Japanese Vocabulary

Anyone with the goal of learning how to speak Japanese will be able to speed up the process by working on increasing their vocabulary. Before you can begin to converse in a new language, you must establish the necessary building blocks of the language, which includes learning the meaning, pronunciation and grammar of Japanese words.

You will be able to get more out of your language lessons, whether you are sitting in on a conventional class or are learning from a Japanese podcast, when you have a more extensive Japanese vocabulary. Achieving a solid base of commonly used words will help you to advance your speaking and comprehension skills. Once you have the more common words down, you can begin to take on more challenging vocabulary so that you can continually make progress.

Your language teacher may slow down Japanese phrases for the class so that everyone understands the meaning behind the phrase. However, in real life, you may have a difficult time understanding native Japanese speakers unless you increase the number of Japanese words that you know. By recognizing just a few words in a sentence, you can often put together the general meaning the speaker is trying to get across.

People who are learning the Japanese language for travel will achieve more by building up their vocabulary instead of focusing on the fine details of Japanese grammar, especially if you are planning a crash course in Japanese. Whether you are leaving for a trip to Japan in a few weeks or have a long-term goal of learning the language, it is important to build upon your vocabulary skills as much as possible.

If you are already at least an intermediate Japanese speaker, then you can use resources such as Japanese movies, television or radio programs in order to build up your vocabulary. If you have the opportunity to listen to native speakers on a regular basis, you will learn to pick up on words and how the words fit into sentences.

Beginners through advanced Japanese speakers will benefit from a structured course that teaches the language. No matter what level you are at, be persistent in building up your vocabulary. Keep a Japanese dictionary on hand so that you can look up any unfamiliar words that come up. You will find that there are both traditional and online Japanese-English dictionaries available these days.

A great method for building your vocabulary is to make flashcards. Set a goal to learn 10 new Japanese words each week, depending on your schedule. There are iPhone and iPod applications that create flashcards for you, which is a convenient way to continue learning wherever you are. Whenever you have a spare moment—while waiting in line, commuting to work or school, or anywhere else—practice with the language flashcards.

As you make progress, you will find that learning a new language as exciting as Japanese can be a great amount of fun. To learn Japanese, persistence is key. Study the same words over and over again until they become ingrained in your memory.

Japanesepod101 subscribers will have all of the tools they need to learn the basics, such as the Japanese alphabet, while building up a strong base of vocabulary. In addition to speeding up the process of building your list of words, you will also gain a comprehensive understanding of Japanese accents so that pronunciation soon becomes second nature to you. By taking advantage of Japanesepod101, you will get on the fast course to learning the language. You will also be able to choose a learning process that works best for your unique goals and your current skill level.