This is a mobile optimized page that loads fast, if you want to load the real page, click this text.

Can you learn Japanese just through the internet?

E

edogaijin

先輩
Joined
20 Feb 2014
Messages
145
Reaction score
4
I mean can you realistically learn to study just by listening to the internet, studying vocabulary and writing kanji on your own?
 
As long as you can find resources thats possible to achieve a good level in any almost any language I think. It depends on each person's self-teaching skills and how much contact you have with fluent speakers willing to answer your questions though.

In fact that's what happens to most people that happen to advance beyond JLPT 3 I guess.
 
Are you asking for yourself?

you can reach a certain level of proficiency by self-study, but language doesn't exist in a vacuum. The best way to improve your language skills is to actually use it and talk to people. How fortunate that you're surrounded by opportunities to practice.
 
Given sufficient appropriate source material and access to learning resources, I think you can (eventually) learn the passive aspects of a language -- listening and reading -- more or less by yourself. I think that mastering the active aspects -- writing (I mean actual communication, not just remembering strokes) and, especially, speaking -- requires large amounts of interaction with fluent speakers.
 
^ That's obviously wrong.
I can listen and speak Thai fluently (in the past) to native speaker just by watching TV programs. Although I agree learning passively isn't an effective way.
 
I think it's possible because if you think about it, can a blind person learn Japanese? Sure they can, they just have to be in the right set of mind and have the necessary resources to do so. If you find people that are interested to learn as much as you, you could learn Japanese and perhaps eventually converse with Japanese people over the net and master the language. Now, can you be familiar with Japanese customs over the internet? Probably not. You can learn them in theory but truly understanding why things are the way they are and feeling how a Japanese person would in those instances can't be learned over the net.
 
Andromedashun said:
^ That's obviously wrong.
I can listen and speak Thai fluently (in the past) to native speaker just by watching TV programs. Although I agree learning passively isn't an effective way.
Click to expand...

Really? You could speak fluently simply watching TV? I think that's pretty much not the case. Living in Toronto, I had a number of friends who spoke English natively, and they had parents speaking a different language at home. They always could understand what their parents were saying, but couldn't really express themselves in that language. Simple talk was fine, but they were far from fluent. And those were people living in a house with that language all their lives. So, watching TV making you a fluent speaker seems pretty implausible.

My daughter understands English pretty well, but she speaks Japanese, even to me, in most cases, though I only speak to her in English. Without interaction in a true English atmosphere, on her trips to Canada, she won't become truly fluent.
 
What exactly makes someone fluent though? Is knowing 4000 words enough with any conjugation associated to it? Is speaking the language in a way that others can understand you good enough? Do you have to pass grade 12 [language] here? Personally I think that if you can converse in a language where you don't need to think too much/stutter then you've gotten pretty far. I had to learn English and it took 2 years to become fluent but I still have a small accent even 10 years later. But I think learning a language over the TV is practically impossible. For one, it would have to be from educational shows like that old NHK teach yourself japanese thing, and secondly conversation with someone else is important as well. Funny thing is that I thought I knew English until I went out in public and started ordering things. I wasn't confident and I lost my tongue lol
 

Yes, may be I'm too emphazing the word ''fluent'', but I do speak and communite to them using the word I learned in a simple way. I talked to them and they talked to me back, but back in the past I don't have much opportunities to speak Thai because the environment surrounding me use English. I lived in Thailand for 5 years so I heard the language everyday. Communiting isn't as hard as you think.
 
beelzebub said:
What exactly makes someone fluent though?
Click to expand...
Speaking without thinking, but as a natural action. Nobody cares about accents, or even the odd mistake.

Speaking without practice is like watching basketball on TV and saying you can shoot hoops. Conceptually, you understand, but the action is not part of you until you practice doing it.
 
The problem is I was not hearing directly, all I did is heard the words through shows in TV. I used English when I talked to friends, and Vietnamese when I talked to my parent. Even in my school the Thai teachers used English too.
 
Andromedashun said:
The problem is I was not hearing directly, all I did is heard the words through shows in TV. I used English when I talked to friends, and Vietnamese when I talked to my parent. Even in my school the Thai teachers used English too.
Click to expand...
Possibly you aren't fluent in English? Your concept of fluent Thai is confusing me.
 
Nothing is confusing. I lived in a limited region which used English as an international language. The Thai there also can use English, ofcourse, not all. Sometimes you go the the market you have to use Thai. But when you travel outside, to the common community so called large cities like Bangkok or Changmai you used Thai because most people don't know English. I didn't goes outside often, but when I go out, I don't have any problem in communicating. When I wanted to ask, I can use Thai for sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
How do you say "I love you" in Japanese?
2
Replies
46
Views
491K
Grandpa Frank
Let's play a Shiritori Game - Japanese word game
78 79 80
Replies
2K
Views
305K
thomas
  • Sticky
Japanese Language Learning Resource List
3 4 5
Replies
107
Views
76K
hellokurt
C
How to say "Im trying to learn japanese"
Replies
8
Views
77K
undrentide
S
How long did it take YOU to learn Japanese?
Replies
15
Views
55K
bian
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…