[0:00]How long does it realistically take to become fluent in Japanese? From what I see with my students, if you study consistently for three months... What should I learn first when starting Japanese? The first thing you should do when you start learning is...
[0:18]Hey guys, how you doing? I'm Takashi. So today I'm with my Japanese teacher friend. Hi, my name is Kahn. I'm a certified Japanese teacher. When I became 22, I passed the exam to become a certified Japanese teacher. And since then, I taught a lot of students. In this video, we're going to answer the most common questions about learning Japanese, especially for beginners. Recently, I asked my followers on Instagram, "What do you want to ask to a Japanese teacher?" And I got tons of answers from them. So in this video, we're going to answer the question from you guys. By the way, we just released our Japanese course called "Speak Basic Japanese in 15 days." We created this course together, and we spent so much time on this. It's a perfect guide for someone who wants to start Japanese from scratch. So if you want to start learning today, check the link in the description or QR code here. Okay, so let's get to the first question. What should I learn first when starting Japanese? What do you think? First, regarding the basic writing system, Japanese has Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. And as you all know, Kanji is quite difficult. Since Hiragana and Katakana are limited in number, I think it's best to learn them first. Once you learn them, you can read any textbook almost entirely in Japanese. The first things you should do are to properly memorize basic sentence patterns and acquire a minimum amount of vocabulary. About 100 to 200 words. Our textbook also contains about 200 vocabulary words. If you know the grammar in that textbook and have memorized the vocabulary, just by swapping out words for different situations, you'll be able to create all kinds of sentences. I think practicing that way is a good approach. Our course also starts with an explanation of Hiragana and Katakana. The reason is, for example, if someone wants to speak English, they start with the ABCs, right? It's the same thing. You have to do the same for Japanese. At least, that's what I think. Since Hiragana and Katakana have a fixed number of characters, there are only a fixed number of sounds. If you memorize them perfectly, as you continue your studies, you'll just be using those same sounds repeatedly. So I think you should perfect that part. Next question: How long does it realistically take to become fluent in Japanese? I think it really depends on the person, but yeah. Right. Well, depending on the person, in just six months to a year, some reach the highest level, which is the JLPT N1. Some people achieve that in a year? I've definitely seen people do it in a year. But honestly, there are always some people who are just naturally gifted at languages. Those types tend to reach it that quickly. But from what I see with my students, if you study consistently for three months, at the very least, you'll be able to say what you did yesterday or what you're doing tomorrow or your plans for the weekend. And talk about your hobbies. You'll definitely be able to have simple conversations like that if you stick with it for three months. Most of my followers don't live in Japan. So, if you're not in Japan, but you're trying to learn the language, in my opinion, it's about how much you can immerse your environment in Japanese. Like, "Immerse yourself in Japanese." That's because I've never lived abroad, and I didn't go to an international school, but I can speak English. That's because I switched my environment to English as much as possible. Like changing my iPhone settings, having foreign friends, watching movies in English, and watching YouTube in English. Even for music, I'd listen to US hip-hop and things like that. By doing all that, I might have been even more immersed than people actually studying abroad. It's common for people to study abroad, but only hang out with people from their home country. So they don't learn the target language at all. But I think that depending on your effort and how much you immerse your environment in the language, is really up to you. Creating an environment is more important than motivation. Motivation fluctuates depending on your mood. But environment, like having Japanese friends or a weekly conversation session with a Japanese teacher. If you set that up, you'll definitely stick with it. And if you keep going, eventually, you'll reach a point where you realize your Japanese has improved.
[4:47]Creating that environment yourself is a great idea. What mistakes do beginners make the most, and how can I avoid them? As I mentioned earlier, seeing kanji, and thinking, "I can't do this." There are quite a few people like that. It's Kanji, and also Hiragana. They look totally different from the English alphabet, so just looking at them makes a lot of people give up. I'll talk more about Kanji later, but you really don't need to feel pressured by it. Speaking Japanese and reading Kanji are completely different skills. It's like a different language, right? Definitely. You should treat them as separate languages. Exactly, since they're basically separate, you shouldn't let it stress you out at all. Also, a lot of people say they hate textbooks, but textbooks are essentially designed by various teachers and experts. They contain the fastest methods to improve, all packed in step-by-step stages. So, at the very least, I think you should finish one textbook properly. So don't shy away from textbooks. It might seem like the long way to do it, but absorbing that content first is the most important thing. People want to jump into practice right away. But it's true, you need the basics. If you don't have the basics, practicing is completely meaningless. You might actually pick up bad habits. That's definitely true. It's better to be patient. People who learn only from conversation tend to pick up that speaker's specific habits. Also, the moment the topic changes, they suddenly can't speak at all. I see that happen quite a lot. Even if they can handle daily chat, when they try to have deeper conversations, they often hit a wall. In those cases, studying step-by-step from scratch is really the fastest shortcut. Can you genuinely learn Japanese by watching anime or daily-life content?
