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/jp/ - Otaku Culture

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2004263 No.2004263 [Reply] [Original]

Hey, /jp/, how did you learn japanese if you're not a local? I have Rosetta Stone and Human Japanese installed on my computer, but I want the crash course, it's my goal for the year. I plan on taking a class as soon as I can.

Pic unrelated.

>> No.2004276

I'm taking classes, and I suck.

I know more than when I started (because I knew nothing when I started), but I can't memorize these stacks of book for shit.

I think I'm fucked.

>> No.2004279

Take classes and study hard. Even better if you can take it with a friend.

>> No.2004283

Delete Rosetta Stone, it's terrible. Haven't heard of Human Japanese, but it's probably terrible too.

Then get Genki.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=z99flajp

>> No.2004288

torrent the Genki books
watch subbed anime
when you know a little start watching it without subs

>> No.2004289

>>2004276
OP here. I'm doing pretty good to tell you the truth, I've been learning since June, and by no means do I consider myself even good enough to carry out a conversation, but I do have confidence in myself (but don't ask me why I'm on 4chan........)

>> No.2004297

>>2004288
>>2004283
Rosetta Stone has been terrible, yes, thats why I'm asking. Downloading Genki now. And I am watching subbed anime, finding that I'm picking up on words, and even some of the humor that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

>> No.2004307

>>2004289
Rewatch the scene where Tomoe and Araya argue.
Reread the scene where Shirou and Archer/Gilgamesh fight.

>YOU FAKER
>EVEN IF I AM FAKE, WHAT I FEEL RIGHT NOW IS REAL

>> No.2004332

I'm currently learning by translating porn doujinshi. At the pace I'm going and with the references I need, I feel like I should be translating ancient scriptures, and when I'm stuck, there's nothing to do about it, as I have no one to ask questions, so I really hope it'll get easier eventually.

>> No.2004354

Start watching without subs.
Read your manga raw.
Play your games without translation.
Visit 2ch/futaba.
Etc etc

Also, look up words you think are important and put them into your SRS. Switch to a monolingual dictionary as soon as possible.

>> No.2004372

>>2004289
The software is designed to mollycoddle you. You are not actually doing well.

>> No.2004388

>>2004372
I know that, again that's why I'm asking you, /jp/, for advice. I figured Rosetta Stone was shit, it's simply all I knew about.

>> No.2004397

It's hard to say, since I don't remember exactly what steps I took. However, back when I watched anime often, I started to watch raws rather heavily. It forces you into immersion.

Besides that, I browsed 2chan, listened to music and occassionally translated lyrics for fun, and took classes.
If you're not looking to spend some time in Japan in the near future, it's a long haul. You shouldn't expect to be good at the language overnight, and if you try to force yourself to hard, you'll only end disheartened and exhausted.

>> No.2004401

It's hard to say, since I don't remember exactly what steps I took. However, back when I watched anime often, I started to watch raws rather heavily. It forces you into immersion.

Besides that, I browsed 2chan, listened to music and occassionally translated lyrics for fun, and took classes.
If you're not looking to spend some time in Japan in the near future, it's a long haul. You shouldn't expect to be good at the language overnight, and if you try to force yourself too hard, you'll only end up disheartened and exhausted.

>> No.2004421

>>2004401
Actually going there is top priority for me, I'm just not in the financial position to do it right now. I find that if I watch Raws, I only pick up about half of what's said, but I suppose since it's given advice I'll start doing it more often. I do listen to a lot of jp music (no jpop, I'm more of a rock kinda guy. Anything from The Pillows to Mucc, Kaggra, Ellegarden, and such), and I read as much as I possibly can. I hardly know any Kanji, though. Should I be taking on Kanji before or after learning to speak, in /jp/'s opinion?

>> No.2004426

>>2004421
>Should I be taking on Kanji before or after learning to speak, in /jp/'s opinion?
Simultaneously.
Why does this never seem like an option to anyone?

