Learn​ ​Japanese​ ​Pod​ ​with​ ​Ami​ ​and​ ​Alex
Series​ ​02​ ​Podcast​ ​13:​ ​How​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​fluent​ ​Japanese
Podcast​ ​Link:​ ​Podcast​ ​13​ ​-​ ​How​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​fluent​ ​JapaneseIn​ ​this​ ​lesson​ ​you​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​following:✓​​ ​Tips,​ ​tricks​ ​and​ ​techniques​ ​for​ ​improving​ ​your​ ​Japanese​ ​fluency✓​​ ​How​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​your​ ​teacher​ ​for​ ​advice​ ​on​ ​speaking​ ​fluently​ ​in​ ​Japanese✓​​ ​The​ ​best​ ​resources​ ​out​ ​there​ ​to​ ​help​ ​improve​ ​your​ ​conversational
Japanese

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1

How​ ​to​ ​Speak​ ​Japanese​ ​FluentlyIn​ ​this​ ​podcast,​ ​Ami​ ​and​ ​I​ ​take​ ​you​ ​through​ ​the​ ​techniques,​ ​strategies​ ​and​ ​mindset​ ​for​ ​speaking
Japanese​ ​fluently.​ ​We​ ​also​ ​feature​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​role​ ​play​ ​where​ ​I​ ​ask​ ​Ami​ ​Sensei​ ​her​ ​advice​ ​onhow​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​fluency​ ​which​ ​is​ ​below.

Vocabulary​ ​featured​ ​in​ ​the​ ​podcast
Japanese

Pronunciation

English先生

SenseiTeacher

質問

Shitsumon

Question

流暢

RyuuchōFluent

話せる

HanaseruTo​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​speak

教材

KyōzaiStudy​ ​materials

テレビ

TerebiTV

音楽

Ongaku

Music

なるほど

NaruhodoI​ ​see

友達

Tomodachi

Friend

住んだ

Sunda

Lived

他

Hoka

Other​ ​/​ ​Another

積極的に

Sekkyokuteki​ ​ni

Positively

会話

Kaiwa

Conversation

分かりましたWakarimasuI​ ​understand

頑張りますGanbarimasu

I’ll​ ​do​ ​my​ ​best

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Podcast​ ​Dialog
Japanese

Pronunciation

English​ ​A:​ ​先生、質問しても良いですか？

Sensei,​ ​shitsumon​ ​shite​ ​mo​ ​ii
desu​ ​ka.

Teacher,​ ​may​ ​I​ ​ask​ ​a​ ​question?

​ ​B:​ ​はい、どうぞ。

​ ​Hai​ ​dōzo.

​ ​Sure,​ ​go​ ​ahead.

​ ​A:​ ​どうすれば日本語を流暢に話せるようになりますか？

​ ​Dō​ ​sureba​ ​nihongo​ ​o​ ​ryuuchōni​ ​hanaseru​ ​you​ ​ni​ ​narimasuka?

​ ​How​ ​can​ ​I​ ​become​ ​fluent​ ​atspeaking​ ​Japanese?

​ ​B:​ ​そうですね。やっぱり教
材はもちろんですが、日本のテレビを観たり、日本の音楽をたくさん聴いてみてください。

​ ​Sō​ ​desu​ ​ne.​ ​Yappari​ ​kyōzai​ ​wa
mochiron​ ​desu​ ​ga,​ ​nihon​ ​noterebi​ ​o​ ​mitari,​ ​nihongo​ ​noongaku​ ​o​ ​takusan​ ​kiite​ ​kudasai.

​ ​Let​ ​me​ ​see.​ ​Well​ ​of​ ​course​ ​youneed​ ​study​ ​materials​ ​but​ ​youshould​ ​watch​ ​Japanese​ ​TV,​ ​listento​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​music,​ ​stuff​ ​like​ ​that.

​ ​A:​ ​なるほど。

​ ​Naruhodo.

​ ​I​ ​see.

​ ​B:​ ​私の友達は、日本に住んだことはないですが、そうやって日本語を結構覚えましたよ。

​ ​Watashi​ ​no​ ​tomodachi​ ​wa
nihon​ ​ni​ ​sunda​ ​koto​ ​ga​ ​naidesu​ ​ga​ ​sō​ ​yatte​ ​nihongo​ ​okekkō​ ​oboemashita​ ​yo.

​ ​I​ ​have​ ​a​ ​friend​ ​who​ ​never​ ​lived​ ​inJapan.​ ​However,​ ​he​ ​learned​ ​a​ ​lotof​ ​Japanese​ ​that​ ​way.

​ ​A:​ ​他に何かアドバイスはありますか？

​ ​Hoka​ ​ni​ ​adobaisu​ ​ga​ ​arimasuka?

​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​any​ ​other​ ​advice?

​ ​B:​ ​日本語が話せる友達を作って、積極的に日本語で会話をしましょう。

Nihongo​ ​ga​ ​hanaseru
tomodachi​ ​o​ ​tsukutte,
sekkyokuteki​ ​ni​ ​nihongo​ ​dekaiwa​ ​o​ ​shimashou.

