How do you learn Japanese yourself (listening and conversation)?

[mongoloid]

Hi,

I have been studying Japanese part-time by myself since last December(日本語のクラースへ 行きたいですが、働いていますから時間がありませんです)。 So right now I am studying without knowing my skill level and what is the next item on my list. I am wondering if anyone on the list has been through the same situation and is willing to share some of his/her experience. My weakest points would be listening and speaking, I think. Since I don't any good practise on these areas. I have been trying to listen to NHK radio, but it's too difficult. Do I really have to go to Japan to learn the language well? But I don't have enough money yet.

ありがと!

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Night School ?

Here in Maine we have Adult Education classes at night. They cover many topics and the classes are very cheap. My Japanese class meets one night a week for 10 weeks for $30. The teacher just arrived here from Hokaido(newly married to an American). She makes our classes so much fun and will only speak Japanese when class is in session. Try some of the local colleges and see if there is a branch of the Japan American Society in your area. If nothing is avaible, you can always try the PC CD's you buy for around $40.
Good luck !!

 

[mongoloid]

You are lucky, man. I registered an level II evening class at a college, but all japanese evening classes got cancelled. It's not very popular here right now, I think something to do with how they treated us in the Mad Cow issue. They don't want Alberta beef, which I am eating everyday.

So I need to find a way to study by myself.

 

[Elizabeth]

It's a little hard to say without knowing exactly what you're doing now....but listening & speaking are also still very difficult for me even five years on (although only in Japan for a total of four months), speaking with my tutor at least once a day, listening to tapes she makes along with others most working hours....so the most important habit is just to integrate all the modes of communication as much as possible into your daily routine, but of course as with any language true immersion is probably the only way to natural fluency.

 

[Mandylion]

Learning the speak and listen by yourself is going to be really, really hard. I hate to say it like that and I wish you the best, but you have a mountain infront of you. Hopefully the evening classes will start back up...

Look on-line for any language aids that include a CD for listening practice. Record yourself reading the dialogues and play them back checking against the book's CD. Try to correct sounds and cadence that way. Of course, as you know, the best way to learn speaking/listening is in Japan. Subtitled movies (I wouldn't go with anime, you need to see the mouth/sound relationship) can be good. You can tape a sheet of paper over the English at the bottom part of the screen to check if you get the meaning.

Stick with it! You have a big challenge ahead of you, but not an impossible one.

 

[Seppuku]

Re: Night School ?

Originally posted by Frank D. White
Here in Maine we have Adult Education classes at night. They cover many topics and the classes are very cheap. My Japanese class meets one night a week for 10 weeks for $30. The teacher just arrived here from Hokaido(newly married to an American). She makes our classes so much fun and will only speak Japanese when class is in session. Try some of the local colleges and see if there is a branch of the Japan American Society in your area. If nothing is avaible, you can always try the PC CD's you buy for around $40.
Good luck !!

WHERE IN MAINE?! i too live in maine hopefully close enough to your class area

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Hey Sep !

I sent you a private message/E-Mail.

 

[mongoloid]

Ok, I realized that I shouldn't ask how I can improve conversational skill by myself, since it doesn't make sense to talk to myself at the stage anyways. But how about listening skills? The textbook used in the university I graduated from comes with taps, but the textbook is way too expensive. So I am wondering if there is any online resources or other good textbooks that's a little bit cheaper for listening practise.

Thanks!