Simplistic Thoughts » Language

30 day challenges, how-to videos, product reviews, adventure videos, and other updates coming to Simplistic Thoughts

Nick — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:54:55 +0000

When I first started this blog several years ago I used to post several times a week. I then moved from Tokyo to pursue Internet Marketing and started focusing more on making a living on the web than just enjoying it. Unfortunately, I tended to ignore this website.

Lately, I am finally starting to learn how to do both. I am really excited with the content I have planned for this blog, and I think you will enjoy it.

Lately, I am really getting into video and editing and I have been wanting to do more with this on the blog. My camera was flooded on a snorkeling trip, but I have a new HD camera on the way and figured what better way to tell you about the new plans for the website than make a video. The camera hasn’t arrived yet and neither has my new computer (I am typing this on a 6 year old laptop). But, I figured rather than wait, I would get started and use what I have.

This was shot on my iphone and edited using a free program on my 6 year old laptop. Let me know what you think, and please leave comments and subscribe (you can find a subscribe button on the sidebar) to my YouTube account. I will have many more vids on the way.

Common Japanese Words list for Anki and Mnemosyne

Nick — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:42:35 +0000

Living in Japan, I have made a number of posts about learning the Japanese language and living in Japan. So for all of you readers who are interested, or might be thinking about studying Japanese there is a list containing over 1000 common Japanese words and kanji.

The list has been divided up to make it easier to learn and has also been converted into different formats. You can use it with both Anki and Menmosyne. Since it is in txt file it should also work with many memory programs.

You can download the lists at the link below

Common Japanese Words

Good luck!

Common Japanese Phrases and Words

Nick — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:02:05 +0000

Regardless of whether you are starting to learn Japanese or plan to visit Japan for business or vacation, you have start learning somewhere. One of the best places to start is with some of the most common Japanese phrases and most common Japanese words.

First, if you are trying to learn the language, then learning the common Japanese phrases will allow you to communicate in very basic conversation helping to boost your confidence and motivate you to continue learning. As with most languages, it is a small percentage of words that make up the majority of speech. Learning the most common Japanese words well will help you to communicate much better.

If you are traveling to Japan on business, learning common Japanese phrases and words will allow you to not only get around better, but may help your business relations go smoother. Your Japanese counterparts will be impressed with you effort to try and speak basic Japanese even if it is ordering a drink or saying “hello” or “thank you”. If you are are planning to visit Japan as a tourist then I would highly recommend earning at least common Japanese phrases and common Japanese words. Even in Tokyo there are a lot of places where you may not be able to find a person who can speak English. Being able to ask “where is this” or say please will help you get around better and receive more help.

Below is a list of some of the common Japanese words and phrases you might want to know if in Japan.It isn’t a complete list by any means, but it is enough to help you ask and answer some important questions. I have also listed more resources for learning Japanese further below.

Common Japanese Words

Excuse me, sorry- Sumimasen- (you can use this word to get the attention of your server
How much- Ikura
I, me- Watashi
Train- Densha
Money- Okane
Taxi-Takushi
Hotel- Hoteru
What- Nani
Where-Doko
Yes- Hai
No- Iie
Name- Namae
Please- onegaishimasu
Thank you- Arigatou gozaimasu
Hopital- byouin
Water- Omizu

Common Japanese Phrases

Where is…- ~wa doko desu ka?
How much is this- Ikura desu ka?
Nice to meet you- Hajimemashite
My name is…- Watashi wa ~ desu?
It was delicious- Oishikatta desu (used after finishing a meal)
How are you- Ogenki desu ka?
I’m looking forward to it- Otanoshimi shiteimasu
I want to go to…- ~ni ikitai desu
Thank you- arigatou gozaimasu
Can you speak English- Eigo ga hansemasu ka?
I’m sorry, I don’t understand- Gomen nasai, wakarimasen
I don’t know- Shirimasen

Helpful materials to learn Japanese

Japanese Words List- over 1000 Japanese words in pdf format.
Learning Japanese Words
How to Learn Japanese Words
Studying Common Japanese Words to Gain Fluency
List of Phrases
Rikaichan- Firefox Plugin showing popup readings and meanings of Japanese words.