​ ​Make​ ​Japanese​ ​speaking​ ​friends
and​ ​proactively​ ​try​ ​to​ ​have
conversations​ ​in​ ​Japanese.

​ ​A:​ ​分かりました。頑張ります！

​ ​Wakarimashita.​ ​Ganbarimasu.

​ ​I​ ​understand.​ ​I​ ​will​ ​do​ ​my​ ​best.

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Everything​ ​You​ ​Need​ ​to​ ​Know​ ​to​ ​Speak​ ​Japanese​ ​FluentlyOne​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​common​ ​questions​ ​I​ ​get​ ​at​ ​Learn​ ​Japanese​ ​Pod​ ​is​ ​about​ ​how​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​fluency​ ​inJapanese.​ ​The​ ​usual​ ​problem​ ​I​ ​hear​ ​is​ ​that​ ​although​ ​students​ ​study​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​vocabulary​ ​and​ ​grammar,they​ ​can’t​ ​seem​ ​to​ ​put​ ​it​ ​together​ ​to​ ​hold​ ​even​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​conversation.​ ​Fluency​ ​seems​ ​out​ ​of​ ​thequestion.​ ​Well,​ ​I​ ​hear​ ​you​ ​because​ ​I​ ​used​ ​to​ ​be​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​situation.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​really​ ​frustrated.
However,​ ​after​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​trial​ ​and​ ​error…​ ​and​ ​coffee,​ ​I​ ​eventually​ ​began​ ​to​ ​discover​ ​some​ ​effective
study​ ​techniques,​ ​strategies​ ​and​ ​the​ ​mindset​ ​that​ ​actually​ ​worked.​ ​Now,​ ​fluency​ ​didn’t​ ​happen
overnight​ ​but​ ​my​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​hold​ ​natural​ ​flowing​ ​conversations​ ​with​ ​my​ ​Japanese​ ​friends​ ​got
noticeably​ ​better​ ​and​ ​my​ ​progress​ ​definitely​ ​sped​ ​up.​ ​So​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​feeling​ ​confused,​ ​frustrated​ ​andyour​ ​motivation​ ​is​ ​crumbling,​ ​it’s​ ​time​ ​to​ ​get​ ​your​ ​Japanese​ ​back​ ​on​ ​track.​ ​Here​ ​is​ ​absolutely
everything​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​know​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​Japanese​ ​fluently.

The​ ​Secret​ ​to​ ​Speaking​ ​Japanese​ ​Fluently
Here’s​ ​the​ ​brutal​ ​truth.

There​ ​is​ ​no​ ​secret​ ​to​ ​speaking​ ​fluent​ ​Japanese.​ ​And​ ​if​ ​anyone​ ​tells​ ​you​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​magical​ ​coursethat​ ​teaches​ ​you​ ​how​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​perfect​ ​Japanese​ ​in​ ​3​ ​days,​ ​buy​ ​a​ ​fire​ ​extinguisher​ ​because
someone’s​ ​pants​ ​are​ ​on​ ​fire.​ ​It​ ​takes​ ​time,​ ​commitment​ ​and​ ​hard​ ​work…and​ ​coffee…I​ ​mentioned
coffee​ ​right?
Anyway,​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​give​ ​you​ ​a​ ​magic​ ​pill​ ​BUT…
And​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​big​ ​but…
I​ ​can​ ​tell​ ​you​ ​the​ ​dumb​ ​things​ ​I​ ​did​ ​so​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​have​ ​to.​ ​And​ ​that’s​ ​going​ ​to​ ​save​ ​you​ ​a​ ​LOT​ ​of​ ​timeand​ ​frustration.​ ​Plus​ ​there​ ​are​ ​more​ ​efficient​ ​and​ ​effective​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​study​ ​that​ ​will​ ​further​ ​save​ ​time.

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But​ ​what​ ​do​ ​we​ ​actually​ ​mean​ ​by​ ​“fluency”?

What​ ​does​ ​“fluent​ ​Japanese”​ ​mean?

Fluent​ ​doesn’t​ ​necessarily​ ​mean​ ​native​ ​speaker​ ​level.​ ​To​ ​me,​ ​fluency​ ​simply​ ​means​ ​you​ ​can​ ​expresswhat​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​say,​ ​clearly,​ ​easily​ ​and​ ​quickly​ ​without​ ​getting​ ​stuck​ ​or​ ​stumbling​ ​over​ ​your​ ​words.
If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​order​ ​sushi​ ​or​ ​do​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​self​ ​introduction​ ​in​ ​Japanese,​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​basic​ ​level​ ​of​ ​fluency.
No,​ ​you’re​ ​not​ ​native​ ​level​ ​but​ ​you​ ​could​ ​survive​ ​in​ ​Japan​ ​with​ ​a​ ​limited​ ​number​ ​of​ ​phrases.​ ​So​ ​don’t
feel​ ​overwhelmed.​ ​Remember​ ​fluency​ ​isn’t​ ​how​ ​much​ ​you​ ​know,​ ​it’s​ ​how​ ​well​ ​you​ ​use​ ​it.
So,​ ​let’s​ ​move​ ​to​ ​the​ ​first​ ​step​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​take​ ​on​ ​your​ ​journey​ ​to​ ​Japanese​ ​fluency.

