Hello people, I’ve been on and off with Japanese and so far I’ve reached N4. I want to apply the things I’ve learned but can’t seem quite to know how to go about it. Talking to Ai doesn’t work for me since it kept going beyond my level and sometimes feels like a loop. It’s hard to just sit and watch a youtube video, let alone podcast. Watching anime is hard because I don’t know what’s happening and it’s tiring trying to figure out the context while I’m actively listening what they’re trying to say. I ended up not having the motivation to continue studying Japanese. I’m also an engineering student, I have to juggle Japanese with other subjects. I would so appreciate it if you share your routine, experience, your method on studying japanese effectively.
What you need is an activity. Something that allows you to use whatever Japanese you do know in a non-threatening environment. For me it was a Japanese chorus. Since you are a university student, a club seems like a good bet. If you can’t find one, start one.
Going off of what ポールおじちゃん said, if you're at a university or college, even if you can't find a club, you might be able to find local events that could help. For example, in my university town, there used to be weekly Language Exchange events that were hosted at a local bar, which encouraged people to come and meet other people to practice languages with.
I've hardly gotten myself past N5, but I still try. Yesterday I translated a pretty simple sentence from English into Japanese for someone. You could try translating things for yourself, and if you're comfortable, for others too.
Using a sentence schedule works as well if you want to try that. You don't have to do too much.
But basically, list the things you're usually watch on youtube in english and try to watch the same things in Japanese. Start with short that simple and repetive. The more familiar you are with the topic, the easier it will be. Since you will be able to deduce a lot of things. You don't to watch a lot or for a long time but it should become a habit (like the video that you watch on your freetime). Don't consider it as "study time" too. For example, watch a few short every morning with a cup of coffee in your bed. If you don't understand, search the words that prevent you to understand on renshuu and add them to a schedule (you can draw the kanji on renshuu if you need to). It doesn't need to be more than 5mn per day. But it should be easy enough that you don't feel like struggling.
For anime, rewatch your favorite anime in japanese. Even if you lack vocabulary, grammar, kanji, etc, you will be able to watch it since you're already know what's happening. A lot of people think anime is a good way to study japanese. And it's not a bad way but depending on anime, it can be hell. Like fantasy/medieval/historical one will use old japanese that are not easy to learn and probably won't study for while. SF will use a lot technical/scientific words. Slice-of-life may use a lot of precise words to describe emotion too for example. None of them are "easy". It's not impossible to study like but you will have to put a lot of effort at the beginning in order to acquire that vocabulary (adding almost every words to a schedule for example). Also, most of them are not words, expressions that you will learn with the JLPT. JLPT focus only on common words. You need specialized vocabulary for any of those topics if you want to be able to understand decently. That's true for anime but also any other kind of content (like gaming, science, music, etc). Instead, it's easier to watch things that you're familiar with. Because you will be able to deduce a lot of things even when you don't know most words, grammar, kanji. And after 6 month - 1 year, it will start to become easier. Just repeat with other topic. The hardest part is the beginning because you're lacking too much specialized vocabulary. Which can be slang too for example. But once you're past that stage, it start to become easier and more enjoyable.
I made a pretty long post here for youtube if you want to check: https://app.renshuu.org/forums... basically, list the things you're usually watch on youtube in english and try to watch the same things in Japanese. Start with short that simple and repetive. The more familiar you are with the topic, the easier it will be. Since you will be able to deduce a lot of things. You don't to watch a lot or for a long time but it should become a habit (like the video that you watch on your freetime). Don't consider it as "study time" too. For example, watch a few short every morning with a cup of coffee in your bed. If you don't understand, search the words that prevent you to understand on renshuu and add them to a schedule (you can draw the kanji on renshuu if you need to). It doesn't need to be more than 5mn per day. But it should be easy enough that you don't feel like struggling.
For anime, rewatch your favorite anime in japanese. Even if you lack vocabulary, grammar, kanji, etc, you will be able to watch it since you're already know what's happening. A lot of people think anime is a good way to study japanese. And it's not a bad way but depending on anime, it can be hell. Like fantasy/medieval/historical one will use old japanese that are not easy to learn and probably won't study for while. SF will use a lot technical/scientific words. Slice-of-life may use a lot of precise words to describe emotion too for example. None of them are "easy". It's not impossible to study like but you will have to put a lot of effort at the beginning in order to acquire that vocabulary (adding almost every words to a schedule for example). Also, most of them are not words, expressions that you will learn with the JLPT. JLPT focus only on common words. You need specialized vocabulary for any of those topics if you want to be able to understand decently. That's true for anime but also any other kind of content (like gaming, science, music, etc). Instead, it's easier to watch things that you're familiar with. Because you will be able to deduce a lot of things even when you don't know most words, grammar, kanji. And after 6 month - 1 year, it will start to become easier. Just repeat with other topic. The hardest part is the beginning because you're lacking too much specialized vocabulary. Which can be slang too for example. But once you're past that stage, it start to become easier and more enjoyable.
Anyway, hope that will help a bit! 頑張ってね～
@Shamugan I truly appreciate your time in making this post
I am still yet to pass the N5 but I put Japanese into my everyday life by thinking of the days of the week, day and month in my head. On top of that, since I have no one to talk to in Japanese, I talk to myself from time to time. Also despite my abysmall Japanese knowledge, I watch Japanese anime with subtitles to help me pick out words I do understand to reinforce it into my brain (Don't know if it makes much sense...)
I’ve just been looking into YouTube extensions to one click translate words and manage known dictionary (yomitan/migaku). So far I can only handle the simple videos but it has been very motivating to keep grinding vocab on renshuu :)
Not a method per se, but some fun ways you can interact with Japanese:
There are extensions that allow you to have subtitles in English and Japanese simultaneously, LanguageReactor, for example. I think it works on Netflix and YouTube. Also maybe you could try watching something rather simple. For example, I sometimes watch Ghibli movies with subtitles. If it’s also hard, I watch it on a bit slower speed, so I can follow what they’re saying. I personally really like learning Japanese songs and translating their meaning, using the Text analyzer tool on renshuu, so maybe that could be fun for you too. Also on renshuu’s discord there is a book club, so you can try reading free level-appropriate books there. Essentially, it’s pretty motivating to find a way to connect something you enjoy or do in your daily life to your Japanese learning. It can be a hobby, it can even be something you like or are curious about in Japan. If you’re on social media, you can follow Japanese accounts covering these topics, maybe if it’s a sport or a video game, there will be stuff on YouTube for you to watch. PS: I liked this video with a learning tactic, maybe it can be useful to you. If I remember correctly, it takes him a lot of time to get to the point, but closer to the middle of the video he shares some useful tools, like the above mentioned LanguageReactor
1: Watching a Japanese anime or series with your languages subtitles
2: Reading books in Japanese with your language’s translation
3: Using a few phrases when you talk
4: Practice daily
5: Enjoy!
And plus, all those people who made super long helpful answers, I just want to say that that means you really care for those people who need answers in their Japanese or about Renshuu so…
