HOW'S YOUR JAPANESE JOURNEY? LET ME KNOW BELOW!! -- I'd love to hear what has worked for you!! Also 2 Exciting updates- a MASSSSSSIVE Thank you to Migaku who just cuz I said "love your stuff, gonna give you a shout out" - Gave us 50% off their lifetime plan!! migaku.com/TokyoLens -- Go give them some love!! and secondly.... FINALLY GOT THE LAST OF THE SHAMISEN PLUSHIES LISTED!! They are now on the merch shelf below the vid and on teespring!!
I started to learn with JapaneseSocietyNYC. very old videos, but I love the lady on there. Its not the Japanese writing style though, just the phrases enough to get by when I will be a tourist in Japan 18 months time.
I used these two apps on my iPad back in high school called Dr.Moku flash cards. They were super helpful with learning hiragana and katakana because they turned each character into a picture with a phrase that helped you learn and it had a nice quiz feature. I just checked and they are still on the App Store. The other thing kid me would do was to find the Japanese homepages for my favorite anime. Shows like precure that are mainly made with kids in mind had websites with simple flash games on them that helped me learn simple Japanese like a little kid would in Japan.
I started late in life (at 44y.o.). Learing the pronounciation is kind of easy because I am brazilian and our portuguese phonemes are not that far from the ones used in japanese. I am learning japanese as a foreign language at Kumon (yes, that Kumon) since 2019. My grammar is pretty OK and I can read some 500 kanji or so! The problem is that this course has no conversation at all... and then the second problem shows up. Brazil has the most japanese descendents in the world (it is the largest japanese community outside Japan!) but in Rio (where I live) there is not many japanese people (São Paulo and Paraná states are where most of them are). Besides that, most nikkei do not speak japanese at all (consequences of WWII, when our president declared illegal to speak in german or japanese). So I struggle to find anyone to talk japanese to. I tried iTalki, but I was so nervous talking to a japanese person that my japanese just disappeared... and even my english disappeared, which made the experience even more awkward.
lived in tokyo for 2.5 years and been practicing japanese as much as i can. some days i feel like ive made a lot of progress then others it feels impossible. thanks for the video, giving me motivation not to give up.
If you've been living there for two years there is no reason why you shouldn't be fluent by this point. I was there for a two week vacation and I was having fluent conversations with locals within in a week
I moved to another country about 2.5 years ago and have the same issue. Some days I feel that I speak and understand so well- other days my brain is 5 steps behind and I can’t seem to get anything out correctly.
I surprised myself with how comfortable I was using my (very very) basic Japanese on my last trip, and the reaction I got every time I tried gave me such a boost. Hopefully I will have improved even more by next March!
So many other videos like this say “just go to Japan and immerse yourself!” as if that’s easy for the average person, so thank you for keeping this realistic! EDIT: this comment has been up for months and I don’t think people really understood what I was trying to say (which is my fault for how I worded it I guess lol). But the issue isn’t that I think immersion is hard and impossible, it’s the GOING TO JAPAN part that’s hard for people. So I appreciate the video for giving hope to those of us who probably won’t ever get to see Japan in our lives, but still want to learn the language anyway
It’s haaaaaaaaard to go immerse yourself But anyone can do daily baby steps And even drips can fill a bucket! Just stick with it I actually mark a calendar every day I work on something, trying to get a whole year with no unmarked days!
If you live in country with many foreign people - do they speak fluently your language? Are They have to speak your language at work 8-10h a day? Usually they do- and been doing it for 10-20 years, yet there language skills are low.Why?Becasue they learn to live/work with that pidgin language ( simple basic,not gramitatically correct version of the language) and usually their job does not require lots of advanced communication. And above all- nobody correcting them and even if - they not adopt correct form( grammar,pronunciation) because it requires mental effort.
Just like you, being hooked on the language and having strong goals which you really want to achieve might be a great motivation to succeed the language mastery! These are very informative tips and I would love to share them with anyone who is learning Japanese! Arigato😆
This is probably one of the best advice videos I’ve come across on the net. Just an additional point, something that totally shattered my confidence and when beginning to learn Japanese 20 years ago; something others can avoid. When starting out I found a book, “Japanese for Busy People,” with accompanying cassettes (yeah, it was that long ago) and was totally enjoying it. With a few sentences under my belt and feeling a bit cocky, I spoke them to a Japanese person I knew. “ that’s too formal.” She told me. So I got another book, Japanese for Dummies. Loved it and practiced it every day. “People don’t speak like that,” she told me. Another new book. Same result. After the same thing happening too many times I felt that Japanese was simply too cryptic for for me to learn and became scared to open my mouth in Japan. Some years later I met an American who had learned Japanese solely from manga and he sounded almost like a live manga character. His Japanese friends simply accepted that that was how he spoke Japanese. That taught me a big lesson; when just starting out, learn a style of speaking that YOU enjoy - be it academic, formal, casual or manga Japanese - and speak that way till you know enough to be your own judge of style. And avoid people who expect perfection from you when just a beginner. Took me years to gain a bit of confidence back. My confidence finally returned while spending a month in Tohoku, north Japan, after the 2011 disaster. I was there as a volunteer and had to speak any Japanese I knew, as most of the victims in shelters couldn’t speak English. They accepted and appreciated my attempts and usually understood what little Japanese I did know. After 18 years in Japan, I’ve come across people speaking every different one of the styles of Japanese I’d started out learning. What I was learning 20 years ago wasn’t wrong; the styles I was learning just didn’t impress on the person I was with at the time. So! Find reputable materials that you enjoy studying. Know that authors teach their own style of speaking but don’t even w concern yourself with that till you know enough about the language to be your own judge. Then you can easily adjust what you already know. I’ll add that the basics I learned in my first book, 20 years ago, have stuck with me to this day.
It's been many years since I was a real beginner (I still sound like a beginner sometimes) but I think if I stuck to the stuff in my first two semesters textbooks - IE the basic grammar patterns, I never really ran into people saying oh we don't say it like that. At least not a lot. It was when I tried self learning more advanced grammar that people suddenly started saying that to me all the time. I wanted to scream at them that I knew this was less common grammar but if I didn't practice it I would just forget it so just chill please. But they won. I stopped using advanced grammar and it's mostly forgotten now.
Norm, I've been watching your videos since the pandemic and I have gained so much inspiration and motivation from you and your travels around Japan. I hope to one day learn Japanese well and have a chance to visit and talk with locals who otherwise I would not be able to communicate with, to learn about their culture or their local communities. You do all this and more and that's why I love your channel so much.
So learning Japanese basically kept you from becoming a delinquent 😉Really appreciate you sharing this with us, much more practical and doable than a lot of the advice out there!
The Migaku app is mindblowing. It's like Christmas for me! I wish I had this app when I started learning Japanese a decade ago. As a fellow long-time learner of Japanese, I totally agree with every piece of advice here. Gotta share this with my students!
@@ButteredWaffle86$9 a month I want to say, I got lifetime back when it was a baby company and best money I ever spent. You can bootstrap a free method with Anki and yomichan but it’s still going to be more work to make each card that way.
I really like that you emphasize do what works for you. I want to add to that, don't let others discourage you from doing whatever that is. I watched too many Japanese language channels say how bad it was to learn with what I was using. Even though I was already frustrated with that thing too, I let all those other voices convince me to do something else. That really set me back. I had my own workaround to all the frustrations on that system and just stopped because I believed there was a better way. What I should've done was keep doing what I was doing but also add on to it.
