How do you study Japanese?

Japanese
#1

As I’ve been studying for the upcoming JLPT test, I’ve started wondering how other learners study, do you study a bit of everything each day, for example a couple grammar points, a few kanji and several words, or do you focus on one of these at a time?

I’ve personally been using the Sou Matome N2 series to study for the JLPT doing two pages of each everyday in the 8 week program laid out by the textbook, and I’ve started wondering if I was supposed to do simultaneously or they were more designed to be done one by one. Doing them together has been extremely exhausting but I’m finally reaching the end and with 9 days until the test I hope they’ve done well enough to prepare me. I’ve seen online that people say that the Sou Matome series isn’t as good or extensive as the Shin Kanzen for example, but those books don’t seem like something I would realistically stick with.

The greatest appeal of Sou Matome for me was that 8 week program, not that it was quick but that there was a designated time frame, that made it easy to stick with and stay motivated to keep pushing through all the exhaustion. Realistically, I would have much preferred it if they made it a bit longer so each day wasn’t as over whelming and maybe even accounted for a day off or 2 each week, where I would still do revision but wouldn’t have to worry about learning anything new.

Sorry, this kinda went off topic a bit but I thought I should give my own perspective as well.

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#2

It’s kinda late now, given you only have a few days left before the test, but (if you can) I would highly recommend you check out the Shinkanzen Master books (at least the grammar and reading books). They really prepare you for the JLPT test, compared to the Sou Matome books, which I like too. However, for the purpose of preparing for the JLPT, it’s Shinkanzen Master for me.

Good luck on the test!!

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#3

I am not studying for the JLPT so can’t give any advice on that front but my own personal studies are basically just active reading (look up every word I don’t know and occasionally google some grammar or something if I can’t fully grasp some nuance although I tend to avoid this since I am normally enjoying the story and can get the gist anyway), watching TV (very occasionally will look something up on my phone whilst I am watching but basically no lookups), listening to podcasts (no lookups), doing vocab SRS, discussing interesting or confusing words/grammar with friends (Japanese natives), and just living my life in Japan.

I have slowly worked out that the key for me is just focusing on whatever I find interesting. At the start I was so insecure about ever “making it” that I would force myself to do things I didn’t find interesting. I am now pretty confident that for as long as I live in Japan I will keep getting better at Japanese at a relatively okay pace. Plenty of people in Japan learn basically nothing or learn very very slowly so just being here doesn’t mean you will get good but it certainly means there are constant opportunities to learn and discover interesting things if you are already motivated and working for it.

I don’t “study” for speaking (I just chat with people) but there is very little discourse online about the fact that speaking Japanese (properly and naturally) is easily the hardest part of learning the language. I think it comes from the fact that most people online either have no major interest in speaking or have no chance to speak. Speaking has only been good for my Japanese as it forces me to confront what I don’t know and also keeps me humble. Very easy to feel good about my Japanese level when it is just me alone in a room with all the time in the world, a dictionary, and no one pulling a confused face when I make a mistake lol

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#4

That’s a really interesting question, I’m definitely also keen to hear other people’s response.
I went really hard on WaniKani during my first few months of study, adding in some Genki pages and Japanese podcasts. I also used AnkiApp to put in words that I was taught by people around me, or words that appeared frequently.

But then I switched to mostly BunPro, doing all the vocab for a level and then doing all the grammar, mixing in some WaniKani as well. So, for an idea of timescales, this has been N5 and N4 vocab for January to April, then N5 grammar and only a little more than half N4 grammar April to now.

As a rule I try and listen to a grammar podcast (Learn Japanese with Masa Sensei) whenever I’m travelling TO somewhere, and then just chill on the way back with some music or an audible book.

I teach English here in Japan, so I’ve been asking my students for anime recommendations. And then I either try to actively listen and recognise words that I’ve learnt, or just chill. It’s a nice way to connect with them, they’re only little.

I think I made some pretty big mistakes though. If I had just been more consistent and less ambitious in my targets, I’d probably be much more confident and much further ahead. I’d constantly overwhelm myself with reviews just to reach targets. I also de-prioritised listening and speaking, which has limited my ability to consolidate what I’ve learned and made me sound like a baby when trying to talk.

If I could do it again, I’d do it slower, and I’d practice more listening and speaking. Being able to hear and use words has really helped me remember things more. But that’s just me and my situation. I’m here living in Japan surrounded by kind Japanese people who don’t really speak much English. I’d also focus more on practicing verb conjugations. Conjugating, reading, and listening to them. Learning lots of verbs was great, but they’re so rarely used in the dictionary form in normal conversation.

The things that went well is actually probably my commitment to SRS and the time I put in to create my own mnemonics for as many words as possible. I’ve never really touched a textbook and don’t really intend to, but I probably would also have invested in a conversation tutor earlier.

I’ll be taking the N4 next week, and I’m hovering at around 50% on practice tests.

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#5

It’s interesting that you say speaking is the hardest aspect as for me it’s probably what I’m most proficient at, I sort of stopped probably studying for a long while and only really spoke Japanese and got a decently high conversation level without learning a lot of vocabulary, this forced me to get creative and learn to use what I did know to try and explain what I wanted to say. If the JLPT had a speaking section it would probably increase my chance of passing, for my Japanese class at uni I’ve started doing my presentations with preparing anything besides a few slides with titles and pictures and just making it up as a go. I struggle with remember vocabulary more than anything, unless it’s something I can use in an everyday conversation it’s very difficult to commit it to memory and especially words that look similar, it’s probably my biggest gripe with Sou Matome, it loves grouping up similar words and even grammar points which after going through the textbooks I really think it would have been better to isolate these words so that by the time another word that’s similar comes by you’re already familiar enough with one word to differentiate the two or even more words.

#6

People rarely use the dictionary form? You mean like る and other う sound ending verbs right? I find quite the opposite to be true, I’m going to university in Kanagawa and unless I’m talking to staff at like a restaurant or conbini, people will mostly speak casually, even when speaking with my teachers we usually just end up speaking casually because it’s just easier. I honestly still struggle with remember to use ます/です sometimes because they’re really just not used that much in daily life for me, maybe if I got a job I’ll start using them more but until then there’s really not much need for me.