Here, half the students seriously drop out the first few weeks cause they don't learn hiragana, or for some reason, thought Japanese wasn't in... Japanese.

Alot also has this magical expectation that after two semesters, anything in Japanese would be their bitch. And with expectations like that, you're probably gonna get discouraged.

I'm sure you've realized this already with languages, but probably the most confusing thing with languages is you can't DIRECTLY say what you want to say, especially thinking in another language. My housemate best described it as the language of beating around the bush.

Also, KANJI ARE YOUR FRIENDS. Do not let them scare you. Sentences of hiragana are really the scary ones, kanji separate out sentences much more nicely, and are ALOT easier to translate.

Writing wise, it can be difficult to write, just like in any language. (I know people with chicken scratch who naturally write either language.) While English is written up to down (like, when you write the letter L, you start at the top left, and bring the line down.) with vertical strokes dominant. In Japanese and such, the Horizontal strokes have more authority, and its alot easier to write nicely if you do horizontal lines as the primary ones instead of the vertical.

After so many verbs and what not, you'll learn to recognize the different parts of speech and sentences will become ALOT easier if you can quickly go "yep. That's a verb." If you don't know the names of the parts of sentences, like MOST AMERICANS don't (I don't know what the fuck an adverb is honestly), remember to put an equivalent in your notes, so you can try to stick to that if you can't remember the name. If you ask me for an infinitive verb, I have NO GOD DAMNED IDEA what you're talking about, but if you say 'make a verb that ends with -ing' I can do it. Our teacher had NO IDEA none of us knew what the parts of speech were, and it confused the living fuck out of everyone.

If you have a sentence structure you'll need to remember, make a RIDICULOUS sentence using it. No one will ever forget that Touga's man canon is bigger than Miki's shining thing.

(I'm going to assume you're alot better at languages than them though, cause for the most part, alot of Americans don't know another language, and your English is pretty damn good.)

I'll come back if I remember something. I'm currently an active Japanese tutor, an award winner Latin translator, and an acting German translator. I want to find a Japanese contest, but, I've murdered my vocabulary so much, that if they don't ask about virgins and metallic fetuses, I'd be fucked.

I'll post something else if I think of it, but I need to leave right now.

Kanji is daunting as hell, but I agree with allegoriest -- it's actually a damn sight EASIER to read a line of Japanese in kanji and hiragana than hiragana alone. Learning kanji, however, can be a bit of a nightmare...I'm in the process of it, and one thing I can say is LEARN THE STROKE ORDER. It might seem irritating at first, because as allegoriest pointed out the Western pattern of writing instinct is different to the Eastern, but it's a hell of a lot easier to remember how to do it if you follow their instructions...they've been doing this for a while, they know the most efficient way to write these characters. Also, once you've memorised a few the stroke order becomes largely instinctive anyway.

As far as LEARNING & Remembering the Kanji, are there any pointers on that? I've got a firm grasp on hiragana and katakana now. I feel pretty comfortable in determine when to use either. We JUST started kanji... but i am just looking for an easy solution to remembering and learning them

And Allegoriest, how much is an over-the-phone tutoring session?????

I took german, spanish, and latin when i was younger... but never knew anything fluently.... but enough to get out of sticky situations.

I'll take any help i can get.

(sorry if I mention something here that's already been mentioned, I'm lazy and really didn't read, I skimmed.)

I've been teaching myself Japanese for almos three years now and so far the hardest thing I've come across is transitive vs. intransitive verbs (you thought I'd say kanji, right?  well, they're difficult, yes, but I love them too much ).  Particles usually are the tell-tale sign of whether a verb's transitive or intransitive, but in a lot of situations it's just "assumed"  (like a lot of Japanese is) and it's difficult to tell.

The thing that's really helped me out in my studies is Japanese music.  I just download it, listen to it, grab a dictionary, and translate what I don't already know.  Boom.  If you want some resources here's a few:

jpopasia.com - listen to the top charts in a multitude of genres
jbums.blogspot.com, japanesemusicdream.wordpress.com - two great places to download your favorite Japanese music for free.

Learning kana was kinda tough for me in the beginning too.
A good site to get some practice is realkana.com, it's like flashcard based.  Really nice.

If you have an iPod (or any other mp3 player for that matter) I also suggest subscribing to japanesepod101.com's free podcasts through iTunes (or what have you).  They're EXCELLENT listening practice and you learn a LOT.

Okay, that's all I can suggest for someone taking a class in Japanese.  xD Lucky you!  And have fun!

Haha. I remember having trouble with that same stuff. Good times...

I'd really like to get back to it too. I didn't drop out of it, so much as just place it by the wayside so I could take the courses I needed to finish up my major instead. I've spent so much time on it between college and high school that I really regret having done nothing with it, and not having become "fluent" (or something closely approaching that).