Studying Japanese-Optimize your time

Nick — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:48:52 +0000

I published an article yesterday on choosing the right materials when studying a language. The article was pretty long and focused on general language study. A friend mentioned to me that it would be very helpful if I could put together a short, easy to read list that focuses on helpful tips for learning Japanese. Here it is!

Tips for learning to speak Japanese

Choose materials containing updated conversation and words. Languages change and studying from books 10 years old will not be very helpful. Choose materials that have very common Japanese words and phrases. Computer programs can be quite useful because many of them offer both listening and speaking practice and contain common Japanese phrases and words.

Once you have chosen your Japanese study materials, get to studying. Repetition is the key. Study the words and phrases out loud this will help you speak the word and also hear the meaning. First learn from English to Japanese and then study the Japanese memorizing the English meaning. Failure to do this is why many people learn to understand , but are unable to speak.
Start watching TV and movies in Japanese. Japanese movies and videos are a great way to learn how things are actually said and give you more listening practice. It is the Chance to drill into your brain all the words you have been learning. I recommend watching with Japanese audio and English subtitles.
Use technology to your advantage. There are a number of website focused on learning Japanese as well as audio or video to download for your ipod or mp3 player. There are forums where you can meet other language people and even connect with Japanese people.
Make lots of mistakes. One of the biggest reasons people fail to learn to speak the language is because they are afraid to make mistakes. Making mistakes is just part of learning and actually helps you learn quicker. And of course, have fun

Tips for learning written Japanese and kanji

Practice, practice, Practice. One of the important parts in memorizing kanji is constant practice. You must actually take the time to put the pen on the paper over and over again. The good part is that writing the kanji will also help you memorize words and meanings.
Use Kanji in words. It is important to learn how to write each kanji, but the best way to really memorize them is through the use of words. Using kanji in words will also help you learn the various readings
Use association to create a relationship in your mind. This can be done by associating Kanji with words, their meanings, or even to how they look. Find the system that works best for you.
Study on the go. Kanji is something that you will forget if you don’t constantly use it. This is even more true when you are first learning. Use flash cards or digital technology (the itouch/iphone has some cool kanji programs) to study on the go.
Create a list of Kanji you come across that you don’t know to study later. This is even better for those living in Japan.

Learning Japanese can be difficult, but the rewards and great feelings that come along with communicating in Japanese and understanding the written language largely outweigh the hard work.

Ganbarimashou!

If you found this article helpful, please join my rss feed.

The Right Materials

Nick — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:28:24 +0000

I recently sat down to study Japanese (something I have been doing a lot more of lately) and something came to mind as I looked down at my language materials (pictured above). Choosing the right materials and the right method of study is just as important as how hard you study. This statement holds true in just about anything you try to learn. You can get more out of practicing something right 10 times than you can in doing it wrong a thousand times.

When it comes to learning a language, the first thing you should consider is why you are studying and what you want to get out of it. Do you want to be able to communicate on a vacation or do you plan to work in a foreign country. Studying to communicate on a vacation would require that you focus on the spoken and listening aspects of the language and the latter would require that you also learn to read and write. Participation in normal daily conversation would also require a much smaller vocabulary base than someone working in a foreign country. This gap can get even wider when you consider the complex alphabets containing thousands of characters in the Japanese and Chinese system.

Living and working in Japan, the reading and writing skills are important to me. However, since the character set is large and complex, it means that I spend the majority of my time learning them. Spending time learning all the characters and words that are rarely used slows down my ability to obtain oral fluency. There are thousands and thousands of words, but only a small portion make up the majority of most conversations. The same 80/20 rule that applies to work, stating 80 percent of all the results are achieved through 20% of the tasks, also applies to languages. I have listed a few recommendations for getting the most out your language studies.

