Here’s a question. Is there anyone on this sub who has experience of learning Japanese, but with hearing loss?
I’ve been learning Japanese for just over 3 years but I feel like I’m making extremely slow progress despite putting in as much effort as I can. For example, I’ve been having two hours of 1:1 lessons each week for 2 years, I did a two week intensive course at a school in Tokyo earlier this year, I have online conversation sessions a few times a month with native speakers, and I also use apps like WaniKani (for kanji) and DuoLingo (really only for listening practice and general drilling – something useful to do while I’m on the toilet!). I listen to a lot of Japanese music, I watch Japanese films and TV shows (all with English subtitles) and I read a lot of Japanese social media so I feel like I’m doing all the things I \*should\* be doing…?…and yet my progress is so poor.
I’m going to take the JLPT N5 exam in July and am really hoping I can pass it but I’m not feeling 100% sure and I’m wondering if maybe the reason I’m struggling so much is because I have hearing loss. I wear two hearing aids (without them, I can’t hear much at all) and I recently got some new ones that are better than before but, even in English, I do find myself often “guessing” certain words in a conversation. I’ve been doing this for a long time so I’m pretty good at it, and also I have a huge repository of potential words that it could be in English. In Japanese, I can’t really do that. So a lot of what people say is just a blur…
I also feel like the thing I’m struggling with generally in Japanese is grammar. I have a pretty big vocabulary and when I listen to conversations, I can frequently pick out nouns, but conjugation sounds and particles in particular get lost in the blur. I dunno if this is just normal for everyone, or if it’s do with my hearing? Obviously I can study grammar in the textbooks, with my teacher, in exercises, etc, but I feel like “immersion” in language is important to truly remembering it and whenever I try to “immerse” I find the words just blur again… I catch like “hohohohoNOUNhouhohoho”. Which – as I say – is similar for me to (say) an English conversation in a loud room or someone with a heavy accent.
But there must be a way to overcome it?
I don’t know. I’m willing to accept maybe I’m just extremely bad at learning a new language or maybe I’m just somehow studying in the wrong way still, but I just wondered if anyone else with moderate or above hearing loss had successfully studied Japanese and, if so, if you have any tips?
3 comments
You need to read. Manga and books. You can learn the language without ever doing listening or speaking practice by reading. Learn the written language, then do listening and speaking practice.
Your experience doesn’t seem much different than most other learners. Many beginners have trouble distinguishing between sounds or picking up on isolated words. In that regard I think you’re doing fine.
In a real life situation you’ll have the opportunity to ask people to speak louder/slower/clearer or repeat/mime what they say, or ask them to write down what they want to say. It’s something you might have done in English anyway. At least until you get a better handle on Japanese.
Receptive skills tend to be stronger in most students, although listening is almost always weaker if it’s not extensively trained. Reading can help bolster listening because it’s showing you what you may expect to hear.
Worst comes to worse – you can request accommodation for the JLPT as someone HoH.
>I’ve been learning Japanese for just over 3 years but I feel like I’m making extremely slow progress
>
>I’m going to take the JLPT N5 exam in July and am really hoping I can pass it
What’s the purpose of your learning? Be specific if possible. Give me a dream scenario.