second user. If you then use the Japanese user for watching Japanese language content and the main user for watching content in your native language, the TH-cam algorithm will offer Japanese content to the Japanese user and not try to mix them in with the other user's recommendations.
I forget where I heard about this, but it's something I wish I had done a lot sooner.
What a great idea👍
I'm confused. What do you mean by second channel?
@@beelzeburger5608 I think he means a second channel.
Change your "Region" to Japan. Works a lot better.
Except that TH-cam will still try to recommend on your English AND Japanese content. By setting up a second user, you keep the recommendations separate.
I gave up on textbooks because I became obssessed with buying textbooks. Lol
I tried to curb that learning Korean, then went buck wild after almost three yrs because of a great Korean sale and cheaper shipping
@@teerich2011 It gets addicting especially when a TH-camr or a blog suggest a new text that helps them.
Why is this so relatable LOL
I will see that as an advantage as i'm poor and can't afford any textbook
ahahhaa can relate lol
I started learning Japanese around 17years ago. My tips are to write as many emails as possible. When I was young there were not many places were you could find Japanese friends online, mostly mixi, so I can imagine it being easier to find email-pals. Most of my Japanese I learned by just writing as many emails with people as possible. It trains your reading as well and forces you to find the best ways to translate parts using google and other online resources.
I'm japanese so I don't know why I started watching this, but I am learning Korean so this actually helps a lot! And the Kanji thing is so true lmao. My mom looks up quite a few Kanji, because in real life, there are words that you don't use/read for years.
(edit: I also plan to relearn French, even though I learned french for like 3 years in school, and am part French. I feel like I learned nothing :/)
Neat! I am in 4th yr studying Korean, and don't know why I'm here either. Stopped studying Japanese 2 yrs ago. Do want to restart this year.
@@teerich2011 how it going with that? I just started a few months ago, self learning. But it's a lot easier since I already speak japanese (a lot of similarities between the 2 languages)
Hello! I'm french, so if one day you need help for learn french, i can help you if you need! Good luck!!
I smell lies. I watched one of your videos and you don't look nor sound japanese at all. No hints of you living in Japan either. People have to stop pretending being something they're not.
@@theofficialpollo people also need to stop coming to conclusions without sufficient information. You don't know whether they grew up in the U.S. or elsewhere. Also, expecting "hints" of somebody living somewhere from gaming-videos or just one irl-video makes no sense.
Also, he very much does look about "half-asian". Probably one parent from the U.S. and growing up there
I can totally relate to the whole learning Japanese over and over again. I studied in college and then completely stopped after graduating and am now trying to relearn. I've forgotten some basics but at the same time know a decent amount of intermediate japanese. It's an odd jumble of levels that I'm at, so thanks for the tips!
Ah yes I totally feel you, I was a jumble of levels when I came back here for teaching and only really stabilized last year I think 😂
Same. I know so many advanced words and kanji but the I keep forgetting the word for fridge or the readings of 生
Resonates with this a lot ! I am in a weird state that I took JLPT 1 10 years ago but now struggling with the beginners grammar and forgetting words
Sameeee 😂😂😂
@@Lea-po2jj Don’t learn all the readings of 生 by itself, learn it through words.
I love her honesty about how long she's been studying Japanese, and even saying how she isn't at _that_ high of a level (but your Japanese is really good!!)
Soo many people just try to flex how they became 'fluent' in 1-2 years by 'just watching anime'. They aren't really passionate about the language, they just care about impressing others.
Your presentation style is really relatable and easy to follow, I'm sure this video will help out a lot of people _actually_ learn Japanese!
Well said, personal channels that focus on language content in general have rubbed me the wrong way. Their not so subtle way of display of skills shows even on the thumbnail. At the end you see that more energy and time have been used to show off then to teach. And i mean if your "guide and tips" dont really teach then its obvious videos are just a tool to flex.
Wouldn't it be the opposite, and that people that learn to be fluent in 1-2 years from just watching anime or singing songs are more passionate??? What you're saying doesn't make sense. Someone can choose to learn from mistakes that to learn from books/teachers.
@@goku_dunker_420 a lot of people try to flex about fluency online but in reality aren't actually fluent though. I'm assuming that is what they mean.
