Introduction to Learning Japanese: Efficient Methods

  • Reasons for Recommendation:
    • Textbooks written by Japanese authors contain errors commonly made by Japanese people, which won’t affect your Japanese proficiency in the eyes of native speakers.
    • The key is to choose a textbook that suits you and that you can learn from, rather than one with perfect content.
  • Textbook Structure:
    • Main Book (entirely in Japanese)
    • Teacher’s Guide (includes vocabulary lists, Chinese explanations, etc.)

2. Prepare a Repeater or Repeater Software

  • Functional Requirements:
    • Able to set repeat positions.
    • Preferably has a function for decomposing and memorizing recordings.

3. Pre-class Preparation

1. Do Not Read the Text First; Start with the Vocabulary and Grammar Explanations

  • If using “Minna no Nihongo,” only refer to the Teacher’s Guide and avoid the main book content. Also, skip the text translation parts in the Teacher’s Guide initially.

2. Memorize Vocabulary and Grammar First

Memorize Vocabulary by Listening to Recordings

  • Initial Memorization

    • Listen to the recordings while looking at the vocabulary and explanations, trying to remember a few words. Do not stress; gradually familiarize yourself with the pronunciation, form, conjugations (for verbs), and meanings of the words.

  • Method

    1. Cover the book content, listen to the recordings, recall the words, write them down, and remember their meanings.
    2. Create a separate list for words you cannot hear or write correctly and re-memorize them.
    3. Repeat the process until you can correctly write and recall the meanings of all words.
    4. Once you achieve this, look at the meanings and recall the Japanese words, reading them aloud. To improve speaking, you can also read aloud while listening in the first step.

  • Efficiency Tips

    • Gradually reduce writing for familiar words.
    • Be able to quickly recall the pronunciation, spelling, and meaning of words at normal playback speed.

Enhance Memory and Resist Forgetting

  • Mindset
    • Forgetting is normal; do not be discouraged. Forgetting indicates a need for reinforcement.
  • Review Strategy
    • Dictate all the week’s vocabulary every weekend, recalling meanings quickly (within one second).
    • For forgotten words, create a separate list and review them along with new words the following week.
    • Remove words from the list after two successful reviews.
    • Add words to the list if they cause issues in later steps and review them using the above method.
    • Maintaining this list can significantly improve vocabulary memorization efficiency.

4. After Mastering Vocabulary and Grammar, Dictate the Text

1. Text Preparation

  • Do not open the textbook’s text section; dictate the text solely through recordings.

2. Dictation Method

First Dictation

  • Listen continuously without pausing for the first time. Possible scenarios:
    1. Understand the general idea but not the details.
    2. Understand parts but struggle with certain sections.
    3. Completely fail to understand.

Solutions

  • Scenario 1
    • Reconstruct sentences based on your understanding and known vocabulary and grammar, then check against the recording.
    • Repeatedly listen to or slow down unclear parts until corrected.
  • Scenario 2
    • Write down understood parts and repeatedly listen to unclear sections, slowing down if necessary.
    • If unable to understand, try writing the kana based on the sound to aid memory.
    • This practice improves kana recognition accuracy, reducing errors common in subtitles.
  • Scenario 3
    • Continue listening until it transforms into Scenario 1 or 2.
    • If you have listened less than 50 times, do not give up; persist.

3. Check Against the Textbook

  • This step is crucial; writing is three parts, revising is seven.
  • Do not merely check for correct and incorrect sentences.
  • Analyze Errors Thoroughly:
    • If due to unmemorized vocabulary, add to the forgotten words list for future review.
    • If due to unmastered grammar, revisit the grammar; if still unclear, consult ChatGPT.
    • If due to mishearing, repeatedly listen to the sentence until understood. There is no upper limit to repetitions. For example, long fixed expressions like “していただきます” are initially challenging but improve with practice.

5. Assessment and Reinforcement of Learning Content

After completing the above steps, clarify the following:

  1. Mastered Content: Through dictation, vocabulary memorization, and text comprehension, identify what you have mastered.

  2. Deficient Content: Identify areas still problematic, such as vocabulary, grammar, or dictation accuracy.

Handling Deficiencies

  • Repeatedly dictate, memorize, and understand until deficiencies are addressed.
  • Meticulously Complete Exercises:
    • Value of Simple Exercises: Word substitution exercises, though simple, effectively reinforce learning.
    • Error Analysis: When checking answers, do not just judge right or wrong; understand:
      • Why the error occurred?
      • Where is the mistake?
      • How to avoid similar mistakes?
    • Record and Summarize: Document all errors, reflect, and improve during weekly reviews.

Notes

  • Avoid Carelessness: Do not dismiss errors as carelessness; it indicates insufficient proficiency.
  • Error Management: Summarize errors into a review checklist for regular gap-filling.

Summary

  • Initially, textbooks are the best dictation materials due to limited knowledge and vocabulary.
  • At a certain level, start dictating anime or Japanese drama content.
  • Online resources with transcribed dialogues can be used for comparison but should not be fully trusted.
  • Carefully discern and, if necessary, seek help from a native speaker.
  • A good friend for language learners
  • Chinese/English/Japanese language exchange bulletin board
  • Without a language environment, even well-dictated content may fade over time.
  • Consider using an MP3 during commutes or waiting times to repeatedly listen to Japanese content, adapting your ears to the language. Just be careful not to miss your stop.

6. Importance of Writing Practice

1. Writing Schedule

  • Initial Stage (first two weeks): May struggle to form coherent content; gradually adapt.
  • After Two Weeks: Write at least one essay per week.

2. Writing Content and Methods

  • Writing Goals:
    • Write what you “want to write,” not just what you “can write.”
    • Do not aim for literary excellence; even mundane content is fine as long as you persist.
  • Strategies for Difficulties:
    • Vocabulary: Use a dictionary to find necessary words.
    • Grammar: Boldly use desired grammar, even if mistakes are possible.

3. Correcting Mistakes

  • Mistakes in writing are part of the learning process.
  • ChatGPT can help correct these errors.

7. Encouraging Yourself

  • Record Achievements:
    • Set learning goals and reward mechanisms, such as creating badges.
  • Perseverance:
    • No matter how slow the progress, as long as you do not stop, you are doing well.
    • Avoid cramming for “false achievements”; real ability is what matters.
  • There is no method that yields results without effort. But there are enjoyable methods that involve effort without pain. Wishing you success in your studies!

Learning Japanese is a marathon; persistence is key. With patience and confidence, you will surely reap rewards! 🌟