Surviving Japanese language (日本語) １０１
By: Mhawi Rosero
Tags: Duolingo, Japanese Language, Foreign Language Learning, 日本語, Japanese

I came to Japan with practically zero formal education on the Japanese language and I have just been studying it for five months. I’ve never dreamt of going to Japan, but I’m always fond of its culture, especially as shown in anime and dramas. I was also able to grasp some basic expressions, such as ありがとうございます、すみません、はい、among others. However, when I passed the Monbukagakusho (MEXT) scholarship and got accepted into the University of Fukui as a Research Student and due to the fact that I might stay in Japan for two years, I knew I had no choice but to learn the Japanese language.

Preliminaries: Learning the かな characters

The acceptance letter I received from the University came with a workbook and a reminder that we should, at least, learn ひらがな and カタカナ before the start of classes. So a month prior to coming to Japan, I studied the かな characters and learned the proper strokes and filled in my notebook with these characters until I was able to remember most of them. I did this almost every day during my free time until I can visualize the characters anywhere I go. I began translating letters and signs on the road to かな characters. Kanji, however, is a different story.

The four-month intensive Japanese language course(s)

As a Research Student, I had to take the Japanese intensive course program first for six months before entering my research program. As a beginner, I needed to take the みんなの日本語１ Integrated Grammar class. I also had to take Writing, Speaking, Reading and Kanji classes. I was also allowed to take Research Class with Kuwabara-先生。

The Japanese classes were very helpful. The daily exercises and homework given by the 先生 did not just help us memorize the vocabulary and sentence structures but also allowed us to use the Japanese language in real life situations. Slowly, my classmates and I were using the forms and sentences we learned in classes in our conversations. But I still felt that they were not enough so I had to devise my own methods and habits of learning the Japanese language.

Just a bit of a disclaimer. These methods worked for me because I am a multitasker. Honestly, I have more trouble spending my free time wisely (or rather, lazily). More or less, I’ve spent most of my time studying 日本語 and integrated it in everything that I do (e.g., watching anime, listening to music, hanging out with friends).

Learning Japanese through textbooks

The みんなの日本語 textbooks are effective materials in learning the language. The textbook introduces new vocabulary words and grammatical forms every chapter, and some basic expressions that you can use in conversations. It is also paired with a workbook where you can assess and practice what you’ve just learned in class. The workbook comes with a CD, which contains audio files that you can listen to so you can be familiar with the conversational Japanese language.

As a linguist, I also analyze Japanese language (e.g., how words and sentences are formed, what patterns do each form follow) and it gives me a deeper appreciation and understanding of the language.

Watching anime and movies, listening to music in Japanese

Another effective method of learning a new language is through watching TV shows in the language. This method helps you to be familiar with the pronunciation, the intonation, just like how the native speaker should sound. It also teaches you the various nuances of the language (e.g., slang, colloquial terms and basic expressions used in daily conversations and the contexts where you can use the forms) that you might not be able to learn easily from textbooks.

My method (this might not be advisable for others):

I watch anime and Japanese movies while I study. Although it would be difficult to read the subtitles while I am reading a book, the sound coming from the show helps me tune in. But most of the time, it keeps me distracted. If you’re not much of a multitasking person, you can also listen to songs in Japanese.

Using technology, e.g., mobile applications

Nowadays, there are a lot of mobile applications that are handy and can speed up learning a language. Below are some of the applications that help me learn Japanese.

Writing ひらがな and カタカナ mobile applications. These applications help you remember how to write the characters. They also come with mnemonics and pictures that enable you to better remember. They also have proficiency assessment tests so you can assess your learning. Google Translate Handwriting Mode. This mode of Google Translate is very useful in identifying the reading of a Kanji character. It allows you to draw on your screen and provides suggestions. Yomiwa/Imiwa? or Shirabe Jisho. Such applications function as a dictionary, and can you provide the different meanings of a Japanese character. It also shows you the proper strokes of writing a Kanji character.

4. Language Learning with Netflix and other related applications. If you have a Netflix account, a Google Chrome extension called Language Learning with Netflix can also help you learn the language. The application allows you to use subtitles in more than one language, for example, English and Japanese. Coupled with Google Translate, which I use to write the Kanji characters, the application can help you learn new forms if you have plenty of time. You can also choose Romaji if you’re not yet used to reading Japanese かな. There are also other applications that have the same function as the Language Learning with Netflix.

5. Duolingo and other language-learning applications. It is a language-learning application that allow beginners to practice different aspects of the grammar for 15-minutes or more daily.

Writing in Japanese

Aside from Writing class, I’ve already started using Japanese in writing my report and reaction papers for my Reading class. We were required to read a Japanese book every two weeks and write our impression about the story. Our teachers allowed us to use English but I’ve decided to write in Japanese. This helped me practice and remember かな and use new forms and vocabulary I acquired from the Integrated Grammar class. My 先生 was also very generous in correcting my mistakes. It boosted my confidence and motivation in learning the language.

The act of handwriting helps you better remember the Japanese characters. In my case, my hand have become familiar with the strokes and my eyes have become quicker in reading the characters. This also contributes to learning the language faster.

It is also the same with learning Kanji. The more often you write, the quicker you can memorize the characters. It is advantageous, especially in learning Kanji, because the characters have different reading, depending on how they are used. At first, I’ve tried to decipher the pattern but I’ve failed.

Conversing in Japanese

As a beginner, I didn’t have much confidence in my conversational skills in Japanese. But later on, as I have acquired more vocabulary and learned different forms and sentence structures, I have begun to converse with my fellow international students in Japanese. Even though I still make a lot of mistakes and forget the correct form, speaking Japanese is a practical way to immerse yourself and to assess that you, indeed, have learned the language. I’ve also attempted to hold conversations with my Japanese 先生 and other Japanese native speakers. I also talk to my friends who also went to Japan as exchange students.

My internship at an elementary school has also been a perfect opportunity for me to immerse myself in a Japanese-speaking environment. Currently, I’m following a Japanese Grade 1 class and I’ve been afforded a chance to converse and practice my Japanese speaking skills with Grade 1 students.

I came to Japan without formal knowledge of the Japanese language. After roughly five months, I still find myself wanting to learn the language. This desire intensifies as I’ve found myself often frustrated of not being able to read the signs and understand what the Japanese people are talking about. But this also motivates me to work hard and study more.