The people who claim they learned Japanese in 1-2 years by watching anime? They wouldn’t be able to hold the most simplest conversation with a native speaker 😂
Anyone who claims they became fluent in a language in a year or two is lying.
However, 10,000+ hours of listening to japanese is a requirement to become competent. Skill building does not lead to fluency in language learning.
I've been learning since 2013... After sooooo many books, experiences, and YEARS, I finally feel comfortable enough to pass the JLPT N2, which has been my goal for a while. In the meantime, I read manga, TRY to watch Netflix series in Japanese with Japanese subs, and talk to friends.
PS: LOVE Toidai Easy Japanese!
Yesss 頑張ってください🙏
wanikani is lowkey a life saver
I definitely agree with you that there's no need to learn how to write kanji. The most important thing is you can recognize, read and distinguish them from one another. And know their correct spelling in hiragana.
In terms of learning grammar, my primary resource has been a TH-cam channel called Organic Japanese with Cure Dolly. I'm only a few months into learning Japanese, but I've found this resource immensely helpful for learning Japanese structure, particularly the "Japanese from Scratch" series. The way the information is presented might be a little strange at first, but once you get used to it, it's amazing!
I can relate to the long time learning Japanese too. 15 years now since I took my first class, and Its always been so off and on in my study that I'm just...I catch words but really know nothing. But here I am, trying again, hoping to move to Japan in the next couple of years. So..here we go again!
Hope you finally stick with it and make it to Japan!
Wow bravoo
a tip for anyone who has trouble getting through the text books without a tutor: i've discovered through many errors with not understanding the chapter review questions, that the subreddit /learnjapanese is super helpful! if you post a picture of the problems you have trouble with, someone will always help you better understand what it's asking of you.
what kind of textbooks?
@@lumos_blue I'm using genki but I'm sure the subreddit will help with any
I´m also learning since 2009, I started when I was 14 years old. I took the JLPT N3 test in Dec 2017 and this year or next year I want to get to N2 level :D
And since 2 years I am a Japanese teacher:D
It's n3 necessary to apply for a job teaching japanese? I'm taking the n3 this year, and I was regretting that decision, I think I should take the N2 to apply for a japanese teaching job (since I'm going to graduate from college next year), since I feel relatively confident in passing n2, but I didn't wanted to take the risk
@@unpinwino3179 そうですね。まず、日本で日本語の教師としてはたらきたいんですか、今暮らしている現場ではたらきたいんですかということを知ってるのは重要です。答えによってどの試験に受けるということを知っている方がいいですね。
普通に日本で働きたいとき、n2級以上は必要で、それ以外、n3級は結構です。大体初級のレベルだけで教えていくからです。
"I make mistakes all the time". My native language is turkish, I know and teach english and now I'm learning japanese. Trust me I struggle most with my native language lmao. Because of the pandemic I haven't been able to speak with anyone other than my mom and the people working at the supermarket but I was able to watch and read everything I couldn't watch and read before the pandemic. I am way more flurent in english now but I struggle a lot while using my native and I keep forgetting every single word and get to urge to throw in some english words. Language is something you should be exposed to all the time. Even if it's your native language, if you don't use it much you will begin to forget things. The same thing applies to foreign languages as well. If you take long breaks while learning japanese or another language, you will end up stagnating. Seriously sitting on a desk with a textbook in front of you and studying language is good, but you can only do that for a couple hours. There are many hours in a day and you should keep exposing yourself to the target language as much as possible. Watch things in japanese, listen to podcasts, listen to songs and sing along, read sth in japanese (manga or sth else doesn't matter) just use it and expose yourself to it. In time, it will become more and more familiar to your ears and your mouth as you keep listening and speaking. Language is a living thing, don't treat it like history or math. There are no formulas and strict ways.
gerçekten unuttun mu yav
Yes! I've heard that kids don't actually learn languages much faster than adults when moving to a new place. It's just that adults tend to have much less time to dedicate to language learning while kids get thrown into school and activities wholly immersed in that other language except when talking to their parents. Parents usually only have a few hours after work that they can really dedicate to language (if that!)