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1.​ ​Set​ ​Specific​ ​Goals

Perhaps​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​mistake​ ​students​ ​of​ ​Japanese​ ​make​ ​is​ ​not​ ​being​ ​clear​ ​about​ ​what​ ​they​ ​want​ ​toachieve.​ ​You​ ​need​ ​to​ ​set​ ​clear,​ ​specific​ ​goals,​ ​broken​ ​down​ ​into​ ​small​ ​achievable​ ​steps​ ​withdeadlines.​ ​And​ ​here​ ​are​ ​my​ ​personal​ ​reasons:
1. Set​ ​it​ ​and​ ​forget​ ​it​ ​–​ ​This​ ​avoids​ ​stress​ ​and​ ​decision​ ​fatigue​ ​worrying​ ​over​ ​what​ ​youshould​ ​study​ ​next.​ ​It​ ​keeps​ ​it​ ​simple.
2. Focus​ ​equals​ ​momentum​ ​–​ ​A​ ​focused​ ​goal​ ​gets​ ​you​ ​to​ ​where​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​go​ ​more
quickly.
3. Goals​ ​avoid​ ​waste​ ​–​ ​If​ ​you​ ​get​ ​super​ ​specific​ ​about​ ​what​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​you​ ​avoid​ ​wastefuland​ ​irrelevant​ ​study

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4. Deadlines​ ​make​ ​it​ ​real​ ​–​ ​Set​ ​a​ ​date​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​chances​ ​of​ ​success.​ ​A​ ​deadline
further​ ​focuses​ ​you​ ​and​ ​makes​ ​your​ ​goals​ ​more​ ​concrete.​ ​Breaking​ ​things​ ​into​ ​small
steps​ ​with​ ​many​ ​deadlines​ ​can​ ​help​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​feeling​ ​overwhelmed.

What’s​ ​a​ ​good​ ​Japanese​ ​Study​ ​Goal?
So​ ​what’s​ ​a​ ​good​ ​goal?​ ​If​ ​you​ ​say​ ​“I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​kick​ ​ass,​ ​ninja​ ​level​ ​Japanese”​ ​that’s​ ​all​ ​well​ ​andgood​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​too​ ​vague​ ​and​ ​lacks​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​goal.​ ​Something​ ​better​ ​would​ ​be​ ​“I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​say100​ ​travel​ ​related​ ​phrases​ ​fluently​ ​for​ ​my​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​Japan​ ​in​ ​three​ ​months”.
Now​ ​you​ ​know​ ​the​ ​following:
1. Exactly​ ​what​ ​you​ ​will​ ​study
2. Exactly​ ​how​ ​much​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​study
3. When​ ​your​ ​deadline​ ​is
Breaking​ ​down​ ​your​ ​goal​ ​into​ ​small​ ​achievable​ ​steps​ ​will​ ​increase​ ​your​ ​chances​ ​of​ ​success.​ ​So
learning​ ​100​ ​phrases​ ​in​ ​3​ ​months​ ​is​ ​a​ ​pace​ ​of​ ​just​ ​over​ ​1​ ​phrase​ ​a​ ​day,​ ​totally​ ​achievable.
Try​ ​to​ ​set​ ​a​ ​goal​ ​that​ ​inspires​ ​and​ ​motivates​ ​you.​ ​Also,​ ​try​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​a​ ​goal​ ​that​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​todo​ ​something.​ ​You​ ​want​ ​to​ ​build​ ​skills​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​simply​ ​piling​ ​up​ ​words.​ ​Here​ ​are​ ​some​ ​examples:I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​all​ ​the​ ​phrases​ ​to​ ​order​ ​food​ ​at​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​restaurant​ ​within​ ​2​ ​weeks.
I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​and​ ​understand​ ​directions​ ​in​ ​Japanese​ ​in​ ​one​ ​month.
To​ ​really​ ​demonstrate​ ​how​ ​a​ ​short​ ​and​ ​laser​ ​focused​ ​goal​ ​can​ ​help​ ​you​ ​make​ ​progress​ ​more​ ​quickly,
try​ ​out​ ​my​ ​completely​ ​free​ ​5​ ​Day​ ​Japanese​ ​Challenge​.​ ​It​ ​emails​ ​you​ ​a​ ​new​ ​lesson​ ​every​ ​day​ ​and​ ​if

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you​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​course​ ​properly​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​give​ ​a​ ​natural​ ​self​ ​introduction​ ​in​ ​flawless
Japanese​ ​in​ ​five​ ​days.
If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​still​ ​not​ ​sure​ ​what​ ​goal​ ​to​ ​set,​ ​choose​ ​something,​ ​anything,​ ​simply​ ​to​ ​get​ ​started.​ ​For
example,​ ​you​ ​could​ ​attempt​ ​to​ ​pass​ ​the​ ​N5​ ​Japanese​ ​Language​ ​Proficiency​ ​Test​ ​in​ ​6​ ​months.​ ​Andeven​ ​if​ ​you​ ​fail​ ​the​ ​test,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​have​ ​still​ ​improved​ ​your​ ​Japanese.

