Posts Tagged ‘Language’

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。

Related links

• Learning Japanese Language – So if your thinking about studying Japanese try Pimsleur Japanese. ….
• On Studying Japanese: Disappearing Electricity – Studying Japanese, or any other language for that matter, is a challenging and frustrating experience, but quite rewarding if you put the time in.
• JapanNewbie.com – Japan Blogging – Now that I’m in student mode again, time to break out the notebooks, pencils and dictionaries. One unique study method you have probably seen if you’re in Japan is what Japanese people call the (tangocyou), or Word Cards.

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。

Other helpful links

• World Association of International Studies, Stanford University … – Dick Hancock writes:Romaji or Romagi is Japan’s version of the Romanized language.   As a translator, my wife Nancy has had a great deal of experience with this language.   She says that it is perfectly adequate for younger Japanese although they sometimes say that it is not very expressive.
• w00kie’s ramblings » JLPT results – February 8, 2007 at 1:41 am · Filed under Japan, Me, myself and I. I received my 日本語能力試験 (otherwise known as JLPT or Japanese Language Proficiency Test) results today after more than 2 months. JLPT result sheet …
• Found in Translation | Studying Foreign Languages To Better … – The one pet-peeve I have that I just cant seem to get over is hearing people use the word good as an adverb.