How to learn Japanese systematically in a short time?
Japanese is a very distinct language sharing very little with other languages. For this reason, it is also considered to be a language isolate however there are others who categorise it into the small Japonic family of languages which includes the languages spoken across the Ryukyu Islands. With a very different writing system, it is placed among one of the most difficult languages to learn for native English speakers.
However, these things do not deter a lot of people from learning the language. To learn any language, it is important to be very specific about your needs and proceed with your learning in a very systematic manner.
Start with a specific goal
If you are looking to learn conversational Japanese, you may temporarily put a hold on learning the writing system. Rather than focussing on learning it perfectly, concentrate on learning every day.
We can probably learn from how children pick up their native language. They hear it all the time and start with words followed by sentences that are not very correct grammatically but can still give you the meaning and then move to frame completed sentences that are grammatically correct as well. Here learning is through listening.
Start with essentials
Rather than trying to build a huge vocabulary base, it is important to learn words related to day-to-day conversations which are used more frequently. While learning vocabulary, rather than just trying to understand and memorise words and their meanings, using them in sentences related to different scenarios can also be of great help. This ensures that you are able to remember the word easily.
Listen as you practice
Once you start learning Japanese, it is a good idea to simultaneously listen to the language as much as possible. Rather than just learning from books, listening to audio helps in learning the correct pronunciation and better retention.
Create a Japanese environment
Find ways to incorporate the Japanese language in all possible ways into your life. Replace your favourite entertainment activities with Japanese equivalents that would make it a part of your life.
Mnemonics are a great tool to memorise things. If you have used them to remember grammar or mathematics rules in school, you can use them to remember different things in Japanese also.
Joining a Japanese course is a great way of learning Japanese in a systematic manner. If you are pressured for time, you can even find an online course that helps you learn Japanese at a time that suits you the best.
A teacher or a tutor would be able to help you with the best possible methods in which you can learn Japanese and also can guide you with the most important things that you need to learn initially.
Finally,
Agreed, initially, you might just be interested in learning how to say hello but over a period of time reading and writing would also become an integral part of learning Japanese. For this reason, when you want to start with Kanji, the Japanese system of writing, it is important to start with a tutor who can supervise you and help you take your learning forward in the right manner.
Yes, we learn from our mistakes but only if we recognize them and make an effort to correct them. And exactly for this reason do we need a teacher who can correct our mistakes and help us not repeat them. It may not be wrong to say that you correct your mistakes and make new ones to learn from, but do not repeat a mistake.
Do your research, find a good institute offline or online based on your preference and give wings to your Japanese learning in a systematic manner.
There’s an amazing new way to learn Japanese! Want to see what everyone’s talking about!