[6:37]I think that's exactly right. It would be great if you could learn just by watching anime. But honestly, if a beginner does that, it's basically a waste of time.
[6:51]Occasionally, there are people with great ears. They can mimic what they hear just by listening. For those people, it might be okay. But basically, once you've learned basic grammar and vocabulary, and you reach an intermediate level, if you suddenly increase your anime or drama intake, your improvement speed will skyrocket. After all, this is the practice stage. It's listening practice. So if you have the basics down, it's fine to practice. But watching anime from the very start isn't a good idea. However, even for beginners, if watching anime boosts your motivation to learn, then it's fine. But thinking "I'm studying Japanese by watching anime," is not good. You should separate them. Are there anime with easy Japanese? I think there are various slice-of-life anime, the ones Japanese people watch as kids. Like "Atashin'chi", "Doraemon", or "Sazae-san". They have lots of daily conversation. It's better than watching "Dragon Ball" or anime that use quirky Japanese. The content is for kids, but Japanese adults enjoy watching them too.
[8:12]So starting there might be fun. Also, watching shows like "Doraemon" includes Japanese culture. Oh, that's right. You get the atmosphere of a normal Japanese home. So it kills two birds with one stone. You can't learn Japanese culture from "Dragon Ball", for example. Why do so many people focus on reading and writing instead of speaking? I think it's the same for Japanese people, but reading and writing are easier than speaking. In my personal opinion, speaking really amplifies your anxiety. It really does. With reading or writing, you can double-check yourself later. You can see what was correct. But with speaking, once you've said something, you won't know if it's right unless you record it. Because of that, especially when learning a foreign language, even if your pronunciation is right, you wonder, "Is this really correct?" You start having all these irrational fears. And that anxiety leads to the feeling of not wanting to speak at all. So I honestly think that's not very good for your mental health. The best thing, basically, the people who I think are improving are surprisingly those who record what they say. They actually check their own pronunciation to see if it's correct. I think those people are amazing. If you can't verify it, you stay in that anxious state, continuing to speak without knowing if you're doing it right. So I honestly think that's not very good for your mental health. Next question, how can I practice speaking Japanese if I'm not in Japan? The best thing is, since there are many apps available now, I think connecting with Japanese people is the best way. The characteristic of students who learn to speak the fastest is that they keep speaking Japanese, even with wrong grammar. In class, some students use English and others use Japanese, but the ones who improve definitely use Japanese. From the beginner stage, they try to use what they studied in Japanese. They try hard to ask questions in Japanese. These students improve the most. So I think talking to native speakers is the best method. Also, if you're practicing alone, I often say to use daily words. Like "I brush my teeth," or "I eat a meal." Saying these things to yourself in Japanese is really helpful. Surprisingly, with daily words, there are many you can't say. So taking them one by one, asking "How do I say this?" Even doing just one a day will completely change your level of improvement. If you wanna come to Japan either traveling or living, I'd like you to do this beforehand, and it is learning Japanese. But if you don't know how to start, there's a course made for complete beginners. And it is: Speak Basic Japanese in 15 days. The course includes a 200+ page textbook and over 4 hours of video lessons. The textbook covers vocabulary, grammar, and useful phrases for daily life. The video lessons focusing on pronunciation and intonation. This course will not make you fluent, but it will give you a strong foundation to have simple conversations with locals and enjoy Japan more. So if you want to start learning Japanese, check the link in the description or QR code here. Let's start learning Japanese today. Do we really need to know all the Kanji?
[11:35]First of all, regarding whether Japanese people know all the Kanji, there are 6,000 characters in total, actually, more than 6,000.