@@1.merveilleuse anadilim türkçe benim de ama en çok türkçeyi unutuyorum kendimi ingilizce daha iyi ifade edebiliyorum mesela şu an gerçekten unutuyorsun araya ingilizce kelime atmak bilerek olmuyor yani refleks gibi bir şey
I'm just starting to learn Japanese and this was a great video for me. I also like the subtle humor and I think the editing is super clean! Thank you 🙏
thanks so much 🥰🤲
Hearing you go through your troubles with learning the language and keeping your whole video really authentic to your process has actually motivated me!! It's true, what you said about studying all these materials are kinda hard without a tutor, because in self-study I struggle with tons of distractions ;w;: I will be continuing N4 this summer after half a year of hiatus! Thank you for your tips!! I think it will help me to learn more efficiently!!
I hope they help!! Good luck!! Yes I’m still a bit garbage without a tutor 😅
I can relate to this so much. I'm embarrassed to say how long I've been studying Japanese, and I'm studying for the N2 now. It's the long breaks that sabotage progress, you're 100% right. Looking to move there very soon, enough is enough!
girl, could not believe that TH-cam recommended your video to me... it's a small world and now I know that you are a TH-camr! Beautiful video, you go, girl!!
I don't know who you are from your username but thank you! 😂
Idk I haven't bothered with katakana too much. I did memorize hiragana but I feel like I'm doing OK without katakana. I will properly memorize it soon.
im Japanese even me sometimes i feel like Japanese is soo difficult and struggle too but i hope you enjoy learning Japanese more, keep at it!!
頑張って下さい！！
5:20 I use spotify lyrics(below) and read jpop lyrics, it's really helpful haha
For me it's to put your phone's settings into japanese and using japanese subtitles when watching something in English or any other language,these really helped me (also listen to japanese nursery rhymes,i know it might sound ridiculous but because they're repetitive and easy you'll learn much faster,and also don't focus toooo much on it,it would be overwhelming,this is how i learned English from a super young age,good luck :)!!!)
One more important thing, never.ever.focus too much on grammar,focus on talking and learn about basic structures,I became super fluent in English by doing the above and i never focused too much on grammar,what you need is vocabulary,I've been learning french for 8 years and i don't know anything because they focus too much on grammar,learn important sentences or general sentences,it's super helpful
I've been starting out with Duolingo, it's very good imo.
Especially the katakana and hiragana learning is made very good
reading news articles and blogs in japanese can give you a real good feel for formal and casual japanese!
i feel like i could do pretty well learning other languages apart from the fact that I have the memory of dory
The thing is that you finish hiragana and are like hey that was easy and fast (even tho you stayed up all night to learn it) and then you burn out katakana it takes you longer, its the realization that oh I have to learn this too :’(
From my experience the people who
Learned the language were the people who used and talked Japanese everyday .
The people who did not and just studied all
Hit a hard wall
You hit the nail on the head, with any language, the learner needs to speak it everyday which helps with memory and grammar. The only issue is, finding a language partner when you live on the other side of the world. (I know there are various sites to video chat for a fee...)
Absolutely , it's the same for any language . A good example is those that join the French foreign legion . They Must learn French or fail . So they learn.Even non academic types learn surprisingly quickly.
so that means it isnt your experience lmao
@@yojou3695 ?
@@johnjaleco5683
I love that concept of " learn the language or fail"
Thats Why I want to go to the country of the language that I'm leaning so, I can put myself in that type of situation.
this video just lit up a lightbulb in my head and connected the dots on how to learn japanese without overwhelming myself. i feel like when i think about learning japanese its so stressful for me, but just now something just clicked, like i have a plan now, im not sure if it makes any sense at all but this video just inspired me so much, ありがとうございます😊
i started learning Japanese three days ago literally from zero. I'm suepr motivated now, i don't know how long the motivation will last, hope I'll be able to keep it cause i really want to study and settle in Japan so i really want to be fluent with the language too. I memorized the hiragana yesterday and today i read the story of urashimataro all by myself in Japanese!!! (the text was in hiragana so it helped xD), I'm so happy i could do this!! and thank you for the video, I'll try following your tips. stay blessed and safe! 🌸♥️
Have you continued learning Japanese?
