How to improve my listening skills in Japanese?
Just learning a language is not enough. There is always room for improvement. You want to continuously practise and improve further till you master the language perfectly. So change is necessary for improvement.
The question is, do you do something to improve your Japanese listening skills? If not then you can start right away after reading this article.
You have made a very good decision to learn Japanese. Japanese is a very important language from the business and job point of view also. You must have definitely spent so much time and effort learning the language.
So now to go one step higher we will see how to improve our listening skills in Japanese.
The first thing that comes to your mind is watching Japanese dramas and movies in Japanese. That is what it is. Listening to Japanese will help you improve what you listen to and how you listen. But this is not enough. This is not only what you should do. There are many more things lined up that can help you attain fluency.
If someone questions why they require improving their Japanese listening skills? The answer is simple. Listening is associated with speaking. When you listen well you speak well. Also wouldn’t it embarrassing if you are not able to understand what the other person is saying? Many people also face this problem that when they Japanese dramas they are unable to understand everything properly and have to rely on subtitles. So, all these things compel one to improve their listening skills effectively.
So let us focus on some tips that can help one improve their listening skills in Japanese.
Immerse yourself in listening: many people often complain about not being able to understand Japanese especially in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). That is because their listening is limited. We often tend to focus on speaking fluently and getting out pronunciations right. But we shouldn’t ignore the fact that we are learning Japanese in order to communicate and not just speak to ourselves. Listening is an important trait of communication. If you are not a good listener you can not be a good communicator. Imagine going for an interview and not being able to grasp what the interviewer is asking? How embarrassing! So immersing yourself in Japanese is very important. Do not restrict yourself to the sessions you take to learn Japanese. Surround yourself with Japanese. Do whatever is possible. Be in touch with people who know Japanese. Listen to Japanese music, watch Japanese dramas and movies.
Take a tour: (it is not a compulsion but an optional tip) To go a step higher, visit a place that has natives who speak Japanese. This is a fun way to immerse yourself in Japanese. There are people all around you who are speaking Japanese. Explore the Japanese culture and hear them speak and learn from them. It is only the real interactions that can help you actually understand where you stand. You can learn more and actually know that you are able to understand Japanese.
Be attentive: when you listen to something make sure you are registering it in your mind. Just do not listen for the sake of answering but for learning.
Listen to Japanese podcasts: making it a habit to listening to podcasts every day will help you grasp a lot of the language. You become an expert at it.
Ask: in the event you do not understand something, do not shy away from it but ask what it means. Note it down and use it in the future.
Recall: whatever you listen and learn, keep recalling it in your mind. It helps to improve memorisation and helps to improve Japanese skills.
Take expert help: for enhancing your skills further and to know the next move it is so crucial that you approach an expert. Your progress shouldn’t stop due to your lack of knowledge.
Finally,
Look through online platforms such as Multibhashi, where you can find Japanese experts easily. Get in touch with them and know about what facilities they provide.
You will be able to get the confidence you want and will be smooth sailing towards perfecting Japanese.