Learning Japanese ---- SLOWLY. How about you?

Are you learning Japanese?

Yes	33.8%	[ 22 ]
No	7.7%	[ 5 ]
Trying to...	38.5%	[ 25 ]
Already speak it!	6.2%	[ 4 ]
Speak, read and write it	9.2%	[ 6 ]
Eh, just here for gold	4.6%	[ 3 ]
Total Votes:			[ 65 ]

[TotallyApples]

I'mma go to Japan

I've been interested in Japan as long as I can remember. I would try to learn phrases here and there while young, but now I'm 20 and long past the point of where I wanted to be language wise. I also now know the importance of being able to read and write Japanese to be able to speak it properly!

My main goal of posting this is to see if there are other Japanese learners out there that are around the same level.

My level?? Oh, well, um... Taking Japanese semester 1 in college excelled me much farther than ever trying on my own! However I'm no longer in school due to work/cost and the few friends I made weren't really that interested in learning. So my skill has completely dropped from 2 1/2 out of 10 (weird) to 1. As in I have the Hiragana down. I am working on basic structure and trying to expand my vocabulary. I'll go back to school next Fall, but Japanese class is not easy to get into. I have basic numbers down, but need to review the higher numbers often.

Basically I want someone to study with.

I have a few books. My main one is Genki Japanese and the workbook.
I also have Elementary Japanese.
A Japanese-English dictionary.
A Hiragana activity book... and I think that's all of them.


Anyhow... Tips and tricks? Study buddy? Anything?

Neener-neener-neener

[TotallyApples]

I'mma go to Japan

Also! I am aiming to move to Japan to teach English.
While the main goal is to get to Japan and survive, I actually want to teach English. Specifically to younger children... I love English, so yeah... That's about 4 1/2 years from now!

I am engaged, my fiance is learning Japanese, but he is farther behind than me and is slow at learning Japanese. Plus, he doesn't have the determination to learn everyday. *shrug*

Neener-neener-neener

[MaxweII]

Lol everyone wants to live in Japan to teach English.
I'm still in high school but my family might be moving next year to japan for my last year in high school xD

[TotallyApples]

MaxweII

Lol everyone wants to live in Japan to teach English.
I'm still in high school but my family might be moving next year to japan for my last year in high school xD

I'mma go to Japan

As I stated, I actually want to teach English (period). lol

Well that will be fun! Do you speak/read/write Japanese?

Neener-neener-neener

[MaxweII]

J R A T I F I E D

MaxweII

Lol everyone wants to live in Japan to teach English.
I'm still in high school but my family might be moving next year to japan for my last year in high school xD

I'mma go to Japan

As I stated, I actually want to teach English (period). lol

Well that will be fun! Do you speak/read/write Japanese?

Neener-neener-neener

lol popular choice loll yeah we're all learning right now xD after my dad announced he got a job in japan for some company loll so now everyone is learning japanese, even my mother xD

[Pugnacious Banana]

hi~
i'm learning slowly too. sad i used some different books before but i find it really hard to remember things because i don't get any practice. i'm using genki recently and it's better than books i used before, i think. it's still hard to be motivated to keep working on it by myself every day though. also i always feel like i'm never going to be able to remember more than a few kanji. emo

i'm also trying to become an english teacher in japan. sad i had a few interviews last year but didn't get anywhere so i'm working on applying for a lot more jobs recently and i want to improve my japanese so i can show that i'm dedicated.. it gets really frustrating getting rejected because i really hate my current job and just want to do something exciting that i'll enjoy..
my goal in life isn't to teach english (i really want to be an art teacher someday. i studied art in college but i don't have much experience teaching) but it's the start of where i want to be in life, i guess.

i'd like to study with you if we can talk on IM or something and be online at the same times.

[takashioji]

I've been slowly learning on my own. I've only taken Japanese 1 and 2 in high school (7 years ago). I don't plan on teaching English in japan, I just want to be able to read mangas that haven't been translated yet lol..
I've been using a few apps on my ipad lately and they're pretty useful.
-Pure kanji
-J-grammar+
-JLPT 1 and JLPT 2 (these two apps are free and based off the JLPT N5 and N4, they're like a pretest. The quizzes are good to help build vocab and see where you may need more work).
I also bought elementary kanji drill books off of j-list..
Another good way to learn is through manga! Though it's not always formal, its a good way to build everyday vocabulary and grammar. Just make sure to get one with furigana!

Good luck with teach in japan! (though honestly, I think teaching English would be way harder than learning Japanese sweatdrop )

[TotallyApples]

MaxweII

J R A T I F I E D

MaxweII

Lol everyone wants to live in Japan to teach English.
I'm still in high school but my family might be moving next year to japan for my last year in high school xD

I'mma go to Japan

As I stated, I actually want to teach English (period). lol

Well that will be fun! Do you speak/read/write Japanese?

