Embarking on the journey of learning Japanese is just like setting sail on a vast ocean of culture. Us members of JaPalese understand the thrills and challenges this adventure presents. As each one of us members taught Japanese to others before, we know the common pitfalls many learners face. And we're here to guide you through the initial steps of your Japanese learning journey.
Before we start out, please feel free to visit japalese.com to find what we can offer! We are a non-profit organization who cater free Japanese tutoring lessons for English students!
Without a further due,, we will provide you with some practical steps that will help you to open your gateway to mastering this beautiful language.
#1 Start with the Writing Systems (Hiragana, Katakana & Kanji):
Your first step in learning Japanese should be familiarizing yourself with its unique writing systems mainly Hiragana&Katakana. Each Hiragana&Katakana have 46 words each. In the chart below Green is Hiragana and Blue is Katakana.
To be honest, these characters are all you technically need to be able to write down any words in the Japanese language because Kanji is can be written in Hiragana too.
So at the very start, I reccomend you to solely focus on those two.
Common mistake I notice when English speakers learn Japanese is that they often over depend on Roma-ji (Black alphabet in the chart). Although it is ok to depend on it at first, developing the skill to fully embrace Hiragana & Katakana instead of Romaji is a key for faster development.
As for Kanji, it may seem to involve complicated characters (eg 月-moon, 日-sun, 火-fire), but it will get easier to learn if you have good Hiragana & Katakana foundation since they are more just like a piece of drawing that describes words.
Below is an example of all 3 variations (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji) in one following sentence.
わたしはテニスが好きです。
わたしは(hiragana)テニス(Katakana) が(Hiragana)好(Kanji)きです(Hiragana).
Romaji: Watashi wa Tenisu ga sukidesu.
Translation: I like Tennis 🎾
#2 - Build a Strong Vocabulary Foundation:
Personally, I see this as the crucial part of your learning journey. At the same time, it is the most fun part of learning Japanese especially if you are someone already interested in Japanese culture.
I believe in this because there are so many ways of learning knew Japanese vocabs while taking advantage of our fun Japanese culture. Rather than solely using textbooks and Dualingo, it will be more fun (and efficeint) if you sometimes utilize Japanese entertainments like Anime Manga, and J pop.
You can turn on Japanese subtitles for your favorite Anime/music and find manga written in Japanese ver. While you do so, try to notice if there are any familiar words or search up words that you are curious to know more about. Then, try to interpret its nuances and the context of the word and tie it back to the scenario of the show to reinforce your memory.
Again, start simple. Focus on the most common words and phrases to begin building your vocabulary. And since consistence is the key, it will be beneficial if you utilize what you already love to maintain your eagerness to learn.
#3 - Grasp the grammar difference between Japanese and English:
Unlike English, which typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, Japanese sentences are often structured as Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). This means that the verb typically comes at the end of the sentence. For instance, the English sentence “I eat Pizza” would translate to “わたしは (I) ピザ (Pizza) を食べます (Eat)” (Watashi wa Piza o tabemasu).
Understanding this structure is fundamental to both understanding and speaking Japanese effectively. I know it feels confusing initially ( it was for me when I started learning English!), but with practice, this pattern will become more natural. I recommend you to start by constructing simple sentences, gradually increasing complexity as you become more comfortable with the structure.
#4 Listening
For listening, the process might be quite similar to vocab memorization. You should take advantage of Japanese Anime and TV shows if you like them. While you watch and listen, make sure to build the habit of Active Listening, which is paying attention to each pronunciation, tone and the sound to comprehend the context of the conversation.
As for listening, it may be that Anime or any other shows are too difficult or fast to execute this active listening. Then you can also start out from Japanese podcast on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Music that is made for beginners.
#5 Speaking
Speak by speaking. Sounds so simple but learners often neglect this. When I was teaching my roommate back in my high school, he had focused too much on memorizing the vocab and grammer and neglecting the speaking part. By developing good vocabuarary, and grammer, you may feel like you know Japanese, but speaking is completely different.
Learners have to put themselves out of their comfort zone to speak in an unfamiliar language again and again to finally be able to speak clearly.
The best way to accomplish this is to find some native speakers around you who can constantly listen to your speaking and correct you when you make mistakes.
And if you do not have anyone around you, using JaPalese will be a great way to achieve this goal. My team and I will listen and correct your speaking not like a teacher, but rather as a close friend.
You got this!
Finally, anything is possible with the power of consistency. Whether it’s speaking, writing, or listening, make sure to use the language as much as possible. Don’t worry about making mistakes; they are part of the learning process. And if you need any kind of support, remember JaPalese is here for you.
At JaPalese, we're more than just an online platform; we're a community of friends and mentors, passionate about guiding you through each step of your learning process. We will help you anything from clarifying complex grammar points to practicing conversation skills, we offer tailored lessons that cater to your unique learning style and goals.
We are also a non-profit platform meaning our lessons will be free! We just want to help you guys! And you can find this at japalese.com