I really wanna improve my Japanese but...

[sunshinenoka]

Studying is very important and I love doing it BUT it shouldn't be all that I do.
I've self-studied since I was 15, and I consider myself to be good at listening and maybe writing it. I'm still shaky on grammar and verb conjugation.
My biggest problem though is remembering vocabulary and actually speaking the language. My pronunciation is fine, I just get nervous because I pause and stumble over my words since I cannot form the words in my mind fast enough. As for vocabulary, maybe it's just a matter of just memorizing but sometimes it's not easy for me to do such a thing.

The biggest suggestion I see around the web is to actually speak with a native speaker over Skype. The idea of doing such a thing makes me super nervous and the anxiety it brings makes me immediately not want to do it..
I am going to study Japanese at a university in another year but I can't wait that long to start practicing.
What should I do about all these problems? Should I practice with someone after all?

 

[nekojita]

Anxiety about speaking is very common and completely normal. So is occasionally forgetting things, especially if you try to cram lots at once, or remembering a word when you see/hear it but not being able to recall it when you try to speak/write. Regular practice is the trick, along with figuring out what methods work for you (some people like SRS/flashcard systems like Anki - not my thing but that doesn't mean you won't find it helpful).

Would it help with the anxiety if you paid for a few lessons over Skype? That way it would be more like a lesson/tutoring session, instead of jumping in the deep end by messaging some random stranger. There are various companies that do this - someone here might be able to recommend one.

Erin's Challenge is pretty much aimed at your age group, if you haven't seen it yet.

 

[Glenn]

Do you ever talk to yourself in Japanese? I used to do it all the time (and have been again lately), since I was the only person I could speak Japanese with. It can help you get used to thinking of what you want to say and how to say it on the fly without the anxiety of having to perform or possibly ruining a conversation because you just can't communicate, or any other fears you may have. If your listening is fine, this can be a way to get your speaking up to speed so that you'll be able to use them both with native speakers to improve them both.

 

[SomeCallMeChris]

For memorizing vocabulary, I use Anki Anki - powerful, intelligent flashcards

Anki - or any other SRS program really (Spaced repetition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) - beats the pants off of regular flashcards for reducing the amount of time you waste reviewing known cards. If you don't want to use software you could still use a spaced repetition system - it originates in shuffling paper flashcards between boxes.

Unless you can (and only if you do) sit down and read books in the language on a regular basis, SRS is probably the best way to retain vocabulary.

As for speaking, when you sit down to talk to a language-exchange partner on skype .... they're a student too. Their bad English should give you confidence in your bad Japanese very quickly. Of course, they will call your Japanese 上手 and you should compliment their English. (I hesitate over even white lies so I won't actually call bad English good, but instead look for particular things to compliment. Nobody is so bad that they don't have something worthy of a compliment if you only look for it.)

Writing on lang-8 is also useful. It's not as immediate as speaking and doesn't help with pronunciation, but it's a good way to learn how to express yourself in the language. You might even meet someone to talk to on Skype while you're at it.

 

[LedellLiza55]

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