1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Japanese Pratice

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Ty, Dec 3, 2007.

  1. Ty

    Ty Guest

    Okay i wanna start getting serious with my language learning as my life's pretty frantic at the moment, so I'm wondering (anyone who speaks any second languages), could lend some tips on how to practice? Especially with a symbol focused language like Japanese, but all tips are welcome!
     
  2. Steam Giant

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2007
    Messages:
    1,302
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA
    Kimi is a good person to ask about Japanese ^^ but um, there are a lot of programs out there that can help, most of them are specific for the language you're trying to learn. For example, when my brother was learning how to read japanese, he used a few trial versions of programs he downloaded, which started you off by showing you a few symbols next to what sound they represent, then it drills you on them, flashing up one after another, and you type in which is which. It adds more as you get better until it starts showing you whole words.

    Also, Slime Forest is a fun little game that is kinda sorta along the same lines. Again, that's specifically for japanese, but I'd imagine the method of teaching/practicing to learn the symbols is pretty universal for any language with a non-roman (is that the right term?) alphabet.
     
  3. Ty

    Ty Guest

    Thanks =] I downloaded the game, and it seems helpful - got stuck when it showed four symbols that look like IDENTICAL! so i gave up for now =p ill try again tommrow =]

    ツ シ ソ ン very annoying to remember which of them is which
     
  4. EthanS

    EthanS Guest

    Chinese is hard too :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
  5. InaRut

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2007
    Messages:
    0
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    Anyone else see smiley faces ?:dry:
     
  6. SkyTears

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2006
    Messages:
    193
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Renton, WA
    Haha when I was learning Japanese (don't remember anything anymore) I always made them into a picture that the word meant or something funny like the 4 looks like underwear to me:lol: . That helped me remember them when I was learning it.
     
  7. surfrboykai

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2007
    Messages:
    619
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Sunrise, FL
    i think my brother can get you a copy of rosetta stone. i'm gonna be learning japanese because i wanna join the JET program after i graduate. i wanna be an english lit teacher, so like, in order to get a better grasp on our grammar, i figure i'd help teach it to peoples whose language isn't a base for our own.
     
  8. kgmn

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2007
    Messages:
    46
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    MI
    ooh this is really exciting for me.

    There are plenty of websites out there to help with Japanese.

    http://www.japanesepod101.com/
    this has a bunch of podcasts to listen to native speakers as well as other useful items

    http://www.yookoso.com/index.php
    This has great help for kanji

    http://www.guidetojapanese.org/
    A quick guide to some grammar

    This one is one of my favorites. It helps you make many friends to help chat and even talk on skype with. Great for finding study buddies. (for any language!)
    www.italki.com

    http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html
    this one is an amazing resource with tons of japanese/kanji translators and such.

    In addition there are many applications for facebook and igoogle to help you with everyday Japanese.

    I have quite a few more resources if you want. just message me or ask here.
    I love language learning. esp. Japanese! I have studied Japanese for 4 years, and I am a beginner this year with polish and Chinese in classes. languages are so fun.

    Oh , and about those characters. you have to visualize how they are drawn.
    Tsu ( "tsu" eyes looking down. - two eyes looking down)
    , Shi ( "shi" looks from left to right. - She looks from left to right.
    for the next two , So, N, it is hard to tell on the computer, but 'So' has a more rounded and vertical structure, while 'N' is more of like a rigid check mark. Those just come with time.

    Oh, and I ALSO want to be in the Jet programme after college. It sounds like such an adventure!
     
  9. neverover

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2007
    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    jakarta, indonesia
    konnichiwa!
    watashiwa rama desu. cisauk no dai ichi go nu kokuritsun koto gakko no gakusei desu. tangerang in umaremasta. dozo yuroshiku!:slight_smile:
     
  10. Ty

    Ty Guest

    That would be helpful =]

    And thanks kgmn! ive bookmarked all those sites =]
     
  11. surfrboykai

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2007
    Messages:
    619
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Sunrise, FL
    are you also becoming a teacher? it does sound like an adventure brah. like i said, i'm doin it so i can get better at our own grammatical structure. like, i speak and write american, and pidgin as well. and i know that if i teach proper grammar to people, especially when their language isn't a base of english, i'll improve greatly.
     
  12. sdc91

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2007
    Messages:
    1,402
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    The Castro, San Francisco, California
    Hey Ty, since you have a Mac, you should try downloading the Genius program. It's basically a flashcard program, and you can download various lists of stuff in .genius files off the internet.
     
  13. Psychedelic Bookmarks

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2007
    Messages:
    1,481
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    UK
  14. Level N Human

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2007
    Messages:
    486
    Likes Received:
    0
    I took Japanese for three years and I can barely understand a lick of it.

    (No I didn't fail)