Hey! 😄
Over the last 4 years, I've spent thousands of dollars, watched hundreds of hours of "How to Learn a New Language" videos, and tried dozens of apps. I've gained a respectable proficiency in Chinese, and now I'm tackling Japanese.
I'm learning from my previous experiences and would like your input in improving my plan.
Here's my plan for Japanese.
The Plan
- Get to reading as fast as possible
- Read as much as possible
- Practice speaking and/or writing (after 3 months of reading)
- Repeat 2 & 3 for 24-ish months
- Fluency??? (jk jk)
My Background
- 7 years of French in school – can only say basic phrases
- 4 years of Spanish in college + study abroad in Argentina – actually learned to speak but was the lowest level student on the trip
- After 11 years, I believed I was "talentless" at language learning
- Took on Chinese (max difficulty for English speakers) and built a system that actually worked for me after much trial and error
- Studied Chinese for 4 years
My Goals
- Read all of the Haruki Murakami works (my favorite author) in Japanese unassisted
- Watch anime without subtitles
These goals, I know, are a bit silly but I want to be able to do it.
Underlying Strategy: Use Comprehensible Input (CI) Theory + Reading While Listening (RWL)
CI Theory says:
– We acquire language by listening and reading A LOT
– Content should be (i+1) or slighltly outside of your compentency zone
– Our brains are pattern-recognizing machine
– Expose yourself enough, and your brain will decode and integrate it
Why Reading While Listening (RWL)?
There are a lot of studies that show for a second+ language RWL:
– Improves vocabulary acquisition, comprehension, and reading speed compared to reading only
– Cognitively easier and thus helps get more input compared to reading only
– Promotes more focus over reading or listening alone
– Comes in many flavors:
1. Reading and listening to a novel
2. Reading target language subtitles while watching TV shows/movies
3. Reading lyrics while listening to songs in your target language
My Approach to Japanese
- Month 1: Learn Hiragana and Katakana on Duolingo
- Gamified approach makes it fun
- Deleted after mastering the two to avoid getting Duo trapped
- Month 2 (current): "Learn" Japanese Grammar Rules
- Using "Japanese the Manga Way" – because manga makes grammar less boring in theory. So far it's been bit boring but super helpful.
- Months 2-24: Reading while listening using an app
- Active learning: I'm reading simple books for comprehension. I'm currently reading Aesop's Fables.
- Passive learning: I'm currently reading James Clavell's Shogun in English and Japanese because I loved the Hulu series. Admittedly I don't know 85-90% of the words yet but I read the English and listen to an AI voice read the Japanese transaltion and get the feeling of what's going on. The story is so good I'm flying through the content (~30,000 words in so far). Plus reading the Englishman's experience with Japanese as explorer just discovering Japan and then reading the same experience in Japanese is a surreal experience.
- From Month 6: Focus on Speaking and Writing
- AI tutors for low-stakes practice
- Language exchange partners on iTalki or Tandem
- Write diary entries
What I found works for me from learning with Chinese
- Find what I enjoy and integrate it into my learning
- Immerse myself in the language daily using RWL. RWL is how I learned Hanzi (Chinese characters), and is helping tremendously with matching the sounds to the Kanji I can recognize.
- Manage my energy – balance draining and energizing activities. So, after I read a few chapters of the grammar book I put on some anime. The book is boring but helpful and the anime is entertaining but not-so-helpful-yet (still using English subtitles). Cool thing is I immediately start recongizing the grammar patterns from the book!
- Don't fear not understanding – I just focus on learning a word or two per page. When I look at a page full of Kanji, Hiragana, and Katana it is a little overwhelming. But, I take a deep breath and focus on finding what patterns seem to be popping up.
Why (I Hope) This Works
- Books + RWL are the ultimate Spaced Repetition System (SRS)
- The more you read and listen, the more you're exposed to common words and patterns
- RWL provides multi-sensory input, reinforcing learning
- It's a marathon, not a sprint – so I drop any extra weight like Duo once I've gotten what I need from it.
Hardcore Learners May Have These Questions
- "What about Kanji? Isn't that super hard?"
- I'm tackling Kanji the same way I did Chinese characters – by reading them. AI voice reads characters aloud, and instant translations are available. Over time, I found I naturally acquired the characters.
- "Are you using James Heisig's Remembering the Kanji method?"
- While I respect Heisig's work, I found his method time-consuming. My goal is to start reading as quickly as possible. Modern tools make learning characters through exposure more efficient.
- "What about Anki or other SRS tools?"
- Books are the original SRS. The more you read, the more you're naturally exposed to common words. For me, this approach is more enjoyable and sustainable than dedicated SRS tools.
- "How do you handle grammar?"
- I'm using "Japanese the Manga Way" to learn grammar through manga excerpts. It makes the process less boring while still covering essential rules.
This is a plan tailored to me from my experiences in the pass. Some people are more extraverted and want to start talking right away. There's a lot of research that show the Output Hypothesis is powerful for a lot of people.
References – many many studies show RWL is dope.
Questions
Some questions I do have:
– Am I missing anything?
– Should I practice output sooner?
– I'd like to have a reading book club of sorts where I could practice recalling what occured in what I'm reading and Japanese and listen to what other people are reading. A community like this may help with consistency. Is there something like this out there?
What do you think?
Cheers,
Yong永
by YongDeKai