Losing the drive...

[davefox]

Hi guys, I'm pretty much a newcomer to this site however I've been studying Japanese for about a year and a half now. I'm pretty good conversation-wise and apart from studying on my own from textbooks, I also have a private lesson with a teacher every Wednesday so I do make quite a lot of progress.

However, recently I've just realised the sheer amount there is still to learn. Obviously I knew it was always going to be tough studying Japanese but recently I'm kind of losing heart. Maybe it's a bit like "writer's block". Let's say 日本語がくせのわるいあたま！

Another thing is that I've neglected kanji big-time. I know a few but I've mostly stuck to writing in kana and (perhaps incredibly stupidly), I did kind of make a point to my teacher that I wanted to focus on learning to speak Japanese casually rather than focus on JLPT or learning all the kanji.

Also, I think I probably thought I was at a higher level than I am. I listened to the upper-intermediate lesson yesterday about the guy giving his friend a hand with his report and tips on getting that girl and I only instantly grabbed about 60-70% of it. Before coming to JPod101, I guess I just thought I was a bit more advanced than I am and it was a bit disheartening to find out otherwise.

Anyways, I'd just like to know if anyone else has ever been in the same sort of rutt before and if so, have you got any tips or words of encouragement maybe? Even if it's just a 「がんばって！」, that'll do!

[elau1986]

mastering a language is definitely a challenge, it is not easy but definitely rewarding. you have only been learning for 1 and a half year, and to be able to understand 60 to 70% of the upper immediate conversions is really amazing, just compare your current knowledge of Japanese now with your knowledge of it 1 and half years ago. it just takes time and lots of study, be patient. if you feel your grammar and kanji is your weakness focus on them during your studies.

[Taurus]

I am constantly overwhelmed by the inadequacy of my Japanese skills. Trying to write a simple email or postcard to my relatives takes ages, and the results are never more sophisticated than elementary-school level. I tried reading a kid's book called Gongitsune the other day and it took me about an hour with a dictionary to get through the first short page.

But I know that I have improved immeasurably since starting to learn Japanese. I can recognise kana and about a thousand kanji, and I can make myself understood by my wife's friends, and I can understand snatches of Japanese when I'm watching TV, and understand whole conversations in the beginner level podcasts. And that's what keeps me going and eager to learn more, even when I have weeks or even months when I'm too busy to look at a textbook or even listen to a podcast.

It's a marathon, not a sprint. In fact, when I started running, I couldn't run for longer than about five minutes before I had to stop. Now I get frustrated if I only manage five miles - and then I remind myself how I used to be so much more overweight and unfit and it's a bit less frustrating.

Sometimes it's worth trying a new textbook or technique just because the novelty gives you a burst of motivation. Why not trying Heisig's system for learning kanji for a while, or buying a new textbook, or downloading a new piece of flashcard software, or a new Japanese movie or whatever?

[Javizy]

Heisig and Anki could be a (relatively) quick fix for your kanji woes. If you search the forum, you'll find loads of stuff about them.

I have similarly unrealistic expectations, but you shouldn't get bogged down with stuff like that. Like Taurus said, focus on what you do know and your rate of progress, rather than what's left to learn. The most important thing is to be motivated; it can be frustrating if something flies over your head, but if you keep learning new material, the amount you understand can only keep growing.

[Matsuiichi]

I know what kind of rut you're going through! In fact, it happened to me just this past spring.

This is what happened to me. I was only through a year of my Japanese classes, and it felt like I had so much to learn and my curriculum at my university just wasn't going fast enough. And, looking at it, there was still so much I had to learn. It would take forever at that rate, and I felt like maybe Japanese just wasn't for me.

Then, I studied abroad over the summer in Japan. It revived my ailing interest in Japanese and turned it around. I'm now more passionate about it than ever. I got to use my Japanese every day, and had to. I had class five days a week for six weeks. It was just a change in the environment and the way I was being taught that really got me back into learning and out of my rut.

Okay, for those that don't have the opportunity to go to Japan to get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go...

-I say that one way to keep yourself in it is to change it up a little. It may not help the feeling of inadequate Japanese (it doesn't for me), but it at least keeps you distracted, and keeps you from getting bored with the way you're learning. Maybe making kanji another focus is a great way to further immerse yourself in the language---you get a lot of practice in Japanese just from reading the kanji (not to mention how you learn a lot more vocabulary). Just change it up a little and it can make a world of difference.

-Remember the goal. Look at those fluent in Japanese, and say that eventually you want to get there. Just think about that time, and while the journey seems daunting, think of the end result. People wouldn't make a long journey if they didn't see the merit in the end result, right?

-Be patient! Many of my friends say they want to learn Japanese but they want to be fluent overnight. I've been learning for a year and a half and I have the fluency of a four year old. But, I still have to push on. Just keep practicing, keep on keeping on.

-Look at how far you've come: Taurus is totally right. Look back on what you've learned, and it really is amazing how far you have come. I remember how the only thing I could say was 「いい天気ですね。」And now I can form some stuff I think is really complicated. And, looking on what I know, it's like I can't turn back.

Lastly, and most of all, probably the best advice (and you asked for it): がんばって下さい！Seriously, you can't let yourself down if you do your best because you know that you gave it your all. Persevere and you won't disappoint yourself. A motivated learner always progresses further than someone who isn't.

I hope my advice helps. Japanese is an especially difficult language, and we know how tough it is to feel like we're getting anywhere. Feeling inadequate in our ability is common. But we just have to do our best and persevere.

That said, I hope your learner's block ends soon, and I wish you the best in your 日本語の勉強。All the best.