What a FANTASTIC video! Truly! I landed in Tokyo in 1988 with my wife and three little ones. I returned to the States in 1998. Life back in the States was stressful and completely without Japanese anything. I was working 60-hour weeks and had all the demands of fatherhood and life on top of that. In 2022, I finished my PhD and decided I'd try to relearn some of the Japanese I'd forgotten. I was so sad to realize just how much I'd forgotten in almost 25 years of not speaking or hearing Japanese. (I had the little red dictionary too!) I love the Yoshida Brothers! How cool that you actually KNOW them and play with them! Amazing! I recognized the Japanese aviation drama "Good Luck" in your video! A pilot's license in Japan? Get outta here!!! What an accomplishment! Again, your video is awesome in both content and presentation! It's perfect! Thank you so much!
i'm currently using duolingo. i can already tell that this definitely won't help with my conversational skills compared to actually using the language but it's VERY helpful in learning the basics. im enjoying it and i find myself spending hours doing lessons and learning hiragana. the goal is to get the basics down first and so far i can recognize half the hiragana(i just started a week ago). it's a slow progress and this is the hardest part. once i can recognize the characters i can't wait to try and understand anything written in japanese. i have the obsession you were talking about and it's a great source of drive.
Can I recommend a few RUclips channels? Ask Japanese (just interviewing Japanese), Tanaka’s channel, Japanese from zero (which also has books to go along with the videos). I’ve been learning for a year, and I will NOT learn using anything like italki, because of social anxiety, but I’m using books, videos, music, and Jana charts and grammar charts. Good luck on your journey!
Keep it up. I've been using it too for the basics as well, and I know I'll eventually get to where it won't help me as much, but it's really nice to have as a free starting point and it's daily reminder feature is really good too.
Duolingo is horribly slow for Japanese and it’s also not optimized at all. It’s very good for Kanas but aside from that, the vocab list is too narrow as well as missing important grammar and other parts of the language
@@vincentchen5748 i understand all of that. my statement said exactly what you said. this is helping at least learn the characters and when i want to get more in depth i would have to find another source but as of right now it's helped a ton. my experience may not be the same as yours and my experience has been pleasant.
Love the advice, will be so helpful for young learners..... Hey, it's me, 37 year old California lady with a kid and job and struggling. His advice is AMAZING but from someone's perspective learning as a total adult just remember to have fun, take it slow and learn what you can when you can. Don't be discouraged you're not learning like the teens and single young folks with time. If I can learn so can you :D
I've been self learning Japanese for about three years now and it's really cool to hear about how you started! Especially to see that you still have that dictionary from your teacher. I never knew about ごまかす or even realized I do that very thing in English without noticing. Watching that part of the video was a really "oh right, this is a thing!" moment and I'll definitely be taking that to heart for whenever I struggle remembering the right words in japanese!
I've been studying Japanese for 16 years, and when I started the thing that really helped me was keeping a tiny pocket sized notebook with new words. For me writing it down helps me remember, including the situations where I found myself needing to understand that word.
I experienced the absolute same thing when I moved to Spain 5 years ago. The comfort factor is really important. Get out there, don’t be scared of judgement. And with time and dedication, you’ll get there!
Thank you. You have just prompted me to restart my Japanese learning after sort of giving up. My best advice is that if you can find an evening class near you then it is well worth it. That and the point about using the language all the time is key. It's amazing how quickly you forget if you stop. Also Lucas!!!! I wasnt expecting to see him pop up :)
I always love your videos! I'm 23, and I've been studying Japanese for the last 3 years. Even though I hardly think I can handle a conversation, lmao, thanks again for the tools and explanations!
Long time lurker here, but I had to comment after seeing the parallels. Finding someone else that obsessed over learning hiragana to have it ingrained into their brain was shocking. So many of my notebooks and notes and papers from high school have all of the kana, a i u e o, ka ki ku ke ko, etc... written in both hiragana and katakana on the last pages/the back, and really it was that constant exposure that made me so comfortable with the language. Another funny story with the gomakasu section, in my most recent trip I had arrived at my accommodation after a long day of hiking and forgot what the word for electric kettle was so I said 「お湯を作る機械」(literally hot water making machine) and the host immediately understood what I was talking about and showed me where it was 😂😂 I've been learning Japanese casually for the lesser part of a decade now and am nowhere near being proficient, but the information in this video is solid. Will be sharing with my friends. Keep up the great work, Norm!
I have 1 month living here in Japan and I will be here for 2 years, so thanks for your tips, I’m learning the basics and I expect one day I can write here more confident about my Japanese experience
For me, having a hobby and a passion that I want to do in Japan has been the biggest driver in my improvement as a speaker of the language. My abilities are still weak, but native Japanese speakers always stretch to meet me halfway (interjecting English) because they sense my sincerity. Risk taking, enthusiasm, and the willingness to laugh at oneself are also key drivers to language improvement when you are speaking Japanese in Japan.
I've been learning japanese for almost 3 years with little to no effect. Thanks to your video + other resources I plan to make a drastic change to how I approach leaneing this language 😁 Thanks a lot and keep up with your videos 😊
Such good advice and tips. I took Japanese back in college. We weren't allowed to speak English for the first half of class. While it could be overwhelming it really helped. Unfortunately I didn't keep up, but have recently started practicing again. This video will help so much!
Great video, Norm! I studied for 3 years and had a lot of immersion with Japanese friends and well, being in Japan a lot. I haven't used it as much recently, but trying to get back into it again now, retention has been one of my bigger struggles. Hope everyone else is managing their Japanese well!
In the 1990s, I took a business traveller Japanese class. It was just simple phrases with no reading lessons. I loved the classes and I found it helped when I travelled to Japan in 1998. I would practice my new Japanese phrases everyday. I would greet my cat in Japanese. Thanks for the great video and you have provided the spark to learn more phrases and begin learning how to read Japanese.
Thank you so much. It’s my dream to learn Japanese so I could make a lot of friends and possibly live there. I’ve been stuck but this video gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going, and hopefully one day be fluent! Thanks again :)
I have been studying Japanese for a decade or more. I learned a small amount when I lived there, then I took an entire year of college level Japanese. Since the pandemic I have been studying every day. I think I have seen the most improvement with this consistent approach. I still struggle with particles, so I’m hoping to master those soon. Thanks Norm for all the great tips!
Great video as always but really needed this one! I start learning japanese then get discourage because it gets overwhelming and/or dont know where/how to start. This really helped make it more bite size and easier to tackle. Thank you for this!!
That little book and practice papers sound like what I've been looking for to start learning Japanese. Like you mentioned, a lot of guides out there are completely overwhelming, so I've been stuck on where I'd feel comfortable to start.
In my experience, the hardest part of Japanese to learn with the internet alone is around the 10 - 25% range, where you're past sentence structure, hiragana, katakana and a few kanji but not nearly fluent. There are thousands of RUclips videos about how to start learning Japanese, and there are even more resources to help once you're conversational (when you can really start listening to Japanese and immersing yourself). I feel like most people quit around that 10 - 25% range it just takes hard work and finding a great, in-depth learning tool to overcome-I think Norm's comparison to finding a camera you enjoy using is a great metaphor.
