How to Learn Japanese Well

張貼日期：May 01, 2010 5:47:40 AM

How to Learn Japanese Well

Carrie Shen

       I started to learn Japanese in last July. It is because after studying at Chinese Culture University for one year, I realized that I needed to improve my abilities to increase my competition. Therefore, I decided to learn a second foreign language—Japanese. And so Japanese becomes my minor. During these eight months, I learned three methods to study Japanese and overcame lots of difficulties.

      First, when we learn a new language, writing alphabets tidily is the most important point. Alphabets are the foundation of many languages. Therefore, writing Japanese alphabets correctly and clearly is the first and important step to learn Japanese well. Some of my classmates wrote Japanese alphabets disorderly. Afterwards, they couldn’t know what they wrote in books and got confused. As the result, they gave up studying Japanese and failed the course.

      After practicing how to write alphabets, we should learn Japanese’s grammar and tenses certainly. In my experience, Japanese grammar and tenses are quite different from those of English and Chinese. We should practice repeatedly and be familiar with usages of Japanese. However, the grammar and tenses of Japanese are complicated. Hence, I always rewrite my notes after class. Rewriting notes can help me not only reinforce my memories but also find my problems which make me confused. Afterwards, I will ask my teacher to explain to me the problems and understand them thoroughly. Many students are always confused by Japanese grammar and tenses. They are also afraid of asking the teacher. Eventually, they gave up because they didn’t understand the meaning in every sentence.

      Last, when we accomplish learning Japanese alphabets, grammar and tenses in a certain way, we will know the meaning of the sentences gradually. Then, we can learn Japanese not only in class but also in daily life. For example, we can watch Japanese soup operas and listen to their pronunciations. Also, we can listen to Japanese pop songs to learn something about Japanese culture. These ways can make us not only increase our interest in learning Japanese but also be confident in speaking Japanese. Take myself for example; I have loved the songs of the singer Ayumi since I was young. Now I learn Japanese and understand the meaning of the lyrics of her songs gradually. Also, I start to practice her accent and have a sense of accomplishment in learning Japanese. In short, I consider that it is a good way to learn Japanese from lives.

      Consequently, if you use my guidelines to learn Japanese, you will find it is not difficult to learn Japanese either in class or in daily life. In conclusion, we need to make up our mind and practice Japanese constantly, and overcome all the problems during the studying days. It is also my most important rule for learning Japanese.