@@cat3070 yes, tho now im focusing on my exams so ive paused since one month 😅 ive learned hiragana,katakana, fifteen kanji radicals and ive also started learning conversational phrases and ive learned quite a few. ☺
@@nodreamisbig Wow that’s fast
@@cat3070 heh no no, if u learn for one hour daily you can complete a lot of things, you can try it too🥰
OMG ALLISON! This is on my recommended section!! I remember you studying Japanese back in highschool - and I've been following your instagram, I'm so happy that you're doing what you love! I absolutely adore your channel by the way!
omggg 😂😂 hi and thank you!! and thank god i’ve improved since high school
I'm a beginner but I have some tips
♡ Dont take a year long break
♡ Learn katakana and hiragana together cause katakana is a nightmare if you don't learn it together
♡ For kanji I wouldn't know what to do, I'd focus on more common ones and take your advice for it
I've always wanted to at least be able to read and write it semi-fluently, wish me luck!
good luck :)
I started learning Japanese by doing pretty much only WaniKani, I wasn't in a class yet and just occasionally skimmed textbooks without really learning anything but I was doing just under a level a week so I was learning Kanji really fast. Now I'm done with WaniKani and I'm in a second year Japanese class but I'm just worried that having been finished doing reviews and everything that I'll go and forget everything I learned.... My grammar and reading isn't good enough for me to actually read materials complicated enough that it'll contain those less common Kanji that I've learned, so I'm worried I'll have to repeat it (I enjoyed using WK but especially towards the end it really dragged, something like 3 hours a day plus all my Uni work) and that would really suck.
But seriously having done WaniKani, everything else about Japanese is easier. Reading materials I don't quite understand the grammar of is easier as long as it's written with a decent amount of Kanji, most vocab even if I didn't already know it it's easier to remember if I know those readings and readings for the Kanji, it just feels good to recognize a term from WaniKani. Too bad the native materials I can understand are usually written with very little (if any) kanji. Long strings of hiragana make hardly any sense to me.
Thank you for normalising the katakana and also I have been learning on and off for years so glad I am not alone :')
Thank you for saying that you've been studying for waaaay to long and that you still make mistakes. I only ever see people online say how fast they learned Japanese, which makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but really, it takes a long time! Great advice to make mistakes and keep learning!
You accent is phenomenal, as well as your voice pitch and mannerisms. Very Japanese. I’m amazed. I’m studying for N3 and you are my life goal!
Thanks, Allison! As someone who has been studying Japanese for a few months now I really appreciate the recommendations you provided. There is just so much to learn that it can be overwhelming on where to start and you gave me some great ideas 😀
I started studying Korean in 2008 and somehow I still am awful at it 😂 language learning is truly a never ending adventure!
i love the way you speak. it's very clear because sometimes when i listen to natives, it's very difficult for me to understand. that deserves a sub!
Thank you for the tips for self studying
Japanese language.
this is the most thorough video on learning Japanese I've seen in a long time, thank you!
your beginning story just proves acquiring a language is way better than learning it.
Damn I actually thought there was a hair on my screen lol😶
Finally! That news app is perfect. Almost fully n4, but I struggled with reading the kanji in actual sentences due to scarce resources. That will help a ton!
Yes the app is great for getting used to reading more difficult sentences! Good luck!! 🥳
I recommend the bunpro website(for grammar) and the bunpo app both available on apple and google play along with their Lirer app that covers (not all) but the general kanji words in different catogories.
@@mellowblueu it's not free? Saw a review but it requires a monthly subscription to continue to use after selecting your level
What does the "n4" mean?
@@crimebelt level of fluency. Lower intermediate. Based on nExams
I've recently restarted my way to the Japanese mastery and now I'm analyzing what went wrong before and how can I straighten it up. Your video was super helpful in that regard, thanks a lot!
My main advice to those in the same place would be to NOT get overwhelmed. I have a mental capacity of a goldfish but get motivated really easily, so I just rush into everything and spend hours studying non-stop just to find myself totally burnt out after a week or so. Take it slow, take it easy, don't bite more than you can chew!
A funny thing: your video got recommended to me after my yesterday's binge of native Japanese TH-cam content!
