Posts Tagged ‘vocabulary’

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.

Most people underestimate the importance of setting goals. But learning to set goals can be one of the most important things to achieve success that you do. Setting goals helps you to realize what it is that you are really trying to achieve. It also helps you to see what is really important to you. Just writing down your goals makes them more clear and therefore obtainable.

Below I have created a small list to help you set your goals. I have also created a sample using a single achievement.

1. Write the things you want to have, do, and achieve in a list. ( Be specific as possible, the more specific, the easier it will be to achieve)
2. Arrange the list in order of importance. 1 being the most important thing you want to accomplish
3. Create a time span for each goal. ie: I want to speak conversational Japanese in 3 months
4. Create a a list of tasks you must complete to achieve your goal (focus on the most important and efficient tasks.
5. Number your tasks according to importance. 1 being the most important.
6. Put your tasks on a schedule and stick to them. The most important part in achieving your goals is to create behaviors that allow you to complete the tasks.
7. Have a backup plans when needed. ie: if you are trying to lose weight and miss a day of exercise due to some unforeseen circumstance, have a plan that allows you to do a longer work out session the next time.

Example:

(The below example only covers a single achievement. The process will be a little longer when you consider all of your goals.)

1. Speak conversational Japanese within 3 months
2. (This step will be skipped as I am only focusing on one goal)
3. Within 3 months
4. Research internet and purchase basic Japanese language book or computer program, learn 500 vocab words, listen to Japanese language CD, watch movies in Japanese with English subtitles. Find and speak with Japanese friend.
5. 1. Purchase Japanese language book or computer program (must have� 2. Memorize 500 vocabulary words/create flash cards 3. Watch movies in Japanese 4. Speak with Japanese friend. 5. listen to Japanese language CD

• May 24: Spend 1 hour on web tonight from 6:00pm researching a good book or computer program.Order book online and ship next day air or pick up at nearest book store after work. Also purchase 500 cards to create flash cards
• Every Sunday starting from may 25 10:00pm: Create 100 flash cards using vocabulary from book (approximately 2 hours) 5 Sundays total
• Weekdays: Listen to Japanese language CD in the car during work commute
• Weekdays: Study book for 1 hour everyday during lunch at work noon-1pm
• Weekdays: Review vocabulary flash cards every night for 30 minutes before going to bed. Speak out loud (If arrive home to late from work, wake up 30 minutes early and practice in the morning
• Saturday and Sunday night at 6:00pm: Watch movie in Japanese with English subtitles
• After one month, find a Japanese friend on Skype to practice with. Practice with that person 3 times a week for 30 minutes per day (Tues, Thurs, Sat)
• During last month practice 4 days a week for 45 minute per day (Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun) Okay to change days, but must complete at least 4 per week
• Write down new words learned during practice
• If master material early, purchase higher level book and create more flash cards.
• August 29-Leave to Japan!!!!!!!!!!

This is just an example of what a list might look like. You can create your list however you like. The important thing is to get it down in writing. Just the act of writing it down seems to make it concrete in your mind. It can be difficult to do the first time, but it does get easier the more you do it.

For more in detail reading, I recommend you you read Brian Tracy’s book titled Time Power. He covers in great detail how to set and achieve your life goals. Another great one is The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss. you can also find his blog here.

One last note, don’t start out to big. If you start with a schedule that is too intensive you can get burnt out. It is better to start off a little slower and then build up. Once you get yourself in good habits it gets much easier.