Why is the Japanese language so hard to master?

Learning a new language is no easy feat, especially Japanese. It can take years to even half-decently learn a language. That’s why the question, “how hard is it to learn Japanese” doesn’t have a definitive answer. It all depends on a variety of factors, such as your original language, how long you study a day if you can travel to be immersed in the language, etc.

Tips to learn Japanese Phonetics.

According to the Webster English dictionary, Phonetics is the study and systematic qualification of the sounds made in spoken utterances. The different configurations of the vocal tract produce different sounds. These sounds are then applied to a particular language and it forms the phonetics of that particular language. Learning phonetics is indeed easy if you know the IPA (International Phonetic  Alphabet). Today we are going to discuss what is the best way to learn Japanese Phonetics. The Japanese alphabet consists of 99 sounds formed with 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, and u) and 14 consonants (k, s, t, h, m, y, r, w, g, z, d, b, p, and n), as is shown in the hiragana chart. , for instance, the last letter is not pronounced “u” but as a long “o.” has six syllables.

Important things to know

So the first and the important step to learn Japanese phonetics is to get a Japanese Phonetic alphabet chart. Study this chart thoroughly, unless and until you have mastered the Japanese phonetic alphabets you will never be able to learn phonetics. These phonetics are the sound elements of every word. It is also important to have a thorough knowledge of the Japanese vowels as well as the consonants of the Japanese language. Until you have learned the vowels, consonants, and phonetic alphabets you cannot jump directly to studying and analyzing Japanese phonetics. After learning the alphabet you can start to take up a small group of Japanese words and analyze their phonetics. All the words are not pronounced the way they are written. There may be a lot of silent letters in a word. Focus and keep in mind where the silent letters are placed generally. One of the best aids you can get is to download and install a Japanese dictionary with an audio feature. You will be able to pronounce the words correctly by listening as well as studying the phonetic alphabets. These will enhance your phonetic knowledge. 

Once you are able to analyze the phonetics for almost every word you can start practicing phonetics for a full sentence. There is a great website that offers great audio as well as phonetic transcription. Visit easypronunciaition.com and you will be directed to a dialogue box where you can write down your Japanese sentence that you want to analyze. Then it will automatically start the transcription and provide you both the written phonetic transcription as well as audio transcription. Sometimes you might forget how a phonetic alphabet is pronounced but with the help of the audio feature you will remember it easily after listening to it. Isn’t that great? Then again, we have to remember the sound stress. Since stress plays a crucial role in the pronunciation of a language. Audio features will effectively help you in learning sound stress. 

You can practice all these ways by yourself at home with the help of resources from the internet as well as from offline resources. But the very best way to learn Japanese phonetics and to master it is to take guidance from a language expert. Since they have mastered it already they will have the knowledge of the correct methods of learning and practising it. So taking guidance is very essential and the best way but mastering it depends on your dedication and consistency. Without regular practice, you will never be able to learn it. 

So how do you master them?  

Like any other language, you need to practice lots of listening, reading, and of course, speaking. If you’re interested in the Japanese language certification test in India. It is not that tricky If you probably thought the difficulties were the main reason not to learn. Armed with the right language learning methods, materials, and motivation, one can accomplish the Japanese language eloquence in a matter of a few years, not a decade, as many assume.

Honestly, when I look at the very few people, I actually know who’ve succeeded, it’s clear why. 

They wake up early every morning to do speaking drills, or write 50,000 flashcards, or go to language school five hours a day.  It’s clear that dedication plays a huge role here. Part of the problem with those who don’t succeed lies with their ever-loftier goals.  While your goals should be realistic, they shouldn’t be extremely easy. They should force you to put in the effort and time.

It is hard because maybe you don’t have a passion to learn a new language and you are compatible with your own language and expecting people to learn your language. If you are a learner of it, then be patient and keep working hard on it. There are no shortcuts for learning a language. If you are an outsider and not staying longer then try to learn some basic words / basic communications.

So what are you waiting for? Start your journey to Japanese fluency with  Multibhashi right now!