{"id":1586,"date":"2021-09-26T09:21:42","date_gmt":"2021-09-26T13:21:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swacia.com\/?p=1586"},"modified":"2024-02-20T15:47:13","modified_gmt":"2024-02-20T20:47:13","slug":"tips-on-japanese-speaking-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swacia.com\/tips-on-japanese-speaking-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips on Japanese Speaking Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
These are things that I wish I’d known when I’d begun learning a new language. My top 7 tips. #1 is the most useful of all: this is something I struggled with for a very long time, then it was like someone turned on the lights for me.<\/p>\n
7) Listening – Practice listening to Japanese audio. I like to use Spotify: there are a number of podcasts that do this. Japanese YouTubers are also especially helpful. A lot of people talk on topics and hobbies that may match your own, like anime.<\/strong><\/p>\n 6) Subtitles –\u00a0Do not\u00a0watch anime with English subtitles to learn Japanese: you will learn almost nothing. If can feel\u00a0productive, but ultimately you will only glean a few words at most in that specific context because your brain isn’t going to be able to interpret both grammatical forms cohesively in real time. A good way to watch anime and be productive is to turn on\u00a0Japanese\u00a0subtitles with Japanese audio,\u00a0but I’d only recommend it for something you’re\u00a0already\u00a0very familiar\u00a0with.<\/strong><\/p>\n 5) Varied Sources – I find that learning from multiple sources is helpful: I use different apps (bunpro, wanikani, lingodeer, memrise) and youtube channels (Japanese Ammo with Misa and Miku Real Japanese are my favorites) because I find I get bored if I just try to power through one source for the whole thing. This also means I end up reviewing a lot of the same material: I’m practicing more, but in different ways.<\/strong><\/p>\n 4) Consistency – Apps, youtube videos, podcasts, and chat rooms are all great methods for learning Japanese, but the only way that information sticks is if you’re consistently learning. Your class is a perfect start: it means you’re doing this at least weekly, which is great. Take advantage of that and build on habits: I like to review my recordings to see where I went wrong,<\/strong><\/p>\n 3) Pronunciation – A lot of us overthink pronunciation: turns out, pronouncing Japanese syllables is one of the simplest parts of the language. The disadvantage Americans have to that though is that we’re used to stressing certain syllables: “wuhtAHshi wah” sounds different than “watashi wa” if you listen closely: we’re used to adding in extra sounds by default, but it’s best to imitate Japanese by listening closely, then repeating each syllable as you hear it. One of the best things about the video recordings of our lessons is that you get to watch how you perform: I like to compare how I say things to how I heard native speakers. I try to close the distance,\u00a0but it’s something that always\u00a0needs practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n