Questions questions questions

[jlinaunia]

hiii! sooo, lately i’ve been questioning if I’ve been taking the the appropriate steps to learning Japanese as a beginner! i’ve watched yt videos, but ngl everything seems so… how should I say this… DULL? so fake or plagiarized as if they saw one video and decided to make their own saying the exact same thing. that’s why I’ve resorted to writing this post.

lore: I’ve been pretty fascinated with Japan and it’s culture since I was a kid (mostly bc of the country side of Japan) but I’ve never EVER put any effort into learning anything until… 4 months ago? I of course started with duolingo for about 2 weeks (without knowing hira or kata) then stopped to learn them (still learning kata), then quit duo since I had found Tofugu and eventually WaniKani. I had spent around a week on WaniKani, then for some strange reason (that even I myself do not know) stopped for a little over 3 months? Until around 3-4 weeks ago, I had came back! I was on level 1 and forgot the very few radicals and kanji I had learned so I practically started from the bottom! I am on level 3 now (I have a lot of free time..), and am planning to pay for premium after I finish this last free level. Besides duo and WaniKani.. I have done nothing else nor visited anything else. (thanks to those on my first post for giving me a few suggestions)

now, i would like to share a few questions I have with you guys:
What is N5? (I’ve been seeing this word on a few recent posts)
Should I start putting attention elsewhere… such as : reading, writing, listening, or speaking? (I will of course still be here on WaniKani though)
What’s the best way to learn Japanese quickly?
Is it better to learn grammar first?
Should I focus on handwriting kanji?

I’ve been feeling as if stuck in one place!! Some of the yt videos and people here on WaniKani have been suggesting to “immerse” yourself in the Japanese language or Japan culture itself..such as listening to podcasts, reading manga, books, or music. but I seriously start cackling whenever I hear these kinds of suggestions because I have tried to do these things, and whenever I do, I understand 0% of what is being said. (I don’t know if that is how it is supposed to be and if it’s just for me to start getting used to how the language sounds, but it just seems a bit unusual for me I guess.)
So.. What is the best way to “immerse” yourself as a beginner?
As of grammar… I have no knowledge. I’ve been told that I should probably start learning grammar once I reach higher levels in WaniKani, but I feel as if I should start learning the basics now. How do you feel about this? I’ve also tried watching a video on Japanese particles and was utterly confused. Anyway, I’d love to know your guys’ journey and what your doing/ we’re doing at my level. Tips, maybe some tricks? I also have a horrible memory, which scares a flying pepino out of me (… ) please help a girl out!!

[soggyboy]

I recommend reading some posts on the forums about this, there are lots of guides to learning, especially in the Level 60 celebration category!

Here’s a good one:

From 0 to Reading Everyday: Step by Step and Comprehensive List of Resources

Level 60!! I almost can’t believe it. I feel like I’m Sisyphus, but I’ve just been told that it’s all over now, I don’t need to push the boulder anymore. Reaching level 60 is a very nice opportunity to look back and to share the journey I went on. As the title says, back in January 2022, I knew 0 Japanese, never tried to study it. Barely knew arigato and konnichonwa. And today, this is my current read: [image] I have finished 5 books in Japanese, one Visual Nov…

The short answer: Yes, you do need to learn grammar.

[simias]

@jlinaunia

What is N5? (I’ve been seeing this word on a few recent posts)

It’s the lowest grade of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) which is an international standardized test used to certify the level of Japanese foreign students have reached. Many resources use JLPT ranks (N5, N4, N3, N2 and the highest N1) to sort grammar, vocab and kanji.

@jlinaunia

Should I start putting attention elsewhere… such as : reading, writing, listening, or speaking? (I will of course still be here on WaniKani though)

What do you want to do? What’s your concrete short-term objective? Play games? Read manga? Watch anime? Visit Japan and talk with locals?

@jlinaunia

What’s the best way to learn Japanese quickly?

Spending a lot of time doing it. No shortcuts I’m afraid.

@jlinaunia

Is it better to learn grammar first?

Probably not, but you should probably start looking into the basics on the side (the “N5” stuff mentioned above).

@jlinaunia

Should I focus on handwriting kanji?

Probably not, unless you want to.

More generally, the trick to learning Japanese is to build a routine and do a bit of work every single day, every day. It takes thousands of hours to learn Japanese. It’s going to be dull sometimes. You have to build discipline and keep grinding.

Once you start being able to read simple stuff it gets easier because you can actually engage with content you enjoy instead of doing pure SRS and grammar books.

[Angelodmage]

My advice is to slow down. There is no such thing as learning a language quickly, let alone one as difficult (for english speakers) as japanese.

Leave grammar for later, get to level 10-15 first to get the basics out of the way. Master hiragana, katakana, get some taste of how the language sounds and works, etc. Than do N5 grammar and start reading stuff.