Learn Japanese Quick!

In just one hour a day, you can learn Japanese! Yes, there are three different forms of writing systems within the language itself, but that’s okay. Overlook the fact that this is a category five language (meaning, one of the hardest to possibly learn). Just follow these simple and easy steps, and you are well on your way to Japanese fluency. Are you interested?! Great!

Had I kept up with Japanese since its arrival in my life back in my sophomore year of college, I would have close to five and a half years of Japanese training prior to my arrival in Japan. I could have possibly been at a high level of comprehension and communicating, and having a heck of an easier time surviving in Japan. My lack of discipline, was in fact, an extreme hinderence, if not copletely detrimental to my ability and confidence in Japanese. At times, I feel like I completely shamed my former Japanese Professor, Dr. Joseph Murphy, for my failure to continue with the Japanese minor I had orginally started, and the proverbial "dumping" of what little Japanese I did learn from not working hard enough to retain and maintain it.

Learn Japanese Quick? I am sad to say, but this is a bit of a misnomer, for there is no one quick way to truly learn, understand, and appreciate any foreign language. Since high school, I have taken a liking to foreign languages and cultures. In the past ten years, I have attempted learning several languages(1), but like any craft or trade a person can take up, without maintenance, decomposition is inevitable. I have realized that self-study is far from easy, especially without some sort of deadline or testing schedule to adhere to. Without having a formal class to attend daily, let alone weekly, all the responsibility for my foreign language acquisiton rests entirely upon my shoulders. I liked the high school method, class every day with homework every night. It was a method of accountability and helped to hone educational discipline. Mandatory class attendence and homework completion went out the window when I went to college. The only person who suffered from poor attendence and failure to do homework was the lazy student. That would be me.

Now, that I have been in Japan for eight months, I am finally beginning to take my studying of Japanese extremely seriously. This is in no small part to my frustrations of being inable to articulate anything other the weather, and being extremely co-dependent upon Japanese speakers of English to assist me in even the simplest of tasks. This includes things like getting a haircut, getting a flat tire fixed, or asking directions to the next staff party.

Developing an Education Plan of Action

It has been over two and a half years since I was formally in college, so getting back into a scheduled education pattern has been very difficult for me. A big picture evaluation is almost mandatory for the serious student, especially one interested in learning such a difficult language. Having been out of school has actually helped to me realize what my studying flaws are. Again, gaining perspective is important. In your self-evaluation process you should consider the following factors:

Educational Goals: Why are you choosing to learn a second language, anyway? Is it for leisure? Survival? Occupational? For me, it is actually a culmination of all three. I am an English language teacher in a Japanese school, and though the program I am a part of does not require me to speak a lick of Japanese, trying to carry on conversations with students outside of the daily lesson (if their English is poor) or trying to make friends in the staffroom without the assistance of a translator, is not as impossible as it is frustrating. I also live in a very rural area where very few signs are in English and fewer people speak it. Intitally, ordering food, even at McDonald’s was stressful for me. I won’t lie and glaze over the leisure aspect either. I see video games that I want to play and comic books I want to read. Just looking at pictures isn’t satsifying for me anymore. Taking these things into consideration, I needed to develop a concrete plan to see what will be required for this large on taking. Writing down goals somewhere is also beneficial (though, in this respect, I should take my own advice), so they can serve as a reminder. Think Martin Luther and the 95 Theses. Nail it on a door somewhere(2).

Evaluate Your Study Habits: I decided that the absolute worst place for me to study was none other than my own apartment. I have way too many distractions, including, but not limited to, a Japanese Sega DreamCast, a Nintendo GameCube, a Nintendo GameBoy Advance, a Microsoft Xbox, a Japanese DVD Player, TV, two VCRs (why, I have no idea), my computer (with ADSL internet access), comic books in Japanese and English, my bed, my bike…too many things that can take my mind of my studying frustrations. I have countless free periods without classes to teach or papers to mark throughout the working daytime hours, but my prime hours for studying are from the hours of 4:00-7:00. These were my prime study hours during college (well, when I actually studied). So, these are the set hours that I study each night during the week, and I have also added three hours on Saturday mornings because the staffroom is unlocked for club activities and additional working hours for teachers who need to get things done.

Create Your Own Focused Environment: I have decided that at my desk in the main teachers’ room, is the prime studying location for me. So, I have cleaned off half of my bookshelf, and all my study materials are now housed there. They stare at me all day waiting for the conclusion of the working day, like a latch-key kid waiting for their parents to return home. This means that as of last week, I started staying until 7PM at school, so I can get in three hours of intense studying a night. Many of the teachers were initally worried about me, thinking that I kept missing the trains home, but when they see the piles of open books on my desk and the large mug full of hot tea, they catch on that I am intentionally there. I make sure to turn off my cell phone (other than setting the alarm to remind me to catch the train home), and I shut off my computer. I do listen to music when I am studying, but this was a habit I developed when I was twelve and received my first formal stereo from Santa Claus.

