I'm currently learning Japanese (purely because Japan is awesome!) and am making slow and steady progress but could really use some tips from any bilingual Escapees, any programs you may have used or any study tips would be much appreciated
Learning a New Language, Any Tips?
- Thread starter interspark
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I would love to learn Japanese... damn my apathy!
Umm... try and surround yourself in the language somehow?
Umm... try and surround yourself in the language somehow?
Ohhh, I'm learnin' Japenese too, although I'm pretty far ahead, but I guess if I have any tips it's just practice practice practice, it really helps to just go about your day while using some of the words you're learning.interspark said:
And if you don't mind me asking, what method are you using to learn?
I started learning Japanese via software and it was going fairly well but I gradually forgot about it... I should start again but it requires so much patience.
NEVER try to translate it in your head while learning it. This is the major problem a lot of people have when learning a language, because you try to translate things into english, or whatever youre first language may be, and the simple fact is, not everything will translate, or wont make sense. So understand what it means, and understand how to use it, but dont try to compare it.
As someone who speaks five languages, lemme tell you, the first language was near impossible simply because i did exactly that, tried to translate it.
Think of it this way, months in Japanese are Ichigatsu, nigatsu, sangatsu and so on, and while that translates to first month, second month, third month, you have to remember that it means January, February, March. simple things like that.
Gambatte Kudasai!
As someone who speaks five languages, lemme tell you, the first language was near impossible simply because i did exactly that, tried to translate it.
Think of it this way, months in Japanese are Ichigatsu, nigatsu, sangatsu and so on, and while that translates to first month, second month, third month, you have to remember that it means January, February, March. simple things like that.
Gambatte Kudasai!
don't be concerned with being able to make coherent sentences.
when i was younger it was mandatory to take french classes and i was always stuck on making grammatically correct sentences right from the begining.
it also helps if you are force to only have to speak said language. my cousin went to Quebec for two months for a university credit that will assist her in what she wants to do.
there guide lines were that you could only speak ten minutes of english per week. and that meant writing, text messaging and physically talking to people.
I got a lot of texts in french and started taking a french to english dictionary for those words i just did not know.
when i was younger it was mandatory to take french classes and i was always stuck on making grammatically correct sentences right from the begining.
it also helps if you are force to only have to speak said language. my cousin went to Quebec for two months for a university credit that will assist her in what she wants to do.
there guide lines were that you could only speak ten minutes of english per week. and that meant writing, text messaging and physically talking to people.
I got a lot of texts in french and started taking a french to english dictionary for those words i just did not know.
yeah, thats how i learned the basics, ohio, arigatou, gomenasaiFargoDog said:
now im learning from an audio book and ive picked up a bunch of basic greetings
Go there, meet people.
I have lived in Spain for 5 years, I know my shit.
Went to an all Spanish school for a year with no Spanish to start with.. I came out nearly fluent, however i had to come out because all my grades were bad.
I went to an English school in Spain, i made English friends, I spoke English 90% of the time.
I now am struggling again with Spanish.
Speak it.. Regularly and it will come very easy.
I have lived in Spain for 5 years, I know my shit.
Went to an all Spanish school for a year with no Spanish to start with.. I came out nearly fluent, however i had to come out because all my grades were bad.
I went to an English school in Spain, i made English friends, I spoke English 90% of the time.
I now am struggling again with Spanish.
Speak it.. Regularly and it will come very easy.
Ninja'd. I was going to say the same thing, and add that to avoid the problem you should try to think in Japanese. To do that I think one way is to try and associate pictures with words, instead of words with words. By that I mean instead of learning that "inu = dog," try to associate the word with an actual dog. That way instead of taking the extra step of translating in your head (that thing = dog = inu), you can skip the middle step entirely.Hitokiri_Gensai said:
In any case, good luck!
Oh, interesting. I never thought about thinking in the actual language instead of trying to translate everything in my head. Though, I did learn moderate French that way. Listen to these smart people!
OP ganbare!
OP ganbare!
Just do it the way you learned your native language. Surround yourself with it as often as possible, practice it, and try to learn it a it at a time. That's how I learned alot of the Japanese language.
