Learning Japanese, how do you guys do it?

[Supergoal]

To be perfectly honest, i've been here 6 years 3 months and i'm pretty much ashamed of the state of my Japanese. But that's a whole different topic.

Japan is great and all, but really, with zero japanese the gate comes crashing down on you in a number of areas, but you can survive for sure.

I understand completely this feeling...
Before returning to Japan this september I spent 2 years back in the UK where I didn't study Japanese one bit. Of course before those two years I spent almost 3 years in Japan. What really gets me down at times is how much I really want to speak well and sometimes I can't get across exatcly what I want to say. I feel, that I want, need, have to, talk to everyone about anything in any situation otherwise I'm useless.

I can't sit idle and let my Japanese decay, I have to keep progressing or become majorly depressed that I can't speak and complain that I don't understand instead...

[JAPJAC]

dcharlie, those games are what we call `table games`, as I said. Thanks alot.

[Richard.John]

There are a lot of foreigners in Japan who cannot string a simple sentence together. Most of course are English speakers (teachers) who just rely on sign language and broken Engrish from their victims.

I have a friend who has lived here for about 10 months and has never even attempted to learn the lingo. If you are in the country for a limited period of time, then fair enough, but as DCharlie points out, it's those nightmare scenarios that cause problems.

For exmaple, my wife's former colleague is Japanese and lived with his wife and baby in London. One day the child unexpectedly fell ill yet the mother couldn't speak enough English to handle an emergency situation so called her husband at work rather than the emergency services. The child died as a result. A rare event and a tragedy but no doubt a lesson learnt.

[DCharlie]

dcharlie, those games are what we call `table games`, as I said. Thanks alot.

point taken - but there are still arcade style games with enough text to cause problems if you don't understand what you are supposed to do surely?

regardless , you are right , as you say : as long as you only ever want to play arcade games that have no japanese instructions then yes - your gaming life would not be improved by learning japanese.

Again, as we've discussed else where, that's somes perogative (wanting to play off all sorts , not focusing on particular types) - just like chosing not to learn japanese - in the end, i'd say you miss out on something but in the end it's a choice that each individual makes.

Anyways, I'd suspect that most of the people on this board have a wider range so would like to know at least what is going on in the games they play (being able to find the options, being able to understand the 'stores' , being able to understand the written objectives) hence for them learning Japanese is relevant to their enjoyment of their hobby.

Learning any language is to be commended, i don't see why it even needs to be questioned to be quite honest.

[sj33]

Heck, people moan enough about the foriegners coming over to the UK and being unable to speak English. I'd say at least trying to learn the native language of the country you live in is just expected, surely?

Would be totally understandable if the residents didn't wanna give a person the time of day if they really didn't care that much.

[Supergoal]

Heck, people moan enough about the foriegners coming over to the UK and being unable to speak English. I'd say at least trying to learn the native language of the country you live in is just expected, surely?

Would be totally understandable if the residents didn't wanna give a person the time of day if they really didn't care that much.

Great point.

[Kotatsu Neko]

I read the Japanese for Busy people books but as someone else said they are indeed rather corporate and dull. I also watched a lot of anime unsubtitled, and slowly began to pick stuff up and it sank in. Eventually I could understand simple anime such as My Neighbour Totoro without subs, but complex stuff is still way over my head.

I haven't progressed my knowledge much at all in a long time as I'm really just too busy, but I do find time to listen to a Japanese podcast called Japanesepod101 from time to time. It's nicely done and has lessons for people of various abilities. It also starts from the very beginning if you're coming to it with zero knowledge.

http://www.japanesepod101.com/

You can grab the lot through iTunes if you have enough hard drive space.

[cutmymilk]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&item=270040624150&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

Self pimping, but may be of interest to someone!

[DCharlie]

dcharlie, those games are what we call `table games`, as I said. Thanks alot.

actually... are they? Table games is Mahjong , chequers , card games, chess, etc are they not?
Are any of the games you mentioned actually categorised as "table games" if so, where?

[Akihabara]

In my experience learning from a PC screen is not an effective way.
Buy the Genki book, but also get the workbook.

Don't start with kanji, it will be much easier to learn kanji is you're fluent in hiragana and katakana, because you will be able to see the patterns etc. I've been studying now for 4 years and am now in a Japanese University learning every day for about 3 hours. Like Supergoal said, being in the country where the language is spoken is a key factor on learning it fast. 3 hours a week, like I had in University before is almost a waste of time. I learned more here in 2 weeks then in a whole year back in school.

JAPJAC you should do of course whatever you like, but don't you think you would feel a bit more at home here when able to read at least some hiragana and katakana? I remember going to South Korea last year and all the signs were like Arabic. I really feel that being able to read them in Japan are small things that make you feel more at home and also feel more appreciation from the Japanese people. Good luck anyway everybody, Japanese is not so hard as a lot of people say. Most of it makes perfect sense and with some devition it shouldn't be too hard to pick up.

[fuse]

I'm doing a course at Thames Valley University currently, which sofar I'm enjoying and appreciating - I've only been at it 4 weeks and I feel I've come a lot further than if I would in months if I was self-tutoring. Out of question, has anyone ever used a series of books called "Minna No Nihongo"? That's what we were recommended (and I managed to pick up on the cheap from ebay), just curious as to how anyone more experienced rates it... it's not too useful for me yet seeing as it's all in Hirigana, but we're told that by Christmas-time we should be at least semi-capable on that front.

Does the Genki textbook have instruction in English? I'm wondering if it's worth picking that up too as something to work through on the side.

[wonderboy]

The Genki book I, i have has english, hiragana and some Kanji. Nice
easy book, with explains the usual. Sentance structure, verbs, adjective
adverbs etc..

[DCharlie]

Out of question, has anyone ever used a series of books called "Minna No Nihongo"?

yup - i used those books - they aren't bad at all. Having everything from the off in Japanese really helps in the end.

[sj33]

There are romaji and hiragana editions aren't there? I'm gonna ask my sensei (lol) about it today. Sounds like a bit of a double hitter book, further learning Japanese while getting used to reading hiragana

[Supergoal]

Just to say again, the Genki books are excellent in my opinion aswell as some other folk have said. Just get it and start learning and enjoying.