How long did it take you to learn Japanese and is it hard? 

This blog is going to be very special since I am going to tell you how I learned the Japanese language and how long it takes and also how hard it is to learn. So, do read this article till the end because I am going to give you some amazing tips as well on how I begin the journey.

First off let’s have a very quick introduction to the Japanese language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic language family. It is spoken as a first language by 122 million and as a second language by over 1 million people in Japan. The language is also spoken in different parts of the world and the number of Japanese speakers worldwide is estimated at close to 123 million people. Japanese is the official language of Japan. 

According to the US Department of State, Japanese is one of the hardest languages for English natives to learn. It doesn’t have many similarities in structure to English. They estimate it takes 88 weeks of learning, or 2200 hours, to reach fluency. That’s about a B2 level on the CEFR charts, or JLPT N2 level (conversational). But this theory can totally depend on the effort put by the learner to learn the language.

1. Set Your Goal for Speaking Japanese 

Your end goal matters. So decide what “fluent” means for you. If you want to understand anime in Japanese, you need to learn vocabulary specifically for that. And even the type of anime matters, too. Naruto uses a lot of “ninja speech” that’s harsher and less polite than, say, Sailor Moon. And if your goal is to speak naturally in everyday conversations, watching anime won’t get you there. Anime is dramatic and not realistic Japanese speech. So, you need more “real life” resources and vocabulary, like NHK News.

2. Break Down Your Goal into Daily Chunks 

Okay, let’s say you want to reach JLPT N1 or near-native fluency. As we already discussed, you’d need to know 2200 kanji, 10,000+ vocabulary, and hundreds of grammar patterns. If you can commit to studying 60 minutes a day, then you’d need to break that goal down into daily chunks. Once you know how much you can fit into a study session, break down your goal. How many days will it take to study to learn all those kanji and vocabulary? That’s how long it will take you to learn Japanese to a fluent level. 

3. Start Speaking and Writing NOW 

Find a Japanese language exchange partner and start speaking today. Even if all you know how to say is “Hello, my name is…” start using it. If you don’t use it, you lose it. And making mistakes is the best way to learn. So get out there, make mistakes, and start speaking. 

4. Find an Entertaining Japanese Resource 

The only way you’ll enjoy studying all the time is if you make it fun. And the good news is, you can learn from things you already enjoy in Japanese. If you like to play video games, switch the language to Japanese. Pokemon games are great for this. The language is simple, and it’s easy to switch it to Japanese when you start a new game. If you like to read manga, find the manga you enjoy in Japanese. Push yourself to read a little each day. The more you read, the easier it will get. Watch your favourite shows in Japanese. I love to watch Terrace House on Netflix! There are several different seasons and locales, and it’s fun to watch. You’ll pick up lots of slang terms, too.

5.Squeeze More Japanese into Your Life 

Can you listen to a podcast during your commute? Can you read the news in Japanese while drinking your morning coffee? Can you do your Anki flashcards while using the bathroom? Most people feel like they don’t have time for tons of studying. But you can usually find small pockets of time, or swap out one thing for another. Instead of watching TV in English, watch it in Japanese. Instead of skimming Instagram in English, look up Japanese hashtags and read the captions. Instead of listening to the radio, turn on a Japanese podcast or J-Pop station.

Now you know how I learn the language, the above-mentioned tips will surely benefit you as well. Also, I have got great help from an amazing learning platform called ‘Multibhashi’, to know how amazing it is in the language teaching profession by visiting its website at www.multibhashi.com. Being given you this useful information without your hard work and dedication will be just a waste of your time. So, learn it with caution as Japanese is difficult and it is not something that you should take very lightly.