That's exactly where I'm stuck right now. It was "easy" at first because I needed to learn Hiragana and Katakana and some of the basic grammar. But I'm now stuck on what to spend my time with most. If I don't flashcard study Kanji, I won't be able to read. But if I don't read, memorizing Kanji won't stick as well. And if I spend my free time doing those, I'm missing out on listening practice. And then the lack of speaking practice when learning alone.
@ I’ve started the book “Remembering the Kanji” and so far I’m happy with it but I have a long way to go. My current plan is to continue with that book, keep my Duolingo streak, listen to simple Japanese podcasts, and play Animal Crossing in Japanese to speed up reading hiragana and katakana while learning a ton more everyday words.
@@jwbrobst I'll look that book up! Animal crossing is a great idea. If you want, we could add each other on Discord to send Japanese things back and forth sometimes? No pressure at all though.
If you brute force your way through and just immerse immerse immerse, you'll find yourself looking back and thinking 'when did this whole thing start making sense?'. It's weird because you suddenly feel you know the language, even if you're still not there yet but you're comfortably past the point where you hardly understand what you're listening to. But ambiguity seems to be what most can't tolerate, but the thing is you can't become fluent unless you tolerate it as you'll never know all the words in Japanese nor those in your native language. This also relates to another thing I don't like people saying, that you need to learn the basics like grammar and a lot of vocab and while I do agree it's really helpful learning the basics of grammar for japanese specifically and how sentences are structured, everything else is pointless cause you'll just naturally acquire through immersion.
@@callinic999 you're doing too much. Start with one thing and learn as much about it as you can. Once you're comfortable move on to something else, use the knowledge you gained to your advantage.
Norm the amazing thing is the first two steps are really similar to how I started out as well! That's where I'm stuck at right now, making really slow progress. Thanks for the video, I'd love to reach a jouzu level like you. And congrats/thanks for such a cool sponsorship!
Thank you TokyoLens for this video. It's really relatable and i'm currently living in Japan while using minimal Japanese language because i don't meet the locals here so much. So I've gotta just go out there and speak without fear.
Hey Norm! Finally here in Tokyo now! Been watching your videos since like 3 years now, and it inspired me to work hard and get into UTokyo! I'm looking to learn Japanese too, and have in fact taken classes within the university for it! Hopefully with the tricks you have mentioned in this video I'll learn enough to be able to work here too!! I hope I get to bump into you sometime! Also, do visit Todai if you find time! It's amazing in here!
I feel like this is pretty spot on for other languages as well. It took me 3.5 years of learning Japanese but my process of learning is pretty much similar to the steps you mentioned through out the video. Specifically the 笑って誤魔化すpart, it’s such a powerful tool that enable you to play conversation catch ball with your friend. Now I have N1, speak comfortably and even worked in Japan for a while. I’m learning Chinese now with a similar approach and I even get to help a lot of Japanese with their Chinese too 😂
I greatly appreciate your videos Norm. This is the first actual legitimate video I've found on learning Japanese. There are so many fake videos out there you wouldn't believe. I am grateful for you. I am truly inspired by you and your travels. They have fueled my interest and motivation for one day living in Japan. I hope to meet with you one day and thank you in person. Keep up the great work my friend! I hope to see you soon. 🙂
Thanks for the video Norm, and thanks for the offer from Migaku as well! I've downloaded and started the lessons this afternoon! I'm looking forward to more trips to Japan after my first very short experience in early September. I don't expect to become perfectly fluent, I'm the wrong side of 50yo, but it should improve the already astounding experience a lot. Cheers from Australia! 👍
Oh this is very useful thank you! I started learning because I had a job in Japan... in 2020. Needless to say it's atrophied a bit since. I need to pick that up again.
Thank you for the information ! I am german and I live in the US . I need to get the confident to speak Japanese like I had when I moved to the US. All your videos are amazing ❤
I just love your approach. You have absolutely the right mindset (that I struggle to get into). Regarding kanji, the biggest barrier I found to learning them was the difficulty in looking them up in a dictionary the way you would an English word. As a result, I developed a system to reduce each kanji on sight to a 4-digit alpha-numerical code that allows you to look them up in an instant. That's the area I felt compelled to express my nerdishness and obsession!
Thanks Norm I needed a kick in the pants to go do my Japanese lesson today. I’m very much at level -1 on my Japanese journey but I’m already finding it fun. It’s just hard to stay motivated outside a Japanese speaking environment. I’ll be following some of your tips and recommendations with gratitude. ❤
I learn Kanji with Anki and RTK deck. It's really fun but once you stop the cards pile up and i get demotivated because the number is so high. But this video got me motivated again to make it a part of daily routine. I'm sitting at 450 Kanji reviews in Anki but i will start tackling them, thanks for giving me the boost i needed.
This is just gold. Great advice. Better than the other videos about learning Japanese. I wanna share mine. I did the writing on paper the basics of hiragana katakana and the easier N4, N5 but I did app based kanji for N3 and beyond (free Anki flashcards) because they were too many😎🤣 but shadowing is really one great advice right here, copy exactly how you say it and you’ll reach far enough on your japanese learning journey.
Love this! All of this is applicable to other languages. I am working on learning French (hoping Japanese will be soon!) and so appreciate the advice you've given.
Thank you so much for this. I study daily and have recently hit a wall with progression, some missing links were highlighted in your video, really appreciate the content and your delivery haha. Thanks again.
I like that norms videos feel personified, in a way. I feel like the way that he addresses these videos makes me feel more involved than simply watching a video
i recommend as a channel called Daily Japanese with Naoko. she speaks in only Japanese but the videos are made in such a way where you can pick up words easily through context even if you dont know much.
Norm, I really appreciate this dropping into my feed today. I decided when I saw your "what will you learn in 1,000 days challenge" that learning a new language would be my challenge, and that Japanese would be the perfect challenge. I'm on my own with learning, so my progress has been slow. However, hiragana and some basic Kanji are becoming more comfortable and I'm starting to recognize simple words and the basic gist of short sentences and conversations. Occasionally, I find myself thinking in Japanese a bit as I'll randomly identify an object with Japanese instead of English. Progress! Katakana has proven more challenging for me to get comfortable with. I guess it's basics time for that! Duolingo has been what I started with, and I recently discovered JapanesePod 101, which should level up my game immensely. Thank you for setting me up for one of the best adventures. 😊
Omg you made this vid so well that not just I learned so much like ‘comfort’ over ‘perfection’ but it was also such an entertainment😂 Migaku looks really useful, I must check it out!! Btw, somehow your ‘I dropped the battery’ face got me lol
Wow. I've never been this early before. Thanks for the tips. I hope to return to Japan someday and would like to be able to converse with the locals a bit better.
I've had the idea of learning Japanese in the back of my mind for months now and finally just decided to do a quick RUclips search and find some tips. Been watching you for a while so knew you'd have a well explained video on it when you were at the top of my search. Took me until the end to realize this was just posted!! feels like it might be a sign haha.
I agree that learning Hiragana is the first and most important step, I'm glad I discovered that naturally. Excellent advice! My son, is currently travelling Japan, from Australia, he was so proud when he heard his first "nihongo jouzu", a little language goes a long way 😊
I think I really needed this video rn. I try to learn Japanese for almost a year by now and just don't get any progress done. I will try to use your tips, thank you.
Started learning Japanese 1 week ago because of the amount of content I consume in that language, and now you drop this. I'll take it as a sign of going strong!
great video, and as a fellow Canadian living abroad and having to learn another language and culture... you are sooooo right. the best way to learn any new language is.... to live it. incorporate it into your life.
