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Learning the Japanese language is difficult for English speakers. It is made more difficult because the pronunciation is very different to English. There is no substitute for actually traveling to Japan and learning in a program from native speakers and being immersed in the Japanese culture and language 24/7 but that isn't possible for a lot of people living outside of Japan who are studying the language every day. That doesn't mean you can't improve speaking Japanese. The following article offers some advice.
1Find someone that speaks the language fluently. If you can't find someone in person, try looking online. There are many communities online where people from all over the world gather to learn Japanese.
2Practice using Japanese with the people you have met. Try to engage in actually speaking the language if possible. If you are doing this online, there are several voice chat programs out there that will help you communicate freely over the internet. You should ask other people online which programs will work best for them.
3If you can listen to and speak with native speakers of Japanese, listen carefully to how they pronounce words and phrases and try to mimic what you hear. You should pay close attention to the differences between the language when spoken by different genders. Some words and phrases may be different.
4Practice using different phrases and words by role playing scenarios such as shopping, ordering food at a restaurant, talking on the phone, etc,.
5Don't be discouraged if you make mistakes, even if people laugh when you mispronounce words or use the wrong phrases. One of the keys to learning a language is learning what mistakes can be made so that you don't make them in the future.
6Be interesting to talk to and have topics up your sleeve to fill in silences. Learn about Japanese popular culture- singers, books, anything. Studio Ghibli movies such as Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away are good. This is where a little knowledge of Japanese culture goes a long way. Of course, cultural differences are fine, but they may end up a monologue if the conversation partner isn't really interested.
7If you know certain topics are likely to come up in conversation, do some studying beforehand to put phrases and vocabulary related to that topic into short-term memory. There are a lot of stock and predictable questions- be ready not only to answer, but to elaborate. This will not improve speaking skills, but it will facilitate ease of conversation.
8Be familiar with the correct use of conversation fillers, such as soo desu, ne, majiide and so on.
9Practice shadowing native speakers. Shadowing is a technique where you listen to someone speaking the target language and then repeat what they said aloud as clearly as you can. Don't worry about repeating things perfectly, just try to repeat as much as you can as quickly and clearly as you can.Advertisement
QuestionHow do I say "presentation" in Japanese?Community Answerプレゼンテーション Purezentēshon
QuestionIs it easy to learn Japanese?Community AnswerSome people will find it easier than others, but it's the second easiest east Asian language after Korean.
QuestionAre there any reference books for the JLPT exam?Community AnswerFor kanji, there is a book called Essential Kanji by P.G Oneill, which I highly recommend. For things like grammar and vocabulary, there is a channel on YouTube called Nihongonomori Japan - almost all the videos are in Japanese, but they are very good for grammar/listening practice. There is also a blog called Maggiesensei that thoroughly explains a wide variety of grammar. For vocabulary, I would recommend things like listening to Japanese radio online, or looking up vocabulary lists (they're not hard to find).
Do you know any website to learn Japanese?
- Practice speaking Japanese daily. The more you use it, the more comfortable you will be when speaking it with people that you meet.
- Find out if any of your friends or relatives are interested in learning the language as well. It always helps if you are learning with someone you know very well.
- Find out if your local college has a Japanese club, you may find several native speakers in your area that are interested in helping you improve your speaking skills.
- Learn as much as you can about the Japanese culture. It isn't the same as in the United States and there are many things you may do without knowing that are considered rude. You may not encounter this much online but if you plan to travel to Japan some day it will help if you already know what type of behavior to avoid. Visit your local Library or book store to find books on the Japanese culture (make sure they are relatively recent books before you read them).
- Learn about gestures the Japanese use. For instance, the Japanese point to their nose or touch their nose to designate themselves. And nodding means one is listening, not necessarily agreeing.
- Try your best to learn the nature of Japanese people. Doing this will make those whom you speak to(in Japan) feel more comfortable speaking with you.
- Try to avoid people that aren't serious about improving their speaking skills with the language, they may discourage you from continuing further.
- You don't have to study every day! Take a break if you feel stressed! Then continue when you are rested. The Japanese language isn't going anywhere!
- Avoid trying to learn speaking skills from Anime, much of the Japanese found in Anime uses slang and speaking patterns that are not very polite. Instead you might try finding some Japanese soap operas/dramas where the language is spoken in a more normal setting.
- 'Hai' and 'iie' are not used like 'yes' and 'no' in English. 'Hai' means that you agree, 'iie' that you disagree. This can be particularly confusing if a question is in negative form. "You do not want to go ?" - "Hai" would mean you don't want to go, while "iie" would mean you do.
- There are several different levels of politeness in the Japanese language, when speaking to someone you don't know very well it's best to use the formal/polite forms.
- Avoid trying to find a cute Japanese girlfriend right away. Most Japanese girls you meet will already expect that most guys are there to try to find a girl friend and not really interested in their language, it's better if you just focus on improving your speaking skills for now. They will appreciate your sincerity and be more willing to help you if you aren't asking them for their measurements. Not to mention the rest of the community will be more willing to open up to you.
- Be courteous when trying to find someone that speaks fluently with which to study, you don't want to scare people off. Explain that you are a student and ask politely if they will help you.
- Try not to be rude in online discussion rooms, remember you are there to learn and make friends. Nobody is going to want to voice chat with someone that is rude and mean.
- Avoid using movies or dramas that feature samurai or anything historical. The Japanese they use is not modern Japanese and will not be as helpful.