Learning Japanese [New in Japan]

[Kenjikun]

Hi, My name is けんじ.

I came in Japan for about a month ago (From the Philippines)

Though I started to study Kanji (Im only 17, no school, well, my dad doesnt want me to go to school, he wants me to study full time nihonggo so here I am struggling like a boss), I am having a hard time memorizing the on and kunyomi. I probably will achieve N5 level if onyomi didn't exist. >.>;.

What do you guys think about this? What would help me learn a lot of Kanji surely?

Orrrr. Maybe you guys could man to man (no homo) tutor me! If anyone lives in Asakusa. ><.

 

[undrentide]

Just memorizing all the on/kun yomi for each kanji does not really work, it's better and more efficient to increase your vocabulary and see what kanji is used and how it is pronounced at the same time.

I do not know which side of Asakusa you're residing, there are Japanese language classes by volunteers both in Sumida-ku and Taito-ku, here's the list.
Volunteer Japanese-Language Classes in Tokyo

Go to the ward office and you should be able to get more detailed information.
Those classes are basically free (might need some fee for text books etc.) and good but since most of the cases they are taught by volunteer teachers who are not necessarily qualified and there're limits what you can learn free of charge.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Kenjikun]

Just memorizing all the on/kun yomi for each kanji does not really work, it's better and more efficient to increase your vocabulary and see what kanji is used and how it is pronounced at the same time.

I do not know which side of Asakusa you're residing, there are Japanese language classes by volunteers both in Sumida-ku and Taito-ku, here's the list.
Volunteer Japanese-Language Classes of Tokyo

Go to the ward office and you should be able to get more detailed information.
Those classes are basically free (might need some fee for text books etc.) and good but since most of the cases they are taught by volunteer teachers who are not necessarily qualified and there're limits what you can learn free of charge.

Just my 2 cents.

Yes I am going to take volunteer classes in Taitoku! I am also taking classes in the Taitoku Library. But of course teaching alone does not make you better, own effort is must. So I ask you guys on good learning habits

 

[nekojita]

Try looking for kanji practice books for kids - something like 漢字ドリル. Usually there's some tests for reading and writing that give a little bit of context (like a short sentence) and ask you to either give the right kanji where they've written it in kana, or to give the right kana for a particular kanji, e.g. if the word is 花見 vs 花びん

There are a bunch of free pdfs here:
漢字ドリルの ジャッカ [無料ダウンロード版/一般家庭用] PDFプリントをGET！

(but it is probably just as easy as you are in Japan to buy a few of the books, and work through them).

(but it is probably just as easy as you are in Japan to buy a few of the books, and work through them).

 

[nameless]

Another vote for kanji through vocabulary. If you want a system to introduce kanji to you in a somewhat logical order, try みんなの日本語漢字練習帳 and pair it with a spaced repetition system. We used that workbook at school and it was pretty successful; almost all of those who studied ended up passing the mandatory tests given each week. You learn about 25 characters per lesson and the nice thing is that the book has reading and writing exercises for each lesson.

 

[eeky]

I also agree that trying to memorise kanji readings separately from learning vocabulary is a waste of time. I tried it, and it was the most mind-numbing and dispiriting of experiences.

 

[Kenjikun]

I bought みんなの日本語, theres this cd that included in it. Should I listen to it numerous times? I know some Japanese since my dad is Japanese (lol). I just dont know how exactly should I increase my vocab.

 

[Mike Cash]

Are you here for a short visit or is Japan going to be your permanent home now?

 

[Kenjikun]

Are you here for a short visit or is Japan going to be your permanent home now?

my permanent home now. Got Japanese Passport recently.

 

[Mike Cash]

my permanent home now. Got Japanese Passport recently.

Then, yes, you need to listen to that CD and anything else you can get your hands on over and over again. You have a lot of catching up to do. You have a lot of very hard work to do, especially with the kanji. You have my full sympathy, but unfortunately there is no shortcut for learning or any substitute for spending hours and hours diligently working. I want to encourage you to do your best. You don't want to spend your life here illiterate.

 

[Kenjikun]

Then, yes, you need to listen to that CD and anything else you can get your hands on over and over again. You have a lot of catching up to do. You have a lot of very hard work to do, especially with the kanji. You have my full sympathy, but unfortunately there is no shortcut for learning or any substitute for spending hours and hours diligently working. I want to encourage you to do your best. You don't want to spend your life here illiterate.

Thats what my father told me and Im not liking it lately. >.>;. I was planning to go to university someday and prolly head somewhere else. Escapeeee. Lol.

