Learn to Speak Japanese in Your Spare Time



Wanting to learn Japanese without taking some serious formal class? Use this simple guide and you'll be on the way to teaching yourself Japanese in no time at all.

Steps

  1. Make sure that Japanese is really for you, and that you are dedicated to the learning process. Many people who begin studying Japanese eventually quit because they view it as being too difficult. Before you continue, make sure that you are serious about learning the language, even if you are only trying to learn simplistic Japanese.
  2. Understand that the first thing that all Japanese students should try to do is establish a slight understanding of what exactly is ahead of them. The Japanese writing system can be broken down into various components: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji (collectively called Kana). Hiragana flows like the cursive letters that we use in the English language, each character represents a single syllable(ex. あ[a]　ひ[hi]　の[no] ). Katakana represents the same syllables as Hiragana, but the characters are more straight, much like manuscript in English (ex. ア[a]　ヒ[hi]　ノ[no] ). Katakana characters are only used to represent "foreign words", or words that are borrowed from other languages. Kanji, probably the most difficult of the writing system to master, are ideographs, symbols that represent ideas. Each kanji character may posses more than one meaning or pronunciation, so it is important to memorize the characters if you plan to become fluent in Japanese.
  3. Use the tools that you have to supplement your learning. An iPod is a great way to learn Japanese when on the move. Inexpensive index cards are also an indispensable tool.
  4. Buy simple, easy to use resource materials (see reading list at the end of this article). Children's books are a great way to get started with learning Japanese. Japanese audio CD's will help you to observe the speaking patterns of native Japanese people, and eventually adopt their accent if you are capable of doing so (and they can be loaded to your iPod. Japanese Podcasts are also a good way to learn.) Also, take advantage of the wealth of free resources that you can find on the internet.
  5. If possible, take up a Japanese friend. There are many Japanese natives who wish to become fluent in another language. Having them help you out every so often will help them too.
  6. Practice, and practice more. At first, you may feel funny speaking Japanese, but that feeling will eventually dissolve. Be sure to take into consideration that depending on who you learned from, you may speak Japanese differently. Try not to make the mistake of adopting the speaking patterns of a gender that you do not wish to represent.
  7. Again, if you are capable of doing so, try to adopt a Japanese accent, people in Japan will view you as more native. Japanese people are usually very kind to foreigners, but speaking more like them is a sign that you respect their language and were willing to learn to properly speak it.
  8. Practice writing on an erasable surface, there is no need to waste paper. Small marker boards are great for practicing Kana.
  9. Create a schedule that conforms to your daily activities. Learning the language in your spare time can be sometimes more rewarding and effective than formal classes.
  10. Never give up, even if you become frustrated. Forgetting things that you swear you learned is completely normal, you may just need to reinforce those specific topics.

Things You'll Need

  • Japanese learning books (try amazon.com) Recommended reading: Easy Japanese , Kanji de Manga Series(if you are interested in or enjoy comics or manga)
  • Marker or Chalk Board
  • Japanese Audio Discs
  • Index Cards
  • Japanese Dictionary

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