It’s always fun to learn new languages. Learning a language not only broadens your horizons, but also, it is challenging. If you feel the urge to study a language, try learning Japanese with these simple tips to carry out at home.
- Learn the basics first. Start by studying the four Japanese writing systems. Take a beginning lesson on each of these four systems, which are:
- Hiragana – which is the Japanese alphabet. This consists of 51 characters. Each one has a phonetic sound of its own. Learning this will help in pronouncing Japanese words.
- Katakana – which is a series of characters that stand for some non-Japanese words (like California, pizza, hamburger, etc.).
- Kanji – which are basically Chinese symbols that are used to stand for words in Japanese. Kanji are complete words.
- Romaji – which are English letters to spell Japanese words.
- Practice the proper Japanese pronunciation. You will have to learn the 46 sounds of the Japanese language. These sounds consist of one of the five vowel sounds. You will learn the pronunciation characters in Hiragana and Katakana.
- Learn a few Japanese key phrases. When you know a few phrases, you will be able to start practicing the language. Start with Romaji, although don’t rely on this for too long as it is only for beginner level, as you wont understand the language if you stay dependent on it. Learn the basics, like hello will be Kon’nichiwa, and goodbye will be Sayonara.
- Understand the rules of Japanese grammar. The grammar in Japanese is very different from English grammar. Learning the grammar to this foreign language will take some time, but you must purchase a basic Japanese grammar book and follow the lessons on it.
- Begin practicing the language. You can do this by:
- Studying the four Japanese written systems. Practice each with the help of workbooks and online sources.
- Talk to Japanese people online. Try video chatting with a native speaker. Practice with them twice a week.
- Use flashcards to study phrases and grammatical fundamentals. Flashcards can be bought at bookshops, or made yourself at home. Flashcards will help in strengthening all the three language systems of Japanese – Hiranaga, Kanji, Katakana.
- Try online courses and language programs to help learn and practice Japanese. You can daily practice Japanese with these courses.
- Look for other resources to strengthen your grasp on the language. These can be through reading Japanese books, newspapers or magazines. You can also watch Japanese movies or news channels to get a hold on a wider range of terms and slangs of the language. Watch the movies with English subtitles.
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