Tapping into Resources: There is an advantage to sitting at the end of the row next to the door because many teachers pass by, and I’m always surprised which ones stop to critique my kanji or start reading over my shoulder until I realize they are standing there. Several have also offered to tutor me or correct my grammar. This helps me tap an invaluable resource within my own school, and it gives me the push I need to try out my Japanese and possibly make friends. Unfortunately, this also means that I sometimes amass quite the curious crowd while I am studying or sitting with a teacher practicing writing or speaking (my highest count was five observers). The funny thing is that the older male teachers are particularly interested in the methods I am using for second language acquisition. They see my enthusiasm and determination, and they cheer me on with affectionate sayings like "Ganbatte, ne, Karen-chan!" (Do your best, Karen) or "Jouzu! Jouzu, Karen-chan" (Good! Good Karen!). Though at times, I feel like these phrases are merely obligatory in opposition to motivational, it still gives me that little kick in the pants that I need from time to time to focus. Seeing me dilligently study their language indirectly demonstrates my desire to learn not only their language, but about their culture and them, too. Recently, the dichotomous teaching relatioship has been extended from several teachers. This being the "I teach them English/They teach me Japanese" dynamic. Teachers whom I thought despised the random American in the room, were actually the ones first to offer their services to me.

Throwing Down the Gloves: Not in the literal, ice hockey, "let’s fight" sense, but in the being bold in your attempts at learning. My first step was asking Japanese teachers of English for a word or phrase of the day. This would soon pan out into them asking other non-English speaking teachers the same thing. Like ripples from a pebble being dropped in a lake, I started getting idomatic phrases, slang terminolgy, and even Tottori dialect specific phrases from not only teachers, but the students as well. It surprised me how happy they would become when I would ask them to write the phrase down in my book, both the kanji and the hiragana, and to more importantly, sign it. It became an ice breaker for me. Also, getting the nerve to ask teachers go to lunch at the cafeteria, taking a stroll to the bakery outside of school, offering to share tea bags, or even telling students to tuck in their shirts or ask there their necktie is, have served as simple ways of forging a comraderie with people who share the same reservation about speaking a foreign language. Also, knowing simple replies to situations, and throwing the Japanese at them when they throw the English, shows that I am at least trying to work up the nerve for braver sentences structures in the future.

Plugging up the Hole: You can cram for as many hours as you like, but without constantly reviewing your notes, taking practice tests, working on oral and written drills, the information will go in one ear and out the other. Yes, it is cliched, but it’s entirely true. Make good use of the practice exercises in your books. If you check out the suggested readings/materials at the bottom, many of have detailed and concise examples and tables which should help you get the basics under control. Find a way to incorporate your learning into your daily life, whether is it labeling everything in your house in Japanese, buying a kanji-a-day calendar, keeping flash cards on your person, or opening up the dictionary and picking out a word to memorize for the day. Learning a langauage should be a healthy challenge, not an arduous and overtly painful undertaking. Personally, I sit next to the first grade annoucement board, so if I see something that might look interesting, I’ll look up the kanji in my kanji dictionary and try to translate the column to the best of my ability before checking with a teacher. Learning is a continuous adventure. You don’t really ever stop because you know everything, well, at least I don’t, but then, again, I don’t know everything about anything.

Obligatory Rewards System: In true Pavlovian nature, incentive to perform an action does in fact serve as a motivator, especially when it comes to something as metnally and possibly emotionally demanding as learning a foreign language. I have yet to think of a formal rewards system for my educational endeavor, but I think the greatest reward for me is being able to make friends here in Japan. By opening the door of language, I can gain access to things that I normally would not if I were not trying so hard. I would have missed out on parties, activities, even vacations. I have all the large purchases desires fulfilled for now, so mainly my educaitonal rewards are on a smaller scale like CDs, comics, movies, or new clothes (but I am holding out on clothes just a bit longer until I can loose those last 25 pounds). If you bait yourself with a carrot, it does help. My most notable yet disturbing carrot has been the chance find of Hello Kitty’s Mini Dictionary of English.