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2.​ ​Get​ ​the​ ​Right​ ​Japanese​ ​Study​ ​Materials

Now​ ​you​ ​have​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​goal,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need​ ​good​ ​materials​ ​and​ ​resources​ ​to​ ​study​ ​with.​ ​This​ ​dependson​ ​your​ ​goal​ ​and​ ​level​ ​of​ ​Japanese.​ ​For​ ​beginners,​ ​I​ ​recommend​ ​buying​ ​a​ ​ ​good​ ​standard​ ​Japanese
textbook.​ ​Now,​ ​this​ ​won’t​ ​guarantee​ ​fluency,​ ​however,​ ​a​ ​good​ ​textbook​ ​will​ ​teach​ ​you​ ​the​ ​basic
grammar​ ​and​ ​vocabulary​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​build​ ​your​ ​base​ ​before​ ​you​ ​can​ ​attempt​ ​conversations.​ ​Hereare​ ​some​ ​of​ ​my​ ​top​ ​recommendations:

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Recommendations​ ​for​ ​basic​ ​Japanese​ ​textbooks
GENKI​ ​I ​ ​–​ ​This​ ​is​ ​good​ ​ ​standard​ ​textbook​ ​used​ ​in​ ​university​ ​Japanese​ ​courses.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​more
grammar​ ​heavy​ ​so​ ​it​ ​will​ ​give​ ​you​ ​a​ ​good​ ​language​ ​base​ ​to​ ​build​ ​on.​ ​It​ ​includes​ ​an​ ​audio​ ​CD​ ​whichyou​ ​can​ ​use​ ​to​ ​listen​ ​and​ ​practice​ ​with.​ ​Japanese​ ​for​ ​Busy​ ​People​​ ​is​ ​another​ ​widely​ ​known​ ​text​ ​goodfor​ ​teaching​ ​you​ ​the​ ​basics.
Nihongo​ ​Fun​ ​and​ ​Easy​​ ​–​ ​A​ ​smaller​ ​but​ ​awesome​ ​little​ ​Japanese​ ​conversational​ ​textbook​ ​that
focuses​ ​more​ ​on​ ​daily​ ​situational​ ​dialogs​ ​and​ ​includes​ ​a​ ​CD​ ​to​ ​practice​ ​with.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​not​ ​ascomprehensive​ ​as​ ​Genki​ ​but​ ​might​ ​get​ ​you​ ​speaking​ ​basic​ ​Japanese​ ​more​ ​quickly.
NIHONGO​ ​Breakthrough ​ ​–​ ​Another​ ​really​ ​good​ ​Japanese​ ​conversational​ ​textbook​ ​that​ ​focuses​ ​onreal​ ​life​ ​situations​ ​and​ ​natural​ ​language​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​you​ ​basic​ ​level​ ​of​ ​fluency.
Again,​ ​these​ ​textbooks​ ​won’t​ ​make​ ​you​ ​fluent​ ​over​ ​night.​ ​However,​ ​ ​they​ ​will​ ​give​ ​you​ ​the​ ​essential
base​ ​ ​Japanese​ ​grammar​ ​and​ ​vocabulary​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​work​ ​towards​ ​fluency.
And​ ​textbooks​ ​on​ ​their​ ​own​ ​are​ ​not​ ​enough.​ ​We​ ​need​ ​to​ ​look​ ​at​ ​some​ ​effective​ ​techniques​ ​to​ ​get​ ​you
speaking​ ​more​ ​fluently​ ​in​ ​less​ ​time.

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3.​ ​Drill,​ ​Drill​ ​and​ ​Drill​ ​Again

If​ ​there​ ​was​ ​only​ ​one​ ​single​ ​technique​ ​I​ ​could​ ​teach​ ​you​ ​that​ ​would​ ​massively​ ​help​ ​your​ ​fluency,​ ​thatwould​ ​be​ ​drilling.​ ​It’s​ ​an​ ​incredibly​ ​powerful​ ​technique​ ​that​ ​will​ ​build​ ​your​ ​vocabulary,​ ​speed,pronunciation​ ​and​ ​fluency.
Drilling​ ​is​ ​simply​ ​repeating​ ​phrases​ ​out​ ​loud​ ​over​ ​and​ ​over​ ​again​ ​until​ ​you​ ​can​ ​say​ ​them​ ​easily​ ​andwithout​ ​thinking.
I​ ​first​ ​started​ ​studying​ ​Japanese​ ​on​ ​my​ ​own.​ ​I​ ​bought​ ​a​ ​random​ ​Japanese​ ​conversation​ ​textbook,read​ ​the​ ​dialogs,​ ​listened​ ​to​ ​the​ ​audio​ ​and​ ​repeated​ ​every​ ​phrase​ ​and​ ​conversation​ ​until​ ​I​ ​could​ ​say

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them​ ​automatically.​ ​The​ ​book​ ​wasn’t​ ​that​ ​great​ ​and​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​conversations​ ​were​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​boringand​ ​not​ ​even​ ​that​ ​useful.​ ​Here​ ​is​ ​a​ ​reconstruction​ ​of​ ​the​ ​silly​ ​things​ ​I​ ​drilled:

Japanese

Pronunciation

EnglishA:​ ​田中さんの車は

Tanaka​ ​san​ ​no​ ​kuruma​ ​wa​ ​doko​ ​noMr.​ ​Tanaka,​ ​what​ ​make

どこの車ですかkuruma​ ​desu​ ​kaof​ ​car​ ​is​ ​that?