He's right about the AIUEO.... I've just got to that section so far and I'm starting to "see" them within the words, making things so much easier and faster to learn!
I'm glad you put this video out. I got a learn spanish cd set for Christmas one year, and I listened and listened and tried, but I couldn't get it. I watch a lot of content creators in Japan (lovely Norm included), and I've picked up some Japanese quickly. I just need to hunker down and study the language more. Thanks for the tips, Norm.❤
THANK YOU!!!! I'm not a textbook learner, watching movies or T.V. sort of helped but only after I learned the language (Portuguese). I seem to learn better from doing ie; writing and reading. I've seen RUclips videos of how to learn Japanese by using textbooks or the same thing and it never appealed to me. I am using Duolingo and sort of got somewhere but only after 2 years!! When you mentioned practice sheets a massive lightbulb went on above my head! As soon as your video ended and went in search of some and found Hiragana practise sheets immediately. I've downloaded the PDF's and when I need just print a new one to practice on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Thank you so much for such a thorough video. I will be visiting Japan for the first time April of next year and I really want to be able to communicate with locals but I’m glad I found your video so thorough I subscribed instantly thank you so much.
Aside from the great tips you gave, the thing you mentioned that helped me out the most is just telling me to have fun and to not worry> The biggest hurdle for me in studying is feeling like I'm not studying correctly or that I should be doing more which ultimately makes me feel bad about myself and results in me not studying enough. I have to thank my girlfriend and her friends and family (who don't speak English) as well as my Eikaiwa students for challenging me and teaching me so much useful Japanese!
Thanks so much for sharing this! Your passion for learning Japanese is truly inspiring. Just like you, I'm hooked on the language and have strong goals that I’m eager to achieve. Your video has reignited my motivation to start again. in the past i made a Gameboy style Hiragana Learning game it is free on itch ... Let’s master Japanese 😊📚🎌
Thanks for this video! It really motivates to get started and later keep going with learning. You mention a lot of pretty simple but very helpful things.
Love the confidence brother! I’ve followed you a lot over the years. Whether it was piloting or just taking us off the path and meeting locals. Being an actor now in Tokyo I need to up my game. Here’s hoping for me!
Haha, love that your electronics teacher was your fixer by giving you a basic introduction to a new language and you where so hooked you practically build a life around it. 😄 Sometimes all it really needs is really just a little push or challenge.
I’m glad you posted this. I found your account about a year ago and prior had been interested in Japan for most of my life. I always let work and other stuff come in the way of me properly learning. I did almost a lot of what you did. I emerged myself with goals and such starting this past January and my level of retention skyrocketed because of regular practice and having friends to speak to in it. I just got back from my first trip to Japan a few weeks ago (you responded to my comment about Shinjuku on another video haha), but nothing beat the feeling of actually being able to communicate and connect with local through their native tongue. Was I great? Definitely not lol, but I was able to get by and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I will continue learning and I believe anyone who is interested in starting should 100% follow the tips you gave. It’s very solid advice.
Thanks so much for your videos, I enjoy them! My wife is Japanese and we moved to Tokyo six months ago for an emergency family situation. I've been trying to get better with my Japanese, but saying it's difficult for me is an understatement. I'm taking two classes a week in Kawasaki and an online Nihon-go club Saturday mornings. I'll definitely try some of your suggestions here. Cheers!
Thank you for this video! After being obsessed with Japan and all things Japanese for years now, and after having visited Japan in 2018, I am determined to learn Japanese. I find that your "levels" idea are very helpful and will try to follow your advice. I am no longer young (59), but I have learned Russian before pretty fluently for the military, so I think I can do it. I also plan to brush up on my Russian and also learn French. I am going to follow your levels.
Making it part of your daily life really works. It’s how I brushed up on my German. I’ve been trying to do so with my Japanese but I still feel intimidated by it. I struggle to pace myself and end up wanting to do too much too fast. I’m hoping to get that under control.
Du schaffst das schon, deutsch ist eine ziemlich verwirrende Sprache. Selbst für eine Muttersprachlerin wie mich. Japanisch steht ebenfalls auf meiner To Do Liste.
@@RememberSaiya Danke! 😊 Deutsch lernen war eigentlich nicht so schlimm. Ich bin Holländerin und unsere Sprachen sind oft sehr ähnlich. Bin nur schüchtern und hatte mich nicht getraut es zu benutzen, deswegen hatte ich viel vergessen. Mein Deutsch ist heutzutage nicht perfekt aber ich kann mich verständlich machen. Japanisch ist viel schwieriger für mich aber ich hoffe es irgendwann zu schaffen es zu lernen! Hoffentlich wird es auch für Dich klappen! 😁
As a foreigner, one-year-in living in Japan and still struggling with Japanese, I find your video really inspirational. It gives me back some motivation and a better mindset to persevere on learning. Thank you so much!
I think we can claim ourself fluent in that particular language is when we start to monologue in said language. Like English is not my first language, it took quite a while before I subconsciously having a thought or monologue in English.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
HOW'S YOUR JAPANESE JOURNEY? LET ME KNOW BELOW!! -- I'd love to hear what has worked for you!!
Also 2 Exciting updates- a MASSSSSSIVE Thank you to Migaku who
just cuz I said "love your stuff, gonna give you a shout out" - Gave us 50% off their lifetime plan!! migaku.com/TokyoLens -- Go give them some love!!
and secondly....
FINALLY GOT THE LAST OF THE SHAMISEN PLUSHIES LISTED!!
They are now on the merch shelf below the vid and on teespring!!
@TokyoLens my Japanese isn't to great but can understand some word's when people talk on utube x
Norm ... Did you learn Kanji in a particular order or as the symbols appeared in documents, videos, etc?
I started to learn with JapaneseSocietyNYC. very old videos, but I love the lady on there. Its not the Japanese writing style though, just the phrases enough to get by when I will be a tourist in Japan 18 months time.
I used these two apps on my iPad back in high school called Dr.Moku flash cards. They were super helpful with learning hiragana and katakana because they turned each character into a picture with a phrase that helped you learn and it had a nice quiz feature. I just checked and they are still on the App Store. The other thing kid me would do was to find the Japanese homepages for my favorite anime. Shows like precure that are mainly made with kids in mind had websites with simple flash games on them that helped me learn simple Japanese like a little kid would in Japan.
I started late in life (at 44y.o.). Learing the pronounciation is kind of easy because I am brazilian and our portuguese phonemes are not that far from the ones used in japanese. I am learning japanese as a foreign language at Kumon (yes, that Kumon) since 2019. My grammar is pretty OK and I can read some 500 kanji or so! The problem is that this course has no conversation at all... and then the second problem shows up. Brazil has the most japanese descendents in the world (it is the largest japanese community outside Japan!) but in Rio (where I live) there is not many japanese people (São Paulo and Paraná states are where most of them are). Besides that, most nikkei do not speak japanese at all (consequences of WWII, when our president declared illegal to speak in german or japanese). So I struggle to find anyone to talk japanese to. I tried iTalki, but I was so nervous talking to a japanese person that my japanese just disappeared... and even my english disappeared, which made the experience even more awkward.
lived in tokyo for 2.5 years and been practicing japanese as much as i can. some days i feel like ive made a lot of progress then others it feels impossible. thanks for the video, giving me motivation not to give up.
You can do it!