Accountability: You can do everything in your power to make the effort, but if you do not have a method of checking yourself or keeping yourself on track, you might develop mediocre study habits or get frustrated and give up. My collegues know that I am pushing myself harder than ever to study Japanese, but I am terrified of talking in Japanese at the moment. The head first grade teacher, Mister Ikenari, has offered to check my grammar and my kanji. This means that I have to produce writing samples or my drill notebooks so he can look over them for me. I think having a study buddy is important, but study circles haven’t always been the most beneficial venue for me to focus in because eventually everyone gets bored and then there is the inevitable departure from studying and the gravitation to Planet Distraction. I also have a former student who is serving as a language tutor for me. Since we live 45 minutes away from each other, we e-mail back and forth on our cellular phones (don’t you just love technology?) Yes, my phone is in Japanese and English. I also have enabled Asian languages on my computer, so I can not only surf Japanese websites, but also practice typing in Japanese.

When in Rome…errr…Japan…

Trying to find a way to oragnize a training plan for learning such a complicated language, initially was close to impossible. Though in my class, many of my students are extremely lazy, I have stolen study habits from the countless hours I have spent riding the Imbi and Wakasa Line trains during my commutes to and from school. My students try to casually sneak their English texts, flash cards, and vocaulary building books, somehow they always make it a point to stand around me while they are "killing time" by studying on the train. Due to the sometimes unbearably cramped train rides, many of the materials that the students use are portable and able to be utilized with one hand(3). Also, I observe my students in class while we are reviewing material or concentrating on building vocabulary. Even the most disinterested student can have very meticulous study habits.

Flash Cards: My students use them for reviewing vocabulary (both English and Japanese). I use them for memorizing words and kanji(4). These come in a variety of sizes, the ones I prefer are perfect for a pocket or purse transport.

Notebooks with Gridlines: These are primarily used by elementary and junior high school children as they are learning to write in kanji. The shape of the Chinese characters is a rough square. The books I selected used 10millimeter squares divided into four 5mm quadrants. These are extremely useful for writing drills for all three written forms of Japanese. Graph paper is a suitable substitute for this item.

"Word Books": Another notebook system used in studying foreign languages. Includes columns for page number, "foreign word", pronunciation, and the Japanese equivalents. There are also ruled pages for extended notes or free writing.

Vocabulary Builders: These are books that are filled with "important" English words (written in red or green), definitions, and proper sentence usage. These books are usually accompanied with a red or green plastic screen which is overlaid on the pages. These books when used with the plastic screens "hide" the word to be learned, forcing the student to work on reading drills.

Pencil cases: This is the student’s toolbox. The average contents of a pencil box include: pens (blue, black, red, and any other possible color, pencils, pencil lead refills (if mechanical pencils are used), pencil sharpener (if regular pencils are used), and erasers. For the more daring or intense student, they may also include: highlighter (colors vary), correction pen, scissors, glue, and ruler. The cases are smal, yet they have the uncanny ability of always packing spares like Noah’s Ark in case a classmate forgets their pencil case in the classroom.

"Shitajiki" (pencil boards): A piece of plastic placed between sheets of paper when writing to prevent smudging or paper tearing. These also doube as fans in those dreadedly humid summer months because schools do not have central air conditioning or ceiling fans.

Mini-Disks (MD): Like a re-recordable CD, these can hold up to two and a half music CDs (if recorded properly). I am surprised how many of my students will change out their latest pop/rock MD, to put in listening comprehension and dialogue practice recordings(5).

Cornering a Native Speaker: This is where I come in at school. Since I am their English teacher (and native speaker of English), I am one of their most critical, yet under utilized resources. Many of the students are terrified of their English ability, despite their excellent performance in class(6). A conversation partner is very helpful, especially if you want to learn a more natural form of speaking the language. Most texts teach polite and formal forms first, so people sometimes think they cannot easily talk to you because you are speaking in such a formal manner.

Stationery goods: A Love/Hate Relationship

I should be forbidden from entering any stationers shop for the rest of my life. My affinity for writing implements, notebooks, and other organizational materials is quite the costly habit. There has not been a time in the past eight months where I have emerged from a stationery goods shop without spending at least 1,500 yen (roughly $15.00). Especially in Japan, they have a gadget or do-hickey for everything possible.

