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Destination 日本語 (Individual TAC 2014) | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| sundance Newbie United States Joined 4719 days ago 20 posts - 22 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Japanese | Message 1 of 2 06 January 2014 at 11:32pm | IP Logged |
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Welcome, gentle readers.
This is my second attempt at completing a TAC. I was unable to finish in 2012 (giving up a measly month-and-a-half into it) due to work pressures, but my love for Japanese did not dim, even though I had to take a break from studying. I lost a lot of ground and am back to an A0+ level, but I have begun again. I am using Japanese for Busy People, Vol. 1, 3rd edition and I am on Lesson 6. Happily, the vocabulary and grammar are sticking better this time round. All the different ways of counting and using numbers (in months, in telling minutes) is quite something to get one's mind around. But even that seems a bit clearer in 2014 than 2012. I have mastered how to order one or two beers -- you know, the essentials -- and without using Pimsleur (not that there is anything wrong with Pimsleur!). I'll post a more detailed introduction and goals shortly. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| sundance Newbie United States Joined 4719 days ago 20 posts - 22 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Japanese | Message 2 of 2 11 January 2014 at 5:54pm | IP Logged |
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I wanted to offer a little introduction to why Japanese and why independent TAC.
Why Japanese? My interest in Japan started on March 11, 2011: the Great East Japan Earthquake. I cannot explain why, but somehow those events made me realize what a special and unique place Japan is... way more than, say, Richard Chamberlain in Shogun. In fact, most of the American view of Japan: geisha, samurai, judo, and so on, didn't really connect with me in isolation. But something about the dignity of the average Japanese as they responded to the Great East Japan Earthquake did. What Happened to My Language Goals in 2012? I apologize to my former teammates from 2012 by disappearing in February of that year. I won't go into details, but basically work life took over for awhile and I didn't have the energy for focused study, the kind you need when establishing a foundation in Japanese. I think I stopped studying for more than a year. I only came back to my textbooks in November 2013. Why Japanese Now? I still love the language and culture! Despite not studying the language, I started exploring the world of Jpop and manga - despite being an old man - heheh, the only time I've seen anyone close to my age in the mange section of an American bookstore is when a mother is accompanying their child or clutching a wishlist and trying to figure out what to buy their child. I must say, though, that I think in Japan men my age do read manga, and I know why. If you work like a "salaryman" you don't really have the energy to read books with long sentences.. well, at least not daily! I've also amassed a small collection of Jpop / J-urban music, and I love it when I can still pick out a word or two. Why Independent TAC? Although my work situation has improved, there will still be intensive times when my studying will unfortunately take the backburner. Also - deep secret (no more!) - I am using the romaji-based Japanese for Busy People. Yes, I am using romaji for the time being, but most all of the dialogues and vocabulary are recorded on CDs, and, truth be told, I am a better audio learner. I will learn hiragana, katakana and kanji starting this year, but most likely not before April. Think of me as an experiment: old man learning Japanese initially through romaji! 1 person has voted this message useful |
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