If you've been living there for two years there is no reason why you shouldn't be fluent by this point. I was there for a two week vacation and I was having fluent conversations with locals within in a week
The language learning "wave" cycle is real and horrifying, but the way is still before you if you want to walk it, eh?
Sounds like ur lying@@xandercortez7522
I moved to another country about 2.5 years ago and have the same issue. Some days I feel that I speak and understand so well- other days my brain is 5 steps behind and I can’t seem to get anything out correctly.
I surprised myself with how comfortable I was using my (very very) basic Japanese on my last trip, and the reaction I got every time I tried gave me such a boost. Hopefully I will have improved even more by next March!
Hey there. Please respond to my comment and lmk how your next trip goes!
So many other videos like this say “just go to Japan and immerse yourself!” as if that’s easy for the average person, so thank you for keeping this realistic!
EDIT: this comment has been up for months and I don’t think people really understood what I was trying to say (which is my fault for how I worded it I guess lol). But the issue isn’t that I think immersion is hard and impossible, it’s the GOING TO JAPAN part that’s hard for people. So I appreciate the video for giving hope to those of us who probably won’t ever get to see Japan in our lives, but still want to learn the language anyway
It’s haaaaaaaaard to go immerse yourself
But anyone can do daily baby steps
And even drips can fill a bucket!
Just stick with it
I actually mark a calendar every day I work on something, trying to get a whole year with no unmarked days!
It also doesn't always work - as noted above, I lived there for four years and I still can't communicate in Japanese.
@@TokyoLens I love that idea! I think I'll do that too!
If you live in country with many foreign people - do they speak fluently your language? Are They have to speak your language at work 8-10h a day? Usually they do- and been doing it for 10-20 years, yet there language skills are low.Why?Becasue they learn to live/work with that pidgin language ( simple basic,not gramitatically correct version of the language) and usually their job does not require lots of advanced communication. And above all- nobody correcting them and even if - they not adopt correct form( grammar,pronunciation) because it requires mental effort.
Plus you have to have at least a baseline level of fluency to have any idea of what’s going on
Just like you, being hooked on the language and having strong goals which you really want to achieve might be a great motivation to succeed the language mastery! These are very informative tips and I would love to share them with anyone who is learning Japanese! Arigato😆
Thanks so much for the kind words!
You’ve been teaching Japanese lessons lately right?
Hope any of this helps!
See you in the next one!!
Excited to find you @With_Me_Japan! I have subscribed and am excited to watch your videos!
This is probably one of the best advice videos I’ve come across on the net.
Just an additional point, something that totally shattered my confidence and when beginning to learn Japanese 20 years ago; something others can avoid. When starting out I found a book, “Japanese for Busy People,” with accompanying cassettes (yeah, it was that long ago) and was totally enjoying it. With a few sentences under my belt and feeling a bit cocky, I spoke them to a Japanese person I knew. “ that’s too formal.” She told me. So I got another book, Japanese for Dummies. Loved it and practiced it every day. “People don’t speak like that,” she told me. Another new book. Same result. After the same thing happening too many times I felt that Japanese was simply too cryptic for for me to learn and became scared to open my mouth in Japan. Some years later I met an American who had learned Japanese solely from manga and he sounded almost like a live manga character. His Japanese friends simply accepted that that was how he spoke Japanese. That taught me a big lesson; when just starting out, learn a style of speaking that YOU enjoy - be it academic, formal, casual or manga Japanese - and speak that way till you know enough to be your own judge of style. And avoid people who expect perfection from you when just a beginner. Took me years to gain a bit of confidence back. My confidence finally returned while spending a month in Tohoku, north Japan, after the 2011 disaster. I was there as a volunteer and had to speak any Japanese I knew, as most of the victims in shelters couldn’t speak English. They accepted and appreciated my attempts and usually understood what little Japanese I did know. After 18 years in Japan, I’ve come across people speaking every different one of the styles of Japanese I’d started out learning. What I was learning 20 years ago wasn’t wrong; the styles I was learning just didn’t impress on the person I was with at the time. So! Find reputable materials that you enjoy studying. Know that authors teach their own style of speaking but don’t even w concern yourself with that till you know enough about the language to be your own judge. Then you can easily adjust what you already know. I’ll add that the basics I learned in my first book, 20 years ago, have stuck with me to this day.
It's been many years since I was a real beginner (I still sound like a beginner sometimes) but I think if I stuck to the stuff in my first two semesters textbooks - IE the basic grammar patterns, I never really ran into people saying oh we don't say it like that. At least not a lot. It was when I tried self learning more advanced grammar that people suddenly started saying that to me all the time. I wanted to scream at them that I knew this was less common grammar but if I didn't practice it I would just forget it so just chill please. But they won. I stopped using advanced grammar and it's mostly forgotten now.
@@simondesu1 A similar thing happened to me (15 years ago). I agree with your solution.
Norm, I've been watching your videos since the pandemic and I have gained so much inspiration and motivation from you and your travels around Japan. I hope to one day learn Japanese well and have a chance to visit and talk with locals who otherwise I would not be able to communicate with, to learn about their culture or their local communities. You do all this and more and that's why I love your channel so much.
Thank you for the kindness!
So learning Japanese basically kept you from becoming a delinquent 😉Really appreciate you sharing this with us, much more practical and doable than a lot of the advice out there!
The Migaku app is mindblowing. It's like Christmas for me! I wish I had this app when I started learning Japanese a decade ago. As a fellow long-time learner of Japanese, I totally agree with every piece of advice here. Gotta share this with my students!
My jaw literally dropped while watching this and hearing of migaku for the first time. Definitely trying it out! 🙌
How much? Surely it's not free...
@@ButteredWaffle86$9 a month I want to say, I got lifetime back when it was a baby company and best money I ever spent. You can bootstrap a free method with Anki and yomichan but it’s still going to be more work to make each card that way.
I really like that you emphasize do what works for you. I want to add to that, don't let others discourage you from doing whatever that is. I watched too many Japanese language channels say how bad it was to learn with what I was using. Even though I was already frustrated with that thing too, I let all those other voices convince me to do something else. That really set me back. I had my own workaround to all the frustrations on that system and just stopped because I believed there was a better way. What I should've done was keep doing what I was doing but also add on to it.
What a FANTASTIC video! Truly! I landed in Tokyo in 1988 with my wife and three little ones. I returned to the States in 1998. Life back in the States was stressful and completely without Japanese anything. I was working 60-hour weeks and had all the demands of fatherhood and life on top of that. In 2022, I finished my PhD and decided I'd try to relearn some of the Japanese I'd forgotten. I was so sad to realize just how much I'd forgotten in almost 25 years of not speaking or hearing Japanese. (I had the little red dictionary too!) I love the Yoshida Brothers! How cool that you actually KNOW them and play with them! Amazing! I recognized the Japanese aviation drama "Good Luck" in your video! A pilot's license in Japan? Get outta here!!! What an accomplishment! Again, your video is awesome in both content and presentation! It's perfect! Thank you so much!
I love your story! Thank you for sharing!
And so glad that you could get something out of this video!!
i'm currently using duolingo. i can already tell that this definitely won't help with my conversational skills compared to actually using the language but it's VERY helpful in learning the basics. im enjoying it and i find myself spending hours doing lessons and learning hiragana. the goal is to get the basics down first and so far i can recognize half the hiragana(i just started a week ago). it's a slow progress and this is the hardest part. once i can recognize the characters i can't wait to try and understand anything written in japanese. i have the obsession you were talking about and it's a great source of drive.