B:​ ​トヨタの車です

Toyota​ ​no​ ​kuruma​ ​desu

It’s​ ​a​ ​Toyota

A:​ ​あ​、そうですかA​ ​sou​ ​desu​ ​kaOh​ ​really?

One​ ​would​ ​have​ ​thought​ ​a​ ​more​ ​interesting​ ​conversation​ ​would​ ​have​ ​been:
A:​ ​Hey​ ​Tanaka,​ ​what​ ​make​ ​of​ ​car​ ​is​ ​that?
B:​ ​See​ ​the​ ​sign​ ​that​ ​says​ ​Toyota​ ​on​ ​the​ ​front?​ ​Yeah​ ​that​ ​means​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​Toyota…you​ ​idiot!
ANYWAY…
It​ ​wasn’t​ ​the​ ​best​ ​textbook​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​However,​ ​drilling​ ​the​ ​dialogs​ ​out​ ​loud​ ​repeatedly​ ​reallyhelped​ ​it​ ​all​ ​stick​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head.​ ​And​ ​as​ ​I​ ​discovered​ ​it​ ​improved​ ​my​ ​memory,​ ​pronunciation,​ ​speed​ ​andfluency.​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​become​ ​fluent​ ​immediately​ ​but​ ​my​ ​progress​ ​noticeably​ ​did​ ​speed​ ​up.

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Gap​ ​Fill​ ​Drills
Another​ ​effective​ ​technique​ ​I​ ​discovered​ ​was​ ​gap​ ​fills.​ ​A​ ​gap​ ​fill​ ​is​ ​drilling​ ​a​ ​sentence​ ​and​ ​changing
one​ ​word​ ​every​ ​time​ ​you​ ​repeat​ ​it.​ ​Take​ ​the​ ​following​ ​sentence​ ​and​ ​say​ ​this​ ​as​ ​many​ ​times​ ​as​ ​ittakes​ ​to​ ​stick​ ​in​ ​your​ ​head:
日本語を上達させるためには​勉強​が大事だ
Nihongo​ ​o​ ​jōtatsu​ ​suru​ ​tame​ ​ni​ ​wa​ ​benkyō​ ​ga​ ​daiji​ ​daTo​ ​improve​ ​your​ ​Japanese​ ​fluency,​ ​study​​ ​is​ ​important.
Now​ ​you​ ​have​ ​learned​ ​that,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​say​ ​it​ ​again​ ​but​ ​this​ ​time​ ​change​ ​the​ ​word​ ​in​ ​red​ ​to​ ​somethingelse​ ​so​ ​you​ ​can​ ​make​ ​a​ ​new​ ​sentence.
日本語を上達させるめには​読書​が大事だ
Nihongo​ ​o​ ​jōtatsu​ ​suru​ ​tame​ ​ni​ ​wa​ ​dokusho​ ​ga​ ​daiji​ ​daTo​ ​improve​ ​your​ ​Japanese​ ​fluency,​ ​study​​ ​is​ ​important.
You​ ​can​ ​also​ ​use​ ​a​ ​little​ ​humour​ ​to​ ​make​ ​things​ ​fun​ ​and​ ​memorable.
日本語を上達させるためには​コーヒー​が大事だ
Nihongo​ ​o​ ​jōtatsu​ ​suru​ ​tame​ ​ni​ ​wa​ ​kōhii​ ​ga​ ​daiji​ ​daTo​ ​improve​ ​your​ ​Japanese​ ​fluency,​ ​coffee​​ ​is​ ​important.

The​ ​reason​ ​I​ ​love​ ​this​ ​technique​ ​is​ ​it​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​drill​ ​and​ ​learn​ ​useful​ ​patterns​ ​of​ ​speech.​ ​But​ ​it
also​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​create​ ​an​ ​almost​ ​infinite​ ​number​ ​of​ ​new​ ​unique​ ​sentences.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​how​ ​fluency
begins.

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ShadowingOne​ ​last​ ​technique​ ​is​ ​shadowing.​ ​Shadowing​ ​involves​ ​playing​ ​audio​ ​and​ ​repeating​ ​out​ ​loud​ ​exactly
what​ ​you​ ​hear.​ ​So​ ​just​ ​listen​ ​and​ ​repeat.​ ​The​ ​textbooks​ ​I​ ​mentioned​ ​earlier​ ​have​ ​audio​ ​CDs​ ​you​ ​canuse.
You​ ​could​ ​also​ ​shadow​ ​using​ ​youtube​ ​videos​ ​and​ ​even​ ​music​ ​CDs​ ​if​ ​you​ ​have​ ​them.​ ​Karaoke​ ​is​ ​alsoa​ ​great​ ​way​ ​to​ ​build​ ​your​ ​listening​ ​and​ ​speaking​ ​skills.
So​ ​the​ ​are​ ​various​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​drill​ ​and​ ​all​ ​very​ ​effective​ ​in​ ​building​ ​your​ ​spoken​ ​muscle​ ​memory​ ​so​ ​youcan​ ​develop​ ​automatic​ ​recall​ ​which​ ​is​ ​what​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​Japanese​ ​fluently.

