Monday, August 10, 2009

Current Progress Update

Here where I'm right now on my Japanese language journey:
- multiple choice tests on hiragana and katakana are close to perfect,
- reading is not so good, I keep messing some sounds,
- kanji - not even started.

Words with Kanji are not yet accessible for me, so I'm learning "Hiragana words" right now.

Only to follow my intent to present all my studies step by step, to show you what I'm doing, here is one of many fresh pages I write. As usual you can click on words below to hear me practicing stuff every Japanese kid knows in her/his first grade...ehhh. This is an extremely boring... you can hear it from my voice.



I look at the hiragana word, write it, read it (looking at romaji sometimes), and add it in english. I hope this way I pile words into my passive vocabulary, as well as to my passive "words reading & recognition" brain compartment. I'm absolutely not sure if this is the best approach. May be it's better to talk words first, and then, when they get settled, to "discover" how to write them. Anyway I feel I should practice both writing and reading words until my kana gets settled.

I will not be publishing more pages like one above since it's really tsumaranai. Find this word at the page above to translate it ^_^.

I get bored easily and so may you. Here is the hint: When you get tired of hiragana words, switch to "katakana" vocabulary. Since katakana words are just an English transcriptions, you may feel much more comfortable recognizing words you already know.

This is the way to avoid frustration, have fun and regain confidence. Just kidding.
Also, for my male readers: if you already forgot why you're here, imagine you'll be able to read the page like this. Excited? Heh...

Seriously, how do you learn Japanese words? Help!!! Please leave a comment below to share your know-how.

3 comments:

  1. Hi! Saw your post on twitter! ^_^

    mmm...personally speaking, whenever I try to learn a new Japanese word, aside from reading and writing it over and over I try to use it somehow. That really helps it stick for me, especially if I use the word in a way that's funny or clever for me. If that doesn't work I sometimes will use word association too.
    You have A LOT of words up there! Are you trying to take in all that info in one sitting? >_< On average your brain can only encode up to 7 different units of information so don't overload yourself or you might end up forgetting most of it. :(
    がんばってね!

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  2. Thanks Alice!
    Hm... I think I'll split - reading/writing and gaining words are two activities, not a one... And you're absolutely right, too many words would not stick into a head at once!

    Please buzz me if you go to September's First Friday in Philly. BTW - nice photos on your blog ^_^.

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  3. Yeah, trying to do to much at once never amounts to much. >_< As long as your persistent with your studies you'll see improvement though.

    Thanks for checking out my blog! I'll definitely let you know about September's First Friday.

    おべんきょうがんばってね!

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