Glad to know I’m not alone in my weird problem I do feel like it’s somehow an artifact of my age and how internet videos were when I was growing up, like Youtube videos have evolved so much and gotten so much closer to like…professionally made long-form content (I mean, some people do Youtube as their profession now, so…I guess some things on Youtube are technically “professionally made content” lol). I feel like when I was first introduced to the concept of internet videos, it was very much just like…people screwing around for a few minutes It’s hard to shake that expectation or perception.
I have whatever the opposite of this is in English, if its less than 2 hours I don’t bother.
Day 1, 1st of October
I used this challenge as an opportunity to listen to new things. So this is my first time listening to Comprehensible Japanese. I started with the complete beginner playlist, and the first video was about parts of the face.
What I think helped much more than other listening material I use is that you also get to see what is talked about. Additionally, transcripts were provided in video, so when a familiar Kanji appeared it was a great a-ha moment! Unfortunately there where also a lot of new Kanji…
I also really like SuperNative. Having to really concentrate while listening is quite exhausting, but fun. Unfortunately, at my level even the slightest noise can distract from or overlap with the speech fragment that they want you to listen to. Especially when it’s a clip from a show with background music or a lot of people are talking at once.
I love this, I recently passed the N4 exam and at the time I thought I did so well on the listening portion but then my score was… less than desirable haha. I really need the accountability to keep myself motivated (especially to get myself ready for the summer N3 exam).
I’m struggling to choose 1 or two simple things to work with, but probably some JLPT practicing and then some easy youtubers to listen to like Onomappu
Time: 30 min - 1 hour
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October 1st!
I can’t believe its October already, this year has gone by so quickly!
But hey, at least that means its time for a new challenge! I really slipped in the month since the Summer challenge and hardly did any listening practise at all
I’m glad to be back to having some accountability to motivate me to get back to it!
Today I listened to 2 episodes of Nihongo con Teppei for Beginners. One was about whether you go to bed early or wake up early - the other was about friends.
I found both fairly easy to understand, other than when my mind wandered off and I stopped listening properly.
I really need to just practise focusing I think! I have the attention span of a goldfish
I really ought to listen to more Japanese, so here we are.
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What I ideally need is to find some podcasts I like, because I go for a walk and listen to a podcast most days, so I just need to shift that habit from English-language podcasts to Japanese ones…
october 1 home post
Aaaand I almost forgot about this challenge again, and on day one no less but I remembered at like 6:30 this evening. I listened to a Comprehensible Japanese video, understood basically all of it which was a nice surprise.
I listened to 2+ hours of the audiobook for 変な家 today while traveling. It’s got to be the second easiest audiobook I’ve ever listened to, with コーヒーが冷めないうちに being the only one easier. The story is mildly interesting but honestly the writing is kind of on the junk side. I do enjoy a mindless read/listen though, so it’s all good.
I need to see if I had energy left tonight to read. Such a long day
Fall is here! I have some listening goals to aim for so here I am.
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I’ll be working through Tango N5 and N4 decks during this challenge.
As well as attempting to finish all Pimsleurs Japanese Level 2 lessons.
Finally starting to listen to podcasts (Sakura Tips)
October 1
I listened for several hours yesterday (wasn’t counting), with the TV on in the background while I took care of some chores. For the longest time I couldn’t find anything that satisfied me, even without paying it my full attention. Mysteriously all anime on Netflix got on my nerves after a few minutes, and watching a movie was too frustrating with comprehension being so low. In the end I rewatched a few episodes of Erased (easier because I’ve already watched it before with subtitles on), but soon got bored with it too.
In the end I got out some old dvds I had forgotten I had and had somehow never watched: Tatami Galaxy (四畳半神話大系). The art was amazing, and it somehow held my interest for several episodes, even though the narration was so incredibly fast that I could only catch a word here and there. For some reason, watching something that I knew I had no hope of following properly (while still enjoying the visuals) felt better than watching something where they spoke shorter and slower sentences. I guess it took away the pressure of feeling I had to understand more?
Anyway, here’s a sample I found online so you can enjoy the super-fast narration too:
softlyraining’s leaf pile listens
Oct 1st:
- SPY X FAMILY (1 episode)
- Ranking of Kings (2 episodes)
I watched these with my partner, so we had the English subtitles on. I have to be frank, it’s kind of hard not to just read the subtitles. I really tried to avoid looking at them during the second episode of Ranking of Kings, but I still found myself glancing down at them, particularly when I had trouble understanding the dialogue. Something for me to keep in mind next time we watch anime together.
Love Tatami Galaxy! Gosh, I remember having enough trouble just getting through the subs back when I watched it. The show would probably make for a good litmus test to see how much your listening comprehension’s improved.
Day 2, 2nd of October
Today was a simple repeat of yesterday’s material. Why? Even when people speak very slowly and clearly I still struggle understanding them. But that isn’t just the case with Japanese, every kind of spoken language input is liable to getting scrambled. Learning disabilities yay! So I went through material I already knew and had read transcriptions of to maybe absorb more on the second go through. Now I know how the words were written and can notice the places where contractions or sound eliminations were happening.