[11:48]But basically, there is a test Japanese people take, the highest level of the "Kanken" exam.
[11:57]It covers about 6,000 characters. Locals will definitely fail if they don't study for it. Basically, the kanji learned by junior high school, called "Joyo Kanji" (regular-use kanji), consists of 2,000 characters. So, from first grade through ninth grade, it takes 9 years to learn just 2,000. That's the curriculum in Japanese schools. Kanji is really that difficult. I really don't think you need to memorize them all.
[12:29]If you want to work properly in Japan, especially at a Japanese company, if that is your goal, I think you need to learn those 2,000. That's the kanji needed for the N1 JLPT level. But if it's just a hobby, or you want to talk to Japanese people, just the bare minimum is enough, in my opinion. But what about beginners? What kind of approach should they take? It's true that if you come to Japan, being able to read some Kanji is convenient. But there are just so many of them. So if you only learn halfway, knowing just a little, I don't think it's very useful. I think you should start by memorizing about 100 or 200 basic Kanji. Kanji is mostly about getting used to it. Even when you encounter difficult Kanji, they are often just basic characters you learned combined together to make a single Kanji. That happens quite a lot. First, try learning a few basic Kanji yourself. The best method for Japanese people is writing. If you write them over and over to memorize, you'll lose your resistance to Kanji, and when you see a new Kanji, it becomes easier to memorize. If you live in Japan, road signs while driving, and signs on the train, are basically all in Kanji. In fact, for Japanese people, if something that should be in Kanji is written in Hiragana or Katakana, it's actually harder to read. Once you can read Kanji, it becomes really convenient. Sentences become shorter, so they are much easier to read. Each Kanji has its own meaning. So, just by looking at the Kanji, you can grasp the meaning of the sentence. If you learn to read Kanji, I think your life in Japan will become much smoother. There's no doubt about that. Is it a lost cause to learn Japanese if you're bad at memorization? Memorization skills really vary from person to person. memory basically consists of two types: long-term and short-term. People who seem good at memorizing often just have strong short-term memory. They remember what they studied right before a test, but forget it as soon as it's over. These people get great scores on school tests, but the info hasn't actually entered their long-term memory. To get it into long-term memory, repetitive practice is essential. It's the standard approach. It's always stated in linguistics, and not just in linguistics, but in the world of study in general. There's the "forgetting curve." Humans naturally forget over time. But if you review it then, it gradually moves into long-term memory. There are research results that prove this. So, if you systematically follow that, reviewing this week what you studied last week, then regardless of talent, your ability to memorize will naturally improve. Even if you don't think you have a good memory, given enough time, you will definitely be able to learn any vocabulary. So I think it's best to just keep at it steadily. How do I understand long Japanese sentences? There are two main reading methods: "extensive reading" and "intensive reading." Reading a lot versus reading in detail. I recommend starting with extensive reading. Reading a lot is good at first. It's often said that you should choose texts where you understand about 80%. That is the best material for you to read right now.
[16:10]So, reading a lot of texts at that level is the first thing I think you should do. Inevitably, there are expressions in Japanese that don't exist in your native language. No matter how much you hear or read those words, you ultimately won't understand them. In those cases, you need to do intensive reading. You have to internalize why the grammar creates that meaning. Otherwise, no matter how much you listen, you'll never understand it. So for grammar like that, you should use intensive reading. I think it's best to use both methods. Like idioms. Exactly. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." That definitely doesn't exist abroad. But by understanding that phrase, you can better understand Japanese culture. You can understand the culture and the Japanese mindset, so it kills two birds with one stone. I've always thought that learning a language automatically allows you to learn that country's culture. So I think that's a really great approach. Is pitch accent important for beginners? Pitch accent is... It's a big topic in learning Japanese, but for those who don't know, could you explain it one more time? Pitch accent is said to be one of the characteristic features of Japanese. English is basically called a "stress accent" language. It's said that stress is placed somewhere on the word. This is a feature of English. Stress usually creates the difference in words. For example, "I like it", "I don't like it". Or, "I want to do that", things like that. There's that kind of feeling, right? Somewhere, there is always stress added. And for each individual word, or rather, the sensation of it, is quite different