Neener-neener-neener

lol popular choice loll yeah we're all learning right now xD after my dad announced he got a job in japan for some company loll so now everyone is learning japanese, even my mother xD

How wonderful! That must be fun to have everyone to study with, but I'm sure it's hard with homework and all that fun stuff too.

Good luck!

[TotallyApples]

Pugnacious Banana

hi~
i'm learning slowly too. sad i used some different books before but i find it really hard to remember things because i don't get any practice. i'm using genki recently and it's better than books i used before, i think. it's still hard to be motivated to keep working on it by myself every day though. also i always feel like i'm never going to be able to remember more than a few kanji. emo

i'm also trying to become an english teacher in japan. sad i had a few interviews last year but didn't get anywhere so i'm working on applying for a lot more jobs recently and i want to improve my japanese so i can show that i'm dedicated.. it gets really frustrating getting rejected because i really hate my current job and just want to do something exciting that i'll enjoy..
my goal in life isn't to teach english (i really want to be an art teacher someday. i studied art in college but i don't have much experience teaching) but it's the start of where i want to be in life, i guess.

i'd like to study with you if we can talk on IM or something and be online at the same times.

It is SO hard to learn by yourself. Like I said, learning in a classroom excelled me much farther than any self study.

It's not always an easy job to get. So you have a four year degree? Have you tried JET? Also try the employment center and ask for specific help about getting a job overseas. You may find some one with experience (possibly connections!). It may be your approach, resume or cover letter. Try volunteering at a school - that will seriously help you out.

I would love to study with you. I'm honestly awful with IM, but I do have Skype. I can download one if you like. Let me know which one! *is desperate for study buddies* Also, if you do head over there and stay we may be able to have English speaking friends there! hahaha

[TotallyApples]

yahoo_san

I've been slowly learning on my own. I've only taken Japanese 1 and 2 in high school (7 years ago). I don't plan on teaching English in japan, I just want to be able to read mangas that haven't been translated yet lol..
I've been using a few apps on my ipad lately and they're pretty useful.
-Pure kanji
-J-grammar+
-JLPT 1 and JLPT 2 (these two apps are free and based off the JLPT N5 and N4, they're like a pretest. The quizzes are good to help build vocab and see where you may need more work).
I also bought elementary kanji drill books off of j-list..
Another good way to learn is through manga! Though it's not always formal, its a good way to build everyday vocabulary and grammar. Just make sure to get one with furigana!

Good luck with teach in japan! (though honestly, I think teaching English would be way harder than learning Japanese sweatdrop )

I have volunteer experience. Teaching and tutoring is very difficult, but also very rewarding. I love it!

Thanks! I'll check those out. I have an iPhone so hopefully I can find a decent one there, but I honestly have two and am soooo bad about using them. *facebook/Gaia addict*

Thanks! And thanks for posting biggrin

P.S. I seriously wanna help translate manga, because I hateeeee waiting for some of my less popular manga to be translated and they always need volunteer translators biggrin

[Pugnacious Banana]

J R A T I F I E D

It is SO hard to learn by yourself. Like I said, learning in a classroom excelled me much farther than any self study.

It's not always an easy job to get. So you have a four year degree? Have you tried JET? Also try the employment center and ask for specific help about getting a job overseas. You may find some one with experience (possibly connections!). It may be your approach, resume or cover letter. Try volunteering at a school - that will seriously help you out.

I would love to study with you. I'm honestly awful with IM, but I do have Skype. I can download one if you like. Let me know which one! *is desperate for study buddies* Also, if you do head over there and stay we may be able to have English speaking friends there! hahaha

it is hard. sad i can't learn in a classroom here unless i want to pay to start a four year japanese degree.. there are no schools here that teach any languages other than french, spanish or german.
i have an art degree. i finished college in 2012 then got a fulltime job to start saving the money. but now i've had the money for a long time and still can't get a job teaching. i have an interview with JET next week. i don't know where i would find time to volunteer at a school or a school that would allow me to do that. sweatdrop
i have skype but i can only IM with it because i don't have voice or webcam.
i'm going to tokyo this summer so maybe i'd have better luck just asking around about jobs while i'm there. emo

[Zale-kun]

I've been teaching myself Japanese for the past 6 months or so and I've never taken a formal class and I suppose it helps to be self motivated. I studied with Tae Kim for a while and that helped to learn Hiragana and Katakana, but after a while of learning some harder phrases, I lost motivation.

I then found TextFugu.com and really it's amazing. The first lesson is free and if you get in relatively fast, it's only 99$ for your lifetime. It's definitely worth it. He's much more funny and teaches in a different way, not just taking phrases and having you memorize it. It's very helpful.
I'm on season two now and I can confidently say simple sentences. I'm still learning obviously, but if you need a buddy, I'm online quite a bit. ^^

[TotallyApples]

Pugnacious Banana

J R A T I F I E D

It is SO hard to learn by yourself. Like I said, learning in a classroom excelled me much farther than any self study.