P.S. You're incredibly cute and a pleasure to hear and look at! ^^
Thanks you 🥺 and yesss I definitely have done that before too 💀 studying too much in a short time is definitely detrimental, at least for me, since i don't want to even look at japanese after a few days of that kind of study schedule 😂
Love these tips! I didn’t realize I didn’t have to write for the JLPT 😭 Definitely will be changing how I’m studying and will pick up some of the Try books!
I studied 12 years. Took an 18 year break and was able to to go back and hold basic conversation and travel solo around Japan. My Japanese study was based on ichinensei through rokunensei shogaku kanji books. I had learned about 850. I feel it was as important hiragana. The books I used were made for Japanese kids. I no longer have them but was able to find them on youtube. Chibimarukochan and Sazae san animations also helped me a lot. This was my own personal journey. My Japanese is terrible but not so terrible that I couldn’t talk to people and travel solo.
Totally agree about Katakana being harder to memorise, it has a lot of very similar shapes even before you get to Shi/Tsu/N/So.
As you say, shi, tsu, so, n, etc. are difficult to understand.
The stroke order is important for learning hiragana, katakana, and kanji.
And it is very important to write many times.
When I was a kid, I wrote and practiced the same letters many times at home and at school and learned them.
I myself can remember to read and write the letters I wrote and remembered. Good luck.
Thank you so much for this video. There isn't really no one that explains the proces of learning japanese and the best way to do it so this reallly helps
I have been learning English for over 40 years... and still not very proficient, because in the past there was no TH-cam, no MP3, no internet connection for video conferencing for practising with native speakers... really appreciate how technology makes things easier, and I have started to learn Japanese a few months ago. Your tips are really helpful. Thanks!
Good luck! We’re very lucky nowadays with how many free resources are available for us to study languages 🙏
I agree with you on the kanji. I can read way more than I can write.
Un consejo para aquellas personas que quieran empezar japonés:
Como Allison dijo en el video, APRENDAN AL MENOS HIRAGANA ANTES DE EMPEZAR. Abandoné dos veces el idioma por no llegar al nivel necesario para las clases. Con muchísima determinación me propuse a aprender hiragana y katakana, por eso, hice unas tarjetas memotécnicas con cata caracter e inventé juegos para meorizar cada uno. ¡¡Espero que les sirva!!
Estoy aprendiendo epsañol y japonés jaja
@@beanburger5689 suerte en aprenderte las conjugaciones del español y los verbos irregulares! Ni yo, una persona hispanoparlante los usa bien jajsjajkfwllz
I am learning now. And I use the writing as a way of memorizing them
You're killing it with your content!
I self studied for years, just getting nowhere! Then I found WaniKani... WOW that changed EVERYTHING! I am nearing the end of my WaniKani journey, and though I have kept up with WaniKani everything else have been put on a backburner. "I'll focus on grammar after I'm done with WaniKani". But I have been reading, thanks to the amazing forum and the countless reading groups. And level by level, just doing WaniKani and a little reading, I got SO much better and can feel every level boosting my comprehension! I don't even use Anki to do flashcards of the new words from reading... I don't even look up any! I read for immersion, not for studying, so WaniKani has been my main source for learning, and the amount I understand now VS before WK is immense! I do need to focus on grammar eventually, and listening (I've bought some Harry Potter audiobooks in Japanese, cause knowing the source material helps, and it was one of the many reading groups ;) )
ありがとうございます! I also recommend HelloTalk, I actually learned a lot by talking to Japanese people there. A lot of foreigners are also willing to help 😊
I LOVE THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS VIDEO SO REAL !!
you are a good person it shows I hope you will become better in time and reach your goal.
Learning Japanese is hard, but it's fun you can learn a lot ❤
1. Learn ひらがな
2. Immerse.
I really relate to your long history with Japanese and starting again and again (and again). I started in 2008 with high school classes. American public high school Japanese classes (which I acknowledge I was lucky to have access to; it’s rare to find American public schools that offer anything other than Spanish and maybe French now). We spent one year using Adventures in Japanese and then THREE YEARS on Genki 1. I was so embarrassed when I went to college and tried to test out of the first semester and couldn’t. I eventually took two years of Japanese in college, then spent several years doing next to nothing in Japanese, and now I’m working on it again (and hopefully going to attend a language school in Japan as soon as they start issuing new visas…)
It’s amazing just how easy it is to get Japanese study materials these days, and just how much you can even get for free.
