Which is your preferred method when it comes to learning Japanese?

Danigatoah · 8 Mar 2016

Hello! こんにちは!

In the moment I'm working out, which method or which combinated methods seems to be the most qualified for acquiring basic understanding of the Japanese language.
That's why you would do me a great favour if you take my survey.

WonkoTheSane · 8 Mar 2016

If you want to know what works you're better off looking that up instead of asking people what they like.

My favorite way of dieting is stuffing cake in my mouth... Doesn't make it a good method.

Timelyn · 24 Mar 2016

What my teacher is TRYING to do this year is to approach it from every angle at the same time, but only one topic at a time. Until every aspect of that topic is mastered, both theoretical and practital, we keep practicing it.

Mike Cash · 24 Mar 2016

Timelyn said:
What my teacher is TRYING to do this year is to approach it from every angle at the same time, but only one topic at a time. Until every aspect of that topic is mastered, both theoretical and practital, we keep practicing it.

How many years has your teacher been trying to teach you Japanese and what methods have failed all those previous years? What do you mean by "one topic at a time"?

WonkoTheSane · 24 Mar 2016

Timelyn said:
What my teacher is TRYING to do this year is to approach it from every angle at the same time, but only one topic at a time. Until every aspect of that topic is mastered, both theoretical and practital, we keep practicing it.

So is your poll a way of trying to show your teacher he or she is wrong?

I suggest you either commit to learning using the method your teacher is using or you find another teacher.

Mike Cash · 24 Mar 2016

WonkoTheSane said:
So is your poll a way of trying to show your teacher he or she is wrong?

I suggest you either commit to learning using the method your teacher is using or you find another teacher.

Good advice, but the poll is from a different person.

WonkoTheSane · 24 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
Good advice, but the poll is from a different person.

Ah, good catch, thank you.

Timelyn · 28 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
How many years has your teacher been trying to teach you Japanese and what methods have failed all those previous years? What do you mean by "one topic at a time"?

It's hard for me to explain since I find it kind of bizarre. It's easier to visualize with the kanji part. If the topic is 'stations' (such as bus station, train station, etc.) we learn every kanji that can be found in that situation: station, exit, entrance, ...
The speaking part is also pretty obvious. The part I see problematic is grammar, since we don't really get to learn all-purpose type sentences.

I have no idea of her teaching history nor her success rate, but she definetly worships her method.

Mike Cash · 28 Mar 2016

Timelyn said:
It's hard for me to explain since I find it kind of bizarre. It's easier to visualize with the kanji part. If the topic is 'stations' (such as bus station, train station, etc.) we learn every kanji that can be found in that situation: station, exit, entrance, ...
The speaking part is also pretty obvious. The part I see problematic is grammar, since we don't really get to learn all-purpose type sentences.

I have no idea of her teaching history nor her success rate, but she definetly worships her method.

Does she use any textbook or does she just make her own materials? Is she not teaching grammar at all? Does she have you do any drills or create your own sentences at all?

Timelyn · 28 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
Does she use any textbook or does she just make her own materials? Is she not teaching grammar at all? Does she have you do any drills or create your own sentences at all?

Well, what I've seen in most text books is a grammar structure. There's usually a unit for adjetives, another one for verbs, past verbs, negative and past adjetives, and so on. Also, the kanji learning sometimes goes through a completly different textbook.
What she does is teach all the grammar, writting style, kanji and conversation you would need to survive in a specific situation. For example, in the 'stations' situation we learnt how to ask for tickets and directions, the mentioned kanji and how to write all of this down. Some situations make more sense with the speaking part, others with the writting.

And no, she doesn't follow a textbook, but I guess she mixes a bunch of them.

Mike Cash · 28 Mar 2016

Timelyn said:
Well, what I've seen in most text books is a grammar structure. There's usually a unit for adjetives, another one for verbs, past verbs, negative and past adjetives, and so on. Also, the kanji learning sometimes goes through a completly different textbook.
What she does is teach all the grammar, writting style, kanji and conversation you would need to survive in a specific situation. For example, in the 'stations' situation we learnt how to ask for tickets and directions, the mentioned kanji and how to write all of this down. Some situations make more sense with the speaking part, others with the writting.

And no, she doesn't follow a textbook, but I guess she mixes a bunch of them.

I thunk you are referring to grammar reference books, not textbooks. Her method sounds very amateurish, ad hoc, and slipshod.

Timelyn · 28 Mar 2016

Mike Cash said:
I thunk you are referring to grammar reference books, not textbooks. Her method sounds very amateurish, ad hoc, and slipshod.

Pretty much, yeah...But the thing is I have the feeling of learning haha
I guess I'll have to wait till June when I take the same exam as the other classes with different teachers.

I don't really know where you draw the line between textbook and reference book.

madphysicist · 29 Mar 2016

Timelyn said:
Well, what I've seen in most text books is a grammar structure. There's usually a unit for adjetives, another one for verbs, past verbs, negative and past adjetives, and so on. Also, the kanji learning sometimes goes through a completly different textbook.
What she does is teach all the grammar, writting style, kanji and conversation you would need to survive in a specific situation. For example, in the 'stations' situation we learnt how to ask for tickets and directions, the mentioned kanji and how to write all of this down. Some situations make more sense with the speaking part, others with the writting.

And no, she doesn't follow a textbook, but I guess she mixes a bunch of them.

That sounds kind of similar to the AJATT or immersion methods*, which I have always thought seemed extremely inefficient for beginners. But some people swear by this kind of "throw everything at your student and see what sticks" approach. So maybe it really works for some people. To go back to the OP's original question, the most effective way to learn Japanese depends on a lot of things like your native language, whether you live in Japan, if you have Japanese friends, how much time you have to spare every day etc. Just try out different methods and after a set period of time, review whether that method is actually working for you. If not, try something else.

*I mean the methods that advocate things like watching TV without subtitles when you barely know how a sentence is structured, not simply the sensible idea of going to a country where the language is spoken. Exposure to a language is not directly correlated with how much you will remember or know how to apply.

Which is your preferred method when it comes to learning Japanese?

Which is your preferred method when it comes to learning Japanese?

Theoretical approach - First vocabulary, then grammatic, then practical speaking/writing...

Theoretical approach - First grammatic, then vocabulary, then practical speaking/writing...

Practical approach - First speaking/writing, then listening/reading and understanding...

Practical approach - First listening/reading and understanding, then speaking/writing...

A different approach (please tell in the comments)

Danigatoah

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WonkoTheSane

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Timelyn

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Mike Cash

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WonkoTheSane

先輩

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

WonkoTheSane

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Timelyn

Kouhai

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Timelyn

Kouhai

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Timelyn

Kouhai

madphysicist

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