I am pretty much a complete beginner. I have memorized Hiragana, about 20 more commonly used Kanji and am working on Katakana now (should have it down in a week).
I have only read the first 2 chapters of Genki so far and I am starting to take some audio lessons using apps like Pimsleur.
Not even at N5 level yet but will be soon.
My question is when should I start trying to speak with native Japanese?
3 comments
tutors can teach you from day 1
but what some people do is go to like n4-ish and then start shelling out money on tutors, because it’s easy to learn the basics on your own
Whenever you want!
As a complete beginner you can’t have any deep conversations, but you can practice whatever you’ve learned. It’s always good to practice speaking, and doing it early, if your goal is to become conversational. Many will neglect speaking practice, often because they can’t find anyone to speak with, or because they don’t feel ready.
If you get a tutor, they will guide you and will help you correct your pronunciation etc. Randoms on the street won’t usually correct you if you make mistakes as long as they understand.
I agree with the other two commenters that a tutor is a good option to consider. Check iTalki, it’s not even that expensive. At 2 chapters into genki you won’t be able to have much of a conversation with anyone, but working with a tutor could give you a leg up and get you there quicker.