Very helpful video! I agree, katakana is way harder for some reason. You know how I gave a big step in memorizing katakana? I looked up a list of every Pokemon name and it happened to have next to each one the pronunciation in romaji. So I covered that part of the screen and started reading and checking. I was a huge fan with the first 150, so it was interesting to learn how their names sound originally.
When I started learning hiragana, I remember at first though, lmao, I got to a point where I was spelling out words, checked them and thought like "Oh, so that one is not pronounced "ro" it's "ru", got it". Then I was reading some other word, checked it, and I was like "Wait, wasn't this "ru"?? I could've swore it was... ok so it's "ro", commited to memory". Now the third time it happened I was like dude! my memory is going to sht wth. But then I realised, I took a closer look and they actually look preeeetty similar ろ、る、ね、わ、れ、め、ぬ。My mind was blown lol
loved your tips, especially the karaoke one! I've been studying for a few years and am building back my knowledge that I lost when I fell off from studying for like a year.
The call out at 9:16 hit so close to home LOL
i rlly love how tips and how you're telling it is so clear, this is so helpful! and i want to recommend a book too called "japanese from zero" if you're rlly a beginner, the explanation is so detailed and it's also teaching you in a slow pace, as for someone who may just want to have a casual study i really recommend this book, so you don't really get so much stressed by learning, also for people who has learning disabilities this book may be a very great choice! but i don't recommend for people who want to have intense studying!
and i always put all the kanji and vocabularies to a flashcard app called quizlet to review what i've just learned and memorize kanji characters, you can also learn from other ppl's sets like japanese core vocab/ kanji, that really helps, bc it offers you a lot ways of studying like flashcards, match the words, short answer kinda thing where you type the answers, and there's a test option for you to see how much you progress! good luck, everyone, we can do this!
Hey everyone! Who's interested in forming a group devoted for studying Japanese language?
I am 🙋♀️
me!
That would be nice :D
So are we gonna do it or????
Alright! Since the group will be on WhatsApp, Would you like please to give your WhatsApp number to add you?
Thanks for all the tips! I started learning Japanese a few months ago and am still an absolute beginner but I'm motivated to get better - and the sources you mentioned will definitely help.
I loved your video, you are so nice! Thank you for sharing all these information. I could related to you so many times in the video. I am also a slow learner and tried a couple of times last year to learn Japanese. I was depressed and feeling very bad, I jumped on and off of it like 3 times. But I am ok now and very happy learn. It again with a freed mind! I think the biggest mistake is that we are always comparing ourselves to other learners. I wish you all the very best in Japan 🙂
Label things in your house
Take a sticky note or something and write “窓” on it and stick it on a window. Take another one and write “時計” on it and stick it on a clock
That’s only helpful in the beginning, probably a waste of paper, and only useful with tangible objects.
I totally agree about kanji. Recognition is way more valuable than handwriting. On the IME keyboard, if you can recognize the right kanji you are done. The only thing I can really write in kanji is my address (and I'm moving...)
Knowing how to write kanji from memory really means that you can recognize kanji at a high level, and that you won’t get confused by similar kanji characters.
I started 2 years ago for fun and my path so far has been:
- Learned Hiragana
- Went through Minna I, followed by Genki I and casually pick up Katakana; write down an example sentence for every sentence pattern you learn until it gets engraved into your brain.
- Using Kanji Tree to learn vocab and Kanji pretty much daily (to this day!); I completely ignore how to write Kanji and honestly even Katakana though haha
- Played Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine in Japanese
- Went through Minna II
- Played Super Mario Galaxy in Japanese
- Went through Genki II and (because I'm a little weird) went through a book called 日本語基本文法辞典 and kept writing down an example sentence for every sentence pattern on a piece of paper
- And actually write with friends whose native language is Japanese, forcing you to practice, practice, practice.
