Independent Japanese Study
Maximizing Your Japanese Language Study Skills at Home
A short guide to help students studying Japanese independently to focus and maximize their study skills. Includes basic definitions of writing systems as well as tips.
Anyone trying to learn a language for the first time knows that the road to fluency can be more than just a little rocky, especially when it is a difficult language like Japanese. Sometimes the memorization gets tedious, the grammar gets confusing and the pronunciation is a tongue twister. Language teachers can help, but not everyone has access or time for a class or tutor. Often the adventurous language lover has to go it alone with only instinct to go by. The following tips are to help the independent Japanese language student to focus his or her study skills and to build a strong base in the language.
Practice Your Writing
Almost any Japanese dictionary that you can buy at your local bookstore will have hiragana and katakana charts in the front or back. Hiragana is the basic phonetic alphabet which consists of 48 syllables, each representing a different sound. It is used to spell out Japanese words in writing, and is the first of the three writing systems which Japanese children learn in school.
Katakana is the secondary writing system, also consisting of 48 syllables. Unlike Hiragana, Katakana is used to spell out non-Japanese words, such as an American name or brand name like Starbucks.
Both Hiragana and Katakana are fairly simple to learn and may be easily understood from an instruction book found at your local bookstore. The trick is to really internalize these systems so that reading them is as easy as reading the Roman alphabet.
It is helpful to make charts of each system to hang over your desk. You can look at them when you have the chance and can easily practice writing them. Also suggested is to practice writing any words you do know how to spell in Japanese.
Kanji is the third writing system, and the most complex. Derived from Chinese characters, there are thousands of kanji in the Japanese dictionary. To learn them all is a feat that not even native speakers can achieve. Studying kanji independently can be very frustrating, but there are some good workbooks that can help the process. Repetition is important when learning kanji because a misplaced stroke can skew the meaning of the character.
Get a Pen Pal
In the age of the internet, it is very easy to find and contact people from all over the world. Most programs online are free and with a little research they can be very safe too. The use of email correspondence, chat rooms, or even voice chat rooms can help tremendously with spelling and pronunciation. A good, free site to check out is Rosetta Stone’s SharedTalk.
Immersion is Key
If you can’t afford a trip to Tokyo, consider looking for a group in your area that practices Japanese together. Immersion is arguably the best way to acquire a language and you only get immersion by surrounding yourself with the language and being forced to speak it. Joining a group can also be a great way to make new friends with similar interests. There are many online sites that can help you to locate one in your area, such as Meetup.