Can I recommend a few RUclips channels? Ask Japanese (just interviewing Japanese), Tanaka’s channel, Japanese from zero (which also has books to go along with the videos).
I’ve been learning for a year, and I will NOT learn using anything like italki, because of social anxiety, but I’m using books, videos, music, and Jana charts and grammar charts. Good luck on your journey!
Dump Duolingo. I don't use it and I'm doing fine
Keep it up. I've been using it too for the basics as well, and I know I'll eventually get to where it won't help me as much, but it's really nice to have as a free starting point and it's daily reminder feature is really good too.
Duolingo is horribly slow for Japanese and it’s also not optimized at all. It’s very good for Kanas but aside from that, the vocab list is too narrow as well as missing important grammar and other parts of the language
@@vincentchen5748 i understand all of that. my statement said exactly what you said. this is helping at least learn the characters and when i want to get more in depth i would have to find another source but as of right now it's helped a ton. my experience may not be the same as yours and my experience has been pleasant.
Love the advice, will be so helpful for young learners..... Hey, it's me, 37 year old California lady with a kid and job and struggling. His advice is AMAZING but from someone's perspective learning as a total adult just remember to have fun, take it slow and learn what you can when you can. Don't be discouraged you're not learning like the teens and single young folks with time. If I can learn so can you :D
Been learning japanese for a year and a half now. Will definitely use these tips aswell!
you got this for sure!
Being a Japanese studying chinese, your video is really inspiring. And you do speak great Japanese
Very kind of uou
I've been self learning Japanese for about three years now and it's really cool to hear about how you started! Especially to see that you still have that dictionary from your teacher. I never knew about ごまかす or even realized I do that very thing in English without noticing. Watching that part of the video was a really "oh right, this is a thing!" moment and I'll definitely be taking that to heart for whenever I struggle remembering the right words in japanese!
I've been studying Japanese for 16 years, and when I started the thing that really helped me was keeping a tiny pocket sized notebook with new words. For me writing it down helps me remember, including the situations where I found myself needing to understand that word.
アルファベットとスペースだで構成されている文章が視覚的に全く頭に入りません。そしてスマートフォンで調べれば何でも分かる反面、それが私には合いません。
小さいポケットサイズのノート！
真似してみます！
ありがとうございます😊
@@SAKURA_KIRAKIRA ポケットブック作戦が成功するといいよね！頑張ってください！
日本語上手ですね。
Yeah yeah.
I experienced the absolute same thing when I moved to Spain 5 years ago. The comfort factor is really important. Get out there, don’t be scared of judgement. And with time and dedication, you’ll get there!
I'm so happy that you mentioned "Let's learn Japanese Basic 1 Series." It's one of the most useful beginner free courses I have ever seen!
There is also Let's learn Japanese Basic 2 😀
@ yup! Watched that as well
Thanks!
Thank you. You have just prompted me to restart my Japanese learning after sort of giving up. My best advice is that if you can find an evening class near you then it is well worth it. That and the point about using the language all the time is key. It's amazing how quickly you forget if you stop. Also Lucas!!!! I wasnt expecting to see him pop up :)
I always love your videos! I'm 23, and I've been studying Japanese for the last 3 years. Even though I hardly think I can handle a conversation, lmao, thanks again for the tools and explanations!
You can do it!
Long time lurker here, but I had to comment after seeing the parallels.
Finding someone else that obsessed over learning hiragana to have it ingrained into their brain was shocking. So many of my notebooks and notes and papers from high school have all of the kana, a i u e o, ka ki ku ke ko, etc... written in both hiragana and katakana on the last pages/the back, and really it was that constant exposure that made me so comfortable with the language.
Another funny story with the gomakasu section, in my most recent trip I had arrived at my accommodation after a long day of hiking and forgot what the word for electric kettle was so I said 「お湯を作る機械」(literally hot water making machine) and the host immediately understood what I was talking about and showed me where it was 😂😂
I've been learning Japanese casually for the lesser part of a decade now and am nowhere near being proficient, but the information in this video is solid. Will be sharing with my friends.
Keep up the great work, Norm!
I have 1 month living here in Japan and I will be here for 2 years, so thanks for your tips, I’m learning the basics and I expect one day I can write here more confident about my Japanese experience
Had to hop in as soon as I saw this posted. Always looking for more tips, since I’m long out of schooling. Thank you so much!
Love that early gang!
Thank you!
For me, having a hobby and a passion that I want to do in Japan has been the biggest driver in my improvement as a speaker of the language. My abilities are still weak, but native Japanese speakers always stretch to meet me halfway (interjecting English) because they sense my sincerity. Risk taking, enthusiasm, and the willingness to laugh at oneself are also key drivers to language improvement when you are speaking Japanese in Japan.
Norm, been wanting to know this! Thank you!
I've been learning japanese for almost 3 years with little to no effect.
Thanks to your video + other resources I plan to make a drastic change to how I approach leaneing this language 😁
Thanks a lot and keep up with your videos 😊
Such good advice and tips. I took Japanese back in college. We weren't allowed to speak English for the first half of class. While it could be overwhelming it really helped. Unfortunately I didn't keep up, but have recently started practicing again. This video will help so much!
Great video, Norm! I studied for 3 years and had a lot of immersion with Japanese friends and well, being in Japan a lot. I haven't used it as much recently, but trying to get back into it again now, retention has been one of my bigger struggles. Hope everyone else is managing their Japanese well!
Such a great video Norm! Thanks brother!
That confidence explanation immediately reminded me of Natsuki. And he’s an absolute legend 😂❤
In the 1990s, I took a business traveller Japanese class. It was just simple phrases with no reading lessons. I loved the classes and I found it helped when I travelled to Japan in 1998. I would practice my new Japanese phrases everyday. I would greet my cat in Japanese. Thanks for the great video and you have provided the spark to learn more phrases and begin learning how to read Japanese.
Thank you so much. It’s my dream to learn Japanese so I could make a lot of friends and possibly live there. I’ve been stuck but this video gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going, and hopefully one day be fluent! Thanks again :)
I have been studying Japanese for a decade or more. I learned a small amount when I lived there, then I took an entire year of college level Japanese. Since the pandemic I have been studying every day. I think I have seen the most improvement with this consistent approach. I still struggle with particles, so I’m hoping to master those soon. Thanks Norm for all the great tips!
めちゃくちゃいい！ヤバい！！はじめてみました！ I did exactly, EXACTLY THE SAME to learn English and Spanish. It worked!! Great Video !! Perfect Video!! ありがとう！
Great video as always but really needed this one! I start learning japanese then get discourage because it gets overwhelming and/or dont know where/how to start. This really helped make it more bite size and easier to tackle. Thank you for this!!
The story of your teacher is beautiful!
That little book and practice papers sound like what I've been looking for to start learning Japanese. Like you mentioned, a lot of guides out there are completely overwhelming, so I've been stuck on where I'd feel comfortable to start.
OMG I used Pimsleur’s too! And I can relate to your copying whole sets or sentences to learn intonation with! Great video.
In my experience, the hardest part of Japanese to learn with the internet alone is around the 10 - 25% range, where you're past sentence structure, hiragana, katakana and a few kanji but not nearly fluent.
