Anygood Good japanese learning tips? e.g flash cards

[chris1989]

Hi i just wanted to know if there are any good ways of learning japanese such as flash cards and stuff.
I tend to listen to alot of J Hip Hop and the odd J pop track to try and pick out words i know.
Also i was wondering when do you mostly listen to podcasts, due to my hectic music tech college course i barely have time to listen to good "ole Peter-San" last time i listened to a podcast was december, im already VERY BEHIND.
My i pod isnt good mainly due to my concentration is low during rush hour on the train, i tried learning on the train but it just wasnt happining, so mr i pod is jus for hip hop but im going off point. so basicly I NEED LEARNING IDEAS PEOPLE.

Thanks

chris

[Psy]

Sorry, mate. You can't learn a language without devoting time to it, and since you have no time, you're in trouble. If you really want to learn, you'll have to work at it. Podcasts, flashcards, friends, books, movies, music-- all of these things contribute, and the best language learners take advantage of anything-- even if its brief-- that exposes them to the language. Still, all of it takes time. If you can't spare even 15 minutes a day for Japanese, you probably shouldn't be learning it at this point.

Just my 2 yen.

[Javizy]

I'm a little confused; it seems as though any tips you were given would be redundant if you don't have the time to study. If you want to make any real progress, you're going to have to make time each day, especially if you aim to become literate as well. Persistence is the only way to force such a massive amount of information into your head.

It's hard to believe you're busy 24/7. If you find it a chore to take an hour or even half hour out of your day for Japanese, then maybe it isn't for you. Motivation is a big part in learning any language, and it's something you've gotta stick at for years to achieve fluency.

[annie]

I've gotta say that I agree with both the previous posters.

My flashcard suggestion is to carry them on a key chain ring in your pocket and flip through a few whenever you have a spare minute or two. And you should really utilize your commute and study then, whether it's with the ipod lessons or flash cards.

What's your motivation for learning Japanese?

[sanro]

Have you had a look at the Stackz Flashcard System? It helped me a lot to profit to the max from my limited time!

It highlights the cards that need to be reviewed so you don't waste time repeating formerly known words.

You can add cards easily on the PC using many import methods (dictionary, webpage word extraction, etc) but there are hundreds of available wordlists online at http://www.stackz.com/Stackz/Archive/Archive.php .

There are Pocket PC and Palm versions that handle the same list files. You can carry them with you and learn wherever you have five minutes.

http://www.stackz.com

[WCR91]

Agreed. Many people have come to me saying "What's the secret to learning Japanese"? It's perseverance. You'll have to work hard.

Meanwhile, here are some tips about the wrong ways to learn Japanese (This goes to everybody, mainly for comedic purposes.)

1) Don't try to learn Japanese from Anime. Every sentence should not end in 'dattebayo!" You've seen Japanese animes dubbed in English. You don't want Japanese people talking like that when they come over here. So don't go over there and talk like Eichiro Oda's characters in One Piece.

2) If you're a girl, don't learn Japanese from Morning Musume. When real Japanese people talk, every moment is not an epiphany.

3) If you're a guy, don't learn to talk like a Yakuza. If you want to go around with your "shine"s and "die"s, and "kills", and roll your Rs, don't come crying to me when you can't get anyone to talk to you.

Other than that, find some Japanese friends for conversation, work very hard, sure, flash cards are a good idea, too. But find time. Even if it's only for 10 minutes.

That's my two yen as well.

[untmdsprt]

Umm, my women role models are Natsuko-san, and Sakura-san. The both sound like proper women.

I agree with the other posters, you have to make the time!!! Do you have a lunch break? Study Japanese while you're eating. Listen to Peter-san and the gang while you're cleaning your apt.

Multi-task dude!!!!

[Sanosuke]

I listen to the Japanesepod101 podcasts while I'm working. I would suggest listening to a podcast rather than JPOP if you want to learn the language. What I've found absolutely invaluable about Japanesepod is that it's real Japanese, versus language school stuff...

Also, WCR91 is correct...I can't believe how many people I've talked to who are learning Japanese in High School are watching anime in class!
Wouldn't that be like teaching English by watching The Simpsons or Bugs Bunny??

Also, since I'm a visual learning type, I found the Before You Know It flashcards helpful. You can download the trial for free..essentially it's a repetition drill, you can hear the word, then the word pops up in English..for instance "long", then you type "nagai" using the IME input. Not sure how helpful this is for conjugation though...

[untmdsprt]

Some Japanese people I know are learning English from Sesame Street. Too bad we can get something like this in Japanese!

[Sanosuke]

Update on the Before You Know It. Don't buy it Yet!!

I installed the "lite" ie:free version and all was fine. I liked it because I could type my answers using the IME function, I really need the Kanji recognition practice. So I purchased the full version.
Unfortunately when I turned my computer off for the night and restarted the next day, suddenly BYKI doesn't recognize my IME, no more typing in hiragana/kanji (which is why I bought it in the first place...). I visited their site where I found out this was a problem with their software which would be fixed with a later upgrade. I e-mailed the company asking when this would be fixed/patched. The e-mails were deleted without being read. Not good business.
So, I would avoid this until it's bug free..at least the Japanese version.

[Tom]

I haven't had a single problem with BYKI since I bought it months ago. In fact, their tech support went back and forth with me via e-mail about one feature request until I had no more questions. And the feature was already in the program's debug mode for testing before the next release!

[Sanosuke]

I'm glad to hear that your experience was a good one. Their tech support responded, telling me to reinstall IME (which I've done several times...) and that they're working on fixing it..no date provided, etc. I work for a software company, that's what we call a "non-answer".

I'm using XP Professional, perhaps you're using a different operating system/version of XP..
Anyway, I would try the lite version and reboot the system before dropping the cash to purchase this, if they IME function influences your purchase.

[aldergrove]

Speaking of IME editors, this is a good tutorial for people that need it.

http://www.declan-software.com/japanese_ime/#XPinstall



Just stay away from the Declans software though....too many errors!

[TheProfessorOne]

Some Japanese people I know are learning English from Sesame Street. Too bad we can get something like this in Japanese!

Lol!

That would be great for sure. I do a mix of things from; JPOD101, Flazzle PC program, dictionaries, manga, anime, and music on my IPod. Nothing better than go old fashion "book hitting" though.