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 ]

[Roseflare]

Blah, I'm studying for N1... Only because my husband is pushing me to do it... I guess after living in Japan for 6 plus years I should have taken it by now... I've been lazy. xp

[Braecania]

Yeah I like your post! I'm in the process of learning the basics of Japanese as well and then I will eventually learn the majority of the language. I noticed that you didn't mention Katakana which is the short stroke form of the Japanese characters.
Well Ok bye! smile

[Katsuraki1]

I can only say very few words/phrases etc... I still have a very long way to go. I will be learning Japanese in University too (hopefully... because long story short a Japanese subject doesn't show on my timetable).

Add me if you want ^~^. If anyone else wants to be a beginners study buddy can add me xD And pm me so I know why your adding me.

Oh and I use italki.com to write to Japanese people : ).

[Azure Hale]

J R A T I F I E D

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

WOW :O I would really want to study Japanese too so that I can understand the animes and Jpop songs better biggrin as of now all I can do is read Japanese characters and use the basic phrases.

[`Azuki-chan]

Aloha,
I would love to practice with anyone. My level is not super high, but I can read and write hiragana and katakana. My kanji is extremely limited and very basic... I have many years of self study, but no time to dedicate to it. I haven't practiced in forever, but I find if I attempt to use it, it comes back quicker and I learn a bit more each time.
Definitely willing to be study buddies and motivational support along with you all.
me ke aloha,
`Azu~

[Kawaii Deshou]

J R A T I F I E D

I teach English in Japan. I don't need Japanese in the classroom and most of the teachers I know here don't speak Japanese at all. So you don't NEED japanese to work here, however it does make your life easier.

I studied Japanese in University for about 4 years as an elective (with no expectation to live in japan so I didnt really study that intensely lol wish I could go back and chnge that tho lol) in America in University. But I was no where as fluent as I thought I was. Japanese in real life is so much more complicated.. they are very vague sometimes, so it is a little difficult to understand.. butttt I've learned more japanese in the short time i've lived here than in my whole career of learning japanese.

[Lukewarm City]

CherriChu

Woah, we have so much in common? はじめまして。シャオシャオ（中国語と英語の名前）です。私も十五歳です。そして、私も中国人です.

I can also read hiragana, katagana, and some kanji. Your Japanese is much better than mine though! I'm going to take Japanese 2 next year. I didn't take Japanese 1, but I learned everything in the curriculum by myself.
I'm always trying to improve my Japanese, so I study a lot outside of the classroom anyway. I really want to reach the point where I think in Japanese. Congrats on passing that milestone. ^^

[Lukewarm City]

Hi! Another Japanese-learner here. I'm a beginner, and I've learned hiragana, katakana, and a few kanji. I really want to live in Japan at some point in the future. I'm still in high school, but I'm considering doing JET after university. I want to major in animation, so hopefully the art degree will come in handy, as you mentioned.

I'd love to study with you! At the moment I'm mostly learning Japanese by myself. I find that it's easy enough if you use a variety of resources, and practice every strand- reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
I'm also part of a language-learning guild, where I've posted a list of lot of great resources for studying Japanese. The link is there, if you want to check it out. ^^

[GiiGiiii]

ʕ　·ᴥ·ʔ Hi, I'm glad to hear that you are interested in teaching English in Japan. I grew up in Nagoya, lived there for a bit more than 9 years. When I was in college I started teaching English to children at first, then I started teaching adults too in 2012. I'd have to say that it was fun, but really exhausting cause I speak Japanese in college, then I have to switch to English at work! Probably the change won't be as drastic for you though! I worked at GABA, by the way. It's very flexible, though it has a "if you don't teach, you don't get paid policy" so I don't recommend it 100%.

The first English school I worked for was okay... they treated me well cause I'm fluent in Japanese and I was a permanent resident. But they have ripped off a lot of teachers in the past, some I knew closely. So, I would be careful when it comes to those kinds of schools. The larger companies (though NOVA has some issues), AEON, GABA Berlitz, etc., are a little better. Some don't offer health insurance though, so you have to buy it yourself. Japan's health coverage is pretty good though and it's also affordable smile

I'm trying to teach Japanese at the moment, and I'd be happy to teach basic Japanese. If you're interested, you can PM me about it. ʕ·ᴥ·　ʔ

[GiiGiiii]

Kawaii Deshou

J R A T I F I E D

I teach English in Japan. I don't need Japanese in the classroom and most of the teachers I know here don't speak Japanese at all. So you don't NEED japanese to work here, however it does make your life easier.

I studied Japanese in University for about 4 years as an elective (with no expectation to live in japan so I didnt really study that intensely lol wish I could go back and chnge that tho lol) in America in University. But I was no where as fluent as I thought I was. Japanese in real life is so much more complicated.. they are very vague sometimes, so it is a little difficult to understand.. butttt I've learned more japanese in the short time i've lived here than in my whole career of learning japanese.

ʕ　·ᴥ·ʔ I agree completely with the vague part. You always have to "kuuki wo yomu". ʕ·ᴥ·　ʔ

[Sumire chan_pandagurl]

i study online with Japanese people and do a language exchange thing.. its helpful.. you help them with English they help you with Japanese.

[Punktz]

Advice that comes from experience; live in Japan.
Put yourself somewhere where external pressure forces you to use it daily. Desperation actually works. I was thrown into a school in Japan without prior or special Japanese lessons and I became fluent in a year (I don't use it as much now so I'm getting rusty though)
Same goes for reading. Writing, however, needs old fashioned self discipline. Good luck wink

[-SeiOtoko-]

Roseflare

Blah, I'm studying for N1... Only because my husband is pushing me to do it... I guess after living in Japan for 6 plus years I should have taken it by now... I've been lazy. xp

Sorry random question but the N1 is the test you need to pass to study in japan? emotion_bandaid

[Sakura Latte]

-SeiOtoko-

Roseflare

Blah, I'm studying for N1... Only because my husband is pushing me to do it... I guess after living in Japan for 6 plus years I should have taken it by now... I've been lazy. xp

Sorry random question but the N1 is the test you need to pass to study in japan? emotion_bandaid

No, you don't need to pass it in order to study abroad in Japan. You do need to pass it if you want to work in Japan, though.

[-SeiOtoko-]

Sakura Latte

No, you don't need to pass it in order to study abroad in Japan. You do need to pass it if you want to work in Japan, though.

Oh okay emotion_bandaid Thank you for the answer gaia_kittenstar