Hi guys,
I am just started to study the kanji ,my aim is to have skills like reading listening speaking upto jlpt n3 level so that I can search for jobs in Japan from my country.i have read articles stressing the importance of learning kanji early as a beginner.
But after reading this one article it starts to shake my foundation. I.e learning kanji as a beginner
They stressed about the problems that we will face learning all the kanjis in isolation,like the kanji meaning will differ in context ,learning Compound kanji and words etcā¦
My aim is not to study Japanese level,I am trying to study Japanese at a level where I should be comfortable in talking to people.
My question is
If the above article holds true then whatās the purpose of putting all our efforts and studying kanji meaning individually ,we call learn things via context and compound kanji and words right?
I am little worried and confused as a beginner can someone clarify me
Wanikani will allow you to study all 3 phases of kanji, (atleast according to your article). If you want to study Japanese at a level where you could be talking to people, I reccommend also taking some kind of online or formal class where you can have practice in talking to others as well.
For example, Iām using WK, Bunpro, Tae Kim, and Iām taking an online Japanese class with a real Japanese proffessor, using webcams/mics to have conversations.
Edit: you could probably ālearn things via contextā, etc, but it would be much more difficult. You will have a much better, easier time understanding the language if you study the kanji formally. (Iām no expert, though.)
You donāt really need a formal teacher for this. While it can certainly help in many situations, it isnāt necessary. Youāll often hear people here talking about HelloTalk (myself included), basically an app that matches you up to people looking to do a language exchange and gives the tools to make it easy.
You can absolutely learn in that way. Not only can you, that is where most of your learning will happen. That doesnāt invalidate WK, quite the opposite. What you are learning here is like a key to a puzzle, it isnāt the solution itself but without it you will struggle to solve anything. Iām going to leave that analogy there because itāll quick fall apart if I try push it.
In WaniKani, Kanji are not learnt in isolation, but in the context of vocabularies. WaniKani also teaches compound words.
However, for the vocabularies that WaniKani teach, I feel like I only learn Readings well, because Meanings do depend on context, not only of sentences, but also of paragraphs.
In short, WaniKani is enough for Kanji, but not for vocabulary meanings.
@anon85167355
So thanks for clarifying that wanikani covers the 3 style of kanji learning I mentioned,so far I thought wanikani will teach kanji like kanji koohi site,but itās great to know that they have cover all the forms of kanji.
And I have registered myself in some language exchange sites and trying to find Japanese people to talk.im wondering when you were in my stage how did you find people to talk ?
Thanks for pointing out on context part,like I mentioned all I am trying to get is a basic conversation level skills,Iām not going into fluency or literature.so will basic kanji learning will help me in achieving my goal ?
If I understood you right, you wanted to apply for a job in Japan. Thatās also my goal, and I guess it depends on the kind of job you want. I want a job as a mechanical engineer, and Iām going to know enough to read, and write, as well as talk in Japanese.
And basic kanji can always help, but Iām not sure if its enough. I talk to people in my online class that Iām taking through BYU independent study, since our professor has set up a little chat room thingy where we can practice speaking to each other.
@anon85167355
My friends from my country went to Japan with basic Japanese i.e n4-n3 level,but they are experienced though,I am also having experience but my main worry is learning Japanese
@Leebo
People from my country already went for long time job with n4 level certificates itself,they are all experienced so do I,my friend suggested to learn Japanese and speak it to a level where I can feel comfortable talking to others and after that once we land there we got more opportunities to improve based on that path Iām trying
What kind of jobs are you talking about? N3 level Japanese is insufficient for working in a technical or business environment that primarily operates in Japanese. So if the business is being done in some other language, it doesnāt even seem like Japanese is necessary at all.
My friend is working as a java developer,Iām also trying to find a job in software development.
If you have any idea about Japanese requirements for software development it would be greatly helpful to me
Each stage builds on the last. Also as mentioned, WK isnāt just in isolation. So really WK will bring you into the third stage mentioned. Though it will take time to get you there, Iām a little over a third of the way through the system and I am only just at the stage where I am reading native material ā¦ sort of. Itās a struggle and it is mentally exhausting but the work Iāve done in WK has really helped me.
On special right now, so a good time to get it. Doesnāt often go on special so donāt miss your chance
I find it hard to believe anyone could discuss programming at an N4 level, as you said you knew people who went with that, or the N3 level youāre aiming for. So thatās why I was asking, were these people were actually using that level of Japanese for their work? A meeting that was conducted in Japanese would be impossible to follow for someone at N4 and a big stretch for N3.
N2 is the most common level requested for jobs that involve Japanese.
@Leebo
When entering Japan they were at that level,after you enter you are having opportunities and willingness to learn it more,they managed,they survived,now I donāt see them having problems.
But first you have to get hired to get a visa to be able to have a semi-long-term plan. And what Japanese company is going to hire you without an N2 or N1, unless they donāt require Japanese at all?
No Iām not, hence why Iāve only commented on learning the language and nothing about getting a job at N3 (which is somewhere near my level and I donāt feel like I have any ability to maintain any type of job in the language).
@Leebo
Iām from India,there are many companies in Japan who will take such candidates,but the salary level will be in medium range,my friend told that high paying jobs only require that kind of Japanese level.
Even I visited many consultancies here myself,I can confirm that they are sending people if they finish n3 level.