Realistically?.....

[yuriythebest1720]

Is it possible, just by listening to all the Jpod101 content, to be able to understand, to a reasonable extent (80-90%and above) japanese content in the wild? It's sometimes easy to forget your actual level of japanese if one is constantly listening to a specific proficiency level in Jpod, and actual content is an excellent reality check.

[mieth]

No. It is not realistic.

[Nebarik]

bit harsh, but mieth's right.

have a listen to englishpod101. listen to the english stories they get, and how awkward and so "correct english" they sound. nothing like the real word, but useful in it's own right.

thats what jpod101 is in jap. use it as a base for being able to understand and speak japanese simply, and spend some time picking up natural japanese by getting some jap friends or moving there.

[yuriythebest1720]

thanks! I guess my strategy will be to first squeeze out as much as possible from japanesepod, then watch a LOT of japanese movies and possibly even some of those cartoons they like to make

any other advice appreciated

[Nebarik]

as long as your taking it

in the last few months i decided to try and study jap the same way as i learnt english, and so far it seems to be working.

so instead of finding a japanese word and learning the english for it, constantly translating back and forth as a form of study. i try and keep them separate.

read as much as you can (relying on translators as little as possible), and watch as many movies and anime as you can without subtitles (start with simpler children level shows and work ur way up)

ive gotten to a point now where i can converse simply in japanese, or at least comprehend whats being said and respond in a appropriate manner. but if asked to translate what was just said by nearby english-speakers, its really difficult.