Do you just love everything about Japan? We do too. And while you may already be well on your way to learning the beautiful language of this country, some are only at the beginning of their journey. And that’s okay. Speaking a new language takes time and patience, but when the results come in, everybody savors that moment. In this post, we are going to explore the perfect ways to learn a new language, Japanese to be specific.
While in the past, learning a new language, especially an exotic one, was either impossible or a life’s mission for the person. In the current day and age, it is still a hard and long task, but it’s attainable for many, without regard to your current financial status, location, and employment. You don’t have to live in Japan to get to the advanced stage, or even visit the country. If your work environment is somehow intertwined with the Far East State, that would be a great plus, but not a requirement nonetheless. And it doesn’t have to take thousands of dollars out of your pocket. As of 2021, we are certain you can learn for 100% free.
Traditional VS Modern Methods
Sitting in school or college is something people just had to do once they decided to become fluent in another language. Now, there are plenty of other methods to take classes or even educate yourself solo-style. We do however want to note, that the traditional way has its benefits. When you sign-up for a class, you are making a real commitment. You are dedicating hours out of your week to a single cause, you are motivated to come for the lectures, and most of the time you just can’t miss your study. All of these can be attained with different techniques, but school hits that part right on the nail. If you go a different direction, make sure you don’t miss out on these advantages.
If you are more of a do-it-at-home person, right now is the perfect time to learn from home. With the pandemic ongoing, a huge percentage of education went online, and Japanese is no exception. Learning on the internet is cheaper, more time-efficient, and safer right now. This isn’t really a different method from attending classes, but a variation with a few twists. You still get the same environment, teaching approach, and learning sequence. But you get to do it from the comfort of your own room, with more freedom to move at your own pace and the ability to really concentrating all your effort. No more annoying Spencer trying to tell you a joke while you are writing down your notes.
Digital Learning
Even before the coronavirus crisis, your options for studying online were vast and almost limitless. Now, all kinds of courses and materials are close to infinite. What is your preferred learning method? Do you read, listen, watch, write? You can do all that. A quick YouTube search will land you thousands of educational videos on Japanese in English, or even your native language if that’s not the one. There are even podcasts specifically for beginners or the advanced to help them immerse themselves in the speech and sounds native to The Land Of The Rising Sun. There is free content, there is paid content, there is short content (as short as a 5-minute lesson) and long-term courses that might be even longer and harder than your college class (some may run for years, advancing you from the early stages to fluent speaking).
Gamifying The Process
If you are a nerd like us, or simply a human who enjoys a good game of any kind, keep reading. Games are activities that all civilizations have participated in since the beginning of all time. Even tribal folks played games, well into adulthood. Why? Because the process of any kind of game is usually enjoyable. And, you can make a game literally out of anything. Thus, imagine what an undemanding and yet fruitful game would be learning a language. With the current technologies, it is possible. Here are the two categories we separate the games that help you learn the language:
Indirect
Indirect games are ones that are not focused on learning, but still, immerse you in the language. One that makes you listen to the language and understand it, but do not produce an immediate study effect. The same goes for reading. The Japanese website gamesgamers.net listed the top 3 mind-games in the recently published article. They will help you make your brain better, while at the same time teaching you the language.
Direct
These kinds of apps will help you in the most straightforward way possible- they take the learning process, from teaching you the alphabet to speaking, and make the whole thing seem like one big challenge, in the form of a game. The one we recommend you to try at first is Duolingo. It’s available in many languages and is a simple app that’s easy to use.
