Learning Japanese the Right Way

After reading about Irina’s experiences of not learning Japanese, some people wonder how I learned Japanese correctly. While I can relate to a few experiences. Things such as picking up word immersion and some I can agree with, such as a language learning partner.

However, I disagree with some methods. Yep, it’s Duolingo, as it’s very ineffective for a complex language like Japanese. Moreover, she didn’t focus too much on knowing the Kana, which is essential.

Believe it or not, I started self-studying Japanese in college in 2012. Although I slacked off for a few years thanks to my mistake of not focusing on Kanji or the Japanese version of Chinese Characters, I fixed that. So, while I went in-depth on my experiences of studying Japanese, this guide is more of a general starting point for those who are serious about learning it.

Note: I orginally wrote this editorial back in 2022. Since then, I kept it as a draft, until now adding some additional things to the post from my recent experiences.

Why Learn Japanese?

While Japanese is a difficult language, you might be interested in its culture if you are a big fan of anime and other Japanese media. By learning Japanese, you will get to appreciate Japanese culture since you will become able to learn more about it through their language. One of the ways to do so is by learning the language.

Here are other reasons why people learn Japanese:

• Business/Job Opportunities
• Read/Listen/Experience Japanese Media that are untranslated or in their original language.
• Interact with other people in Japan or with other Japanese speakers.
• The desire to learn and master the 2^nd language or pass the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)
• Learning the family’s native tongue
• For fun or as a hobby

Why shouldn’t you use Duolingo?

While Duolingo is free, it’s probably the worst way to learn Japanese as it doesn’t really teach you the grammar points. Japanese is more than just piecing sentences together as it’s a structured language that follows a subject/object/verb structure, different from Western languages like English. So, you won’t learn important things like Kanji, honorifics, verb conjugations, and grammar notes.

Moreover, Duolingo marks answers wrong even if the sentence is written correctly. Also, the TTS used in the course teaches you incorrect pitch accents. While some words use the same Kana, they have different pitch accents.

Of course, you can see how bad Duolingo is for learning Japanese as Yuuta tried it out. Yes, it’s that bad, just like Rosetta Stone. Duolingo would probably work better for Western languages like French and Spanish than Japanese. I go into detail about why using Duolingo is the worst way to learn Japanese in my new Japanese study blog.

To make matters worse, what you are learning might not be accurate as Duolingo ditched their translators for AI, which is unproven technology.

Where should I begin?

Learn Hiragana and Katakana First

People think they can get by with Romaji, but Japanese people don’t use that. Therefore, you should avoid learning materials that only use Romaji as you aren’t learning real Japanese.

First, you must learn all the Kana, the basic building blocks of reading Japanese. Kana is like the Japanese alphabet, and each one matches a syllable. There are two types of Kana which are Hiragana (平仮名・ひらがな), which are the simple characters that are used for most Japanese words.  Katakana (片仮名・カタカナ) is more fragmentary compared to Hiragana and is typically used for foreign loan words such as hamburger (ハンバーガー). Kana is very easy to learn, and you can master them in a few hours through mnemonics.

If you know all 48 Hiragana and Katakana, you can read pretty much anything in Japanese, as long there is Furiganaor a phonetic guide that appears on top of Kanji.

Here Comes the Hard Part, Kanji.

The next thing you need to learn is Kanji, which is the Japanese version of Chinese characters. While they look intimidating, you will get used to them. As you discover, a character is made of parts of other characters. They are considered radicals, which not only help you remember them but also look them up. For instance, the Kanji for like (好) is made up of the characters woman (女) and child (子).

Each character of Kanji has two types of reading: the onyomi (音読み), which is the Chinese reading and kunyomi (訓読み), the Japanese reading. Since characters have multiple readings, it can become intimidating to memorize them. Also, don’t use textbooks as there is an easier way to learn them.

WaniKani is a web application that allows learners to learn all 2000 characters through mnemonics while using vocabulary to reinforce one’s knowledge of the Kanji they just learned. Every radical, Kanji and vocabulary has mnemonics, meaning you don’t have to develop your own. However, you could make your own if the ones provided don’t work. Also, you need to type the answers, effectively reinforcing your knowledge. That is how I managed to learn 800 kanji so far in a little over 8 months.

WaniKani uses a Spaced Repetition System to space out reviews for each item with some gamification aspects. You first learn the radicals that build up a character. Once you answer them correctly 5 times, you unlock Kanji. Once you correct them 5 times, it will unlock vocabulary using Kanji. You must get 30 kanji correct 5 times to progress to the next level.

While WaniKani is a paid service with a lifetime option, as they only provide the first few levels for free, I think it’s worth it. They also have a dedicated community that consists of other people learning Japanese. Either way, WaniKani allowed me to break through the part of Japanese I was having trouble with.

Grammar

Japanese Grammar can look taunting with its different structure from Western languages like English, but it doesn’t have to be. I used the Genki I and Genki II textbooks as they give good grammar point explanations, reading passages, exercises, and vocabulary. If you are using WaniKani, you can simply skip the Kanji section.

Also, you should be aware that the Japanese used in textbooks is different from native Japanese media. Textbooks use examples and passages to illustrate the grammar points so the learners can understand the rules. After all, language is not math. People break grammar rules all the time, like with English. However, you should learn the fundamentals first, which you learn from textbooks.

While I did the workbooks and wrote my own sentences for each grammar point, you don’t really need the workbooks. Instead, someone made an online resource that allows you to do the lesson exercises electronically, including flash cards for Anki, an SRS flashcard program.

