I'm older than most of the people I know who are learning Japanese. It comes up in conversation a lot and I don't know why. In my little corner of middle Georgia, it never fails: as soon as I mention that I'm studying Japanese, I hear, "I could never learn that language." Inside my head, I want to reply, "You're probably right." I have little patience with the phrase "I can't." It usually just means "I won't."
There are a couple of good articles online that discuss reasons why people fail at learning a second language. Here are the links:
Why Some Spanish Language Learners Fail. This was timely for me because a few days ago I was thinking about how 99% of the people I interact with online speak Japanese to some degree and I was mentally noting that when I decide to improve my Spanish (or try something else new) I should dive into a similar community of learners/speakers. This article links to another good one which I read a long time ago...
Top 10 Reasons Why Expats Who Live In Japan Don’t Know Japanese. The author makes some good points and addresses many of the arguments I've heard/read. Worth the read if you're lagging in your studies and need a little motivation. In fact, the whole site is pretty good motivation, encouraging learners to create an immersion environment no matter where they live. I use it as my excuse for the giant Gackt calendar hanging on the wall in my bedroom :)
Ten good habits for learning Japanese for life in Japan. This article is chock-full of good suggestions for learning Japanese. The recommendation about annotating pitch is really good, but if you're self-teaching, it could be difficult (I know it is for me!). I have a tendency towards emphasis rather than pitch adjustment and I have to spend a good bit of time listening to and repeating words over and over. Even then, I still do it wrong.
My language study is moving along nicely now in every area except for one. I have been extremely reticent about speaking Japanese lately. I am at that awkward stage where I know enough to make simple conversation, but not enough to talk about what I want to talk about as an adult. So I have been really focusing on building my vocabulary and practicing kanji while I mull over this speech thing.
I also decided that I really really really need some people in my real life who speak Japanese. After the holiday break, I'm going to finally check the area (probably starting at the local university) to see if I can find a couple of Japanese speakers to chat with. And if that fails to work out (I'm in a really small town), I am implementing my back-up plan...my kids want to learn Japanese and are doing well at picking up the things I teach them. That's a big responsibility- the blind leading the blind, as the saying goes. But it will definitely push me to make sure that what I learn is correct and it will give us all the opportunity to speak Japanese within our comfort zone. My kids are very driven, so they will keep me moving forward. They are little task-masters!
I have lots of discouragement and frustration ahead. I've experienced some already. But, knowing that those are only temporary phases keeps me going. And looking back six months really keeps me going! I am constantly surprised and amazed at how my comprehension has improved, even when my study habits were a little lax. It reminds me that hard work will reap even greater returns.
There are a couple of good articles online that discuss reasons why people fail at learning a second language. Here are the links:
Why Some Spanish Language Learners Fail. This was timely for me because a few days ago I was thinking about how 99% of the people I interact with online speak Japanese to some degree and I was mentally noting that when I decide to improve my Spanish (or try something else new) I should dive into a similar community of learners/speakers. This article links to another good one which I read a long time ago...
Top 10 Reasons Why Expats Who Live In Japan Don’t Know Japanese. The author makes some good points and addresses many of the arguments I've heard/read. Worth the read if you're lagging in your studies and need a little motivation. In fact, the whole site is pretty good motivation, encouraging learners to create an immersion environment no matter where they live. I use it as my excuse for the giant Gackt calendar hanging on the wall in my bedroom :)
Ten good habits for learning Japanese for life in Japan. This article is chock-full of good suggestions for learning Japanese. The recommendation about annotating pitch is really good, but if you're self-teaching, it could be difficult (I know it is for me!). I have a tendency towards emphasis rather than pitch adjustment and I have to spend a good bit of time listening to and repeating words over and over. Even then, I still do it wrong.
My language study is moving along nicely now in every area except for one. I have been extremely reticent about speaking Japanese lately. I am at that awkward stage where I know enough to make simple conversation, but not enough to talk about what I want to talk about as an adult. So I have been really focusing on building my vocabulary and practicing kanji while I mull over this speech thing.
I also decided that I really really really need some people in my real life who speak Japanese. After the holiday break, I'm going to finally check the area (probably starting at the local university) to see if I can find a couple of Japanese speakers to chat with. And if that fails to work out (I'm in a really small town), I am implementing my back-up plan...my kids want to learn Japanese and are doing well at picking up the things I teach them. That's a big responsibility- the blind leading the blind, as the saying goes. But it will definitely push me to make sure that what I learn is correct and it will give us all the opportunity to speak Japanese within our comfort zone. My kids are very driven, so they will keep me moving forward. They are little task-masters!
I have lots of discouragement and frustration ahead. I've experienced some already. But, knowing that those are only temporary phases keeps me going. And looking back six months really keeps me going! I am constantly surprised and amazed at how my comprehension has improved, even when my study habits were a little lax. It reminds me that hard work will reap even greater returns.
2 comments:
I admit it, I've never technically "studied" Japanese, but I'm in the process of having to learn French right now I have to remember what you described, because it can be applied to any language.
Ahh, French. I took two years of it in high school and all I really remember are offensive things that I learned outside of class. Good luck with your learning & whatever plans are associated with it.
I enjoy your blogs; thanks for visiting mine!
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