I want to learn Japanese to travel to Japan every few years (my best friend lives in Japan) and understand Japanese media (not full comprehension, just enough to get the gist of a song or show and the satisfaction of recognizing words lol), but I have a hard time staying committed. I hear that if you don’t fully commit to it you’re wasting your time and will forget everything. So would it be worthwhile if I do Genki 1 & 2 and then casually maintain my basic knowledge ?
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You probably won’t learn to enjoy consuming Japanese media unless you’re committed to a lot of self driven immersion for at least a year.
The goal of being able to talk basically to natives and your friend is definitely achievable but will also require work.
It’s really up to you to decide what is and what isn’t a waste of YOUR time imo
I can’t speak for everyone else but I didn’t do genki 1 or 2 and hardly did japanese from zero and I can say that I did just fine the amount of time that I’ve been studying for but I’d recommend those textbooks for atleast some type of foundation
Everyone who’s gone to higher levels has done basic Japanese. As it forms the base for all growth – no, it’s an investment.
To more fully enjoy Japanese media (what do you mean by that?), an upper-intermediate/N3 level (the Quartet 1 textbook) might be more beneficial.
Either way, both these will require commitment, however.
Do what makes you happy. Some people have a pretty extremist black/white view of language learning. You either “learn the language” or you don’t, and “learning the language” means making it a focal point of your life and something you spend multiple hours a day on for years until you reach native level fluency.
I think that’s bullshit. I think as long as your realistic about your expected outcomes and pace of learning, there’s nothing wrong with being casual about language learning. There’s nothing wrong with going slow devoting less time with it. There’s nothing wrong with being satisfied with your level and deciding you don’t want to study anymore.
If you get through Genki I and II and the decide that you’re satisfied with that level and don’t want to keep studying then *that is fine.* You seem pretty realistic about the level you’ll be at (not fluent, but you can have a simple conversation and get the gist of simple shows, be able to recognize words and phrases in more complex shows), so I say have at it
Just got back from a long trip to Japan and I can say that being able to understand or speak even a little Japanese will go a really long way to making your trip that much more enjoyable! The feeling of being being understood by the people that you meet on your travels, it’s like magic!
well my take on learning a language is either you need it or like it.
If you need it (job, living in japan or living with japanese speaking people) we don’t really need to dive deeper. Just learn it, use it, improve it and repeat it over and over.
If you like it but don’t need it then do it however you want to. If you are fine with a few catchphrases, some basic sentences and words that’s fine.
If you want to consume JP media, etc. then you have to do way more than basics but even then who is forcing you to do it in 1/2/3 years instead of 15/7 or even 10? You are your own captain. Just don’t expect maximum results when you simply do the minimum effort.
I think doing Genki 1&2 is fine. You don’t really need a textbook but it helps getting a structured plan.
The hardest part of reading is the knowledge of kanji (at least for me). Listening is kinda so-so as long as you know the words. Speaking can be difficult if you aren’t used to the language (well figures….)
I don’t think it is.
I’m a caregiver to a young autistic, developmentally delayed girl and her current “special interest” is this Japanese children’s show, she absolutely LOVES it. She’s on the moderate end of the autism spectrum and has started to picked up on several words after watching it and will repeat them throughout the day. I’ve been practicing basic Japanese so I can better understand what she’s trying to say (so I can see if she needs something or if it’s just her usual repetitive phrases) and help her better understand the show. At first, I felt like it’s a waste of time because she won’t be into this show forever but it’s been worth it, it’s actually pretty fun to learn something new. ☺️
‘Takashii from Japan’ literally just uploaded a video on this:
https://youtu.be/tnZb5eRb3vA
I’d say you could start by implementing a bit of Japanese into your day one step at a time and see if you like it.
For example, you could start by seeing if you like any show which is Japanese and watch them with English subs. You won’t be learning at a fast rate but you could naturally just absorb more Japanese, and maybe you’ll like it enough in the future to stay committed.
>understand Japanese media (not full comprehension, just enough to get the gist of a song or show and the satisfaction of recognizing words lol)
Sorry to rain on your parade, but you’re gonna need more than just basic Japanese for that.
OP, whether or not something is a waste of time is up to you to decide. Some people want to devote all their free time to studying Japanese, while others want to more casually learn the language while pursuing other interests in life. Do what you find worthwhile.
If you have fun doing it, is it ever a waste of time? Something being a waste of time is only relative to something else you’re comparing it to that you could have been doing. It’s all about priorities in life. And learning Japanese can be a casual one, at least it is for me.
If I actually took the JLPT, I would guess I’d be somewhere between N4 and N3, although taking the iTalki test (which includes speaking) says I’m B1. I haven’t finished Genki 2, it’s fracking boring, and so is reading, in any language, for me anyway. Lol. And I’ve been ‘learning,’ or rather, just maintaining for many many many years. Probably longer than you’ve been alive. Haha. But in recent years I’ve been focusing on natural output and conversation and actually speaking with natives, learning natural ways to say things and getting corrected in real life as I use the language, and I can do what you want to do, just it probably took me longer to get here than others who straight up nose to the grindstone textbook and flashcard study study study. I can’t do that, I’m not a studious type, plus adulting gets in the way even if I could. But I’ve also maintained other hobbies and life activities in the process.
Was it a waste of time for me not fully committing to the language like others here? Not *for me*. Emphasis on the ‘for me’ part. Don’t let others decide what is a waste of time *for you* or not.
Honestly, Genki 1 + 2 is just scraping it. If you want to actually be able to understand most stuff, you need to work your way up to N3 or preferably higher.
No, but asking dumb questions in the wrong thread, is.
Honestly, I think that wanting to speak better in Japan is awesome. If you’re going to go visit there a few times a year then I think you’ll really feel the benefit and it’ll really feel a lot more worth it. The point that I’ve come to is that I am looking at hitting certain goals as far as my level goes by the time I get to certain trips to japan. For instance I’m going to be going to Japan in a year and that gives me the opportunity to shoot for an n4. I don’t think that n5 and infor certifications are worth it, but I do think measuring your skill levels to be at n5 or n4 can be useful for motivation…
Personally, I think that if you set a goal of say something like an n2 or N1 then that is essentially setting a huge bar. I think if you go one n-level at a time and set yourself time goals then you’ll really be able to feel like you’re achieving your goal. Also, maybe this is a bad way to look at things, but because learning Japanese is something I recognize is going to essentially be an ongoing thing that is present in my life, I’m not so much thinking of it in terms of an end goal. My goal is just to get better and to find a balance between how much work I’m willing to put into it and where that will take me. At least for the moment, that is what I’m looking at. I think once I get better at Japanese and start to look for jobs involving the language I might take end goals a bit more seriously. LOL
That said, once I switched to this sort of way of thinking it made studying a little less complicated. My focus became more about establishing and maintaining a daily routine that involves Japanese language. Every time I hear Japanese and understand more it feels like a little win.
This might just be how my messed up brain works though. I have ADHD and depression so it’s a little bit challenging for me. Setting small goals helps me immensely with some of the ADHD symptoms and the depression so…
Definitely not a waste if it’s an enjoyable way to spend your time. But you gotta crawl before you can walk friend, and the time spent crawling is up to you.
As most Japanese don’t speak English, any Japanese that you can speak will definitely benefit your situation.
As for resources if you like books genki is solid. I fell off 1 after chapter 3 and I only use 2 for the readings in the back. I study daily but mostly just grind WK and Bunpro.
I’ve also purchased Todai easy Japanese news, I suggest trying many resources and see what works for you!