How to learn Japanese

Hi everyone,

One of my aims this year was to learn some Japanese, ofcourse I can't learn the whole language in one year but I hope to just start making progress.

When do I study Japanese?

As a student I am often busy, many of you may be also. I study Japanese when I'm travelling a long bus or train journey (which is almost daily), and also during my lunch breaks.

How am I learning Japanese?

Here are the steps I take:

1.Download speaking lessons - http://www.japanesepod101.com offer many great lessons, most of them are free but you have to pay for some.

2.Watch videos that teach Japanese writing/syllabaries - Japanesepod101 also have a Youtube channel on which they show you how to write/speak Japanese.

3. Get a book - I've heard that Genki is a good book series for learning Japanese, it's a bit pricey but most reviews are very positive.

Tips:

Listen to one or two lessons over and over until you can easily remember what they teach. Then move on to the next lesson. I find that this helps because it makes it difficult to forget.

Don't rely on one learning method, you should use as many methods as you can to maximise your memory. You could also play Japanese learning games, mindsnacks Japanese is helpful and fun (available for iphone).

Emerse yourself in Japanese culture, if you can go to Japan that would be great. Although it might be difficult if you're a beginner, I expose myself to Japnese language by buying Japanese magazines/books, watching Japanese Youtubers, watching Japanese anime with subs so that I can pick out words I like and I also listen to Japanese music (Kyary pamyu pamyu (・ω・)ノ ). Do anything that works for you that you find enjoyable.

Keep a journal filled with lists of words and the Japanese syllabaries: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. I also use kindergarten worksheets to help because they're really basic. This is my Japanese learning journal:

*for activity sheets and charts see my pinterest : @kawaiicraft*

After you've learned you may want to attend Japanese learning classes, this will help you to speak more accurately as you'll be given feedback and can learn from your peers.

I hope this post was helpful and encourages you to learn Japanese too if you aren't already. Thanks for reading! 

(´ . .̫ . `) 

Cherusa