Studying grammar with as little English as possible

Bunpro
#1

I’m trying to think in English less often. I see there are options to hide the English for Bunpro so I’m going to learn how to use these options. I wanted to ask if there was a way to view the website entirely in Japanese, but that’s not possible to me without the need to sentence mine every single vocabulary word I’m not familiar with. My goal is to complete the N5 Lessons on Bunpro and I’m immersing into anime, but only use English whenever it’s necessary (ex. learning a new grammar particle).

At what point as I learn more grammar will I be able to utilize enough Japanese to rely on English less often? Are there resources for toddler-early grade school level reading online that I can find? I have resources like NHK’S NEWS WEB EASY but I want to go down several steps before trying to read the news.

1 Like
#2

Once you’ve finished N5 you should be able to find resources entirely in Japanese for N4 online. (Eg https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJUQG9V0DuccWVOw8ovzTsQ Not thaaat many N4 points yet, but some) Once you get to N3 there’s plenty (the channel I just linked, also Nihongo No Mori, so just name two)
There’s this Basics playlist that might be helpful. Not sure if it exactly follows N5, and haven’t watched it, so no clue if they’re good, but hey ho ^^ 「は」【BASIC JAPANESE 1】 - YouTube

On N5/basic level I’m not sure if there’s much self-study material available. You need to explain things somehow, and before you have a basic foundation in Japanese it’s easier to do that in English. If you have a teacher they can also do that in Japanese from the get go, using lots of examples, hands and feet to communicate, and giving direct feedback whether you’re doing it right. But if you’re studying on your own you don’t have that feedback, so resources rely on English for explanations.

However, if you want an all-Japanese practice material, check out the Minna no Nihongo books. Iirc not all of them are super suited for self-study, but for example the 標準問題集 has answers for all the questions in the back. It’s just practice sentences, no grammar explanations though.

2 Likes
#3

I would actually argue that it isn’t necessary. In fact, you might achieve the same result faster if you just memorize an english equivalent to each grammar point.

However, there’s a catch. You need to consume native content (e.g. manga, novels, games, anime, anything you like). This way you first learn to associate grammar point with an english equivalent and then subsequently learn how it’s actually used for real through immersion. That’s what I’m doing and so far it works really well with very little effort on my part.

8 Likes
#4

I think ultimately it comes down to preference. Do you mind switching between languages? Or do you prefer completely staying in the same one when you’re learning it, even if that might make it a bit more difficult at the start?
Both work just fine imo, so long as you’re careful to actually understand everything. Which is difficult in a 100% Japanese approach, for obvious reasons. But also with English explanations it can be easy to oversimplify, just memorise an English ‘equivalent’, but not pay attention to the differences and nuances there might be between English and Japanese.
As mentioned above, immersion can help with that, though personally I’d prefer a good and nuanced explanation (in any language) from the get-go as well.

1 Like
#5

This YouTube channel covers N5 and N4 entirely in Japanese.

I think it’s fine to have a mix of English and Japanese. Don’t feel like you have to avoid English at all costs to learn the language. If something just isn’t clicking and no amount of Japanese is helping you understand it, English is an okay fallback. As you get more advanced, you’ll naturally need less English anyway, and often find Japanese explanations to be wildly more helpful.

And I definitely agree, a major factor is consuming native content. (I’d argue listening is the most important when starting out. I’ve heard the advice of learning a language like babies do–listening, speaking, reading, writing. And I’ve found that to do me a lot of favors. All that anime and drama watching pays off :wink: )

Also, if you can afford it, a tutor can be a massive assist in your studies. Italki is fantastic and well well worth it. (If you’re down for apps, HelloTalk is free, and one I always hear recommended. I’ve just never gotten it to stick since I hate using my phone xD)

Just remember to be patient and forgiving. :slight_smile: Good luck! :smiley:

3 Likes