If you want to start learning Japanese from the scratch, then what all things that should be kept in mind? Here are the important points I'm going to tell you before you get into it.
Let’s assume that you want to learn Japanese. Maybe you like the culture, the games or animation, or simply want to visit the country, or you think that knowing an exotic language will give you some competitive advantage on the job market (spoiler alert: it will.)
The problem is that you have zero knowledge of the language and no idea where to start.
I’ve been there, and I know how you feel. I mean, let’s be honest: Japanese is not the most accessible language out there. But with a bit of organization and research, you can master it.
#1: Firstly, learn the Japanese writing system.
If you are getting into this language know that there are three different types of scripts that you will be learning. Out of the three scripts which are - Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji ( Chinese script); master the first two because they are the basics and will help in basic reading. Hiragana and Katakana have a fixed number of alphabets - 46, whereas Kanjis can go up to 40-50 thousand! To be on par with a native speaker one should know about 10,000 kanjis.
#2: Build up your skills - Listening, Reading & Speaking
The purpose of learning a foreign language is to communicate with others so, you can start with Listening - Speaking skill. Start with word or phrase and with them try to make short sentences or make conversations
Even you can’t understand the meaning 100%, don’t worry. Follow the step “Listen-Repeat-Speaking out”. Gather a group of friends that have a similar interest in learning the language thus it can help you increase your vocabulary, improve pronunciation close native speakers.
To build up these skills, you need Grammar, Kanji, and Vocabulary (I also recommend some books below). Besides, you can read manga, light novels, or anything you interested in Japanese to motivate yourself.
Writing skills, you can write simple sentences right after learning grammar and check it on HiNative.
Recommend textbook:
Genki series: This textbook focus on daily dialogues, vocabularies, and grammar, included an English translation
Minna no Nihongo series: Compared with Genki, it’s more academic, intense, in-depth grammar explanations. You need a separate "translation book" in English to study properly
***These textbooks were designed for classrooms. It’s better if you learn it with instructors. If you're a self-learners, the material may need to be modified for your situation.
#3: Create your own learning environment:
Not everyone has the opportunity to learn Japanese in Japan so you can create your own learning environment by making your own groups so that it is easier to learn with groups than doing it alone, follow your favorite Japan channels, get yourself, Japanese speaking acquaintances through apps.
Recommended apps:
Duolingo - Duolingo is no doubt one of the most well-rounded mobile apps for language that you can download. Offering great support for a good number of languages, it is easy to expand your linguistic prowess with this free app.
Hello Talk - It Learns language by chatting with native speakers around the world. The app has Translation, Transliteration, Voice-to-Text, and Text-to-Voice features.
Babbel - It comes with free and paid versions. There are about 40 classes in the free version, which is likely more than sufficient for a casual learner.
#4 Finally, challenge yourself and get the reward with a Japanese language-related Test:
The most popular Japanese Test for foreigners is the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). This test requires your Reading and Listening Skill. Besides, you can try the BJT (Business Japanese Proficiency Test ) to test your Listening and Speaking Skills in case you want to work in Japan.
Japanese is not an easy language but like they said "Hard work, pays off. Just do your best and leave the rest!"
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