Since moving to Japan I have amassed the following:

Shitajiki (Pencil Boards;) = 5 (1 Nemui Neko (Sleepy Cat), 1 Woolen Sheep Wash, 1 Red Clear CheckTape Study Aide, 1 Mario Party, & 1 HideakI Takizawa).
0.5 Lead Mechanical Pencils = 4 (2 Dr. Grip, 2 Mitsubishi Uni Drafting Pencils (one with red leading)).
0.5 Lead Mechanical Pencil Refills = 3 (2 graphite and 1 red graphite).
Size B5 Campus Notebooks = 6 (2 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 pink, and 1 purple).
Size B5 Campus Junior 5mm Graphing Notebooks = 5.
Size B5 Campus Word Books = 1.
Size B5 100 Yen Notebooks = 4.
Word Cards 1"x2" Flash Cards (80 Cards/Pack) = +20.
Zebra Sarasa Red Pens = 2 (both currently out of ink).
Pencil Cases = 3 (2 metal double decker cases, and 1 mesh with silver stars).
Colored Gel Pens = 18 (8 scented set and 10 glitter set).
Erasers = 2 (free, left in my desk by predecessor).
Zebra CheckTape Green Mini Highlighter = 1.
Size B5 Binders = 3.
Size B5 Packs of Paper = 3 (100 sheets/each).
26 Hole Gauge Hole Punch.
Slash pocket file folders = 20 (including 1 SMAP folder).
Correction Marker = 1.
Ink pad = 1.
Ink Stamps = 5.
Blue or Black Pens = +5.

Calculating these costs, I can safely say that I have spent at least 20,000 yen ($200) on stationery items. This does not, however, include the letter sets that I have been purchasing. I’ve lost count on them, but I have a nice three drawer file case packed with cute stationery to write letters on.

Suggested Readings/Materials

Below are books that currently serves as reference tools for me during my Japanese language study. Most of them are readily available at Amazon.com(7). Most of the Kodansha titles include the Roman letter readings under the Japanese character sentences. These books are preferred over the materials provided to me by the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) and the Japanese Exchange Teaching Program (JET). I have been working through the JET Program Correspondence Study books, and I am proud to day that I my test average is 90%(8).

Chino, Naoko. A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentences Patterns. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 2000. (ISBN 4-7700-2608-0)

Chino, Naoko. All About Particles: A Handbook of Japanese Function Words. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 2001. (ISBN 4-7700-2781-8)

Kakuko, Shoji. Basic Connections: Making Your Japanese Flow. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 2002. (ISBN 4-7700-2860-1)

Kakuko, Shoji. Japanese Core Words and Phrases: Things You Can’t Find in a Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 2001. (ISBN 4-7700-2774-5)

Kamiya, Taeko. The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 2001. (ISBN 4-7700-2879-2)

Kamiya, Taeko. The Handbook of Japanese Verbs. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 2001. (ISBN 4-7700-2683-8)

Kano, Chieko, Yuri Shimizu, Hiroko Takenaka and Eriko Ishii. Basic Kanji Book, Volume 1. Tokyo: Bonjinsha Co., Ltd., 1989. (ISBN 4-89358-091-4)

Kodansha International. Kodansha’s Compact Kanji Guide: A New Character Dictionary for Students and Professionals. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 1992. (AISN 4-7700-1553-4)

Kodansha International. Kodansha’s Dictionary of Basic Japanese Idioms. Tokyo: Kodansha, International, 2001. (ISBN 4-7700-2797-4)

Noto, Hiroyoshi. Communicating in Japanese. Tokyo: Sotakusha Publishing, Co., Ltd., 1992. (ISBN 4-87138-137-4)

Ichirou, Tatsumi, et al. Hello Kitty’s Mini Dictionary of English. Tokyo: Shogakukan Co, Ltd., 2004. (ISBN 4-09-510848-7)

I hope that this mini-tutorial on my formula for learning Japanese (or any other language) what somewhat informative. Each person should develop and maintain their own studying system.

Footnotes

1. French (3 years at Miramar High School), Italian (1 year at the University of Florida and 6 weeks living in Rome, Italy on a Study Abroad Program), and Japanese (1 year at the University of Florida and eight months living in Tottori Prefecture, Japan).
2. Personally, mine are in the bathroom, where I have plenty of time to sit and think.
3. The second is usually clinging to a train handle or their friend for balance. Some have also mastered sleeping and standing, as well.
4. Kanji are the Chinese characters in the Japanese writing system which are used in addition to Hiragana and Katakana. They are over 5,000 characters if I am not mistaken. 2,000 are needed to roughly read a newspaper.
5. A large portion of the English section of most Japanese college entrance examinations and high school examinations are listening based. My classes are held in a "language laboratory" with a multimedia console for helping teach the students listening and more importantly spoken English.
6. I really have no place to talk since I am completely chicken shit when it comes to talking to the non-English speaking Japanese teachers at either of my schools. I am working hard to remedy this situation.
7. The online bookstore of choice for www.vuuduugrrl.org.
8. Unlike some other Assistant Langauage Teachers (ALTs), I try not to have a Japanese teacher fix all my answers for me.