There are thousands of RUclips videos about how to start learning Japanese, and there are even more resources to help once you're conversational (when you can really start listening to Japanese and immersing yourself). I feel like most people quit around that 10 - 25% range it just takes hard work and finding a great, in-depth learning tool to overcome-I think Norm's comparison to finding a camera you enjoy using is a great metaphor.
That's exactly where I'm stuck right now. It was "easy" at first because I needed to learn Hiragana and Katakana and some of the basic grammar. But I'm now stuck on what to spend my time with most. If I don't flashcard study Kanji, I won't be able to read. But if I don't read, memorizing Kanji won't stick as well. And if I spend my free time doing those, I'm missing out on listening practice.
And then the lack of speaking practice when learning alone.
@ I’ve started the book “Remembering the Kanji” and so far I’m happy with it but I have a long way to go.
My current plan is to continue with that book, keep my Duolingo streak, listen to simple Japanese podcasts, and play Animal Crossing in Japanese to speed up reading hiragana and katakana while learning a ton more everyday words.
@@jwbrobst I'll look that book up! Animal crossing is a great idea. If you want, we could add each other on Discord to send Japanese things back and forth sometimes? No pressure at all though.
If you brute force your way through and just immerse immerse immerse, you'll find yourself looking back and thinking 'when did this whole thing start making sense?'. It's weird because you suddenly feel you know the language, even if you're still not there yet but you're comfortably past the point where you hardly understand what you're listening to. But ambiguity seems to be what most can't tolerate, but the thing is you can't become fluent unless you tolerate it as you'll never know all the words in Japanese nor those in your native language. This also relates to another thing I don't like people saying, that you need to learn the basics like grammar and a lot of vocab and while I do agree it's really helpful learning the basics of grammar for japanese specifically and how sentences are structured, everything else is pointless cause you'll just naturally acquire through immersion.
@@callinic999 you're doing too much. Start with one thing and learn as much about it as you can. Once you're comfortable move on to something else, use the knowledge you gained to your advantage.
Norm the amazing thing is the first two steps are really similar to how I started out as well! That's where I'm stuck at right now, making really slow progress.
Thanks for the video, I'd love to reach a jouzu level like you.
And congrats/thanks for such a cool sponsorship!
3:48 - I'm gonna start doing that! That is such a good idea. Thank you for that!
Thank you TokyoLens for this video. It's really relatable and i'm currently living in Japan while using minimal Japanese language because i don't meet the locals here so much. So I've gotta just go out there and speak without fear.
So useful. I really want to learn japaneses this year, this advice really helps ❤
You are the first big youtuber to mention Migaku!!!
I just started using Migaku and am loving it so far!!
Hey Norm! Finally here in Tokyo now! Been watching your videos since like 3 years now, and it inspired me to work hard and get into UTokyo! I'm looking to learn Japanese too, and have in fact taken classes within the university for it! Hopefully with the tricks you have mentioned in this video I'll learn enough to be able to work here too!!
I hope I get to bump into you sometime! Also, do visit Todai if you find time! It's amazing in here!
I spent quite a bit of time at TODAI back in 2007-2008
Amazing university and space in general
Indeed, Yan-san is the BEST video course there has been, it's thoroughly enjoyable for foreigners!!! Loved it back in high school
You perfectly break it down.
Thanks so much.
Definitely will make it much easier for me to learn.
Again, thanks. 😊
This was perfect timing I just got back from Japan and am starting to learn Japanese seriously and this really helped 🙏🙇♂️
Thank you for this! Definitely inspired and will give Migaku a try! Ganbaro!
I feel like this is pretty spot on for other languages as well. It took me 3.5 years of learning Japanese but my process of learning is pretty much similar to the steps you mentioned through out the video. Specifically the 笑って誤魔化すpart, it’s such a powerful tool that enable you to play conversation catch ball with your friend. Now I have N1, speak comfortably and even worked in Japan for a while. I’m learning Chinese now with a similar approach and I even get to help a lot of Japanese with their Chinese too 😂
I greatly appreciate your videos Norm. This is the first actual legitimate video I've found on learning Japanese. There are so many fake videos out there you wouldn't believe.
I am grateful for you. I am truly inspired by you and your travels. They have fueled my interest and motivation for one day living in Japan.
I hope to meet with you one day and thank you in person. Keep up the great work my friend! I hope to see you soon. 🙂
Thanks for the video Norm, and thanks for the offer from Migaku as well! I've downloaded and started the lessons this afternoon! I'm looking forward to more trips to Japan after my first very short experience in early September. I don't expect to become perfectly fluent, I'm the wrong side of 50yo, but it should improve the already astounding experience a lot. Cheers from Australia! 👍
I've had to wear my sunglasses to watch that video 😎 damn this quality is on a whole nother level!
20:30 the bloopers are so good.😂❤
Respect your hard work sir.🫡🙇♂️
Oh this is very useful thank you! I started learning because I had a job in Japan... in 2020. Needless to say it's atrophied a bit since. I need to pick that up again.
Great video! I'm 7 months into learning Japanese as a new language and your video certainly encourages me to do well! Love from Malaysia.
Thank you for the information !
I am german and I live in the US .
I need to get the confident
to speak Japanese
like I had when I moved to the US.
All your videos are amazing ❤
You have a real gift for making things easy to understand.
that's such an incredibly kind comment~
Thank you so much
I just love your approach. You have absolutely the right mindset (that I struggle to get into). Regarding kanji, the biggest barrier I found to learning them was the difficulty in looking them up in a dictionary the way you would an English word. As a result, I developed a system to reduce each kanji on sight to a 4-digit alpha-numerical code that allows you to look them up in an instant. That's the area I felt compelled to express my nerdishness and obsession!
Thanks Norm I needed a kick in the pants to go do my Japanese lesson today. I’m very much at level -1 on my Japanese journey but I’m already finding it fun. It’s just hard to stay motivated outside a Japanese speaking environment. I’ll be following some of your tips and recommendations with gratitude. ❤
I learn Kanji with Anki and RTK deck. It's really fun but once you stop the cards pile up and i get demotivated because the number is so high. But this video got me motivated again to make it a part of daily routine. I'm sitting at 450 Kanji reviews in Anki but i will start tackling them, thanks for giving me the boost i needed.
This is just gold. Great advice. Better than the other videos about learning Japanese.
I wanna share mine. I did the writing on paper the basics of hiragana katakana and the easier N4, N5 but I did app based kanji for N3 and beyond (free Anki flashcards) because they were too many😎🤣 but shadowing is really one great advice right here, copy exactly how you say it and you’ll reach far enough on your japanese learning journey.
Love this! All of this is applicable to other languages. I am working on learning French (hoping Japanese will be soon!) and so appreciate the advice you've given.
Thank you so much for this. I study daily and have recently hit a wall with progression, some missing links were highlighted in your video, really appreciate the content and your delivery haha. Thanks again.
I like that norms videos feel personified, in a way. I feel like the way that he addresses these videos makes me feel more involved than simply watching a video
I may not be actively learning Japanese, but I appreciate your constant positivity and encouragement. ❤
i recommend as a channel called Daily Japanese with Naoko. she speaks in only Japanese but the videos are made in such a way where you can pick up words easily through context even if you dont know much.