1. Set a clear goal- Decide what you want to accomplish by studying the language as the materials will change drastically. If oral fluency is your goal then you need to focus on a different skill set than someone who wants to read e-mail with a pen pal.

2. Choose your materials carefully- Keep your goal in mind when choosing how and what you will study. If you want to gain oral fluency, then a formal class and materials structured to learn grammar will not be effective in helping you to reach your goal. Spending time to find the best materials will save you a lot of time later.

3. Choose study methods that meet your life- Everyone learns differently and has a different schedule. For someone with a long commute focusing on oral communication, audio programs in the car will be a way to learn words and gain listening skills. Where as someone studying written language may need to read from a book during their lunch hour. If you are not sure how you learn the best, try different methods and see which one works best for you. I believe combining visual with audio is best, but that may not be possible in all situation (ex. learning while driving).

4. Use technology- Use technology to increase study effectiveness and study where traditional materials wont go. The Iphone or Itouch have a number of language programs and flash card application as does the Nintendo DS. Not only are they small and can be used without a light source, but allow you to focus on the areas you want. You do not have to follow them like a book. These types of technologies also help increase the study time by cutting down on the waste. You can spend much more time studying using an electric dictionary than fumbling through a paper one.

5. Ask for advice- Talk to people who have already mastered the language you want to study. Chances are they can give you some tips that will help you speed up your learning. They can also generally provide a large dose of inspiration.

6. Have fun- Learning a language should be fun. Enjoy the time that you spend learning and try not to get overwhelmed. You will be amazed at how much you can learn if you keep at it.

7. Practice makes perfect- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes people make is not using a language because they are afraid to make a mistake. If you don’t use it, you won’t get much better. I tend to learn the best after making a mistake. My mistakes have also created some great laughter.

8. Study continuously- Language is like not like riding a bike. If you don’t use it you will forget it. Use it when ever you have the chance. Luckily, once you learn it, you can re-learn it very quickly.

Common Japanese language phrases

Nick — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:10:09 +0000

I recently stumbled upon a Japanese phrase site containing a large number of very common phrases used in everyday life. I realize the site isn’t designed great, but the content is pretty good. The reason I think so is that the quicker you learn the real common language the better you will be able to converse and learn even more through conversation. It is also useful for anyone traveling to Japan as a tourist. Obviously this isn’t for hard-core Japanese language learners as it is written all in English, but it’s a start.

5 Tips To Improve Your Japanese skills

Nick — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:37:47 +0000

As the world is getting smaller, the ability to speak language has become very important. I came from a small town in California, and my ability to speak Japanese has opened up a number of opportunities I couldn’t have had otherwise. Here is a list that has helped me and others in the pursuit to become better speakers. This list is focused on Japanese, but should be helpful for any language.

1. Study at least every other day- it is better to study a little often than a lot once and a while

2. Watch movies- first in English (or your native language) and then in Japanese.

3. Set goals- Set realistic goals such as learn 100 kanji in 10 weeks and then study 10 per week

4. Speak with Friends- this will make it fun, and when it’s fun it doesn’t feel like learning

5. Monitor your overall progress- doing so will help give you the confidence to keep going.

日本語-Sticking With It

Nick — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:22:37 +0000

One of the difficult parts with language is sticking with it until you reach a level of fluency. This is particularly true with a language like Japanese. Not only do you need to learn the vocabulary and the grammar, but you must also learn the kanji and how to read them. As you are learning, you will come to barriers that seem to stop or slow your progress. Especially once you start looking at obtaining higher levels of fluency, what would be considered business or native level. Below I have given a small list of things you can do to push yourself through the difficult times.

