Some random thoughts and ideas on learning Japanese, or any other language for that matter. Some are mine and some I found around the web.  I didn’t have much time and wrote this “on the fly” so to speak. Please forgive my lack of editing. 　すみません。

Motivation –  to succeed at learning anything new we need a good reason. Having a clear goal will help you stay motivated.  Ask yourself why you want to learn Japanese. Write that goal down, being as specific as possible.

Communication – you’re learning Japanese to communicate. Don’t worry about perfection. If you can get your point across to someone and understand theirs, while speaking Japanese, that’s really all that matters.

Mistakes – don’t be afraid to make them … it’s how we learn. This goes for more than just using incorrect vocabulary. I recently tried speaking, in my limited Japanese, with a Korean woman(gasp) assuming that because she was working in the Japanese food section of a grocery store..she must be Japanese…serious feux pas I know. While she was quite gracious about it, I was very embarrased.  The point is, I survived to make new mistakes another day.

Relevant – learning anything new is easier if the subject matter is of interest to us. Learn vocabulary common to subjects that you enjoy. Art, music, sports, work… learn new words about the things you enjoy.

Start – while this seems obvious, it’s easy to spend a lot of time researching for books, methods, apps, websites, etc. instead of actually learning the language. See the list of books I purchased as a perfect example. Pick a learning resource, any learning resource, and begin by reading the first page. Learn how to say hello…then good-bye..and thank you..and you will be off and learning.

Schedule a regular time period, without distractions, for learning. Success will come easier if you schedule your learning, and make it a habit. Try not to skip a scheduled learning session. Even if you manage a partial lesson, that’s better than skipping. It’s a slippery slope!

Practice speaking with people. Don’t be afraid. The family owners of a local Japanese restaurant were impressed that I was trying to learn their language and have been kind enough to let me practice on/with them. Of course they now have a loyal weekly customer too. In return I try and visit when they’re less likely to be busy with other customers…and leave a good tip. There’s a Japanese grocery store in Victoria called Fujiya. Not only do they sell delicious Japanese food but their staff are friendly and kind and have always been willing to stumble along with my beginner attempts to communicate with them in Japanese.

Have fun learning!! Studying Japanese shouldn’t be a chore. Learn about the country, its people, culture and history. The more I learn of Japan, the more interested I become. It’s a fascinating culture.

Have patience. There will be ups and downs. Stick with it. It’s a long term process and perserverance will get you there.

Learn Hiragana and Katakana. It may seem difficult when you first explore these syllaberies, but in just a few weeks, with only twenty(ish) minutes a day, I was able to master them. There are many websites and Youtube videos offering help. Find the one that works for you. I used menemonics and hand writing a new row every day, as well as rewriting the rows already learned.

Find a Japanese language book that works for you, and stick with just that single book. I wasted some time initially, trying to use multiple text books. Oh and when reading Japanese, do so out loud. Say the words, don’t just think them.

Incorporate Japanese into your daily life. Even in the beginning with a limited vocabulary, speak it daily. Even simple things like saying please and thank you in Japanese. Label objects in your house with Japanese and start using those words. Talk to family, neighbours, pets or even yourself in Japanese.

Listen to the language as often as possible. Hearing the rhythm and flow of the language helps. Online there are any number of ways to listen…radio, tv, videos, podcasts. Mobile devices now make it easy to take the language with you.

Use technology. There are websites, apps, videos along with communication tools such as Skype or Facebook.

And remember..10% of Japanese vocabulary comes from English. So you already know part of the language! Here’s a few examples …

Hoteru ホテル = Hotel

juusu ジュース= juice

Suupaa スーパ = Supermarket

Konbini コンビニ = Convenience store

ありがとう　ございます。