Japanese self-study from zero to fluency: Interviewing the hysterical Ananya!

Summary

In this engaging interview, Logan is joined by Ananya, a prominent figure in the Japanese learning community. Born in India and raised in the U.S., Ananya shares her journey of learning Japanese through various online resources and her passion for anime and manga. She discusses her current role in marketing at Amazon with a focus on Japan and her content creation on platforms like Twitter and TikTok. The conversation delves into Ananya's artistic background, her unique approach to comedic content in Japanese, and her thoughts on Japan's business landscape and potential for digital transformation. Ananya also emphasizes the importance of immersion and repetition in language learning and hints at her future aspirations to bridge business opportunities between Japan and the U.S.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ananya is a prominent figure in the Japanese learning community and has a passion for creating content, particularly on platforms like Twitter and TikTok.
• 🌟 Ananya's journey with Japanese started at a young age with an interest in anime and manga, which led her to self-study using various online resources.
• 🎓 Despite studying business at UC Berkeley, Ananya's focus remained on utilizing her Japanese skills and she now works in marketing at Amazon with a Japan focus.
• 🎨 Ananya has a background in art, having drawn comics and created a manga in high school, but has since shifted her focus to content creation.
• 😂 Her comedic content on social media was initially a way to become more extroverted and has since gained her significant attention and success.
• 📚 Ananya's self-study of Japanese included using resources like JapanesePod101, Human Japanese, Tofugu, and Tay Kim's guide, emphasizing the importance of immersion.
• 🗣️ Language exchange and practice were key components of her learning process, utilizing platforms like Lang-8 and engaging in conversation with a language partner.
• 🔄 Ananya speaks Telugu, a South Indian language, and finds similarities in grammar structure with Japanese, which may have facilitated her learning process.
• 💡 She has a keen interest in Japan's business landscape and hopes to bridge the gap between Japan and the US in her future business endeavors.
• 🚀 Ananya is inspired by educational content creators and aims to provide value through her social media presence, focusing on Japanese language tips and skits.
• 🌐 She encourages Japanese learners not to be discouraged and to immerse themselves in the language through repetition and active use.

Q & A

Who are the hosts of the video?

The hosts of the video are Logan and Ananya.

What is Ananya's background in terms of language and origin?

Ananya is of Indian origin, born in India, and moved to the United States at six months old. She has been studying Japanese for about eight years and is fluent in it, although she mentions her Japanese proficiency has surpassed her Telugu, her native Indian language.

What was Ananya's initial interest in Japan?

Ananya's initial interest in Japan was sparked by anime and manga when she was around 12 or 13 years old, which led to her desire to learn the Japanese language.

What resources did Ananya use to learn Japanese?

Ananya used resources such as JapanesePod101, Human Japanese, Tofugu, Tay Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese, Lang-8, and immersion through platforms like Nico Nico Namahoso.

What is Ananya's educational background and current occupation?

Ananya graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in business and is currently working at Amazon in marketing, with a focus on the Japan side.

How did Ananya transition into content creation?

Ananya started content creation during the summer between work and school, initially on Twitter, and then moved to TikTok, where one of her videos on a bilingual air hostess trend in Japanese got over 200,000 views.

What is Ananya's perspective on the importance of immersion in learning Japanese?

Ananya believes that immersion is crucial for learning Japanese, emphasizing the importance of repeated exposure to native input and the use of resources like TV shows and dramas for language acquisition.

What are some of the challenges Ananya sees in the Japanese business environment?

Ananya identifies issues such as the preference of young people for large companies over startups, the lack of venture capital for startups, and cultural aspects like long working hours and the underrepresentation of women in the business field.

What are Ananya's future aspirations related to Japan and the US?

Ananya aspires to create a business or establish a forum that connects Japan and the US, although she is still exploring what form this might take.

What advice does Ananya give to those learning Japanese?

Ananya advises learners to stay focused, take it day by day, and use resources like flashcards with SRS (Spaced Repetition System), as well as to immerse themselves in Japanese media and practice speaking with native speakers.

How does Ananya maintain and improve her Japanese skills currently?

Ananya maintains her Japanese skills by speaking with Japanese people frequently, using websites like gishow.org for reference, utilizing dictionary apps, and shadowing Japanese TV shows to practice speaking.