My mindset, LVL 15

[Cordite21]

I’m going through basic Japanese grammar guide, that banana-slug-yellow book. I’m studying verb endings, mainly by rote. Doing the WK, which I feel complements the grammar by adding, at the very least, some level of familiarity with the sounds of the language. By that I mean, I guess a reasonably good instinct for pitch accents, expecting small っ in a word before seeing it, stuff like that. That’s probably the most exciting is that I feel at the stage I’m at: wisps of instinct creeping in, something so much more valuable than just basic understanding.
Also, I want to express the value of spacing your learning whilst changing things up. Sometimes I feel like spending time away from all the info I just read, and then retreading, and then occasional forays and overreaches into super complex stuff that I don’t understand, then back to basics. WK taught me this.
Concurrently : Sort of like the linguistic version of the Arnold approach to bodybuilding, shock the muscle, do unexpected things. Watch a whole show without subs and just revel in understanding two words. Try reading novels in J that you know really well in your mother tongue.
Anyways I’m feeling good about this mixed approach and doubt I’m an innovator, just want to share the idea. Do something different as often as your able, using WK and texts as a sort of framework to hold it all together. Don’t rely on texts alone. But use them. School kids somewhat learn by rote, and they learn other stuff by joking around in the hallway. Try to simulate a mixture of both. I think that this is called “exploratory” learning.
Us self-learners would kill for some immersion, some real conversations, but I think you have to simulate the unpredictability of life as best you can and thread it into the 学ぶ book stuff. Shock your brain into believing it needs this language.
Sorry if it was ranty. That is all! Keep up the good work, you’re all doing something most people don’t have the courage to even try!

[Saruko]

@Cordite21

Keep up the good work

You too! Thanks for sharing your approach!

[Ncastaneda]

Congrats!! I think that’s the perfect mindset to keep you motivated in the long run.

I went with a similar mindset for a long time and I think help me through the months that I consider to be the most boring ones looking back. Basically when you can’t really do much and the most basic things are already coevered (and then people ask you what can you do after studying japanese so intensively for the last 4-6 months … and you’re like … ).

I followed the advice I saw in the Jalup website of waching shows raw + jp subs after about 4 months into japanese, which felt like super weird… 'cause I understood so little (as to be expected), then I would watch the same episode with english subs and had my share of entertaiment… did this with 2 showsover a period of 3 months.
To my surprise the last episodes of both shows I would simply skip the rewatching with subs part, partly because I felt I’ve had already my fair share of entertainment and also because I prefered to watch 2 episodes, instead of the same one 2 times …

That single experience really opened my eyes in terms of immersion and how can get to be a valuable resource even on somewhat early stages.

Also, exams have never been a desired thing for me to put numbers on my progress in japanese; shows on the other hand have become a nice way to measure my progress … there’re times when a fail “the exam” too and just leave a show unfinnished.
Very satisfying experience to pick it up the same show months later and realize it’s within my “level” after working over my routine for a given time.

Anyway, good luck with your immersion!! shake that brain of yours!