Surrounded by Japanese

[cadiletta]

Konichiwa!

I found JapanesePod101.com just 6 months ago as I was looking for new language resources. the podcast is wonderful and I'm way back in the beginning with survival phrases and beginner lessons. Life has been busy though and kept me from really getting into it.

Now I've got a bit more time available and some new resources! I work at Microsoft and they have a group of native japanese who get together for lunch each week and encourage anyone learning the language to join them! I met them today and I was really excited, but it showed me just how bad my japanese was, I forgot everything!

So now I've signed up for xlingo.com so I can meet more people who can help me chat and learn, I have ordered 5 books on Hirigana and Kanji
Essential Kanji: 2,000 Basic Japanese Characters Systematically Arranged For Learning And Reference"
Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing (Kodansha's Children's Classics)
Kanji Pict-O-Graphix: Over 1,000 Japanese Kanji and Kana Mnemonics (Zzz)
Kana Pict-O-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana
Japanese in Mangaland: Basic Japanese Course Using Manga

Plus of course the Premium Learning center here! I am fully committed now and hope to sustain my resolve to really learn the language fully.

Domo arigato gozaimas! I really wanted to share my excitement here. And if you are on xLingo.com look up Ashrack and add me as a friend! Decoding japanese messages feels like being a kid again with secret messages in code!

[jemstone]

it's really cool to be working or hanging around with plenty of japanese-speaking people (even better if they are native japanese). this makes learning so much easier, and much more enjoyable. takes the grind out of memorizing phrases and sentences. and it's more dynamic too! immediately they can tell you what's a better or more polite or more casual way of saying the same thing.

i don't have such luck though. my office is filled with just singaporeans speaking english. i have to resort to speaking japanese to myself most of the time just to memorize those sentences. =(

[Rizu]

That's really great about your co-workers, especially that they welcome people to come and talk with them. Hope it is very beneficial for you! Definitely take advantage of it!

[SkyDiver]

Most of the people I know here in LA are japanese, so not speaking the language makes you feel like an outsiders, but now I got plenty of study partners. I just wish they would invest the same time in learning English...

[Ulver_684]

Konichiwa!

I found JapanesePod101.com just 6 months ago as I was looking for new language resources. the podcast is wonderful and I'm way back in the beginning with survival phrases and beginner lessons. Life has been busy though and kept me from really getting into it.

Now I've got a bit more time available and some new resources! I work at Microsoft and they have a group of native japanese who get together for lunch each week and encourage anyone learning the language to join them! I met them today and I was really excited, but it showed me just how bad my japanese was, I forgot everything!

So now I've signed up for xlingo.com so I can meet more people who can help me chat and learn, I have ordered 5 books on Hirigana and Kanji
Essential Kanji: 2,000 Basic Japanese Characters Systematically Arranged For Learning And Reference"
Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing (Kodansha's Children's Classics)
Kanji Pict-O-Graphix: Over 1,000 Japanese Kanji and Kana Mnemonics (Zzz)
Kana Pict-O-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana
Japanese in Mangaland: Basic Japanese Course Using Manga

Plus of course the Premium Learning center here! I am fully committed now and hope to sustain my resolve to really learn the language fully.

Domo arigato gozaimas! I really wanted to share my excitement here. And if you are on xLingo.com look up Ashrack and add me as a friend! Decoding japanese messages feels like being a kid again with secret messages in code!

Cadiletta-san!

That's a very nice story, I might follow your example since your a Microsoft worker and I'm a huge Microsoft fan!

[untmdsprt]

Most of the people I know here in LA are japanese, so not speaking the language makes you feel like an outsiders, but now I got plenty of study partners. I just wish they would invest the same time in learning English...

I'll trade you your Japanese friends for mine. All they want to do is practice their English!!!

[jemstone]

I'll trade you your Japanese friends for mine. All they want to do is practice their English!!!

maybe you could come up with something funny with your japanese friends... you speak to them in japanese and they reply you in english. =D

[untmdsprt]

I may have to do that!

[jemstone]

let us know how it goes!

i'm currently trying to do that with the only japanese couple in my church. but i can't hold a conversation for very long.. heeh