Want to learn Japanese faster? I’m Kanako, your online Japanese teacher.
In this lesson, I will explain tips to learn Japanese faster. I have taught thousands of students over 9 years, and those who have become proficient in Japanese share common strategies.
First, let me ask you this question: why do you want to study Japanese? Living in Japan? Traveling to Japan? Working in Japan? Want to watch anime or drama without subtitles? Setting your Japanese goal is a key point to learning Japanese faster.
I often get asked these questions: how can I become fluent in Japanese, and how long does it take to achieve fluency? It’s a difficult question to answer. There are so many levels when it comes to learning a language, and the standard of fluency depends on the person as well.
But I can give you two important tips to learn Japanese faster.
Tip 1: Never skip learning grammar.
You need to know at least N5 and N4 levels to speak Japanese and start understanding what people are saying. Even if you have different goals, grammar remains essential.
Many people say, ‘Learning with a textbook is totally different from normal conversations.’ But, as a Japanese teacher, I can tell you that learning grammar is key to boosting your Japanese level.
All textbooks will teach you conjugations, which are crucial for constructing sentences in Japanese, including casual Japanese.
I’ve seen many students who passed N2 or even N1 proficiency. Most of them studied grammar hard at the beginner level. Some have even been accepted into top Japanese universities or are working at Japanese companies. If you have dreams like these, don’t rush, and don’t skip learning beginner grammar.
It might seem boring now, but you’ll understand why I’m emphasizing this in the future.
If you have a basic level of grammar, all you need to do now is learn more vocabulary. It may sound boring, but if you want to understand and speak, you need to have some vocabulary.
If I say “konnichiwa. Arigatogozaimasu” at a normal speed, I think you can understand. But even if I speak slowly, “何名様ですか。店内ご利用ですか。” If you don’t know these vocabularies, you won’t understand. So, of course, sometimes it’s about the speed, but most of the time, people have difficulties understanding due to the lack of vocabulary.
Tip 2: Input is key.
Many people suggest that trying to speak Japanese or making Japanese friends is helpful for learning the language. Yes, that’s true, but I may disagree with that.
Let me tell you why I may disagree. When you speak Japanese, you can actually communicate with broken grammar and only a few words.
For example, saying “kore” while pointing or even using a phrase like ‘oishiideshita,’ which is grammatically wrong, but still, people can understand, and no one will tell you your Japanese is wrong. Most of us are happy when people try to speak Japanese. We appreciate your effort.
But at the same time, this might have a negative side. Since no one tells you your Japanese is wrong, it’s important to learn a certain level of grammar so that you can realize your grammar mistakes and correct your Japanese yourself.
I recommend listening to Japanese more than speaking, especially when you are a beginner. If you live in Japan, try to listen to Japanese conversations, learn some phrases, and take notes. If you are not in Japan, that’s fine; we have many ways to listen to Japanese like YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Netflix. Just try to listen to Japanese and write some phrases in your notes.
In my opinion, vlog or interview-type videos are the best for learning languages. You can see their facial expressions, gestures, and filler words like “eee” or “nnnn.” In our generation, it’s not necessary to go abroad to learn a language. You can study anytime, anywhere. So, use this opportunity to learn languages.
You can take notes for some useful sentences and memorize everything.
I hope you learned something new today. 2 key points never skip learning grammar and lots of input!
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