I suspect it’s mostly the amount of anime watching that I did. But, then again, I did pretty quickly pick up on words and phrases, from the very beginning. It could be because of my musical training of course.
But, in the beginning it is mostly about picking up words here and there. That will turn into phrases with time. And then, you just have to force yourself a bit, by doing audio only listening.
Now we’re talking real audio practice. It’s hard but doable if you tough it out (as in accepting that you don’t always manage to understand what’s being said, but if you just keep on listening you can regain your footing - hopefully! ).
And just find stuff that you truly enjoy listening to. I think that’s also very important. Having fun! That’s the best part of learning really!
You’ll have to explain the cake. I showed the pictures to a friend and she asked me “What action is easier to understand: eating that cake? Or taking a human life?” … I answered, and she agreed, that if the cake was sweet then taking a human life was a more relatable action (not that I’d ever do either unless pushed to the very brink). However, if the cake is savory through and through then it looks like it’d be delicious. But it’s cake, and it looks like a cream cake, and cream cake is sweet, and who on god’s green earth would make such an abomination? (If it’s sweet and you like it, then that is valid, I just don’t comprehend how it could be)
No this a savory cake through and through. There is nothing sweet about it. And there is no cream in it! ^^; There are 2 fillings inside the cake, one with ham and one with smoked salmon and shrimp. If you’re curious you can take a look here (shows how it’s made and there’s lists of ingredients):
Though I also wonder what makes you so good at listening. I watched a ton of anime after three semesters of Japanese at university. But my listening comprehension only started to drastically improve when I started Duolingo last year. I couldn’t just pick it up. I wonder if you are just a natural polyglot?? How many languages do you speak?
I highly doubt that. I mean, I used to know German (studied it in school), but my Japanese has completely wiped it out! So, I can really just handle my mother tongue (Swedish), English and Japanese. That’s it.
But, I do have a musical ear and I do focus a lot on sound just generally speaking in movies, games etc. I’ve always been into sound. So, listening is clearly something I enjoy and love doing.
But I still think it’s mostly to do with long time of exposure and amount of listening that I’ve done. We’re talking several years of doing it. I can’t say I’ve been a fast learner in that sense. I’ve mostly just kept listening until I get what’s being said!
So patience and stubborn grinding is basically how I’ve gotten better at it. I think it’s something anyone can do. It’s just a lot of work. Ganbatte!
I think “just” speaking three languages and learning Japanese in several years is something a polyglot would say.
But regardless, great job. And congrats on finding a way of learning that worked for you. I find that with the help of Duo actually teaching me the vocab and grammar I couldn’t just pick up, I’m getting to a similar place of starting to watch anime without subs and actually having fun instead of just being lost. So I’m starting Wanikani from a similar place of being pretty good at listening. So you give me inspiration.
am suddenly feeling bad for my badly drawn cat gif offering but skills are skills. i have none!
here @ekg: as promised a badly drawn cat. the one from the compo to boot and gif animated for double the cringe!
you’ve done amazingly and i feel i need to get out of my slump pronto and follw in your paw steps! hope you’ll stick around enough to encourage me a little bit from time to time hehe.
lotsa
have a
oh wait… that’s you giving me a hug… well i need one too!
Well done! You’ve been on my leaderboard since… feels like forever (early level 20s just after I started burning items and you were about to). I’m so happy to see you hit that golden level 60 circle!!!
@ekg amazing job!!
it sounds cliché, but you’re really inspiring
i don’t know what i can say that hasn’t already been said, but you should know that you’re motivating me to really try to finish wk someday and to work at those pesky leeches
But, then again, I did pretty quickly pick up on words and phrases, from the very beginning. It could be because of my musical training of course. 
).
So, I can really just handle my mother tongue (Swedish), English and Japanese. That’s it.
But, yeah, I can’t believe I’ve made it.
saves to folder
This is second level stuff!
