Ready to try learning Japanese for the 2nd time, any advice?

Japanese Language Questions
30

Update

Thank you for all the Reponses so far, I have accumulated the responses I found interesting and noted any shared resources.
You can expand each section to view separately to keep it easier to read.

Response Breakdown

panosjenn

  • Sakura Tips with Mari, fantastic podcast, discord server and community

TofuMental

  • Don’t burn your self out and take it slower

@irabuyu

Pizh

  • I agree I need to reduce the amount of resources and lower my expectations, thank you

@ochamame

  • Build a foundation first, by memorising vocab, kanji and basic grammar
  • Then you can start immersing and things become more fun
  • If you need a break, stop learning new stuff but keep reviewing the stuff you already learned

@CoffeeFuel

@Cycle

  • Not sure if ‘From ZERO’ was referring to the company or just outlining the learning route, but I have been really enjoying the From ZERO content this time around
  • Learn each of the below subjects thoroughly before moving on to the next:
    • Kana
    • Kanji
    • Vocabulary
    • Grammar
  • Only focus on immersion when you have got a solid grasp on the basics
  • Understand that even after years of productive learning and effort, it will still be hard to digest native content and there will always be more to learn

@ArmadilloFour

  • It is fun and productive to practice output
  • When you learn grammar points, sit down and right any sentences using the vocabulary you already know, even if they sound silly as long as they work grammatically to instil that grammar point

Thud

  • Don’t do too much at once, it is marathon not a sprint

@ccookf

  • Japanese has something of an initial wall around N4 level where you cannot really digest anything with what you have learned
  • You want to break past that wall as soon as possible but also don’t want to burn out on the way
  • The most important things to do this are basic vocab and grammar

@wct

  • ‘taking it slow and steady, but especially to enjoy the process of learning’ sounds great, I read through the thread and found it very interesting
  • I do plan to somewhat catch up to where I was then will cut off the lessons until I am at a manageable level then reintroduce the lessons from their on, great idea

evandcs

  • Don’t burn your self out trying to do everything at once
  • WaniKani + BunPro

@meagstudies

  • Create S.M.A.R.T goals, great idea I definitely will thanks

@Nishi790

sosanlx

  • Pick a method, stick with it all the way through and don’t do too much or you’ll burn out
  • Start reading as soon as you can, starting with level 0 books and working your way up, free resource: Free books – にほんごたどく

cyanfolds

@cplaguzza

  • Your exposure and experience really put things into perspective, this will always be hard work especially given I can’t/don’t live/work in an environment where this language is spoken daily.
  • Think of the weaknesses as natural areas to improve on rather than failures

Neba

  • Consistency over volume is key
Response Summary

This is a list of the most common responses which indicate they are most important:

  • Reduce the amount of resources used and don’t spend as much time looking for the best resource instead of actually using it
  • Value consistency over volume and don’t get burned out
  • Immersion is best once the fundamentals are understood (N4-N3), up until that point purely focus on kana, kanji, vocab and grammar
  • Digesting native content will never be ‘easy’ and you will always find words/kanji that you need to look up and study
  • When you learn new words and grammar rules, practice them as soon as possible and in as many different ways as possible to solidify it in your memory
  • Create S.M.A.R.T goals as broad varied goals do not allow you to see progress made and don’t narrow the route down to the path you need to take to get there
Plans Going Forward
  • Use ‘Japanese From Zero’ books, video series and discord server as an overall learning tool
  • Use WaniKani for learning kanji
  • Use BunPro for grammar
  • Use Kitsun for vocab and kana

I am wondering if I can combine WaniKani with Kitsun to cut down the resources, but I do prefer the WK platform so may keep it as is.

I do actually feel that having those three platforms for SRS is manageable for me as long as I control the volume of each by adjusting how many lessons I take on. But I will re-asses in a months time and see if my time could be better spent.

The Japanese From Zero videos have really helped me get a better understanding of text book vs natural Japanese as George really does a great job of telling you when something is a ‘make or break’ mistake or if your sentence will still be understood even if you mess it up slightly, also when text book sentences sound robotic and when a more natural and widely used alternative is almost essential.

I have ordered the books and will begin working through them when they arrive, for now I have been working through the first couple of free classes on his new website FromZero.com until I can work through the physical books.

I will listen to podcasts such as ‘Sakura Tips’ & ‘Lets learn Japanese from small talk’ to get more accustomed to the sound and pattern of the language but understand I will not be able to interpret what is actually being said until much further into studies.

I will also watch very basic YouTube videos such as ‘Comprehensible Japanese’ and ‘Japanese Immersion with Asami’ in my spare time as an additional resource to ensure I am experiencing some kind of low level immersion until I can start to try things like Anime/Manga/Video Games etc.

I really appreciate all the advice and resources you have all provided and look forward maybe some day in the future speaking to some of you in Japanese either on here or in a discord server.

Thank you all! :smile:

Edit: Formatting

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