 

[Mike Cash]

One of the jobs of fathers is to tell their children things they don't like but need to hear anyway. Your father is right.

Learning Japanese (and kanji) is very much like pushing a car which is out of gas. At first it takes a lot of hard pushing and there is hardly any forward motion. But after you get the car moving a little, it doesn't take quite as much effort to keep it moving.

You're at the hardest part of the learning process right now. The more you learn, the easier it becomes to learn more. Don't be discouraged or give up.

 

[Kenjikun]

Any prescribed hours of learning and having fun?

 

[Mike Cash]

Any prescribed hours of learning and having fun?

1 Corinthians 13:11

 

[Andromedashun]

I also agree that trying to memorise kanji readings separately from learning vocabulary is a waste of time. I tried it, and it was the most mind-numbing and dispiriting of experiences.

Waste? I disagree. In fact, learning Kanji separately and learning vocabulary at the same time help you remember better words. It is reverse that learning vocabulary separately is extremely difficult to engrave words into your head.

 

[Mike Cash]

It sounds like you agree with him. You're suggesting learning both kanji and vocabulary at the same time. That's what eeky suggested as well.

 

[Kenjikun]

1 Corinthians 13:11, God that verse lol. I know 日常会話。 But not so deep Japanese

 

[Mike Cash]

My point was that moving to Japan had the unfortunate side-effect of placing a more man-sized task on you (learning Japanese) and that you should probably be devoting yourself to that more than to having fun.

Not saying you should have no fun, but you have a lot of catching up to do. In a very short time you're going to be an adult in Japan and the expectation of adults here is that they be competent in the language and literate. Most people here have the advantage of growing up surrounded by the language and being native speakers, and they have a dozen years to develop literacy. You don't have that advantage or that luxury.

 

[Kenjikun]

So are you saying that I should seriously devote myself to studying Kanji and Vocabs? :O. Im not used to self studying but I try. . I bought manga too today lol I think that would help me somehow.

 

[nameless]

He's right. There is no silver bullet and you need to study every day.

I bought manga too today lol I think that would help me somehow.

About manga, keep in mind that right now, you probably need material that explains concepts using easy words. If you buy children's manga (少年ジャンプ or w/e), you're going to get a storyline that's easy for a child to follow, but not necessarily something that's easy for you to read and understand.

 

[naark]

if your goal is just to pass the exam for the mean time...
i can give you this advice..
i passed N5 last year.. and i can tell that its pretty easy on the kanji part...
1.kanji
2.grammar
3.reading
4.listening
that's the order of difficulty for me... 1 the easiest to 4 hardest...
but i took it here in the philippines.. i don't know if there's difference on which country you will be taking it...
anyways just memorize the kanji...
the exam will just be like 1. あめ(rain) then you'll choose which kanji it corresponds to
and the word there aren't that complicated its like maximum of 2 kanji only like 電車(densha)...
just memorize those 150 kanji and its basic meaning then you can easily perfect the kanji part...

 

[Andromedashun]

if your goal is just to pass the exam for the mean time...
i can give you this advice..
i passed N5 last year.. and i can tell that its pretty easy on the kanji part...
1.kanji
2.grammar
3.reading
4.listening
that's the order of difficulty for me... 1 the easiest to 4 hardest...
but i took it here in the philippines.. i don't know if there's difference on which country you will be taking it...
anyways just memorize the kanji...
the exam will just be like 1. あめ(rain) then you'll choose which kanji it corresponds to
and the word there aren't that complicated its like maximum of 2 kanji only like 電車(densha)...
just memorize those 150 kanji and its basic meaning then you can easily perfect the kanji part...

That's quite a good order. But reading is not that bad if you understand what to do. Usually they ask you to interprete the text. IMO the hardest part is vocabulary, which require having a good knowledge of words. The easiest part is arranging sentence, which require only memorizing grammar structure.

 

[Kenjikun]

That's quite a good order. But reading is not that bad if you understand what to do. Usually they ask you to interprete the text. IMO the hardest part is vocabulary, which require having a good knowledge of words. The easiest part is arranging sentence, which require only memorizing grammar structure.

Yes they have a lot of vocab! I just think learning vocab is first before Kanji. >.> I need effort lol

 

[Mike Cash]

Learning them together actually makes each task (learning vocabulary and learning kanji) progress more smoothly and rapidly.

You live in a country flooded with kanji. Not liking them or ignoring them wont make them go away.

 

[Kenjikun]

Oh I see. I always bring 電子辞書 when I go study mode and I think its working.. fine..? Lol idk. I would rather be spoonfed with all the information honestly.