I need to improve my Japanese listening by October because I might go for an interview and it might be held in Japanese.
My prof wrote a recommendation letter for me and told the screening committee of the job I want that I speak good Japanese. The truth is, I’m ok with daily conversation, but technical stuff can be difficult. Sometimes I have difficulty with listening comprehension especially if the speaker is talking fast.
I need to improve my listening. Lately I’ve been watching anime (Jujutsu Kaisen) in Japanese with Japanese subtitles too. But, some technical terms are spoken sometimes and it can be difficult for me to comprehend it (some Japanese feel the same way about JJK).
So my question is, which is better for listening comprehension – Japanese audio with Japanese sub? Or Japanese audio with English sub?
7 comments
I prefer any kind of video (from basic to advance) with Japanese audio and Japanese sub. If there’s a word or sentence that I can’t understand/know, I search on jisho. Other that, listen to podcast, maybe about the argument you need.
I think you need to practice talking to people – maybe try italki or something. Because you need to practice understanding what people say and also responding appropriately. TV-wise maybe try some dramas that are set in a similar situation as your job will be so you can get accustomed to the vocabulary and register. As for E or J subs, maybe go for English at first watch and then again with Japanese subs or even no subs at all. Repeat watching can really help reinforce your understanding. Good luck!
https://m.youtube.com/@cijapanese
Great channel for listening.
Definitely do not watch with English sub. Try to watch without subs at all and whatever you couldn’t catch you try to listen to again. And if you’re still not able to catch that, then you can check the subs. My recommendations are podcasts on Spotify, maybe about a topic you like so you stay focused and interested?
Improve your listening by improving your reading and SRS vocab. The words we know, like actually truly deeply know, hearing it is just a nudge in the direction.
Native podcasts are great for this. I can share a list of my favorites, but you can just google podcasts related to your interests, and you’ll definitely get some results.
There’s no quick fix at all unfortunately. Comprehension of a foreign language equates to neural growth. Its not knowledge, its the result of neurophysiological changes in the brain.
It’s like saying you got a body building show, how can I put on muscle quick? You can do your best to eat well, train hard and inject steroids.
Sadly there are no steroids to language learning that I know of but there maybe some nootropics that do boost neurodevelopment. Smoking weed while watching anime did seem to have effect but who knows exactly without detailed studies and research.
The only advice I can give you, and I very rarely say this, but don’t watch anime.
Anime is amazing for a learner. It’s clear, well articulated, the conversation is often relevant to the visuals, scripted and oftentimes less complex and chaotic than a real person just saying whatever they want. It’s a really good idea to listen to it IF you’ve got years to use it as a foundation.
However, you train for what you want to do. If you want to understand people speaking to you in your new job and you need that within months then you need to practice for that specifically.