Japanese Options

[Lenyo]

Hey, I've been seriously considering it for a WHILE.

I've got tons of free time on my hand, I finish all my chores early in the morning, and I decided I want to start an intensive study on the Japanese language. And further delving into such matters later, I wish to learn to read Kanji.


I know we have a plethora of Japanese speaking people on this forum, and I don't know of any classes I can take in real life to help me learn Japanese, so could anybody here help give me tips, teach me the tricks and stuff, and help me out?

Thanks.

[Calliope]

Well, I've never really tried learning Japanese but for awhile now I've been teaching myself a few foreign languages. There aren't exactly any "tips or tricks" and it depends on things like how dedicated you are to learning the language.

Familiarizing yourself with pronunciation, accents (if there are any) and generally how words would sound in everyday conversations will help you. I'm learning Russian right now and sometimes there are certain letters/syllables that sound different when stressed/unstressed (for example, O can sound like "oh" or "ah"). Listen to things like radio talk shows and videos with audio in Japanese, you'll pick up a few words as you progress in learning the language.

Don't limit your resources to just one thing. There are a ton of websites out there that can help you as well as a ton of books. You can even try talking to a native speaker. There's this website called Livemocha.com in which you can communicate with people who are willing to help.

GuidetoJapanese.org is pretty useful and includes audio as well as video files that show the stroke order (if you're learning how to write).

Also, patience is important. Learning languages can be frustrating sometimes but there's no need to rush. Don't learn too many things in one day; you'll easily forget everything you just learned.

People have different ways of learning and along the way you'll find yourself saying "I don't think I'm getting any of this." Don't give up, there are many ways of approaching lessons so it's up to you to see what you're more comfortable with.