Still a long way to go, but I'm already super happy with where I am now =D
I have studied Japanese off and on since 2002 - I started studying Japanese through Berlitz with a private tutor (back in 2002 Japanese was not offered at high schools in my area and I think it still may not be🤔) I did this for a couple years and then studied with another private tutor outside Berlitz for about a few more years. It was very one and one and I learned a lot in a short time. I was honestly shocked at how slow and boring studying Japanese became in an actual classroom setting. I also felt I got lost in a class of so many and the teachers often made it feel as though I was taking a mandatory class rather than because I had interest in it. I still can read a lot and my listening is pretty good but I struggle so much conversationally 😪
Perfect video! Many thanks to the author of the channel for the recommendations! The problem with many people is that they want to take a "magic pill" or get "secret knowledge" and immediately have skills and abilities. However, the truth of life is that knowledge, skills, and abilities do not come by themselves. You can't learn a foreign language without doing anything, without wasting your time and effort, just like you can't learn to ride a bike lying on a comfy couch, listening to lectures and watching videos about "modern methods of learning" on a bike. To really learn something, you have to really practice every day. You're going to fall down while you're learning, and you're going to get bumps - that's normal! The ups and downs of learning are an integral part of our lives. Motivation from success and depression from failure will always be your study companions. However, every student has problems in his or her studies that he or she lacks the knowledge to solve. It can be: poor memorization of words; no progress in language learning; the student can speak, but does not understand speech by ear; misunderstanding of grammar; incorrect pronunciation, etc. Agree that a problem you don't know how to solve is very demotivating. In order to find the answer to our question we have to spend a lot of time to read videos, articles and books by polyglots. In today's world, we have to solve problems as quickly as possible. I don't have time to study and analyze a huge amount of information. My goal is to master the basic knowledge of a foreign language as quickly as possible and already start earning money effectively in the international arena. I settled on the practical guide by Yuriy Ivantsiv " Polyglot's Notes: practical tips for learning foreign language". This book is always in my bag. If I have a problem while learning a language, I quickly find the answer in this book. There are many different techniques and tips for learning a foreign language in Polyglot Notes. I have made my own individual schedule and plan for language learning. Now I know what I am going to study, how I am going to study, when I am going to study and what results I am going to achieve. No problem could stop me! With an effective language learning plan my professional skills are more and more in demand internationally every day. Friends, don't stop there! Everyone has talents that millions of people around the world need! Learn the language and make your ideas and dreams come true! Thanks to the author of the channel for the informative and useful video! Your videos motivate me.
Great video! I moved to Tokyo just a few months ago and have been furiously learning as much as possible! Obviously very beginner, started about 5 months ago and just getting into Genki 2 this month and so this video is especially helpful :)
An alternative to the karaoke suggestion - Apple Music has a mode where it displays the lyrics. There is a J-Pop radio channel, and a Breaking J-Pop playlist that updates every 2 weeks.
Great tips! Thanks so much!!
LITERALY how I feel about spanish class at my school, I learned more using memorize for a week than I did for TWO YEARS of the Spanish class, I don’t think I’ll ever take Japanese classes or any language class for that matter, or if I do in taking a placement test if it’s offered 🤷♂️ 🤷♀️
Edit: also I agree with the kanji thing, that’s like memorizing every English word from vehemently to overmorrow like dude no- that’s wack asf, but it’d also so hard not to do, but I’ve been learning to take rate ambiguity in language so I’m getting better at not doing this 😌
*it’s
not it’d so hard not to do, lol.
Overmorrow. Nice, a new word to look up! Yes hard to memorize entire language, but most important is getting the most commonly said information which takes years
@@teerich2011 Ok. Look it up, but don’t use it it’s heavily outdated, and will come off as very odd if you try to use it as a vernacular, or in vernacular speech.
