Hi All,
My Japanese is a bit weird – I don’t fit into any level easily because I’ve picked it up in largely organically in dribs and drabs over 20 years. Some things will test as L5, some as L3. Nothing higher than that. I’m sure I have some horrible habits and ridiculous slang. Starting from page X in a textbook and working through methodically won’t really work.
I’m planning to spend a couple of months in Tokyo later this year, and ideally would be able to find somebody who can face-to-face for an hour to an hour and half (which is about as long as my brain can take at stretch). Probably 4 times per week in the afternoons/early evenings. The idea is to invest the money to make as much progress as possible in the time I have available.Has anybody done anything like this? Shinjuku-ku or nearby would be ideal because that’s the area my friends are located, but I have flexibility in that.
Thanks for any experiences you can share.
2 comments
The ideal would be attending a language school full time for a couple of months. You might place lower than you would like in terms of class level but the foundation will help you improve faster.
You should start from the beginning of a basic textbook or grammar guide. I lived in Japan for 8 years before I started studying seriously and thought the same way as you. The truth is if any part of your knowledge is “L5”(which I assume is N5). Then you basically know nothing and need to start from the beginning. Thinking you are too good for the basics will only hamper your progress.