From Beginner to JLPT N1 in 2 Years – Here’s How I Did It! #jlpt #learnjapanese #learnjapanesefast

Summary

This video script details a language learner's journey with the Genki series for Japanese, emphasizing its cultural insights and English explanations. It highlights the challenge of learning kanji through Heisig's method, which involves creating mnemonic stories. The speaker also recommends using manga for learning kanji readings and improving listening skills. They share their personal experience of passing the JLPT N1 by immersing in anime, music, and practicing speaking through journaling and self-talk, attributing their success to genuine interest and enjoyment of the learning process.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Genki series is highly recommended for learning Japanese, offering textbooks, workbooks, and audio companions with English explanations and cultural notes.
• 📖 The Genki series helps with grammar, vocabulary, and understanding of politeness levels but lacks a structured approach to learning kanji.
• 📝 'Remembering the Kanji' by James Heisig is a popular method for learning kanji through radicals and mnemonics, which is useful for quick learning but doesn't teach readings.
• 🎨 Manga is an effective tool for learning kanji readings as it provides furigana, aiding in understanding how kanji are pronounced in context.
• 👂 Listening to Japanese, such as through anime and music, can improve language acquisition and is a fun way to immerse oneself in the language.
• 🗣️ Practicing speaking and output is crucial for expressing thoughts clearly in Japanese, and even talking to oneself can be a beneficial practice method.
• 📝 Journaling in Japanese is a recommended way to practice writing and expressing oneself in the language.
• 📚 For JLPT preparation, the speaker used 'Naruto' manga for reading practice and achieved high scores on the test without traditional study materials.
• 🏆 The speaker emphasizes the importance of enjoying the learning process rather than competition or record-breaking as the key to successful language acquisition.
• 🗣️ The speaker encourages sharing language learning experiences and seeking conversation about any aspect of learning Japanese.
• 👍 The video ends with a call to like and subscribe for more content, highlighting the speaker's engagement with the audience.

Q & A

What series is highly recommended for learning Japanese and why?

The Genki series is highly recommended because it has great English explanations of Japanese, includes audio companions, and provides cultural notes and politeness descriptions.

What is the main drawback of the Genki textbooks according to the speaker?

The main drawback of the Genki textbooks is that they don't present a good way of learning kanji.

What book does the speaker recommend for learning kanji and why?

The speaker recommends James Heisig's book 'Remembering the Kanji' because it teaches kanji through radicals and mnemonic stories, making it easier and quicker to learn kanji.

What is the primary method Japanese students use to learn kanji in school?

Japanese students in school use rote memory, writing kanji characters repeatedly and doing exercises over the course of 12 years to learn the common use kanji.

How did manga help the speaker in learning kanji readings?

Manga helped the speaker learn kanji readings because they often include furigana, which indicates how the kanji are read using hiragana or katakana, allowing the speaker to associate the meanings they learned from Heisig's book with the readings.

How did learning kanji readings through manga affect the speaker's listening skills in Japanese?

Learning kanji readings through manga improved the speaker's listening skills by allowing them to guess the meaning of words in context during conversations and then verifying their guesses with a dictionary.

What other methods did the speaker use to improve their Japanese listening skills?

The speaker improved their listening skills by watching anime, listening to Japanese music, and watching instructional YouTube videos about Japanese.

How did the speaker practice speaking Japanese despite being a shy perfectionist?

The speaker practiced speaking Japanese by talking to themselves in their room, describing their environment, plans, and feelings in Japanese, and also by journaling in Japanese.

What was the speaker's experience with the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)?

The speaker only learned about the JLPT several months before needing to take it and prepared by reading the most recent volumes of Naruto instead of traditional study materials. They scored well on the test, achieving a 60 out of 60 on the reading comprehension portion.

What motivated the speaker to learn Japanese and pass the JLPT?

The speaker was motivated by their love and interest in the Japanese language and culture, rather than competition or breaking records. This passion drove them to enjoy the learning process and continuously improve.