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Pushing forward with Japanese

  Tags: Japanese
 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log Post Reply
11 messages over 2 pages: 1 2  Next >>
ManicGenius
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5485 days ago

288 posts - 420 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Esperanto, French, Japanese

 
 Message 1 of 11
22 November 2009 at 6:15am | IP Logged 
I've always had a penchant for attempting to learn languages. Often up until now there have been obstacles. Friends and family would often ridicule me for attempting to learn languages. Usually with a disapproving "Why would you want to learn THAT!?" And honestly, it's really hard for me to explain why I want to learn, I just do (Japanese/German/Russian/French/Spanish/Hindi/Swedish/Norweg ian/Mandarin) <- not necessarily in that order. I actually come from a very close minded town in the USA (in the Northeast oddly enough), where outsiders are generally looked down upon pretty heavily. So generally if I had my head in a language book people would actually treat me fairly cruelly about it.

OK. Enough griping about the past.

My prior experience in Japanese:

One full semester of a college level class, of which I remember barely anything.
A couple attempts at RTK, only made it to about 100 or so.
The full Michel Thomas set which I have just finished last week. (excluding Advanced).
Assimil Japanese, up to lesson 24.
Should prolly note that I have all the kana down pat thanks to that class.

Note: Kanji are relatively easy for me. I practice my art quite a bit so shape recognition is kind've ingrained in me. I'm also a visual learner so that helps quite a bit as well.

Goals:
50-75 Kanji everyday until it's finished and all my cards are in the system.
25-50 AJATT sentences everyday after the Kanji.
5 lessons p/d of Assimil after the Kanji, along with the AJATT method.
Reading books/manga in Japanese. I got よつばと! ready to go.

Current status starting as of 11/21/09:
250 Kanji from RTK

Remembered about 80/100 from RTK after a year long hiatus with one error in writing those 80, 20 were forgotten... so I think the method works, because of that I pick up readings quickly. (At least when I took class)

Edited by ManicGenius on 22 November 2009 at 6:17am

1 person has voted this message useful



Captain Haddock
Diglot
Senior Member
Japan
kanjicabinet.tumblr.
Joined 6772 days ago

2282 posts - 2814 votes 
Speaks: English*, Japanese
Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek

 
 Message 2 of 11
22 November 2009 at 8:35am | IP Logged 
If you can learn 50 kanji a day you will overcome the most serious obstacle for Japanese learners very quickly.
1 person has voted this message useful



onesteptwostep
Groupie
United Kingdom
Joined 5777 days ago

49 posts - 50 votes
Speaks: English*
Studies: French, Japanese, Korean

 
 Message 3 of 11
22 November 2009 at 5:53pm | IP Logged 
I'm interested to see how this will go. :) I tried to learn Japanese a while ago, but was soon discouraged by the sheer amount of kanji. The best of luck to you!
1 person has voted this message useful



ManicGenius
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5485 days ago

288 posts - 420 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Esperanto, French, Japanese

 
 Message 4 of 11
22 November 2009 at 7:18pm | IP Logged 
onesteptwostep wrote:
I'm interested to see how this will go. :) I tried to learn Japanese a while ago, but was soon discouraged by the sheer amount of kanji. The best of luck to you!


I find with Kanji and anything in life really, it's best to attack things in small chunks. It makes it far more manageable. Like with my art, I draw at least one thing a day. Over time you just naturally get better. Same goes with Kanji. 50 is my goal but if I get at least 25 per day I'd be happy. I don't look at as "bah, 1700 to go", I look at it as "woohoo 50 more today!".

Same thing with the sentences. I plan on pulling all of mine from books, magazines, and websites I've always wanted to read. Eventually, it should just end up clicking. Once I get a good grounding that way I want to find some Japanese friends who want to practice English, to practice my Japanese with (then my ability should really take off!)

Along with learning an actual language, it's a never-ending process. I'm still learning English words I've never heard of and are still entering my lexicon (and I'm a native!).
1 person has voted this message useful



ManicGenius
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5485 days ago

288 posts - 420 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Esperanto, French, Japanese

 
 Message 5 of 11
22 November 2009 at 7:20pm | IP Logged 
Side note: I work with a Russian guy, and after learning Kana and about 250 Kanji, last Friday I decided to see if I could learn Cyrillic.

Umm... I learned it in an afternoon...

Edited by ManicGenius on 22 November 2009 at 7:21pm

1 person has voted this message useful



Captain Haddock
Diglot
Senior Member
Japan
kanjicabinet.tumblr.
Joined 6772 days ago

2282 posts - 2814 votes 
Speaks: English*, Japanese
Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek

 
 Message 6 of 11
23 November 2009 at 4:44am | IP Logged 
ManicGenius wrote:
Side note: I work with a Russian guy, and after learning Kana and about 250 Kanji, last
Friday I decided to see if I could learn Cyrillic.

Umm... I learned it in an afternoon...


Yeah, doesn't Japanese make normal alphabets easy? :) It took me about 5 minutes to learn the Greek alphabet,
which leaves me wondering who the market for all these "Greek alphabet flashcard apps" is.
1 person has voted this message useful



ManicGenius
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5485 days ago

288 posts - 420 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Esperanto, French, Japanese

 
 Message 7 of 11
23 November 2009 at 6:12am | IP Logged 
Captain Haddock wrote:

Yeah, doesn't Japanese make normal alphabets easy? :) It took me about 5 minutes to learn the Greek alphabet,
which leaves me wondering who the market for all these "Greek alphabet flashcard apps" is.


Marketed to the same people who buy Rosetta Stone thinking it'll make them completely fluent.
1 person has voted this message useful



maaku
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5578 days ago

359 posts - 562 votes 
Speaks: English*

 
 Message 8 of 11
23 November 2009 at 7:21am | IP Logged 
Who cares for fluency as long as you are able to impress that Italian supermodel.


1 person has voted this message useful



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