Once you finish Genki, you can learn intermediate Japanese Grammar from Quartet I & II or Tobira. After you finish either of those, you can read and understand most Japanese media that doesn’t require advanced Japanese Grammar. This includes shoujo, shounen, and some seinen manga. For advanced Grammar, Quartet II covers some of it (some N1 stuff), JLPT study guides or the Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.

BunPro is another option to learn Grammar. It works similarly to WaniKani as it explains every grammar point and uses an SRS system to reinforce what you learned. You can also use this in addition to using a textbook.I have personally used this and it works okay in memorizing various grammar points, besides writing sentences.

Immersion

Besides using textbooks to learn Grammar, you need to use the language to reinforce what you have learned. This is where the fun part is: immersing yourself in Japanese media. You should probably start off with something easy if you are just starting. I advise most people to start immersion after they finish Genki II or the beginner Japanese textbook of choice. This aspect gets easier once one finishes lower intermediate Japanese textbooks.

Beware that you must get familiar with looking up Kanji through radicals. Most free JMDict-based dictionaries like Imiwa and Jisho will have this feature. Also, it’s helpful to have a paid dictionary for better examples and definitions, such as the Dictionaries app on iOS and Macs. I suggest the Wisdom English/Japanese-Japanese/English dictionary or Kenkyuusha’s New Japanese-English dictionary.

Learning Natively is a helpful resource for finding manga and light novels that fit your level of Japanese. Also, you should aim for Shounen or Shoujo manga with Furigana, a reading aid. However, you shouldn’t use it as a clutch once you know at least 1000+, as most media doesn’t have them.

Once you find what titles to read, you can buy most Japanese manga from Bookwalker. Bookwalker is the most accessible, as you can create an account at Bookwalker Global. Afterward, you can use the same account to buy titles. They also have titles that are free to read periodically for a limited time.

Also, video games are another excellent option as you can usually replay the voice through the message log. However, do not skip the dialog, as you are defeating the purpose.

I highly suggest playing Pokémon, as these games have a built-in Japanese language option without importing a Japanese version. On the other hand, Pokémon Legends Arceus might be better since it has Furigana for most text. Either way, you can understand most of the dialog at a beginner level.

Also, some games on Steam, like Japanese RPGs and visual novels, may have a Japanese language option. There is also importing a Japanese version since all current consoles are region-free, but it can get expensive.

Also, there is anime, as voice actors tend to say things clearly. However, you must be aware that characters may use incorrect Japanese words that are considered rude, and be mindful of gender speech. Therefore, it’s only applicable if there are Japanese subtitles.

You can go to that site named after a cat noise to Sail the Seven Seas and download an episode. If you own anime Blu-rays or DVDs, you can rip the episodes. Afterward, download the subtitles available on Kitsunekko or this GitHub Repo. However, setting up Japanese subtitles and a clipboard script in mpv/IINA can be tricky except for the computer-savvy. Moreover, you may need to retime subtitles. However, there is an easier way.

Netflix provides Japanese subtitles for some of its anime titles. You can use this to your advantage. For example, pause the video to look up words you don’t know or play back a scene for listening comprehension practice.

If you are starting out, avoid action, science fiction, and fantasy anime, as these shows might use archaic words. Instead, watch romance, comedy, or slice-of-life shows as they use Japanese closer to what Japanese people use in real life. In other words, go ahead and watch or read your favorite CGDCT anime or manga.

Lastly, there are online resources. For example, NHK Web Easy provides Japanese news with Furigana. YouTube is another option to seek out videos and podcasts made by Japanese people, including ones suited for people learning Japanese.

In addition, if you need more listening practice, text-to-speech programs more focused on Japanese will work better than cloud services. TTS allows you to practice listening comprehension by using written text (e.g., news articles in Japanese) to improve your listening comprehension. Some examples of TTS programs to consider are AI Voice, Cevio AI (Talk), and Voicepeak. A comparison of them is here.

Flash Cards

SRS Flashcard programs are an effective tool for learning new vocabulary. Programs like Anki, Kitsun, and KaniManabu use the SRS or Spaced Reputation System, which spaces out when you study a card until you know it. This is usually getting a card correct 6 times. However, if you get it wrong or forget the item, it will start the process over or reduce the duration of the next review.

No matter what flashcard program you use, you must keep adding new vocabulary cards to the deck and review them daily. That way, the words stick in your mind. This also applies to WaniKani. I suggest putting words you discover in a spreadsheet, including the word, the reading (in Kana), primary English meanings, additional meanings, and any notes. Then, you can convert it to a CSV file and import it to an existing deck with the flashcard app of your choice.

Final Thoughts

Compared to when I started, there are a lot of resources to get started that it can get overwhelming. The crucial point for prospective learners is to know the basics. That means the Kana before learning Kanji and basic Japanese Grammar. Also, this means using the right resources to learn Grammar through textbooks or BunPro, not through Duolingo, as it doesn’t teach you correct Japanese.

Also, you don’t have to read the passages. You can simply read the grammar points, do the exercises, and practice them using native materials. This means that you will need to look up a lot of Kanji and words you don’t know.

Lastly, learning Japanese is a long game and a time commitment and it may not be for everyone. First, you must keep up with your reviews and lessons while using the language. While you may struggle to read or understand Japanese media, as time goes on, you will find it easier to read Japanese text and understand what is being said. You need to read, watch, and/or read native Japanese materials as much as possible to improve. That is, once you learn the basics from textbooks.

Hopefully, all the tips I shared are helpful for prospective Japanese language learners, including Irina, who shared her own experiences. . Hopefully, it will point her in the right direction. Remember, people learn differently, so try out resources that work for you If you have any experiences learning Japanese or resources I didn’t mention, please share them in the comments. Also, feel free to share what tools, books, and resources you use to learn Japanese.

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