Learn How to Write and Speak Japanese

By Kenneth H Jones


When you are learning Japanese what you are really thinking of is speaking. You want to speak for sure but to have a conversation you need to be able to listen well. How many times have you been abroad and made an attempt to speak and been completely confused by a torrent of words coming back to you from a native speaker. So to learn how to write and speak japanese you need to listen.

To actually have a conversation in Japanese you need to listen and listen hard. To do this you need to spend time practising your listening skills using a number of resources.

Passive resources for improving your Japanese listening skills

I use radio and television in the background to support my language learning. So instead of just switching on to the usual English channels I consciously choose to put on a Japanese speaking station. What you gain from this is a good ear for the way the language sounds. You will also pick new vocabulary and colloquialisms that will not be in a text book.

Active resources

Most of my DVD collection has subtitles and audio in a choice of languages. I often use this feature to acclimatise my brain to listening. The subtitles also help to confirm what you are hearing. You can rewind back and check out certain phrases. You are really checking your hearing out with this exercise. Of course you may have to do this alone as other people might not appreciate what you are doing.

There are many Japanese language courses on CD and MP3 that I have playing in my car wherever I go. I do not worry about doing the course material while I am driving but use it as listening practice. You do need a fair few to stop this being boring. I am reasonably fluent in Japanese now but even when I was just starting out I would listen to the beginners and advanced vocabulary CD's for the express purpose of improving my listening skills.

Friends who speak the lingo from Tokyo.

Live conversation is the unbeatable way to improve your learning skills. I have a Japanese friend who I spend time with not only because they are good company but also because they help me learn Japanese. I am also helping them learn English so it is a win win situation. You get coaching on your accent and practice listening in a natural environment that is non threatening.

The main point of these resources is to spend time immersed in the Japanese language. When you do go overseas and need to speak and listen for real you will have had plenty of practice.

Learn How to Speak and Write Japanese

By Kenneth H Jones


To learn a language you need a good motivating reason. It is pointless trying out a bit of one language and then a bit of another simply because you feel like. You need one solid good motive that will drive you to successful language learning. To learn how to speak and write japanese you need a good reason.

My Reason For Learning Japanese

For me the reason I started to learn Japanese was because 10 years ago my daughter had an exchange student staying with us who was from Tokyo. One evening the student's mother rang up to speak to her. I didn't know a single word of Japanese and she couldn't speak English. We were at the end of a phone completely unable to communicate. I couldn't explain that her daughter was out.

I found this event very embarrassing and decided to at least learn some of the language. For some reason this episode motivated me to learn a language. Very soon after this we made friends with a person from Japan now living near us in the UK. We hit it off from day one and she helped me learn the Japanese language.

The point of telling you all this is simply that you need to have a similar impetus to start language learning or you will not persevere with it. Much of the problem with the UK schools language program problems are simply motivation. We are told that our Foreign counterparts are so fluent that you do not need to learn their language. Actually I have found this to be quite incorrect. I have visited Japan, France, Germany and Spain in the last 5 years and had to fall back on my language skills to order food, book a room and get a hire car.

3 Reasons to learn Japanese

1. I need to learn a language to do my job. You can get posted overseas or have to deal with a foreign company who needs to have dialogue in both languages.

2. My new life partner's first language is not English. This could beg the question how you got this far without a common language but it can and does happen.

3. I am moving to Japan and want to become part of the local community. If this is you start now before you get there.

There of course a host of other motivational factors to language learning but there is one more worth mentioning which happens when you have started to learn. This is when you successfully communicate with someone in a foreign language who knows no English. You know enough to make yourself understood and have understood the other half of the conversation. I remember the first time this happened to me in Japan. I had to catch a train but was running late. I simply asked for the platform number of the train to the next city and got a clear cut answer that I understood in Japanese. I got on the train so keen to learn more of the Japanese language.

So learn Japanese by all means but make sure you have a good reason that will give you the discipline to stay with the course.

Why You Should Know How To Speak And Write In Japanese

By Nadav Snir



In today's world, Japanese is becoming more and more important. It is almost impossible to work your way into this world without knowing even some Asian languages. The reasons for knowing Japanese become stronger every day. People who know this language get a competitive edge over their colleagues who don't, and it looks like this trend is not going to stop in the near future.

Japanese is important in the business world. Japan is one of the biggest economies on earth, and as such it is an important market for almost every company. Research has shown that speaking the native language with a person makes him feel more confident, and confidence is everything in business. Speaking Japanese with a native will most likely give you an edge over competitors in your market.

Fluency in many languages makes people smart and knowledgeable. When people are faced with a multilingual person, they perceive him as an intelligent person who is worthy of their trust. An Asian language is agreed to be a "hard" language to master, and people who speak it are treated as experts in oriental cultures. It is also easier for them to make friends and meet other people.

The culture of Japan is one of the most fascinating cultures on this planet. To know a culture, you first need to know the local language. The key to the Japanese culture goes through the Japanese language. Only this way you can truly realize the beauty of the local culture. The Japanese culture is very beautiful, and well worth knowing.

To learn Japanese the best possible way, you need to get a course that enables you to learn and practice your language skills in your own time. Researchers found that self studying this way is the best way to learn this language outside of Japan.