I'm interested in seeing if I can audit a class next year maybe, when all I'm going to have to take is O. Chem and MCAT studying. If I could set up a situation where I can audit it for no grade/credit/really cheap, that would be lots of fun and a good way to get back into it. I don't want to have to take it for a grade with O. Chem and MCATs though... the last thing I need is unforced stress from something I just want to do for self-enrichment .

What's skype? :: blush ::
I seriously fail at technology. I had my lab partner text message me, and I couldn't figure out how to reply....

Um. IMing though, I understand. I used to have a free program from microsoft that let you type japanese in various applications, but I don't remember where I got that, or if it would work with vista/IM programs. It was simple to use, you'd just type in hiragana, and you could hit space and turn the phrase into hiragana + the appropriate kanji (assuming you could select the appropriate ones from the options offered) Any ideas? Your thought of texting/conversing in japanese is actually something I'd be sort of interested in doing.

Interest versus actually being able to keep it up are different things though. I'm bad at getting side tracked when something pressing comes around. After this semester especially though, I could probably find time for something like that. And a few times before then maybe, if you know of any good(free? ;) programs.

Edit: Fair warning, I took Japanese for a long time, but I haven't actually had a chance to use it at all in the last... 4? 5? years. So I've forgotten a ton, and probably mangled what I remember. I'm not entirely sure how helpful I'd be.

Last edited by Valeli (03-12-2010 01:39:57 PM)

I don't think anyone can currently hold a phone lesson with me, because, I DESPISE the phone, and thusly, would charge way too much.
Also, I can't hear very well.


I'm preeeetty certain aim allows Japanese. If not, the people I IM are psychics....
I know I used MSN in Chinese a few years back, so I guess it can do Japanese.


My Japanese has probably gone WAY too far in a WTF direction to give good tutoring at this point in time though. I've become far too specialized.


I'll consider taking Japanese tests when they're for contests. I don't want a congratulations. I want to compete for prizes and medals and stuff. Also, I don't want to travel to take the test.

That's why Latin was cool. They'd give me things when I did well. And as of right now, there's no reason that paper would help me in my life.



I don't see why people find kanji hard. THEY ARE YOUR FRIENDS. They make words much more specific, and its easier to tell when a word stops. In my case, if I see one I don't know, I look it up, and go on. Eventually, if I keep running into it, I'll more than likely remember it.




I want a good book on verb conjugation. Seriously. Especially since I can't ever remember what verbs are CALLED. only what they mean. And I'm just SO FUCKING LAZY. I've tried making my own, but its just like, nnng.

And woooah, that site's expensive. This is why I don't have many books. My favourite publisher is shogakukan I think.  (too rushed to find a book right now.)

i also have the IME tool associated with Vista. It was easy to set up and if anyone needs help i'd be happy to assist.

Valeli

Skype is similar to an IM system where you can webcam and mic chat. The difference with skype vs. MSN or AIM is that skype allows you to purchase credits if you want to make a VoIP (Voice over IP) call to a lan line. But skype is free otherwise. Its a great service and allows chatting to be easier than the standard msn (IMHO!) However, i'd love to IM with you.... I prefer MSN and Skype. PM me if you're interested ;-)

Clarice do you know who Tofugu is? he's a Japanese American Vlogger on youtube who is giving a contest out for WhiteRabit press cards. Something to do with twitter. I have seen the examples of those cards and they are fabulous.... moneys just the issue

I don't have any trouble learning the kanji, i just need the practice... and i don't feel i get enough of it in my japanese class alone.

Allegoriest i can understand... over the phone anything is ridiculous. However, if i discover any competitions i'll let you know ;)

I want to compete for prizes and medals and stuff.

souka.

It's on. .... slutt. ... J/K .... Mostly.

I'll PM you in re: skype/IM kiss. If you're genuinelyinterested in it, we can probably both find something we'd each find helpful from each other. I hate to think of relathions based on need/use but... you could do worse. I guess. No harm meant. I'd honestly be glad if I managed to help you out in any fashion.

Unless you skype to a phone. Another designer at work did that in a weird country, and raked up $14,000 in phone bills in a week. He tried to get work to pay it. yeeeeah....



Older versions of aim and friends never allowed Japanese and such at all. I think that's why so many asian people I knew a while back used MSN...

The worst part with Japanese is remembering the different pronunciations of words. Sometimes, it will be this. When put before a word, it will be that. When after another, it will be THAT. Then, sometimes, people will pronounce it another way. Just to fuck with you.

I came in with Chinese prior to it. Which was sometimes good. And sometimes disastrous. Every once in a while, you'd see a word that looks the SAME but mean COMPLETELY different things in each language. Sometimes I still get them backwards and screw with pronunciations.

You can message me if you'd wish, but I can't guarantee I'd be of help anymore. (I mostly just use it for research and translating now.) I'm allegoriest on aim and skype. ...Though I generally don't talk.