I don’t know how people stay motivated memorizing so many anki decks. I don’t even like Anki and used some other SRS like Memrise but memorizing many, many words just causes me to have a headache. It feels like it could go on forever.
When I study grammar I’m too afraid to make my own sentences because I could be making grammar mistakes without knowing it. It’s no use, honestly. I feel like I should go to a Japanese learning school and take formal classes there instead to stay motivated. A classroom setting would most definitely work. Not only that, I’d have a teacher I can ask questions to and correct anything wrong with what I’m making (sentences/paragraphs). Should I?
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You can ask a teacher any questions you have etc. but they won’t drill 10000 words into you. In the end you are going to have to sit down and learn vocab and kanji by yourself, so better find a way to get comfortable and efficient at that if you want to master this language.
I’m going to reiterate something I’ve read on r/gamedev here because I think it applies:
“What starts a project is motivation. What finishes a project is discipline.”
Basically meaning to get into the routine of doing stuff even if you’re not motivated.
Most people don’t stay motivated during their entire journey. They’re driven by either necessity (because they live in Japan) or by discipline to finish what they started.
Of course you can try to find new sources of motivation. Setting a goal is a great way to do that, because it allows you to picture your goal whenever you feel like you don’t know why you’re doing this anymore.
Sounds like you’re not using anything that you learn and that’s making it all feel not very fun. I understand the fear of using stuff wrong, but it doesn’t feel rewarding if you have nothing to show for your studies.
A class could help. You could also check out some teachers on italki. Would probably be cheaper and you’ll get 1 on 1. You can tell them what vocabulary and grammar points you’ve learned and they can help you compose sentences. Or you could submit sentences before the class and they could critique them for you. Talk with the teacher and work out what makes sense for you.
You should also try checking out some reading material at your level. This is another way that you can use what you’ve learned. There’s a bunch of free graded reading material from Tadoku that you could try:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/o7x7ha/2021_updated_free_tadoku_graded_reader_pdfs_1796/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/o7x7ha/2021_updated_free_tadoku_graded_reader_pdfs_1796/)
> I’m too afraid to make my own sentences because I could be making grammar mistakes without knowing it.
Do you think you can learn how to drive a manual car by studying books really hard for months and then getting in a car, driving it perfectly first time? Do you think the fun part of learning to drive is the reading books or the actually driving part?
If you’re learning Japanese and you don’t intend to use what you’re learning, why are you even learning Japanese? Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
I memorized 6k words and still don’t know if I know japanese
anki is not a form of entertainment it’s to make you learn
also you can just learn like 10 words a day, keep the pace down and it’s manageable
for output you have to interact with a tutor or other native speaker
Hey, just dropping in to say that when I started learning Japanese years ago I had the same doubts and troubles as you. There were two things that dramatically got me on the right track to learning efficiently.
First is figuring out for myself that I suck at self studying. There’s all this material out there and it’s overwhelming for someone starting out especially if you’re bouncing between sources of material. The solution was to take Japanese class like you’re considering now. It literally took me off the ground and up to almost n3 because I just excel in a classroom environment. It gave me structure, deadlines and opportunities to use what I was immediately learning with classmates and the teacher. It really gave me the foundation I needed to study by myself. After I stopped going to school I knew how to organize material in a way I can process myself for self study. Not just SRS my brain to mush.
The second isn’t quite possible for many people but I moved to Japan for work. Still live here and every day the amount of input and communication I have with coworkers and friends just shoots your level up dramatically. Sink or swim, it’s the immersion that really develops your learning. I recommend you find some Japanese groups or friends that are willing to converse with you. It’s invaluable to get real practice in wherever you are. Even just talking to some natives on hellotalk online.
The first 1k words is probably the hardest, because you’re not used to the language and kana/kanji patterns and you don’t really know enough words to immerse in anything interesting. When you think that you will need to have at least 10 times that to converse (semi)fluently in everyday situations, then it can seem like an impossible hill to climb.
You don’t say why you are learning, nor what your goals are – but unless you are constrained by some sort of deadline then realize two things…
1. *It gets easier.* The more words you learn, the better you will become at memorizing them. In addition you’ll also be able to start seeing them in context as you read or listen to media, and that will solidify their meanings.
2. *It’s not a race*. It may well take you many years to get to a level where you can just about converse fluently. Don’t push yourself towards arbitrary deadlines (it’s discouraging when you don’t meet them). Don’t compare yourself to the progress of others. So long as you make steady progress, you’ll get there.
Whether or not you should get formal lessons is up to you. You haven’t given enough info to give good advice. Personally I’d be inclined to suggest that you concentrate on input only at the moment (reading/listening). If you really want to learn to write and speak straight away then you will definitely need someone to correct your efforts and provide useful feedback. Only an experienced tutor can do that.
If you think learning Japanese is going to be a fun, exciting adventure, you’re in for some disappointment, bro. Most of it is just grind.
I spend so, so many hours learning new words, I spend all of my free time learning Japanese. Is it motivation? Discipline? Sometimes I briefly think of what motivates me. But most of the time it is not disciplining myself into “I need to do this”, instead it is a very strong desire to improve.
Improving my Japanese has become an obsession to the point where once I wake up everyday I am excited to start learning right away, the feeling that gradually I am closer and closer to becoming fluent is a very strong pull, I wouldn’t call it motivation though since part of the enjoyment for me is the journey, even when I am ‘fluent’ I know there will be much more for me to learn.
Part of the power we have is deciding the process we sink all of our effort into. You get to choose what you put your hard effort into – it doesn’t have to be anki, or you could try a different approach with using anki, ultimately the choice is up to the individual.
One thing to remember is if you flip through the cards to fast and try to memorize a bunch of new vocab the brain actually shuts it out – this is because there is a limit to how much new information the brain can store in temporary memory. I actually found this out from learning Japanese and constantly evaluating how my brain processed new information.
If Japanese becomes a chore, do everything you can to turn it into a game of improvement or obsession. Ir at the very least a very addicting hobby (with gains, i.e. make it addicting with lots of progress)
Everyone can do this in their own way is my belief.
Just keep grinding bro maybe find Japanese content you find entertaining to pair up with Anki, first 2k words is probably the ‘hardest’, the more words you learn the easier it gets