in English, isn't it? But in the case of Japanese, it feels flat and keeps a constant tempo. And with pitch accent, this is where the tone changes between High and Low. There are words starting High and going Low, and words starting Low and going High. A common example is "kaMI", which means hair, but "KAmi can also mean God. They are the same in Hiragana, but the meaning changes with pronunciation. That's pitch accent. Honestly, even for Japanese people, if asked whether it's High or Low, honestly, we often don't know. This actually appears in exams for Japanese teachers. "A foreigner is pronouncing with the wrong pitch accent. Is this pitch accent High or Low?" This is basically a music class, isn't it? True, true. It's a sensation you can't verbalize. People with perfect pitch can understand this. But basically, with pitch, I'm not good at singing, so I can't carry a tune. Honestly, I don't know if it's High or not. Just as knowledge, knowing about pitch accent is a very good thing, I think. It's a characteristic part of Japanese, so it's good to know. But if you focus on it too much, people with bad pitch, or a poor sense of rhythm, will ask, "Was that High? Low?" If you think about it every time, you'll get confused. I think getting used to it is best. Japanese is currently said to be a "High Context Language". Depending on the context, the meaning changes. It's that kind of language. On the other hand, English is a "Low Context Language". It doesn't rely much on context. What you want to say must be fully put into words to be understood. But in Japanese, even without putting it into words, it gets understood. Okay, last question. Which JLPT level is really required for jobs in Japan? First of all, the JLPT is an exam for people who are studying Japanese. When you want to work in Japan, or when getting a visa, they might say, "You need JLPT N4 to get a visa."
[20:06]There are visa categories like that, so in that sense, it's a very trusted exam. There's N5, N4, N3, N2, N1. N1 is the highest, most advanced level, while N5 is really beginner level. When it comes to N1, for example, you can read Japanese newspapers. To actually work in Japan, especially at a Japanese company, if you don't have N1 or N2, I often hear stories like "they won't even interview you." That's how much N1 and N2 matter. If you have them, you reach a level where you won't struggle much working in Japan. But for convenience stores, it really depends on the job. An Indian acquaintance of mine, can't speak Japanese at all, but has amazing IT skills. So he works at a Japanese company, and some say, "I don't need to study Japanese at all." What I hear from them is their boss can apparently speak both Japanese and English. But to get promoted within that company, or when changing jobs, whether you have that Japanese level or not determines if you can change jobs. He said it makes a clear difference. Of course, it's better to be able to speak Japanese. If you want to work or live in Japan, I think it's good to have at least N3. Even if you don't work at a Japanese company, just living in Japan... Just living in Japan. If you really don't want to interact with anyone, then it's fine. But if you want to interact with Japanese people, and want to know the culture somewhat, N3 is the level of daily conversation, so you should aim for that. Honestly, N2 can be too difficult. Even if you study it, in actual conversation, it really depends on if you'll actually use it. There are many words you won't use. So first, aim for N3 level. Even N4 is fine, I think. If you study N4, casual conversations gradually become possible. As a goal, starting from N4 and going to N3 is a good target, I think. There's no speaking section, right? There is no speaking test. So, basically, it's a paper test.
[22:31]When I met someone who had N1 before, I tried to interview them, but their Japanese wasn't that good. Especially pronunciation. I thought, "Huh? They have N1." I didn't know it was a paper test back then, so I was like, "Oh, that explains it." So if you study hard for the paper test, and prep a lot, you can pass. I thought that was kind of interesting. Thank you for watching. We're so glad that you decided to learn Japanese, because learning a language is one of the most beautiful things in the world, I think. And it opens new doors in your life. We appreciate that you decided to learn Japanese. And if you want to start your learning journey with the right material, check our course. We created it together, so yeah. So, I think that Japanese is one of the difficult languages in the world. But if you learn Japanese in a correct way, and also if you use the correct grammar, and also correct vocabulary, and in the correct situation, you can definitely speak Japanese in a short duration. So, if you take this course, step-by-step, I think at the end of this course, you will definitely have the confidence to speak Japanese even with the native speaker. And once you visit Japan, you can enjoy Japan trip more before you learning Japanese. Yeah, so he said, uh, we're so confident that you're going to be able to speak Japanese, basic Japanese in 15 days if you take this course. So, yeah, check the link in the description or query the core here. Good luck with your learning Japanese journey. Okay, so see you, see you next time.
