Best Ways To Learn Japanese

Written by Alison Lurie, In Education, Published On

April 5, 2023

, 241 Views

Table of Contents

1 Top 4 Ways to Learn Japanese

1.1 Listen To Japanese
1.2 Read Japanese
1.3 Speak Japanese
1.4 Watch Japanese

Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced Japanese learner, there are many ways to make learning the language fun and easy. One of the most popular ways to learn Japanese is to watch Japanese movies and TV shows. This is an excellent way to get familiar with the language and pick up on slang, dialects, and other elements of Japanese culture.

Top 4 Ways to Learn Japanese

Listen To Japanese

Listening to Japanese is one of the easiest ways to learn the language. It’s also a lot of fun, especially if you have good Japanese tutors. You can listen to any kind of Japanese content, whether it’s a movie, drama, anime, podcast, or video. It’s also a great way to build up your vocabulary and kanji skills. Using a software program is another great way to practice your listening skills in bite-sized chunks. You can find many of these online. Some of the best options are Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone.

There are also plenty of free podcasts to choose from. These are great for beginners and intermediate learners as they focus on real-world situations and topics. The podcasts are usually short and the conversations are recorded in a clear pronunciation that’s easy for learners to follow. They are also helpful for those who are studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Practicing your Japanese listening skills is an important part of any language-learning journey. It can be challenging at first, but it’s a skill that you can master over time. Just remember that it will take some time for your brain to adjust to the new sounds, rhythms, and speech patterns.

Read Japanese

Reading is one of the most effective ways to improve your Japanese language skills. It stimulates the brain, develops vocabulary, increases grammar variety, and makes learning easier. You can practice reading Japanese on your own with books or manga, or you can read in a class. Many textbooks have reading sections in Japanese that are designed to help you learn kanji, grammar, and vocabulary. You can also find books with simplified text that use furigana and audio to give you a more accurate understanding of the original.

It is important to keep reading in Japanese a habit, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. This will help to build your exposure to the language and get you to the point where you can read longer texts. Ideally, you should start with a text that you can easily understand and then move to more difficult reading material as your skill level increases. This will ensure that you don’t overburden yourself with information, which can make you lose your concentration.

Once you’re comfortable with reading, you can begin to read more advanced books like children’s literature or novels. These will challenge your kanji and grammar, but they can be enjoyable and will help to develop your writing skills. You can also try reading articles from popular Japanese newspapers and magazines. This will help you learn new vocabulary while you’re gaining a more authentic understanding of the culture.

Speak Japanese

Learning to speak Japanese can be easy with the right tools. You can use apps that make you talk while you learn, repeat your lessons to enforce spaced repetition, and even have a native speaker speak to you. Start with the basics of the language – hiragana, katakana and kanji. These three systems are the basis of Japanese writing and can be daunting for new learners, but learning them is an important part of learning the language.

Once you’ve mastered the basic scripts, it’s time to move on to vocabulary words. Studying a word for 15 minutes is a good place to start and can help you memorize it faster. One of the easiest ways to learn new words is by using flashcards. These cards have words on them with a translation into your native language. They can be bought online or made at home and are a great way to strengthen your skills in all three scripts.

Keeping track of your progress is also essential, so you can see where you’re at in your studies and how far you have to go. Set yourself a goal and break it down into daily chunks. Finally, setting your intentions is a crucial step in learning any language. It helps you figure out why you’re learning the language in the first place, which can make it much easier to stay motivated during tough times.

Watch Japanese

Consuming authentic Japanese media is a fun and exciting way to learn the language. Whether it be a live broadcast or a video on demand, you can watch and hear native speakers in real-world situations, which will help you build your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. If you’re a fan of anime, you’ll be happy to know that many popular streaming platforms offer a wide selection of Japanese TV shows and movies for free. Moreover, some of these programs even come with English subtitles!

You can also watch Japanese movies with English subtitles on YouTube. This is a great way to practice speaking and listening skills and is ideal for beginners. There are also a number of Japanese dramas and TV shows that are available on Netflix. The platform is a great place to watch them, and you can even sign up for a free trial to try it out. You can also watch a number of Japanese TV shows on Rakuten Viki, a free streaming platform that has lots of Asian dramas and movies. This is a great way to practice your reading and speaking skills, and you can even sign up for email notifications of new episodes.