How do I understand easier

swiss · 14 Aug 2009

Hi there could anyone tell me how to understand japanese better as I am learning the language but when I listen to the Japanese speak I don't understand what is being said. What should I do or what am i doing wrong?

Haruspex · 14 Aug 2009

There is no method for understanding Japanese better, or any other language for that matter. It is closely tied up with expertise, being able to pick up major differences in actual speech. There is no quick way. Just subscribe to a Japanese tv channel or try radio and spend hours, absolutely hours. Alternatively, if you can afford it, travel to Japan, or to somewhere with a high Japanese population where you stand a chance at becoming exposed to the language.

swiss · 14 Aug 2009

wow thank you. Could you offer any more tips on learning japanese please. do you think its necessary to get tuition or do you think it can be done alone. I do not have any money to pay for tuition or flights to japan so do you think this will hinder my progress?

How long did it take you to learn japanese?

Mike Cash · 14 Aug 2009

The more you learn, the easier it gets. I like to compare it to pushing a car which is out of gas. It takes a lot of effort to get the thing rolling, but much less effort to keep it going.

More frustrating than not understanding is the fact that it is impossible to know why you're not understanding. At first you can't tell if it is because they're too fast, using words you don't know yet, speaking with some regional dialect, using verb tenses or forms you haven't learned yet, or just what the heck is going on.

There's a lot going on and there are practically no similarities with English that you can use to sort of hang your hat on, making it that much more difficult, slow, and frustrating. It requires a lot of dedication, determination, and time to pick up Japanese. The key thing is to be aware of that, take heart from knowing that you're not the only one, and to stick with it.

swiss · 14 Aug 2009

tank you very much for the advice. I feel so relieved. I'm definatly going to stick with it.

Thank you once again!!!!!

Chidoriashi · 15 Aug 2009

Start to build up a large vocabulary. Memorize and practice the words by reading them and saying them out loud. Build up your ability to say certain phrases, and carry on a basic conversation. Slowly learn and master new grammatical constructions, and try to internalize the grammar rather than just understand it in principle (meaning try to "feel it" like a native speaker does). The just keep on listening, you will eventually be able to pick up on some of the words you have been studying and somewhat guess the meaning of what is being said. And then just keep at it until you are satisfied with your ability.

Kirakira1232 · 15 Aug 2009

Chidoriashi said:
Start to build up a large vocabulary. Memorize and practice the words by reading them and saying them out loud. Build up your ability to say certain phrases, and carry on a basic conversation. Slowly learn and master new grammatical constructions, and try to internalize the grammar rather than just understand it in principle (meaning try to "feel it" like a native speaker does). The just keep on listening, you will eventually be able to pick up on some of the words you have been studying and somewhat guess the meaning of what is being said. And then just keep at it until you are satisfied with your ability.

I wonder if any 2nd language learner ever gets to the point where they are satisfied with their ability

For me, everytime i think i have something down and understood something new comes up that I have to wrap my head around. So its an ongoing thing really, gotta be exposed to it, learn it and then use it if you want to get better.

Chidoriashi · 15 Aug 2009

Kirakira1232 said:
I wonder if any 2nd language learner ever gets to the point where they are satisfied with their ability
For me, everytime i think i have something down and understood something new comes up that I have to wrap my head around. So its an ongoing thing really, gotta be exposed to it, learn it and then use it if you want to get better.

I totally agree, but there are people that become comfortable with their level. Like they have no problem living their daily lives or talking with friends or coworkers etc. I see many people like that actually, they just stop studying and live their lives, but they don't really get better. Like I have a friend whose mom is from vietnam and she has been in the states for a long time but still talks with a fairly heavy accent and makes a lot of grammatical errors. She simply stopped pushing herself to get better because she reached a level where she did not see it necessary anymore.

Mike Cash · 15 Aug 2009

Chidoriashi said:
I totally agree, but there are people that become comfortable with their level. Like they have no problem living their daily lives or talking with friends or coworkers etc. I see many people like that actually, they just stop studying and live their lives, but they don't really get better. Like I have a friend whose mom is from vietnam and she has been in the states for a long time but still talks with a fairly heavy accent and makes a lot of grammatical errors. She simply stopped pushing herself to get better because she reached a level where she did not see it necessary anymore.

I realize you just stated a case without offering an opinion one way or the other on it, so don't take what comes next as my having misunderstood you.

If a person is completely functional and comfortable and has no particular academic interest in language learning, then what does it matter if they stop? I'm very much like your friend's mother, other than the heavy accent bit. I haven't actively studied Japanese since probably sometime in the late 1980s. While others assess their level as "beginning", "intermediate", or "advanced" the only assessment I make of my own Japanese is "adequate to my needs".

While I think immigrants are under a sort of obligation (or at least ought to feel themselves to be so) to learn the language of their new environment I don't see that there is any obligation to go beyond the necessary and aim for the perfect. So long as they're functional (and functionally literate) adults able to understand what is going on around them and figuratively speaking wipe their own linguistic rear ends, then they're not burdening anyone and society has no right to demand or expect perfection....especially when "perfect" linguistic skills are so often lacking among native speakers as well.

Chidoriashi · 16 Aug 2009

Mike Cash said:
I realize you just stated a case without offering an opinion one way or the other on it, so don't take what comes next as my having misunderstood you.

If a person is completely functional and comfortable and has no particular academic interest in language learning, then what does it matter if they stop? I'm very much like your friend's mother, other than the heavy accent bit. I haven't actively studied Japanese since probably sometime in the late 1980s. While others assess their level as "beginning", "intermediate", or "advanced" the only assessment I make of my own Japanese is "adequate to my needs".

While I think immigrants are under a sort of obligation (or at least ought to feel themselves to be so) to learn the language of their new environment I don't see that there is any obligation to go beyond the necessary and aim for the perfect. So long as they functional (and functionally literate) adults able to understand what is going on around them and figuratively speaking wipe their own linguistic rear ends, then they're not burdening anyone and society has no right to demand or expect perfection....especially when "perfect" linguistic skills are so often lacking among native speakers as well.

Yes I agree with you too on all of this, what I was agreeing to before was that Kirakira wondered if any 2nd language learner is ever really satisfied. And I think their are a lot of people who may formally study a language and never want to stop assessing themselves, but I wanted to point out that there are many people too who, like you are saying, at some point do not see it necessary to push themselves any further.

How do I understand easier

swiss

後輩

Haruspex

先輩

swiss

後輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

swiss

後輩

Chidoriashi

In imagination land

Kirakira1232

素敵な冒険始まる！

Chidoriashi

In imagination land

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Chidoriashi

In imagination land

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