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4.​ ​Paraphrase​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​Japanese​ ​Fluency

Paraphrasing​ ​is​ ​the​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​express​ ​the​ ​meaning​ ​of​ ​something​ ​using​ ​different​ ​words.​ ​Being​ ​able​ ​tosay​ ​the​ ​same​ ​thing​ ​using​ ​different​ ​words​ ​or​ ​phrases​ ​massively​ ​boosts​ ​your​ ​fluency​ ​because​ ​it​ ​forcesyou​ ​to​ ​expand​ ​your​ ​spoken​ ​vocabulary.​ ​ ​It’s​ ​not​ ​an​ ​easy​ ​skill​ ​and​ ​requires​ ​a​ ​fair​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​study.
However​ ​it​ ​is​ ​worth​ ​it​ ​because​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​powerful​ ​technique​ ​for​ ​boosting​ ​your​ ​fluency.
There​ ​are​ ​various​ ​ways​ ​you​ ​can​ ​paraphrase.​ ​Here​ ​are​ ​my​ ​favourite​ ​three.

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Explain​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​word​ ​in​ ​JapaneseBeing​ ​able​ ​to​ ​define​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​word​ ​in​ ​Japanese​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​exercise.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​let’s​ ​use​ ​theword​ ​暑い​ ​–​ ​Atsui​ ​–​ ​which​ ​as​ ​you​ ​probably​ ​know​ ​means​ ​hot.​ ​But​ ​can​ ​you​ ​describe​ ​what​ ​it​ ​means​ ​inJapanese?​ ​You​ ​could​ ​say​ ​温度の高いもの​ ​–​ ​Ondo​ ​no​ ​takai​ ​mono​ ​–​ ​something​ ​with​ ​a​ ​hightemperature.​ ​To​ ​do​ ​this​ ​yourself,​ ​use​ ​a​ ​good​ ​online​ ​Japanese​ ​dictionary​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Goo​ ​dictionaryat​ ​dictionary.goo.ne.jp

Japanese​ ​Synonyms
The​ ​second​ ​way​ ​is​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​synonym,​ ​that​ ​is​ ​another​ ​word​ ​which​ ​has​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​meaning.​ ​So​ ​you
could​ ​use​ ​the​ ​word​ ​熱​ ​–​ ​Netsu​ ​–​ ​which​ ​means​ ​heat​ ​or​ ​fever.​ ​Or​ ​perhaps​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​the​ ​word​ ​暖かい​ ​–​ ​Atatakai​ ​–​ ​which​ ​means​ ​warm.

Japanese​ ​Antonyms
The​ ​third​ ​way​ ​is​ ​to​ ​find​ ​an​ ​antonym,​ ​a​ ​phrase​ ​that​ ​means​ ​the​ ​opposite.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​use​ ​the​ ​negative​ ​form,
it’s​ ​another​ ​way​ ​to​ ​paraphrase​ ​a​ ​word.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​instead​ ​of​ ​暑い​ ​you​ ​could​ ​say​ ​寒くない​ ​whichmeans​ ​not​ ​cold.
You​ ​don’t​ ​have​ ​to​ ​use​ ​all​ ​these​ ​techniques​ ​but​ ​being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​define​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​word​ ​in​ ​Japanese​ ​isa​ ​really​ ​powerful​ ​skill​ ​you​ ​should​ ​study​ ​towards.​ ​Again,​ ​use​ ​a​ ​good​ ​Japanese​ ​dictionary​ ​to​ ​help​ ​you.
There’s​ ​a​ ​good​ ​chapter​ ​on​ ​paraphrasing​ ​in​ ​Japanese​ ​in​ ​the​ ​book​ ​13​ ​Secrets​ ​for​ ​Speaking​ ​Fluent
Japanese ​ ​by​ ​Giles​ ​Murray.

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5.​ ​Practice​ ​with​ ​Native​ ​Japanese​ ​Speakers

Now,​ ​I​ ​know​ ​some​ ​of​ ​you​ ​might​ ​be​ ​shy,​ ​attached​ ​to​ ​your​ ​textbook​ ​or​ ​live​ ​in​ ​an​ ​area​ ​where​ ​there​ ​arevery​ ​few​ ​Japanese​ ​people.​ ​One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​common​ ​complaints​ ​I​ ​hear​ ​is​ ​“I​ ​have​ ​no​ ​Japanese
friends​ ​to​ ​practice​ ​with”.
However,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​really​ ​want​ ​to​ ​eventually​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​Japanese​ ​fluently​ ​you​ ​HAVE​ ​TO​ ​get​ ​out
there​ ​and​ ​practice​ ​with​ ​native​ ​speakers.​ ​I​ ​know​ ​what​ ​you’re​ ​going​ ​to​ ​say;​ ​it’s​ ​impossible​ ​because[insert​ ​reason​ ​here…].​ ​So​ ​here​ ​are​ ​some​ ​ideas​ ​that​ ​might​ ​possibly​ ​work​ ​for​ ​you.