Phew, that was exhausting. Maybe I’ll listen to something without trying to learn from it next.
October 2nd!
Just a little bit of listening today, as I spent more time than I originally planned on reading, and I have a friend’s wedding party to attend this evening!
I listened to episode 57 of Nihongo con Teppei for Beginners. I didn’t have any difficulty understanding anything today, which was nice
October 2
Three more episodes of Tatami Galaxy today. Still don’t catch more than a dozen words per episode. Still liking it regardless.
Ah, thanks for confirming it really is super fast. I was actually wondering if it would sound any slower in English. And yes, I too thought it might be interesting to revisit in a year (or ten) to see how much more I (don’t) understand.
Thanks for starting this thread! I’ve been in a real wanikani slump so I’ve barely been on the forums at all, but I love seeing what everyone is listening to and getting advice for myself. Tatami Galaxy sounds really fun, I wonder if I can watch it not on DVD.
I’ve been listening like crazy in the 2 months since I basically stopped doing any wanikani, and I am pleased to report that my listening has noticeably improved! I was watching that clip you posted and I’d say I got about 30%? Not enough for any deep comprehension, but I feel pleased! I’m motivated enough to reset wanikani this morning and maybe I’ll catch back up with my reviews here as well
October 2nd
What did I listen to?: Ouran High School Host Club Ep 1
How much time did I spend listening?: 22 min (? however long an episode is)
And we’re off, a day late
I’ve literally never mentioned this anime before, so you might be wondering, how did I choose this. What was my thought process. Uh, none. None was my thought process. Someone somewhere (in the Read Every Day thread?) mentioned that this was on Netflix like a day ago, so the title was in my brain, and I was already watching something else on Netflix so it seemed like an easy transition in the moment I am saddened by the lack of Japanese subtitles. I tried to watch it with no subtitles, which in retrospect may have been a mistake because I have literally no idea what’s going on. I feel like I understood the first couple sentences somewhat completely but then I metaphorically tripped over the next sentence and never caught my balance again, I just kept stumbling through the rest of the episode catching some words here and there. I didn’t even catch half the character’s names, but the smol one is adorable, I like him the most I don’t know if I will continue this or not, I will see how I feel when I’m listening next lol. Honestly I might be material-hopping a bit for a while because my brain’s kind of…off in the fields right now (is that a saying? that’s not a saying, is it. idk, I made it up, hopefully you know what I mean )
softlyraining’s leaf pile listens
October 2nd
Watched this vlog before bed. The channel is run by Rina, who’s the drummer in the band SCANDAL. I’ve liked their music for some time, and though I’ve been subscribed to her for a while, I haven’t watched many of her videos lately. This one focused on the group heading to Toronto for their world tour. Apparently it’s been four years since they’ve been there, and they had postponed the show twice due to the virus.
I kept spacing out as I watched, and it was hard for me to follow. I didn’t sleep much at all last night, so that probably didn’t help. I might rewatch it again tomorrow and see if I do better.
Tested the waters (in the shallow end) today.
Listened to Nihongo con Teppei for the first time and liked it.
Got curious searching Netflix for Japanese content. Stumbled into filtering as Japanese dubbed and subbed. Found the show I currently watch at night for brain shutdown, Dahmer, and rewatched the first episode. Slow, clear dialogue, and familiarity with the material allowed me to maintain a fairly high comprehension level. Most of the time. I like this approach too. I have plans for the Men In Black movies.
So yeah, found a bunch of listening material, thanks everybody for sharing!
October 3
SuperNative today. I listened to several clips until I grew tired. It’s not an activity I can keep up for long. Score was 2363 when I started, and I got it to 2416, whatever that means. Some I heard correctly but typed wrong, some I didn’t hear but deduced from the rest of the sentence, some sentences I didn’t get at all but the missing word was something super easy like a よ at the end. I suppose it all evens out.
Thank you for starting this challenge in the first place! I never would have made myself start listening without it.
That’s truly impressive, you should be very proud of yourself! May I ask what you have been listening to? I still haven’t found any content that will make me passionate about listening.
It doesn’t seem to be available on any streaming service in my region, but yours may be different. Not sure about the legality, but it’s also on youtube.
And I just found out that it has been adapted from a novel.
No! I don’t need more novels! I need more listening material. Stop looking at those books, omk3!
Edit: But it’s on sale too! And has 50% coinback! It’s fate, surely?
Must… resist…
I’ve been listening entirely to Netflix shows. I live in Japan, so I have quite a bit of access to Japanese shows with Japanese subtitles. I became completely obsessed with a specific Japanese drama that I watched repeatedly, both reading the subtitles and just listening as I did other things, and watching that several times really helped me adjust to listening at native speed. And I noticed every time I re-listened, I picked up more and more. I’ve got a bit of an obsessive brain though, so when it latches on to something I find i don’t get bored repeating it a bunch of times.
I’m going to see if Tatami Galaxy is on Netflix!
Edit: update, it is not