How to become fluent in Japanese efficiently
1) It is important that you make commitment to learning Japanese everyday.
It is better to study and review even for 20 minutes a day than doing nothing. Learning
regularly does avoid unnecessary review during upcoming lessons or classes, so you can
learn new materials on each lesson.
2) After reviewing what you’ve learned during last lesson, make a list of questions and ask
these questions to your teacher during your next lesson. Without proper review, it is hard
to know what you understand and what you don’t understand.
3) Enjoy learning Japanese! This is perhaps the most important step to becoming fluent in
second language. I personally feel there is no point learning Japanese, if you don’t enjoy
at the first place. Learning Japanese can be one of your hobbies rather than everyday
chores.
4) Try to make simple learning materials for yourself. I highly recommend making
flashcards for new words, which you can work on every day. You can also use a notebook
for grammar. Try not to write down explanations and answers on your book other than
highlighting key words and sentences. So you can actually use the book to assess how
much you’ve learned.
5) Find Japanese friends or language partner. I meet many Japanese people
(international students, working professionals) looking for language exchange partners.
You can practice your Japanese in exchange for teaching some English, and the best
part is free.
7) Listen to Japanese tape or CD whenever you can. If you drive to work, you can use
that time to improve your comprehension skill. Depending on your level, different kind of
Audio programs are offered. If you are beginners, I recommend you purchasing CD, which
includes English explanation.
8) Try to find a good tutor. She doesn’t have to be a college level instructor or professor,
but try to find someone, who knows what he/she is doing. Someone who has been
working as a tutor at least for over two years, and someone who is able to present and
create materials. Enrolling for classes in college is another option. I personally do not
recommend you to register for private language schools. Since these schools offer very
little compensation, qualified instructors do not work there in general. If you are taking
classes in after school program, college extension or in college, finding a conversational
partner will help you improve your conversational skills.
9) Live in Japan! Once you complete beginner and lower intermediate level courses and
master everything you have learned, living in Japan and immersing yourself will really take
you to the next level efficiently. But I understand many of you might not have the time or
$$ to do this..
10) Keep in mind that mastering a second language is a life long process. You can
certainly attain certain level of proficiency, if you study everyday for a certain period of
time (I will say in six months to a year), but you will always encounter new words and
expression. If you want to continue to advance your level, it is important to know that this
will be a life long procedure and you will get better every time you learn.
1) It is important that you make commitment to learning Japanese everyday.
It is better to study and review even for 20 minutes a day than doing nothing. Learning
regularly does avoid unnecessary review during upcoming lessons or classes, so you can
learn new materials on each lesson.
2) After reviewing what you’ve learned during last lesson, make a list of questions and ask
these questions to your teacher during your next lesson. Without proper review, it is hard
to know what you understand and what you don’t understand.
3) Enjoy learning Japanese! This is perhaps the most important step to becoming fluent in
second language. I personally feel there is no point learning Japanese, if you don’t enjoy
at the first place. Learning Japanese can be one of your hobbies rather than everyday
chores.
4) Try to make simple learning materials for yourself. I highly recommend making
flashcards for new words, which you can work on every day. You can also use a notebook
for grammar. Try not to write down explanations and answers on your book other than
highlighting key words and sentences. So you can actually use the book to assess how
much you’ve learned.
5) Find Japanese friends or language partner. I meet many Japanese people
(international students, working professionals) looking for language exchange partners.
You can practice your Japanese in exchange for teaching some English, and the best
part is free.
7) Listen to Japanese tape or CD whenever you can. If you drive to work, you can use
that time to improve your comprehension skill. Depending on your level, different kind of
Audio programs are offered. If you are beginners, I recommend you purchasing CD, which
includes English explanation.
8) Try to find a good tutor. She doesn’t have to be a college level instructor or professor,
but try to find someone, who knows what he/she is doing. Someone who has been
working as a tutor at least for over two years, and someone who is able to present and
create materials. Enrolling for classes in college is another option. I personally do not
recommend you to register for private language schools. Since these schools offer very
little compensation, qualified instructors do not work there in general. If you are taking
classes in after school program, college extension or in college, finding a conversational
partner will help you improve your conversational skills.
9) Live in Japan! Once you complete beginner and lower intermediate level courses and
master everything you have learned, living in Japan and immersing yourself will really take
you to the next level efficiently. But I understand many of you might not have the time or
$$ to do this..
10) Keep in mind that mastering a second language is a life long process. You can
certainly attain certain level of proficiency, if you study everyday for a certain period of
time (I will say in six months to a year), but you will always encounter new words and
expression. If you want to continue to advance your level, it is important to know that this
will be a life long procedure and you will get better every time you learn.
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How to become fluent in Japanese
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