It's not always an easy job to get. So you have a four year degree? Have you tried JET? Also try the employment center and ask for specific help about getting a job overseas. You may find some one with experience (possibly connections!). It may be your approach, resume or cover letter. Try volunteering at a school - that will seriously help you out.

I would love to study with you. I'm honestly awful with IM, but I do have Skype. I can download one if you like. Let me know which one! *is desperate for study buddies* Also, if you do head over there and stay we may be able to have English speaking friends there! hahaha

it is hard. sad i can't learn in a classroom here unless i want to pay to start a four year japanese degree.. there are no schools here that teach any languages other than french, spanish or german.
i have an art degree. i finished college in 2012 then got a fulltime job to start saving the money. but now i've had the money for a long time and still can't get a job teaching. i have an interview with JET next week. i don't know where i would find time to volunteer at a school or a school that would allow me to do that. sweatdrop
i have skype but i can only IM with it because i don't have voice or webcam.
i'm going to tokyo this summer so maybe i'd have better luck just asking around about jobs while i'm there. emo

Well having the money saved up is a REALLY good start! And that's a shame about no Japanese classes available.

I have skype :3 anna_was_here is my skype name. You should really invest in a cheap mic! That will really help with studying Japanese - especially with native Japanese speakers.

P.S. an art degree should be helpful with getting a job with JET. I've heard a lot about them wanting their teachers to be professional, yet creative! Make sure you watch lots of vids about their interviews. Seriously, congrats on even getting an interview!

I'll start loading skype up more often incase you wanna add me or whatever.

[TotallyApples]

Zale-kun

I've been teaching myself Japanese for the past 6 months or so and I've never taken a formal class and I suppose it helps to be self motivated. I studied with Tae Kim for a while and that helped to learn Hiragana and Katakana, but after a while of learning some harder phrases, I lost motivation.

I then found TextFugu.com and really it's amazing. The first lesson is free and if you get in relatively fast, it's only 99$ for your lifetime. It's definitely worth it. He's much more funny and teaches in a different way, not just taking phrases and having you memorize it. It's very helpful.
I'm on season two now and I can confidently say simple sentences. I'm still learning obviously, but if you need a buddy, I'm online quite a bit. ^^

TextFugu is good! I've heard lots of good things about it. Self motivation is key, and often I don't have it.

I'm currently leaning basic structure and building my vocab. I can say things here and there. I guess out of a small convo I can probably say half of it or less in Japanese! lol It's a start.

That would be great! Can I add you? :3

[Pugnacious Banana]

J R A T I F I E D

Pugnacious Banana

J R A T I F I E D

It is SO hard to learn by yourself. Like I said, learning in a classroom excelled me much farther than any self study.

It's not always an easy job to get. So you have a four year degree? Have you tried JET? Also try the employment center and ask for specific help about getting a job overseas. You may find some one with experience (possibly connections!). It may be your approach, resume or cover letter. Try volunteering at a school - that will seriously help you out.

I would love to study with you. I'm honestly awful with IM, but I do have Skype. I can download one if you like. Let me know which one! *is desperate for study buddies* Also, if you do head over there and stay we may be able to have English speaking friends there! hahaha

it is hard. sad i can't learn in a classroom here unless i want to pay to start a four year japanese degree.. there are no schools here that teach any languages other than french, spanish or german.
i have an art degree. i finished college in 2012 then got a fulltime job to start saving the money. but now i've had the money for a long time and still can't get a job teaching. i have an interview with JET next week. i don't know where i would find time to volunteer at a school or a school that would allow me to do that. sweatdrop
i have skype but i can only IM with it because i don't have voice or webcam.
i'm going to tokyo this summer so maybe i'd have better luck just asking around about jobs while i'm there. emo

Well having the money saved up is a REALLY good start! And that's a shame about no Japanese classes available.

I have skype :3 anna_was_here is my skype name. You should really invest in a cheap mic! That will really help with studying Japanese - especially with native Japanese speakers.

P.S. an art degree should be helpful with getting a job with JET. I've heard a lot about them wanting their teachers to be professional, yet creative! Make sure you watch lots of vids about their interviews. Seriously, congrats on even getting an interview!

I'll start loading skype up more often incase you wanna add me or whatever.

yeah i'm glad i have the money saved. sad everything online suggests i'll need around £1500 but i have £2500 saved now. sweatdrop
my skype name is moonsparklec
i'm too nervous to talk on mic anyway. emo but i'll probably get a webcam with voice sometime in case i apply for jobs that do interviews over skype.
i'm going to spend most of today and tomorrow preparing for my interview. it seems really intense from stuff i read already. emotion_8c i'm worried everyone hates my accent or that they don't really want people with depression in their medical history (since i had to write a huge statement about it already for them).