>> No.2004440

>>2004426
I'm not a machine, anonymous.

>> No.2004446

>>2004426
Alright, recommendation of a book, or something of the sort, or does Genki include this?

>> No.2004450

>>2004421
Just follow the kanji that Genki has and then after your done with genki do intensive kanji study. Either use Heisig or the classic rote memorization for the rest

>> No.2004455

>>2004421

I'm guessing it's kinda obvious that you should learn the language before the writing.

In the case of hiragana and katakana especially.

If you know the language, other shit should come easier. It's like with small children, you don't try to teach them how to write before you teach them how to speak. (I know they pick up how to speak naturally, I'm just making a point.)

>> No.2004456

>>2004446
http://www.amazon.com/Kodansha-Kanji-Learners-Dictionary/dp/4770028555

>> No.2004457

>>2004450
Got it. Thanks, /jp/.

>> No.2004464

>>2004455
OP here. I can already read, I just can't read Kanji. I'll be reading anon's recommendation to change this.

>> No.2004467

>>2004263
I translate stuff. hat's how I learn it. Also reading books on grammar and sentence structure.

>> No.2004563

>>2004464
It's normal not reading kanji

>> No.2004598

>>2004464
>I can already read, I just can't read Kanji
Then you... can't really read...

>> No.2004605

>>2004598
Yes, he can. I can't read kanji either, but I can read words that have kanji in them. I learn the pronunciation for the kanji in said word.

>> No.2005469

IMMERSION

Watch Japanese TV (look up KeyholeTV, etc.), watch anime/dramas without subtitles. Read raw manga, light novels. Read 2ch and various other websites (including regular websites you already visit(if it has a japanese version)) in japanese. Play games in Japanese (including games you've already played), example I'm currently playing through FFXII in japanese.

Do all of the above a lot.

>> No.2005594

>>2005469
i just downloaded keyhole tv but i cant see shit, captain

>> No.2005607

>>2005594
Make sure it's the latest version (3.12 (or higher))
If it is already, I don't know, you're fucked.

>> No.2005619

>>2005607
lol, im listening some Osaka radio now
what are TV channels? Can i watch NHK?

>> No.2005636

>>2005619
oh, i just found it, never mind

>> No.2005717

I learned Japanese all on my own, without any of those language-specialty software like Rosetta Stone or Human Japanese, so I can't tell you if they're effective at all.

First, you need passion. Something that will drive you to keep learning the language for years to come, because, to be honest, you're NOT going to master it in a year or even a few years, unless you're some super genius and your life depends on your survival in Japan. I was into Digimon and Pokemon when I started studying the language in 7th grade.

Secondly, I recommend starting by memorizing the hiragana and katakana tables. There are only so many of them and it shouldn't take you too long to memorize both. Learn five to ten at a time. Practice by drilling yourself everyday to write out every one of them and know their pronunciations. Once you learn one set, the other will come much quicker. It took me weeks to learn katakana first, then about two to three weeks for hiragana. Supplement writing with reading Japanese passages. Just find a random news article and try to identify every katakana and hiragana in the passage. It doesn't matter if you don't understand what you're reading; the point is to memorize those characters. This is fundamental.

>> No.2005721

>>2005717

Kanji... I'm sorry, but I can't help with that. I already knew kanji before tackling katakana and hiragana.

And the whole process between learning hira/katakana to now is kind of blank for me. I know I read a lot of Japanese text and did my best to translate them. I can look back and see how terrible I was in my earlier translations, but they've improved a lot over the years. The point is, you need to make a lot of mistakes before you can be good at something.

I recommend taking a grammar course at the very least. That is something anime and manga won't teach you.

Watch anime to get a feel of flow of conversation. Dialog will always have a certain pattern or rhythm to them, and after a while you should pick it up intuitively. And after you've learned a few thousand kanji characters, you will be able to subconsciously know what kanji should be pronounced as even if you've never used the word before. I'm in middle of this process right now and it's frankly quite scary.

>>
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