Set Goals- Decide to study a certain amount each day or each week2. Planning to take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) can be a great way to do this since it is held once a year and has a set number of kanji you need to study
Break study down into smaller segments. It is better to study four days a week for 30 minutes than 1 day a week for 2 hours.
Get involved in activities that excite and remind you why you started studying.
Try to study in a fun way, such as watching a Japanese movie or speaking with a friend.
Lastly, measure your progress overall. You will have a lot more motivation to keep pushing forward if you realize how far you’ve come since the beginning.

Persistence is a key factor in language success. If you stick with it, and keep working hard you will eventually get there. How fast you get there, only depends on how much you put into it. There have been a number of times, where I felt I would just stay at the level I was. It was usually a fun interaction or experience that gave me the renewed energy to keep going. 頑張りましょう。

Confidence In Language

Nick — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:19:33 +0000

As the world becomes smaller and more connected, learning other languages has become extremely important. Understanding multiple cultures and speaking multiple languages will open a number of opportunities for someone entering the workforce. Having the ability to work in multiple languages and in different countries can also protect you from economic downturns and downsizing.

So how do we get comfortable with a language? Hard work and continuous study are important, but those alone will not get you there. To really improve at a language you need to get out there and not be afraid to make mistakes. In fact, mistakes will actually help you learn quicker. You have to get out of your comfort zone to gain the confidence that allows you to relax and feel comfortable in the language. During my study at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan I watched a lot of great students study hard, but not really raise their language ability. They understand the material, but were not willing to put themselves into circumstances that really allowed their abilities to grow.

One great way I have found to learn a language is to find something that you really love to do, where they only speak the language you are trying to learn. When you are enjoying the activity, you don’t think about learning the language, and that’s when you really learn. However, for those of you who are unable to get into those types of situations due to locations, there is a new intuitive program put out by a company called Cerego. Cerego is created my the same people who created the Princeton Review here in Japan. They are now starting a new a new online site, “iknow” that will be somewhat like a mix between a language learning program and a social interaction site like Facebook. The service is currently offered for Japanese speaking people who want to learn English, but they will soon be adding other languages as well.

英語を勉強したい日本人にはCeregoのiknowがあります。iknowは英語を学ぶためのオンラインプログラ� です＋mixiみたいなオンラインコミュニティ。

Putting in the Time (One at a Time)

Nick — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:16:16 +0000

Growing up as a child, I always knew exactly what I wanted to be. A fireman, a ninja, a biologist, a soccer star, a basketball player, a lawyer, a race car driver, etc. Though I changed my ideas and goals (when I had them) as a child quite often, I was completely focused on what ever it was that I was interested in at that time. When I wanted to become a basketball player, it was all I ever thought about. I played, I read, I watched, and I lived basketball. There was nothing else in my life that seemed to be more important. I was able to become good at many of these things because I would devote all my efforts to just one thing.

As we get older we seem to lose this ability. We try to do so many things that we never really become good at any of them. I believe the same thing can be said for multi-tasking as well. We could all do things a lot better if we focused on them one at a time. In order to do this we all need to figure out what’s really important to us. I find that I have so many interests that I that I am going from one thing to the next while never getting the full enjoyment out of each. Always rushing though one to get to the next. In his book The Dip, Seth Godin talks about how most of the benefits of doing something come from the last 20 percent of the task. And it’s those who really get good at something who reap all the rewards.

After reading this book I realized I had been doing a lot of things, but switching to something else before I really got good. I have decided to devote myself to the things I really want to learn and that I think will be important in my career. I am currently living in in Tokyo, Japan and so my main focus will be Japanese. I currently speak well, but the there is a big difference between speaking well and being able to do business. So Japanese will take presence over all other activities. This will still leave plenty of time to keep studying management and business practices as long as I cut out the things I don’t plan to pursue till the end. So I guess the point of this post is you can try to learn many things, but make sure you put in the time to the things that are really important to you. Because being really good at those things will allow you to reap all the rewards.