image by andsproject from pixabay
Article originally published on Medium in Japonica publication
Mindset Shift Level 1: Learning Japanese > Practicing Japanese. A lot.
“Learning” is a misnomer. You don’t so much learn a language as practice it.
Becoming fluent in a foreign language has less in common with academic study and more with learning a sport, a dance, or a martial art: it’s not just some knowledge that you acquire; it’s a skill that you become familiar with, both physically and mentally.
In order to become fluent, you have to practice. A lot. Sure, you might be able to neatly write out conjugations of Japanese verbs into the past tense of the causative-passive form in your study session in the quiet of your bedroom today, but can you remember them tomorrow? How about the week after? More importantly, can you use them when you’re in the izakaya, when both the conversation and the saké is in full-flow?
It’s like learning to play tennis. You don’t just read a book about tennis; you pick up a racket and get practicing. A teacher is useful because they can teach you correct technique, and if you want to progress you’re going to have to put in a lot of practice hours until it all becomes second nature.
In her TED Talk The Secrets of Learning a New Language, Lýdia Machová introduces language learning methods used by herself and other polyglots. One key technique she mentions is reviewing words and phrases frequently using a spaced-repetition system. Many popular language learning apps such as Memrise are based on this system. When I review Japanese words and phrases I use Anki, an app which allows you to create your own flashcards and uses spaced repetition to determine when and how often each card is presented during review sessions.
Mindset Shift Level 2: Learning Japanese > Speaking Japanese
Memorising Japanese words and phrases will only take you so far; it’s like learning tennis purely by practicing your serving technique without ever actually playing a match.
This is why polyglots such as Chris Lonsdale recommend speaking right from day one. Yes, you will sound clumsy. Yes, you will make lots of mistakes. Yes, you will be miles out of your comfort zone. But as Japonica writer James Christopher can confirm, learning Japanese is messy.
The reality of Japanese language learning is not neat tables of verb conjugations painstakingly colour-coded with highlighter pens. So ignore the beautifully curated Instagram study porn and embrace the messiness. You’ll learn natural expressions that you won’t find in Minna No Nihongo, and your Japanese ability will progress much faster than your friends who are addicted to Duolingo.
If you’re having difficulty finding native speakers to talk to, try doing a language exchange. It’s ideal if you don’t yet have confidence in your Japanese ability because your language exchange partner won’t care if you make mistakes. It’s also a great opportunity to make friends. I’ve had some good experiences with language exchanges in the past, and still keep in touch with some of my exchange partners.
If language exchanges aren’t your thing, another option is Sail. This is an online service which pairs Japanese language learners with older Japanese people who might not otherwise have the chance to connect with foreigners. Once you’ve been paired up, you can have an online video call in Japanese.
Mindset Shift Level 3: Learning Japanese > Communicating in Japanese
Speaking practice is vital for increased fluency, but if you want to truly understand and be understood in Japanese you need to know what phrases are appropriate and/or expected in various situations. Without this knowledge it’s like playing tennis without understanding the rules of the game.
As Japonica writer Tim Sullivan observes, without an understanding of these rules, your Japanese ability can even become a liability.
If your native language is English and you want to learn Japanese, prepare yourself for some major differences in these linguistic rules. Japonica writer Diane Neill Tincher details some of them here.
It is true that these differences take some getting used to. However, many of these linguistic differences are a direct reflection of cultural differences. Once you start to understand Japanese culture, the differences in the Japanese language start to make much more sense.
It’s like the many rules of bathing in a Japanese hot spring. At first they can seem complex and daunting, but once you understand the rationale behind them they become common sense, perhaps even obvious.
Japonica editor DC Palter says of the importance of culture on communication: “… communication has so many cultural assumptions built in that without understanding culture, people are talking past each other without really understanding.”
How to gain this cultural knowledge? This is where input comes in. Listening carefully is an important skill in any language; however as Japonica writer Miyuki Aida explains, this is especially true in Japanese where communication tends towards the indirect and everyone is expected to read between the lines.
Additionally, in Japanese a lot of interpersonal information such as relative age, familiarity, formality, and social rank is indicated through linguistic choices such as pronouns and verb endings. Japonica editor Alvin T. notes that if you listen carefully you can figure out where everyone stands in relation to each other without it ever being overtly stated.
One way to get all this input is to go full-on immersion and live/work/study in Japan. Obviously this isn’t always possible, but there are other options: listening to Japanese podcasts whilst commuting, playing Japanese news in the background whilst doing other tasks, or relaxing with a Japanese drama such as Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House.
Polyglots such as Lýdia Machová (mentioned at the beginning of this article) emphasize the importance of doing as many activities as possible in one’s target language, creatively and enjoyably, preferably using content created for native speakers. At first much of the input will be incomprehensible. However if you continue, you will begin to understand more, sometimes without being aware of it.
When you do understand it, you won’t just be learning individual words. You’ll be understanding phrases in their natural cultural context, giving you the ability not just to speak, but to communicate.
Calligraphy by Vicky 