J is for Japanese…
In an effort to improve on my writing I have decided to sign up for Encyclopedia of me which started over at Bella Dia (and which I found out about by reading Laura`s blog here...)
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J is for Japanese…
I have a love hate relationship with language learning….technically Japanese is the only language I have actually tried to learn (apart from some basic phrases while going through Europe and a couple of Maori words). I have talked a lot before on this blog about why and how I came about studying Japanese but hey, who wants to hear it again?
Like most people when they finish high school I really had no idea what I wanted to do…but I had decided that doing a course in Business/Creative Industries at QUT was what I wanted to study….but I didn`t get in…..In fact I didn`t get into my next four choices either. I got into my last choice, which I had put as a safety net (lucky huh?) and it was a straight up arts degree from Griffith University. I just want to say I have nothing against Arts Degrees (In fact I am so happy I did it because if I hadn`t I wouldn`t have ended up in Japan)
I was more than a little upset about it but by the time I started I figured that I better make the most of it and I had also discovered that I could do a PR major or Journalism major through the arts degree at Griffith which was something I had thought about studying if I had gotten into business! In my senior year at school I had also met Kanako a Japanese exchange student and had admired the fact that she learnt to speak English so well in her year in Australia. So I enrolled in elementary Japanese classes as well for my first semester as well as some psych courses and simple journalism/media courses. I had no intention of staying in the arts degree, I still had dreams of transferring out, that was until about three months later…
Uni wasn`t my first time studying Japanese….technically we did some basic Japanese at school in primary school (With good old Mrs Shield!) and also at my high school studying Japanese and German once a week was compulsory in year eight! But studying Japanese at uni, five hours on campus a week, plus home study was completely different! I loved it…and I was actually ok at it!
I applied to go on exchange mid year and left the following year for a year abroad at Seikei University in Tokyo….I hadn`t realized how hard it would be….Seikei didn`t really offer courses for beginners and that pretty much still what I was…( It didn`t help that I had not studied from Nov-Mar while I was on summer break waiting to go to Japan)I had one on one tutoring for the first couple of months because I wasn`t up to the same level that others on exchange were….Most of the friends i made in the first couple of months always spoke a little bit of English meaning I didn`t have to use my Japanese…..and my foreign friends all spoke English and Japanese really well so they could translate for me. I was gradually improving but not nearly as fast as I would of liked.
I loved Japan, I love the culture and the people and I was gradually getting a hang of the language and making friends that only spoke Japanese forcing me to speak more and more and then one day it all seemed to fall into place over the summer….and I could hold conversations and communicate and order in restaurants and read the menus and ask for help at the train station if I needed it. I think anyone that is learning another language gets to that point…where everything just clicks…
I am still a long way off from being fluent…and I still have a love hate relationship with Japanese study…..sometimes I love it, get right into it will study for a couple of hours a day and then it goes away again. I hit a brick wall and just give up on it for awhile……I always go back to it…..and I hope one day to pass level 1 of the Japanese proficiency test!!! Obviously the fact that Shun and I talk to each other in Japanese 95% of the time helps my Japanese except he knows the Japanese I know and talks in a way that is easy for me to understand!
My dream is to become fluent enough to read the newspaper and pass level one of JLPT….the problem is if I achieve that once I might just give up, and from what I have heard, If you don`t continue to study then it all just goes out the window!
The only way, for me anyway, to really learn a language is to immerse yourself in a country that speaks that language….so to all those language learners out there…..go spend six months in Spain or South America if you are learning Spanish, or a year in China if you are learning Chinese….It will make the world of difference to you language study…Not to mention it will be an experience you will never forget!
I am a little stuck with K is for….I haven`t decided what I will be doing yet! I can not believe I am almost half way though this writing exercise already!
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I love this post…and the encyclopedia thingy. I’m not always inspired while writing, but I like the idea of blog, so I would go and post with the hope of getting better someday.
I’ll have to check out this thing…it sounds like fun.
I’m desperate to learn German or Italian properly, but I’m worried that I’ll have the same problem that you have had – you can’t find the time to study enough, or the people you hang out with talk to you in English instead, etc etc.
What tricks did you use to help remember? Did you use post-it notes or tapes or…?
Ahh the love/hate relationship with J-go.. I know it too well.
I think it sounds like you have a great base!! As for 1kyuu, if theres any questions you have feel free to ask, I mainly got it because I studied specific test materials for about 3-4 hours a day, 4-5 days a week for about 4 month, and sadly I think I have lost some of it since then!!
Anyways please let me know if you need any advice, don’t know how great it would be!! I find that spending most of my day talking in Japanese whether it be work or Ryohei helps more than anything!