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1. Get​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​teacher​ ​or​ ​enrol​ ​on​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​course.
2. Use​ ​Meetup.com​ ​to​ ​locate​ ​and​ ​join​ ​a​ ​Japanese​ ​study​ ​group​ ​in​ ​your​ ​area.​ ​If​ ​not,​ ​makeyour​ ​own​ ​group.​ ​You​ ​never​ ​know,​ ​there​ ​may​ ​be​ ​other​ ​people​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​studying
Japanese.
3. Attend​ ​Japanese​ ​cultural​ ​events.​ ​Institutions​ ​such​ ​as​ ​The​ ​Japan​ ​Society​​ ​based​ ​in​ ​New
York​ ​hold​ ​regular​ ​events​ ​for​ ​promoting​ ​Japanese​ ​culture.​ ​There​ ​may​ ​be​ ​an​ ​event​ ​closerto​ ​you​ ​than​ ​you​ ​think!
4. Use​ ​online​ ​language​ ​exchange​ ​sites.​ ​Although​ ​this​ ​is​ ​not​ ​an​ ​endorsement,​ ​you​ ​MIGHT
find​ ​sites​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Lang-8​​ ​and​ ​iTalki​​ ​useful​ ​for​ ​making​ ​online​ ​Japanese​ ​friends​ ​to​ ​practicewith.
If​ ​those​ ​methods​ ​don’t​ ​work​ ​for​ ​you,​ ​then​ ​there​ ​is​ ​only​ ​one​ ​option​ ​left…

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5.​ ​Go​ ​to​ ​JapanI​ ​was​ ​incredibly​ ​lucky​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​study​ ​Japanese​ ​intensively​ ​for​ ​one​ ​year​ ​in​ ​Tokyo​ ​when​ ​I​ ​was​ ​inuniversity.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​take​ ​advantage​ ​of​ ​the​ ​language​ ​exchange​ ​program​ ​between​ ​my​ ​university​ ​in
London​ ​and​ ​Tokyo.
When​ ​I​ ​got​ ​to​ ​Japan,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​studied​ ​Japanese​ ​for​ ​a​ ​year.​ ​However,​ ​after​ ​living​ ​in​ ​a​ ​dormitory​ ​ofJapanese​ ​guys​ ​who​ ​spoke​ ​next​ ​to​ ​no​ ​English​ ​and​ ​studying​ ​intensively​ ​everyday,​ ​my​ ​Japanese
fluency​ ​rapidly​ ​improved.

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Not​ ​only​ ​that,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​enjoyable​ ​years​ ​I​ ​had​ ​at​ ​university.​ ​In​ ​fact​ ​if​ ​I​ ​hadn’t​ ​had​ ​that
year,​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​think​ ​my​ ​Japanese​ ​would​ ​be​ ​anywhere​ ​as​ ​good​ ​as​ ​it​ ​was​ ​today.
So​ ​I​ ​highly​ ​recommend​ ​coming​ ​to​ ​Japan​ ​to​ ​fully​ ​immerse​ ​yourself​ ​in​ ​the​ ​culture,​ ​language​ ​and​ ​life​ ​inJapan.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​keep​ ​studying​ ​and​ ​practising​ ​I​ ​guarantee​ ​you​ ​will​ ​make​ ​speedier​ ​progress​ ​than​ ​juststudying​ ​on​ ​your​ ​own​ ​at​ ​home.
If​ ​a​ ​year​ ​of​ ​intensive​ ​study​ ​sounds​ ​daunting,​ ​time​ ​consuming​ ​and​ ​expensive,​ ​I​ ​wont​ ​lie,​ ​it​ ​is.
However,​ ​even​ ​if​ ​you​ ​can​ ​only​ ​manage​ ​to​ ​go​ ​for​ ​only​ ​a​ ​few​ ​months​ ​or​ ​weeks​ ​and​ ​enrol​ ​in​ ​aJapanese​ ​program,​ ​I​ ​recommend​ ​it​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​effective​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​make​ ​progress​ ​to​ ​Japanese
fluently.​ ​These​ ​days​ ​there​ ​are​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​small​ ​colleges​ ​that​ ​do​ ​short​ ​Japanese​ ​courses​ ​for​ ​quite​ ​areasonable​ ​price.​ ​Some​ ​of​ ​them​ ​will​ ​also​ ​help​ ​you​ ​with​ ​visa​ ​applications​ ​and​ ​a​ ​place​ ​to​ ​stay.
So,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​haven’t,​ ​go​ ​to​ ​Japan​ ​my​ ​friend!

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6.​ ​Extra​ ​Japanese​ ​Fluency​ ​Strategies​ ​and​ ​Mindset

Let​ ​me​ ​finish​ ​this​ ​guide​ ​with​ ​a​ ​few​ ​more​ ​observations,​ ​strategies​ ​and​ ​mindsets​ ​that​ ​might​ ​help​ ​you​ ​toachieve​ ​your​ ​goal​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​Japanese​ ​fluently.

