Seishain but no Japanese

7 comments

1. Take a class? Self study? Do you have a Japanese spouse (is that why you bought a house and live here?), if so maybe they can help you?
   These are all things I have done to try and better my nonexistent Japanese ability. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s a quick shortcut

2. Get a qualified, private teacher and study with them at least three days a week, with extra homework in between.

3. My non-Japanese parent started learning Japanese from scratch at the age of 50-something. Now they can read books in it. It’s harder, sure, but doable, especially if you have the cha-ching for lessons which they didn’t. No quick shortcut, just start taking lessons and actually using the Japanese you learned, and it’ll happen give or take a few years.

4. I learnt in mid 30s up to N2.
   Just gotta knuckle down and you’ll see progress. Let difficult stuff wash over you to start with and focus on adding vocab/kanji and grammar.
   Have you seen tiny kids? Wobbling around, crying at nothing like mini drunk people. And occasionally shitting themselves. Well they learn Japanese.. so pull yourself together home owner!

5. I don’t think you’re ever too old to learn a language.
   Learning the pronunciation as you get older is definitely more difficult, but every other aspect of the language you can still learn fine.
   You just have to spend the time to do it

6. I came here when I was 23 now that I’m 28 with 0 japanese skill I kinda loathe myself for wasting those 5 years. Reading these comments gives me hope. I just renewed my visa and am planning to build a future here so I’m starting to do everything that I regret not doing and Im starting with learning Japanese. Good luck OP you can do it!

7. Try wanikani for kanji and vocab and pick any textbook you like (minna, try, genki?) for grammar 🙂