How to Effectively Study Japanese
““If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.””
Hi there Stylish Friends,
One thing that is certain about living broad is the question: Should I learn the local language?
This questions is highly personal, because many factors come in to mind:
”I’m only going to stay here for xx time, should I learn Japanese?”
”Japanese is difficult, how can I make it easier to learn?”
”How I pass the Japanese Language and Proficiency test (JLPT)?”
”How can I study Japanese without having time?”
”My partner speaks English, do I need to study Japanese?”
Personally, I think that no matter what the situation is, Studying Japanese is a must. The locals often do not speak the language, so communicating will always be some sort of burden. Besides that, relying on someone else will get you there, but think about how much you are asking of that person.
I was fortunate enough to be able to study Japanese while still in university, so I had an edge when I moved here, but, I was not there yet. Japanese is difficult, so always keep finding was to passively and actively study Japanese. Keep reading if you want to find out what is recommended when studying a foreign language.
Active Studying
There are many ways to actively study a foreign language. You can attend a language school, download language studying apps, use flashcards, get a tutor. I started off as an exchange student and after coming back for my career I did 6 months of language school. Although helpful I did figure out that some parts can not be learned in class. However, you need a solid base and therefore attend class of having a tutor is A MUST.
Language Schools
The first and foremost way of studying is a Language School, a dedicate institute to teach you the local language. I attended a language school the first 6 months when I moved here, and it really helped.
That daily grind of daily classes, homework and studying really helps you master a language. You will learn a lot of words and get a great grip on grammas structure and rules. Like with a lot of things, if the base is right, the rest will follow more easily.
Full Time
I have two different experiences with language schools: full time and part time. Most schools offer courses that require you to be in class 4 hours a day, so unless you can afford to not work and dedicate all your time, this might not be ideal. But I got to say, this will help you significantly more, so do consider taking this step before starting your career here.
Another advantage is that you will have classmates that comes from different countries. This results into them understanding things in a different way, forcing you to see other perspectives at learning a language. Different perspectives are an opportunity to improve yourself, so keep this in mind!
Part Time
The other option is the part time approach. I took one on one classes (or man-to-man as they call it here lol) after finishing my daytime job. Taking 1 or two classes a week keeps you in that learning mode while living your daily life. so even though the pace will not be as fast as full time, it will definitely help you progress.
I get that you have responsibilities and that enrolling is not a full time course is not suitable for everyone, but let’s be real here: Everyone has 2 hours a week that they are wasting.
Ask yourself: are you really doing something productive and time consuming on a Monday or Tuesday night?
Exchange Program
When still in college/university, if possible, consider doing and exchange program. There are many benefits to doing this: High level language studies, experiencing life abroad before making the big step, meeting locals, experiencing a unique part of a culture and many more things.
Besides the excellent base of my Japanese language skills, doing my exchange has left me with many friends from my time in college (making friends while working can be hard!), a great resume booster and a better idea of life in Japan.
Self Study
The last form of active studying I want to talk about is definitely the most difficult one: Self studying. There are many forms of Self studying, but here are some things I have done and am still doing.
Discipline is required, but it can help you a great amount and is very satisfying.
Here are some things I did:
Flash Cards
You can do this quickly, so try to do this at times that you are ‘waiting’. Think about during a train ride, being in a waiting room/lining up (let’s be real here, tons of that of Japan), or right before you go to bed.
You can either make your own flashcard deck with papers (which is kinda better because you will write it down at least once) or download an app and download or create a deck! The most recommended app is of course Anki.
Hit The Books
The classic way of studying is of course from a book. There are tons of great books out there and from what I have noticed, there is no best book to study Japanese.
However, there is a better method. I noticed that when I go to a café to sit down and study, I get way more done than when I study at home.
There are tons of words that you can learn that you won’t use every day, but will need at some point, so don’t skip them because a word seems useless. Which brings me to the second part of mastering a foreign language: Passive Studying.
Passive Studying
What I mean by this is putting yourself into situations where you are forced to use what skills you have gained and/or have to learn in order to succeed in that moment. I really like this and it really helped me become better at speaking Japanese. Whether that be deciding your surroundings, taking initiatives or being creative at solving, this will not only make you better at a language, it will also make you more fluent/closer to native speakers.
Be that guy
This method not only helped me become better at Japanese, it also helped me become a better communicator in general. by being That Guy I mean forcing yourself to be the first one initiating the conversation, resulting in you having more speaking time than others in your circle
Let me give you an example of what I mean. When I was and exchange student here, me and my fellow foreign friends would often eat out together. I would always be the one calling to reserve the restaurant. I hated calling so it helped me overcome that too. Two birds with one stone! In the restaurant, when the staff would come to our table, I would always be the one (trying to) order when everyone gave each other the ‘Who’s gonna order’ look. Sure I made mistakes, but it helped me become way better at applying what I learned
Besides the restaurant situation, think of asking things more frequent just to get conversation time in. Think about asking where you can find an item in a shop for instance. Or try to answer first whenever a teacher asks the whole class what the answer is to her grammar/vocab question. Be that Guy, it will help you, and don’t worry to be judged for it.
Be the odd one out
Being the odd one out in this situation means surrounding yourself with native speakers, and native speakers only. When given the opportunity, sit next to a local, instead of your fellow foreign friend when engaging in group activities, join a Japanese only group instead of that international group.
I joined an all Japanese men circle called the billiards circle. Of course I liked playing billiards, but my main goal was to speak more like a native man. A common thing that happens is that foreigners spend most time interacting with their SO, meaning that most guys will get better, but sound very girly. This circle consisted on almost only Japanese guys and it helped me speak more fluently, because nobody spoke English, and also speak more correctly from a gender perspective!
Listening, listening, listening
This last one is such an underrated thing to do. Whenever you have the opportunity, listen to the locals. Whether that is listening to conversations on the streets or in the train, watching Japanese content with (or without: challenge yourself!) subtitles, listening to Japanese Music, they all help you grasp the language. Leave your headphones home once in a while. you’d be surprised how much you pick up from your surroundings.
Look up meaning of words
Whenever you get into a situation where you don’t understand a word, don’t just say: ‘ah well whatever’, look up the meaning and you will know the meaning next time, or the time after that.
Your partner/friends are not your teachers/translators
A sensitive subject, but needs to be heard, so let’s discuss this.
What I hear a lot is that people say:
“My friend/SO can teach me, so why do I need to pay for a school/tutor?”
Or
”I just ask my partner to take care of things that are not written in English”
Sure, they can teach you a thing or two, but keep in mind: They are not professionals just because they are native speakers. There are tons of things that natives know, but can not explain. There are grammar rules that they would just explain as ‘it’s just because it’s like that’, which does not help you understand at all.
Besides the teaching knowledge, think about how annoying it can be if someone keeps asking you to do stuff for you because you can not understand. Whether that be reading ordering a beer in a restaurant, removing the pickles from your McDonalds hamburger (which is a challenge on its own, but that’s a story for another day), reading that important letter that came in, or communicating in case of emergencies.
Of course, people close to you are willing to help you, and you should ask them if you can, but there is a fine line between them teaching you and you leeching off of them.
My Perspective
All these things helped me get better at the language. Personally, it did not just help me with getting more fluent, it also helped me enjoy life abroad more. It gave me more freedom, new connections and a better cultural understanding.
Even if you are staying in a country for a shorter time, put some effort in the local language. Not only will it help you, you will also be way more respectful to the locals. You’d be happy if a foreigner back home would try to speak your language, no matter how good or bad, too right?
I am quite outspoken by this, but what’s your take on this?
Let me know!
