Have you ever made sushi from scratch?
Before you get into the rolling motion, you need to gather the main ingredients.
From the special rice, soy sauce, Nori seaweed, raw fish, cucumbers, eggs, and vinegar to the wasabi paste, there are certain things to prepare and steps to follow before you can enjoy the Japanese delicacy.
Likewise, when you are embarking on a journey to learn Japanese from scratch, you certainly need to know what to prepare and how to prepare ahead, in terms of the studying materials and techniques.
For instance, what kind of textbook or what sort of pronunciation guide should you refer to when you first approach the Japanese alphabet?
If you can relate to the above question, we assure you that you are absolutely in the right place!
In this article, we will explore a series of language learning tips and learning resources to master the Japanese language.
Three Essential Tips To Learn Japanese Alphabets As A Beginner
Let's start with the basics.
It could be a little intimidating when you start learning the Japanese alphabet as it has a totally different system as compared to Roman letters.
Here are three easy tips to have a smooth transition.
Tip 1: Know the characteristic and differences between Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji
The first tip is to take your time to master the distinction between the three Japanese writing systems.
This applies to memorising the monographs, diacritics, or diagraphs of the Hiragana and Katakana writing system, to learning the building blocks of Kanji, which are the radicals.
Some examples include:
- Hiragana
The vowel A is written as あ， the vowel e is written as え, while the vowel o is written as お.
- Katakana
The vowel A is written as ア, the vowel e is written as エ, while the vowel o is written as オ.
- Kanji
Some common Kanji examples include 亻which means human, 口 which means mouth, and 心 which means heart.
It's important to note that each writing system is equally important as you need all three to have solid Japanese reading and writing skills.
Don't rush and take your time to memorise the strokes (as well as the order of writing of the strokes), the individual letters and their respective meanings.
Photo by Alan Godfrey on Unsplash
Tip 2: Memorise the pronunciation of each alphabet
It's important to build a connection between each word and its respective pronunciation for all three systems.
Listen repeatedly to how natives pronounce the words and follow them accordingly. You can refer to the Hiragana and Katakana charts and memorise them accordingly.
Tip 3: Practice consistently with worksheets
One way to enhance your concentration and familiarity is undoubtedly through repeated writing.
It is suggested that you practice writing each letter alongside their correct pronunciation at least 12 times one day so that it becomes muscle memory.
You can also ask your friend or tutor to give you a dictation test to see if you can correctly write down what you have memorised earlier.
Discover how the mastery of Japanese will help you one day.
Building A Strong Foundation in Japanese Reading Comprehension
After clearly identifying the Japanese alphabet, it's time to take things to the next level.
Now, you should tackle your Japanese reading comprehension with the following tips.
Tip 1: Slowly build your Japanese vocabulary
Think of it as a chain reaction. The more words you know, the more words you are able to read, to write, to speak and to understand in the language you are learning.
That's the fastest and most effective way to build your Japanese language fluency and confidence.
Whenever you come across a new word, list them down, note down their meaning and come out with a sample sentence to remember them better.
Tip 2: Read aloud and review your pronunciation
No matter what learning material you are reading, be it sample sentences from textbooks, Youtube videos, or Japanese news, just read them aloud.
The more you read them aloud, the more you can pay attention to how you pronounce the word. Not only that, you will also tend to remember them better because you are being intentional.
Trust us, your brain knows! Remember that your listening skill is greatly associated with your speaking and comprehension skill too.
Tip 3: Consistently increase the difficulty level of reading materials
It's important not to say complacent when you are learning a language. The best way to have a breakthrough is to consistently go out of your comfort zone.
Gymgoers would probably relate to this analogy. You only start to build muscles when you increase the weight that you are lifting and the intensity of your routine.
Consistency and intensity should go in hand when you want to advance from a beginner to a higher level of learning.
Learn more about the history of the Japanese language.
Mastering The Right Sentence Structures & Grammatical Patterns
You can tell that we are slowly narrowing down our scope by specialising in different language learning components.
That's because we want to make sure you get to learn Japanese from different angles and methods. Also, certain parts might come easier or more difficult for different people.
For example, some people might find grammar more difficult than memorising the alphabet and pronunciation, or vice versa.
So, it would be great if you know the right learning strategies and learning materials, regardless of your current progress.
Here are three of our recommendations.
Learning Material 1: Textbooks (Complete with notes and exercises)
Of course, we have to start with the obvious one.
Many beginners and intermediate Japanese learners use Minna No Nihongo for their Japanese lessons.
Of course, you can browse other Japanese textbooks from the nearest bookstore. Just make sure that the content is complete with topical notes, exercises as well as sample answers.
It would be great if they have supporting audio materials too for your Japanese listening practice.
Learning Material 2: Bilingual dictionary
This is a must-have to improve your vocabulary and grammar all at once.
That way, you won't be confused whenever you come across a new word.
Learning Material 3: Japanese online news/ magazines (Hiragana Times)
This is suited for intermediate and advanced learners.
Hiragana Times is an amazing monthly English-Japanese magazine. Each paragraph in Japanese is followed by an English translation.
Audio materials are also available for the digital edition. You should certainly check it out!
Prefer to watch Japanese instead? Find out more about various Japanese cultural exports.
Image by pressfoto on Freepik
Boosting The Speaking + Listening Component With Japanese Media
We know many of you have been waiting for this part!
Japanese media is probably the main reason and motivation that drives us to learn Japanese in the first place.
Depending on your preferences, you can absolutely hone your Japanese listening and speaking skill when you watch or listen to your favourite Japanese media!
Japanese Series
Japanese series has always been popular among the Malaysian audience.
From the tearjerker, One Litre of Tears to the youth frenzy Hana Yori Dango, to the medical drama, Code Blue starring the dashing Tomohisa Yamashita, we probably have watched them at least once!
Japanese Animations
We can't go wrong with Japanese animes!
Whether it's our childhood favourites like Crayon Sin Chan and Doraemon to the latest ones like Spy X Family and Violet Evergarden, many of us learn our first Japanese word through the world of anime!
J-pop
When the trailer of the Japanese Netflix series, First Love was released, many hardcore Jpop fans were transported back in time when the chorus familiar song by Hikaru Etada played.
You are always gonna be my love
Itsuka darekato mata koi ni ochitemo
いつか誰かとまた恋に落ちても
If you are a music person, you can totally pick up new Japanese words through the lyrics.
Having said that, you might want to solidify your language skills through a Japanese class near you.
Image by pressfoto on Freepik
Learning About Japanese Culture & Native Expressions With Superprof
Mastering a language is not solely about the technical part, but that's also the cultural factor behind it. Essentially, a language revolves around a community or even a country.
That's why there are certain words that are specifically used by native speakers and they come across as something unfamiliar to most of us. There could also be some cultural explanations behind certain phases too.
Do you know that the Japanese language has different politeness levels due to their culture?
Taking in all this knowledge can be much easier and more engaging when you learn Japanese with a private tutor!
With Superprof, you can easily find a home tutor or online tutor who can teach you more about Japanese culture and its native expressions apart from the language components!
You can even learn from a native speaker! Our pool of Superprof tutors comes from diverse, academic, cultural and industrial backgrounds.
All you need to do is just head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage and start browsing the tutors' profiles.
You can take note of the tutors' area of expertise, years of tutoring, current location as well as their hourly rate as you make the final decision.
Once you have decided, you can proceed to contact them via the messaging feature!
We hope this article has helped you to identify the right learning techniques and materials to master Japanese like a pro!
Now, start gathering them and get the ball rolling!
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