Story #6 Personal tips for Learning Japanese Language in proven method and its order

Need help to find an effective and efficient way of learning Japanese and still zero? You will likely find other tips that suit your type. This blog was written to share how I learned Japanese from N0 to N3 (at least for now). This is a proven method based on my personal experiences and advice from my tutor. Without further do, how about starting with this one?

Why are you willing to learn Japanese? Are you literally a beginner? 

If your answer is yes and you are eager because you must master it, then I am sure if you follow this order of learning Japanese, you will be able to speak and understand simple Japanese in a month (I am not exaggerating).

source: personal photos

1. Learn basic skills (Reading and Writing Katakana & Hiragana)

It started 3 years ago when I went to Japan for student exchange, and I needed to gain the capability to understand Japanese. I had 0 skills. Even I am not a lover of Japanese pop culture. But because I was in Japan, I needed to learn Japanese at least to survive for a simple thing. Nothing much as for able to understand Japanese common words.

Then, on 3-days first three days in Japan, I dedicated myself to studying and memorizing the essential reading and writing skills (Hiragana & Katakana). I still clearly remember the days when I printed a writing template and exercised Hiragana & Katakana, staying up mostly in my room to focus on learning it. Then, I did it within 3 days. I was able to read Japanese letters. 

From that process, I want to highlight the most effective one, imagining the shape of Katakana & Hiragana using visualization of a familiar object. I was watching YouTube to learn what Katakana & Hiragana look like when it comes to visualization. It does effectively. 

2. Learn essential words (e.g., to greet, to buy something, direction, etc.)

After mastering Hiragana & Katakana, the second step is learning essential greeting words such as you gozaimasu (means good morning); Konnichiwa (hello or good afternoon); basic common words such as hidari (left), mini (right), tabemono (food), nimono (beverage), word for counting, and soon. This will help you communicate and survive in the Japanese community when you go to the store, etc. This is common sense, just like you have a trip to another country and you need to learn how to greet the local people. It will enhance your vocabulary. 

3. Choose a book and make it consistent using a single book at first

Once, my tutor said that learning a language requires determination to build the basic foundation. This will lead to tips for " focusing on only one single book to create the basic foundation, " such as Minna No Nihongo (recommended). This book is a nail-bitter for beginners to learn Japanese in a structured way. From basic Japanese, how to build a sentence, polite Japanese, casual Japanese, and in the last chapter, you will learn how to make an even more polite Japanese (business). There are various chapters and levels in this book. Therefore, it helps you to know most efficiently, even autodidact. 

There will be a time when you feel stuck and want something different for reference, but I suggest continuing on the same resource unless you have finished it. If not, getting confused with the Japanese learning style will be easy. Every book has its own style to deliver Japanese learning methods. 

4. Try to immerse yourself by watching YouTube or listening to podcasts/ music in Japanese

Then, you do have the foundation of Japanese. The next thing to do is listen to some podcast you feel interested in. Don't worry if you need help understanding the content, but try to hear what Japanese sounds like. I found it helpful regarding listening skills and how to use proper intonation and vocabulary. There are a lot of YouTube channels that provide podcasts at a medium or leisurely pace. You could give it a stab. 

5. Try to memorize simple vocabulary and kanji

How about learning Kanji? Because Japanese is not only about Hiragana & Katakana? The answer is to Learn and write down on paper about the most basic Kanji for everyday life (around 100) and attach it to the wall you see often. Familiarizing your eyes with common Kanji in everyday life will be helpful. If you are already in Japan, this is optional cause you will find so many Kanji written in every corner. The important thing is when you find a kanji, try to search for the meaning straight forward. 

6. Use Google Translate, memorize it, and use it to speak practically in Japanese

This is what exactly I did when communicating with my Japanese friends. I use Google Translate as a tool, and before talking to them, I memorize the sentences and speak. How do we ask for a thing? How do we say that we forget something? It is useful. The goal is to know and remember to use sentences in certain situations. So, when the problem reappears, you already know what to discuss. 

Feel free to contact me if your Japanese needs to be corrected. 

7. Try to speak Japanese as much as you can

Practice makes perfect sound reliable to it. Learning Japanese is about familiarizing yourself with the Japanese itself. Especially for speaking, nothing is effective without speaking directly. 

This is the last step you could do. Most people find speaking the most needed skill, so practice speaking whatever your ability; just try. When you start talking in your mother language, use the method you hear someone saying, then repeat and reuse the phrase. This is how we learn to speak, isn't it?

Then, we have come to a conclusion. Learning Japanese is relatively easy. The key is to do it in an orderly and constantly. Learning a language is also a plus point. Where you can upskill yourself. Fighting!

If you want to approach me, kindly send me a greeting through alvian3003@gmail.com; we can talk about the Japanese learning process and tips, or just have a shot to try speaking in Japanese.