Actually using/practising Japanese

[wolfinator4800]

Hi, this is my first post here so hopefully this is the right place.

I've been studying Japanese for a year both through self-study/university, however I've run into a few problems, most noticably that although I'm confident in how the stuff I've learned actually works, I still struggle in both listening comprehension as well as just coming up with something to say on the spot. I'd say my listening/speaking is very poor in comparison to my reading/writing ability. Was wondering where the best place to start on here in terms of lessons would be as well how I can use the language more practically, as I really don't have any way to practise it as of right now.

I'll be going to Japan with other people from my uni at the end of the year, and will be doing homestays and I'd really like to improve my listening and speaking skills enough so that I can have a slightly more interesting conversations with people.

I currently have completed the entire Genki I book as well as the first 2 chapters of Genki II if anyone knows what they are (basically the books we're learning from at uni.) So that'll at least give you an idea of what I can/can't do. Supposedly I should be able to say most things by the end of this book provided I can improve my listening and speaking skills a bit before I go to Japan.

Thanks you - Steve

Edit: My other issue is that I feel my vocabulary is very small and that I don't know the words for many of the things I want to say, thinking maybe I should use the common words/dictionary and try and learn a certain amount I want to know each week.

[community.japanese]

Hello Steve san
Thank you for the post.
I don’t like listening and speaking either so I can really understand what you said.

What I did for my listening and speaking English is
“Dictation” which is you listen to the recording and write down exactly same as the recording script. I listen to the monologue because I had to understand lectures. However, you can listen to the dialogues and write them down.
For dictation you must have listening skill, grammar knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, understanding of Japanese writing style and so on.
When you can write it down correctly, you know the sentence meaning. Then read the sentences again and again out loud.

Shadow speaking is another way to improve speaking. You can use your CD with Genki text book. Play the CD, pause after each sentence and repeat what the CD says.
Ganbatte kudasai.
Yuki 由紀
JapanesePod101.com

[wolfinator4800]

That's a good idea, I'll try it out. Some of the shorter dialogues on the disc actually have a version where you repeat after each sentence, however it hadn't occured to do just pause on the longer ones. Will also help improve my writing.

ありがとうございました。

[community.japanese]

Hello wolfinator4800　さん、
どういたしまして。
がんばってください。
If you have questions, please feel free to post.
Yuki 由紀
Team JapanesePod101.com