Learn Japanese : Framework

Framework for Learning Japanese.

Japanese is a difficult language for many people to learn because of various reasons. First, the grammar is very different from English. People who know languages like Korean where the grammar is similar have a much easier time learning Japanese.

Second, the words are unfamiliar and pronunciation is difficult because words are not romanized. You can go to Japan and see the same characters everyday and never know how to pronounce them. This makes immersion more difficult.

So we need a framework to learn. So we will start with a basic framework for learning any language.

Language Learning Framework

The above framework will allow you to choose a balance learning program depending on your needs.

• Vocabulary is the first step in learning a language. You don't need to know a lot of words to actually start communicating in a language. Just a handful of words can help you begin communicating right away. Words such as "I" and "want" can help you communicate with people at a caveman level.
• Grammar is the next important step for learning a language. This is very important if you are learning a second language because you need to understand how the language is different. For example, "I" and "want" are not always sufficient for expressing want in Japanese.
• Communicating is the final step. You can learn all the grammar and vocab you want, but you don't really know the language until you can communicate. This does not mean you have to speak to people. Some people simply want to learn a language to read books, so reading is a one-way communication that works for that person. For myself, I'm just interested in speak and listening, so that is the emphasis of my focus.

Learning Profile of Average Japanese English Abilities

Japanese people learn a lot of vocabulary and grammar but don't speak/listen well.

This is what happens when people spend a lot of time learning a language but don't practice verbal communication. This is true in a lot of Asian countries and is why native English speakers are in high demand. What you will find is that email communication is much easier and that many people can display a high level of English through writing and reading. However, speaking and listening is extremely foreign. This is also true of many Chinese people who go to Japan because they are able to read kanji very well, but have a hard time pronouncing words and understanding proper grammar.

Learning Profile of Immigrants in Los Angeles Speaking English

Many people are forced to speak a language before they learn proper grammar so they make a lot of mistakes.

Since I am from Los Angeles, I can observe many first and second generation immigrants speak English. The first thing I notice is that many people will make the same grammar mistakes such as "why you not go to school?" The difficulty here is that language habits are difficult to correct, which is understanding proper grammar and correctly mistakes early will save you a lot of trouble later. Even if I correct their grammar, it's rare that people are able to adapt to the corrections.

Let's Learn Japanese

Building your Japanese vocabulary is about memorization. You can try to crunch in a lot of words very fast through flashcard programs, or you can try to learn a little bit everyday. It really depends on your style. The Japanese language is also notorious for adding a lot of new words each year, so you will have to keep consistently adding to your vocabulary bag if you want to understand everything. There are a lot of vocabulary programs but we have previously recommended Anki, which we also provide support for on JapaneseVideocast.

Learning Grammar usually requires picking up a book, finding a teacher, or finding lessons online. Japanese grammar is very tricky, as there is a lot of conjugations and idiomatic expressions. There are also different levels of politeness and a lot of particles that need to be used correctly. This is why vocabulary isn't useful with grammar as it might be in other languages.

Communicating is the fun part! With so many online resources today such as Skype and Conversation Exchange, finding a language partner or penpal has never been easier. This is the year of the messenger apps and they will eventually start connecting people as well. I think learning something and then applying it by making new friends is one of the best feelings!