It’s​ ​about​ ​consistency,​ ​not​ ​intensity
If​ ​you​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the​ ​gym​ ​on​ ​Monday​ ​and​ ​exercise​ ​for​ ​10​ ​hours,​ ​you​ ​won’t​ ​get​ ​fit.​ ​It’s​ ​much​ ​better​ ​toexercise​ ​a​ ​little​ ​everyday​ ​over​ ​the​ ​long​ ​term.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way,​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​study​ ​and​ ​use​ ​Japaneseon​ ​a​ ​regular​ ​basis.

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Don’t​ ​just​ ​study​ ​Japanese,​ ​USE​ ​JapaneseOf​ ​course​ ​you​ ​have​ ​to​ ​lay​ ​the​ ​groundwork​ ​and​ ​study​ ​Japanese​ ​regularly.​ ​However​ ​you​ ​also​ ​need​ ​toget​ ​out​ ​there​ ​and​ ​use​ ​it​ ​in​ ​real​ ​life.​ ​Always​ ​ask​ ​yourself,​ ​what​ ​will​ ​I​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​if​ ​I​ ​study​ ​a​ ​particularlesson​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​randomly​ ​cram​ ​words.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​also​ ​why​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​Japanese
friends​ ​if​ ​you​ ​haven’t!

Japanese​ ​Grammar​ ​is​ ​essential,​ ​but​ ​limited
When​ ​you​ ​start​ ​out​ ​in​ ​Japanese​ ​you​ ​have​ ​to​ ​study​ ​grammar​ ​to​ ​give​ ​you​ ​a​ ​framework​ ​to​ ​use​ ​toconstruct​ ​your​ ​own​ ​basic​ ​sentences.​ ​However,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​advanced​ ​you​ ​become,​ ​the​ ​less​ ​you​ ​will​ ​beable​ ​to​ ​rely​ ​on​ ​your​ ​textbook​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​natural​ ​patterns​ ​of​ ​speech.​ ​So​ ​get​ ​as​ ​much​ ​real​ ​speaking​ ​andlistening​ ​practice​ ​as​ ​you​ ​can​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​up​ ​the​ ​real​ ​Japanese​ ​not​ ​in​ ​your​ ​textbooks.

Learn​ ​the​ ​culture​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​words
One​ ​thing​ ​I​ ​wished​ ​I​ ​had​ ​learned​ ​earlier​ ​was​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​deeper​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​the​ ​culture​ ​behindthe​ ​grammar​ ​and​ ​vocabulary​ ​I​ ​was​ ​learning.​ ​Learning​ ​more​ ​about​ ​Japanese​ ​culture​ ​gives​ ​you​ ​amuch​ ​deeper​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​the​ ​language​ ​and​ ​will​ ​make​ ​you​ ​a​ ​much​ ​better​ ​speaker.
For​ ​example,​ ​understanding​ ​different​ ​levels​ ​of​ ​politeness​ ​in​ ​Japanese​ ​will​ ​give​ ​you​ ​a​ ​really​ ​good
insight​ ​into​ ​the​ ​culture​ ​and​ ​make​ ​your​ ​Japanese​ ​sound​ ​more​ ​natural.
Don’t​ ​be​ ​the​ ​foreigner​ ​who​ ​can​ ​speak​ ​fluent​ ​Japanese​ ​but​ ​just​ ​doesn’t​ ​“get​ ​it”​ ​and​ ​offends​ ​everyone.
That’s​ ​called​ ​KY​ ​or​ ​Kuuki​ ​Yomei​ ​–​ ​someone​ ​who​ ​literally​ ​can’t​ ​“read​ ​the​ ​air”​ ​and​ ​is​ ​culturally
unaware.​ ​You​ ​have​ ​been​ ​warned!

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Make​ ​you​ ​studies​ ​fun!
This​ ​is​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​obvious​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​worth​ ​saying.​ ​You​ ​have​ ​to​ ​make​ ​your​ ​studies​ ​fun,​ ​engaging​ ​andrelevant​ ​to​ ​your​ ​interests.​ ​Don’t​ ​get​ ​too​ ​serious,​ ​have​ ​fun​ ​and​ ​good​ ​luck!
And​ ​if​ ​that​ ​doesn’t​ ​work,​ ​watch​ ​this​ ​Japanese​ ​fisherman​ ​motivate​ ​you!

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Hi, this is Alex, the creator of Learn
Japanese Pod. Thanks for downloadingthese show notes, I hope you find them
useful. If you need any help with yourJapanese or have any questions orcomments please drop me a line at
info@learnjapanesepod.com
You can also get the latest info on our social
networky​ ​thingies​ ​here:
Learn​ ​Japanese​ ​Pod

https://learnjapanesepod.com

My​ ​personal​ ​website:

http://alexbrooke.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/japanesepodcast

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https://www.facebook.com/LearnJapanesePod/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/learnjapanesepod/

Enjoy!

Alex
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