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You are coming to Japan. Or maybe you are already here. Not as a temporary visitor but for a short-term stay. Maybe you are a student or a contract worker. You need to learn some Japanese. Hurry! Your mind said. You start grabbing a paper and pen ready to scribble some Japanese characters. You search the Internet for Japanese lessons. Perhaps for the first days you are so enthusiastic and excited to learn and use the language, but as soon as you realize that it’s not a straight, paved road to success, you start dwindling down like an old yellow leaf of a Ginko tree.

What to do? Here are some advice I extracted from my years of experience learning the Japanese language.

1. Enroll in a Japanese language school. 

If you want to (really) learn, go to school. Of course you can study on your own and avoid spending money on tuition, but, if you use your hard-earned money to pay tuition, there will be no reason for you to back out and quit studying when times get rough. You will make sure that you will get back every penny you spend by studying hard. Moreover, the classroom atmosphere will help you follow strict rules like attendance and submission of assignments, which, when you just do a self-study, can be easily neglected and disregarded. Most importantly, it is always better and fun to learn when you interact with teachers and classmates.

me in kyudai

2. Self-study

Wether you can afford a language school or not, self-study is not an option. It is a must! Most language schools offer classes only few times a week and this is not effective (that, if you want to learn the language fast). In order to learn a language, you have to do it everyday, at least for the first three months. It is always better to support your formal study with self-study. Even for just an hour a day.
3. Watch Japanese TV, animes, and movies.

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Sometimes, it gets so boring learning Japanese from a book. It makes your head heavy and full (of kanji) and you start to dazzle. Have a break (in learning from a book, but not in learning Japanese). Watch Japanese anime or a movie you like (with subtitles will help). Drama, comedy, action, horror. Japanese movies are great. Even Japanese pranks will help. Don’t worry if you don’t understanding everything that you hear. Listening is important. It is the basic of learning a language. You will certainly catch some words used in the movie you watch. By the way, my favorite anime is Chibi Marukochan 🙂
4. Find a language partner

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Language is not a language until you use it to communicate. So, while doing 1, 2 and 3 above, it is advisable to find a language partner who can help you practice what you are learning. When I was studying Japanese, I had my Japanese tutor who I met once or twice a week. She is a university volunteer and she likes to learn English, so it was a language exchange. If you have no Japanese friends or you are not in Japan, you can tap another friend who is also learning Japanese and you can set a ‘Japanese only’ time. And don’t forget that the world is in a web. Maybe you can find some in the chat room. Just always be careful about your privacy and be straightforward in the beginning that you just want to practice your Japanese.
5. Talk to the natives

The best of all the rest, talk to the natives. When you finally arrive in Japan, don’t be afraid to go out and use the language. Talk to the sales personnel, the station attendant, the waiters and waitresses. Even if you just speak a few words, Japanese will always admire you and say

“Jouzu”, meaning, you’re good! Join a club where the members are Japanese and try to talk to them. Be friends with them and spend more time with them (than your fellow countrymen). Immerse yourself in the language with the native speakers.
You can always disregard these advice if you don’t care about learning Japanese fast or simply you’re not interested to learn the language at all.