Norm, I really appreciate this dropping into my feed today. I decided when I saw your "what will you learn in 1,000 days challenge" that learning a new language would be my challenge, and that Japanese would be the perfect challenge. I'm on my own with learning, so my progress has been slow. However, hiragana and some basic Kanji are becoming more comfortable and I'm starting to recognize simple words and the basic gist of short sentences and conversations. Occasionally, I find myself thinking in Japanese a bit as I'll randomly identify an object with Japanese instead of English. Progress! Katakana has proven more challenging for me to get comfortable with. I guess it's basics time for that! Duolingo has been what I started with, and I recently discovered JapanesePod 101, which should level up my game immensely. Thank you for setting me up for one of the best adventures. 😊
Omg you made this vid so well that not just I learned so much like ‘comfort’ over ‘perfection’ but it was also such an entertainment😂 Migaku looks really useful, I must check it out!! Btw, somehow your ‘I dropped the battery’ face got me lol
Awesome video as always Norm. This was a helpful video thank you for keeping it realistic and Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.
Wow. I've never been this early before. Thanks for the tips. I hope to return to Japan someday and would like to be able to converse with the locals a bit better.
I got big love for that early squad!!
I've had the idea of learning Japanese in the back of my mind for months now and finally just decided to do a quick RUclips search and find some tips. Been watching you for a while so knew you'd have a well explained video on it when you were at the top of my search. Took me until the end to realize this was just posted!! feels like it might be a sign haha.
I agree that learning Hiragana is the first and most important step, I'm glad I discovered that naturally. Excellent advice!
My son, is currently travelling Japan, from Australia, he was so proud when he heard his first "nihongo jouzu", a little language goes a long way 😊
I think I really needed this video rn. I try to learn Japanese for almost a year by now and just don't get any progress done. I will try to use your tips, thank you.
Started learning Japanese 1 week ago because of the amount of content I consume in that language, and now you drop this. I'll take it as a sign of going strong!
Don’t give up. Or after a couple years you will regret it so so much.
great video, and as a fellow Canadian living abroad and having to learn another language and culture... you are sooooo right. the best way to learn any new language is.... to live it. incorporate it into your life.
Thanks for sharing what worked for you! That Migaku offer looks AMAZING! Looks to be exactly what I was looking for! Thank you! 🙏
He's right about the AIUEO.... I've just got to that section so far and I'm starting to "see" them within the words, making things so much easier and faster to learn!
I'm glad you put this video out.
I got a learn spanish cd set for Christmas one year, and I listened and listened and tried, but I couldn't get it. I watch a lot of content creators in Japan (lovely Norm included), and I've picked up some Japanese quickly. I just need to hunker down and study the language more. Thanks for the tips, Norm.❤
Yes! Great video! I taught French years ago. I don’t keep up with it, and I can feel it slipping away.
THANK YOU!!!! I'm not a textbook learner, watching movies or T.V. sort of helped but only after I learned the language (Portuguese). I seem to learn better from doing ie; writing and reading. I've seen RUclips videos of how to learn Japanese by using textbooks or the same thing and it never appealed to me. I am using Duolingo and sort of got somewhere but only after 2 years!! When you mentioned practice sheets a massive lightbulb went on above my head! As soon as your video ended and went in search of some and found Hiragana practise sheets immediately. I've downloaded the PDF's and when I need just print a new one to practice on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Fantastic video as always!
Thank you so much for such a thorough video. I will be visiting Japan for the first time April of next year and I really want to be able to communicate with locals but I’m glad I found your video so thorough I subscribed instantly thank you so much.
Aside from the great tips you gave, the thing you mentioned that helped me out the most is just telling me to have fun and to not worry> The biggest hurdle for me in studying is feeling like I'm not studying correctly or that I should be doing more which ultimately makes me feel bad about myself and results in me not studying enough. I have to thank my girlfriend and her friends and family (who don't speak English) as well as my Eikaiwa students for challenging me and teaching me so much useful Japanese!
Your content is always top-notch and well-researched!
Thanks so much for sharing this! Your passion for learning Japanese is truly inspiring. Just like you, I'm hooked on the language and have strong goals that I’m eager to achieve. Your video has reignited my motivation to start again. in the past i made a Gameboy style Hiragana Learning game it is free on itch ... Let’s master Japanese 😊📚🎌
Thanks for this video! It really motivates to get started and later keep going with learning. You mention a lot of pretty simple but very helpful things.
Love the confidence brother! I’ve followed you a lot over the years. Whether it was piloting or just taking us off the path and meeting locals. Being an actor now in Tokyo I need to up my game. Here’s hoping for me!
Haha, love that your electronics teacher was your fixer by giving you a basic introduction to a new language and you where so hooked you practically build a life around it. 😄 Sometimes all it really needs is really just a little push or challenge.
I’m glad you posted this. I found your account about a year ago and prior had been interested in Japan for most of my life. I always let work and other stuff come in the way of me properly learning.
I did almost a lot of what you did. I emerged myself with goals and such starting this past January and my level of retention skyrocketed because of regular practice and having friends to speak to in it.
I just got back from my first trip to Japan a few weeks ago (you responded to my comment about Shinjuku on another video haha), but nothing beat the feeling of actually being able to communicate and connect with local through their native tongue. Was I great? Definitely not lol, but I was able to get by and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
I will continue learning and I believe anyone who is interested in starting should 100% follow the tips you gave. It’s very solid advice.
Amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing that!!
Thanks so much for your videos, I enjoy them! My wife is Japanese and we moved to Tokyo six months ago for an emergency family situation. I've been trying to get better with my Japanese, but saying it's difficult for me is an understatement. I'm taking two classes a week in Kawasaki and an online Nihon-go club Saturday mornings. I'll definitely try some of your suggestions here. Cheers!
Thank you for this video! After being obsessed with Japan and all things Japanese for years now, and after having visited Japan in 2018, I am determined to learn Japanese. I find that your "levels" idea are very helpful and will try to follow your advice. I am no longer young (59), but I have learned Russian before pretty fluently for the military, so I think I can do it. I also plan to brush up on my Russian and also learn French. I am going to follow your levels.
Making it part of your daily life really works. It’s how I brushed up on my German. I’ve been trying to do so with my Japanese but I still feel intimidated by it. I struggle to pace myself and end up wanting to do too much too fast. I’m hoping to get that under control.
Du schaffst das schon, deutsch ist eine ziemlich verwirrende Sprache. Selbst für eine Muttersprachlerin wie mich. Japanisch steht ebenfalls auf meiner To Do Liste.
@@RememberSaiya Danke! 😊
Deutsch lernen war eigentlich nicht so schlimm. Ich bin Holländerin und unsere Sprachen sind oft sehr ähnlich. Bin nur schüchtern und hatte mich nicht getraut es zu benutzen, deswegen hatte ich viel vergessen. Mein Deutsch ist heutzutage nicht perfekt aber ich kann mich verständlich machen.
Japanisch ist viel schwieriger für mich aber ich hoffe es irgendwann zu schaffen es zu lernen! Hoffentlich wird es auch für Dich klappen! 😁
I like this video. Sometimes old school way to start is the best for foundation. Thank you!
As a foreigner, one-year-in living in Japan and still struggling with Japanese, I find your video really inspirational. It gives me back some motivation and a better mindset to persevere on learning. Thank you so much!
You can do it!
Good to see you back norm ❤❤❤
been uploading almost every week!!!!
Lots to catch up on!
I think we can claim ourself fluent in that particular language is when we start to monologue in said language.
Like English is not my first language, it took quite a while before I subconsciously having a thought or monologue in English.