It sounds like you are doing really well with it and surrounding yourself with people who mostly speak Japanese to you all day makes a big difference. I know what you mean about “everything clicking”. I think you definitely have “breakthrough” periods. I find with learning Spanish I have got to different levels of “fluency” but then I plateau for a while. I am now at the stage where I can cope fine with the conversations I have at Guerita’s school, the shops, doctors, most of the everyday stuff, but socialising is a bit harder. I can do it, but it slowly and with no background noise, no distractions etc. I think it really takes a long time to be completely fluent/bi-lingual. You do have to keep at it too. It’s so easy to lose it. We’re going to have make a real effort to keep up with it when we go home.
Shoshanna- Thanks for stopping by! I am really enjoying this writing meme, it is good for inspiration! Sometimes it is difficult though, like now, I have no idea what to do with K so it will probably be a bit lame! About my kitchen or something! hehehe You should definitely give it a try!
Amy- My tricks to remember it where talking! hehe, it makes it difficult if you don`t have anyone to speak with. My advice maybe fnd a language exchange partner that you meet with each week…somebody that is native in Italian or German and looking for an opportunity to improve their english. Meet for coffee, speak in German for the first hour then speak in Englishf or the first hour. I did that once I was back in Australia a little bit too. Make friends with speakers of the language! Best way!!! Other than going and spending the time in the country! Best of luck (Flash cards work well too…tapes too maybe…I have never used tapes though……but something have heard is good now is podcasts in the language that you can listen to on you ipod or mp3 player!
Sara- I wish I had your motivation! I was studying about 3-4 hours a day recently at cafes and stuff, more on weekends I did it for a couple of weeks then I lost motivation and stopped! Kanji just does my head in……I have no desire to remember them. I have never had a desire to learn kaniji. I love speaking the language and I like it when I can read stuff but other than that I really can`t be bothered.
I have lots and lots of study materials. Mostly for 1kyuu and 2kyuu so I have all the books! It is just a matter of studying them! I am sure I will get it eventually……maybe!
Guera- I am fine pretty much with casual conversation! Since that is all I do with Shumpei! ANd doctors, supermarket, talks with parents etc are fine!!! it is the reading of the language I have the biggest problem with! I am going to have to try really hard to remember the kanji more than anything when I go back to Australia…because it is so easy to forget!!!! What about you when you return home?? How are you going to keep up your spanish when you return home???
I am lucky to have Shun….. but us moving to Australia is meant to help his English. So I should really try to speak to him in English but it is difficult since we have always commnicated in Japanese!
lol, mrs. shield, how could i have forgotten mrs. shield what with her different coloured sandles and inability to control the class. Love the post and am enjoying the encylopedic journey through your life. I wonder what x or z will be. That will require some creativity. lol, x-rays and zebras :p
Paul- Do you know how many x-rays I have had in my life? You know how many times i have fallen over or injured myself….how could x not be for x-rays! hehe and for Z, well I have a couple of ideas but will have to see!
Good old mrs Shield!!! So you going to join Mandy and me to do 101 things in 1001 days from April!?
As always a great read Lulu! I’m off to Germany this week..back in the first week of May! Will you already be in Brisbane then? Will be nice to catch up whenever you get here! I’ve been missing Japan heaps lately…doesn’t look like I’ll be stopping over in Japan though…Dad booked the flight so we are going via some arab country! ha ha!
Hey Lulu! I’ve been so bad with updating my blog, but am onto it now. I need to be able to sart the 101 in 1001 days thing and need your expert advice!
Also, I really want to learn some basic Dutch – have the perfect teacher living with me! But it’s hard as I really need a set way to learn the words and progress rather than asking Tom willy-nilly what such and such is in Dutch. I am so envious of your Japanese speaking ability! xxxxx
Katie: That`s right! I forgot you would be off to Germany so soon for the family reunion!!! How exciting!!! Travel safe! I fear that I will miss Japan terribly when I am back in Australia but I will be sure to get my Australian fix for awhile if I am spending a year back there. I won`t be back til mid-may, the 14th I think. I booked a ticket earlier this week…..only 60,000yen one way…not bad huh?
Can`t wait to hear all your german adventures when we meet up for coffee when I am back in Australia!!!
Mandy- I check your blog on my reader even when it says there is nothing there. I need my mandy fix!! Hurry up and start blogging everyday girl!!! hehe. Will email you about 101 things…..still writing my list. Hope to finish it this week though!
Basic dutch, can`t really help you there. Try podcasts!!! Then practice with Tom! Do you have a simple phrase book?? The accent and pronunciation would be the hardest part…practice makes perfect!
Catch! I’ve flung some blog bling your way
http://leechbabe.blogspot.com/2008/03/o-holy-heatwave.html
I love your post and the alphabet idea is a great way to work on writing skills
Marita: Wow, my first peice of blog bling. That I know of!!! Thanks very much, you made my day!