@@depressedteadepressoespres186 haha I EMBODY oddness! I use "big" words quite a bit, and at one time was trying to learn a new word a day (might have to get one of those calendars again). Some antiquated words should be revived, instead of nonsensical words like twerk and floss (new meanings)
@@teerich2011 Honestly, sure dude you do you just don’t over do it because depending on the person it might not end well 😅. like I like the words 吾 and 吾輩, however I’d probably only use them once in a while because of how obsolete and archaic they are (well not quite for 吾輩 but, then we’d be getting off topic, so I won’t go into detail lol), also not everyone will know what overmorrow means, so if you’re talking about something that you want to get out ASAP (so if you’re trying to tell someone a story as fast as you can before you have to part with them, it’ll be best to use more common phrasing that way all is understood, and you need not explain anymore than you have to) .
Interesting video! I'm self-studying Japanese too so thanks for the tips! Looking forward to more videos :)
ありがとうございます😊
Thank you for sharing your method!!
I really admire you! subscribed 👍
Thank you from Japan 🇯🇵
It only takes three months to learn to write all the 常用漢字 from memory, and the “cost” of learning similar kanji (in groups) is low compared to learning kanji of completely different appearance. Another main benefit of learning the whole set is that you’ll know if encountered kanji is within that group or outside it, like a name kanji or something of low frequency. Mainly though, you would spend as much time learning 500 disassociated kanji than you would 2200 organized kanji.
it's almost one year since i learn japanese as a japanese literature student in my university, im planning to take jlpt N4 exam. thank god youtube recommend me this video
I recommend Namasensei videos for total beginners. self studying grammar can be a pain, especially starting out with little knowledge of vocab and kanji.
Hello everyone, once i have a japanese teacher who told me a great tip to make hiragana and katakana learning so much easier!
you only need a piece of paper and your pencil, and then all you have to do is, write every single character there. Then you cut one by one and make yourself a memotest game! Then you mix the pieces randomly and get one, and say what character is! It´s a very fun game and it helps a lot!
Totally agree about katakana. I slow to a crawl whenever I hit katakana in sentences.
This was super helpful, thank you! I'm now getting really serious about learning Japanese, once I get better I'm going to start pestering my friends in Japanese :)
Got my first Japanese textbooks, and I’m so excited!
I also struggled on learning Japanese 🙂...I tried it once last year and now I'm learning for almost a week and I try to stay focused and disciplined
非常に聞き取りやすい日本語ですよ！！
優しい言葉ありがとうございます🥺
Thanks for the advice! Wanikani looks great.
I came here as soon as I could!
Excellent advice. I agree with every points you mentioned. Thank you.
I studied Japanese for 5 years and still at begginer level but in this last year I have learn a lot and improved my vocabullary thanks to Vtubers. The need that you have to comunicate with a native speaker that don't know a single word in other lenguange make you improve, research, be crative about communication. I do not live in Japan so I can't have the total immersion experience but this social reclusion time watching Japanese Vtubers make me learn a lot of things, even stuff that nobody teach you in lenguage school.
アリソンさん、貴方の日本語はとても聞きやすいし、お上手です。
これからどんどん向上していくことでしょう。応援してます！
I agree when you said Genki is harder without a tutor. I started japanese over 10 years ago and took n4. At that time I had a tutor which made studying a bit easier. But after she went back to Japan I tried to study Genki2 and gave up, and since then I studied a little bit here and there but my understanding of Japanese is MUCH better than speaking.
Your advice is 👌 dont learn to write every kanji (like I did) and waste your time, you want to be able to read more than write! And practice speaking cause Just understanding will get you no where.
Thank you, this is so helpful. Im gonna save this video for when i buy textbooks
Hi Allison, thank you for introducing Wanikani to me!! I'm a false (more likely a real hahaha) beginner, and with Wanikani I've actually felt some progress. Somehow learning with Anki has been quite a bumpy road.
I would recommend visual novels as a great addition to your other studying materials (as a sole studying material VNs wouldn't be that effective) - especially those with a lot of voiced lines and, of course, an interesting plot :) There are literally tons of them, so any Japanese learner will surely find something engaging enough for themselves
Wanikani is amazing! I tried it when I found out about it from one of your other videos the other day! I personally feel like its absolutely worth the price! And I'm also using the Genki textbook but I got it in PDF form, so I write parts down I feel like are important. I know it's a lot of work but it really helps! I am saving up to get the workbook tho😂. Love your videos Allison!💕
I married a Japanese woman that lived in Japan 26 years and she teaches Japanese in St. Old college.