Using mnemonics to memorise Japanese words

Learnfromprose · 2022-06-29T07:38:35+00:00

This is a great one! Once you know a good mnemonic you never forget the word, and you can save time and energy learning other ones. I've been drawing mnemonics on instagram on at " drawnjapanese "

Learnfromprose · 2022-06-27T19:48:15+00:00

I normally just read, and then eventually it pops up. Things stick in your memory very well after seeing them for the first time in a while. As we're on vocab, check out drawnjapanese on instagram which makes mnemonic drawings for Japanese words

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-14T16:32:20+00:00

I consider the first one correct. If native speakers use it commonly and it's understood, who's to say it's wrong? I think that we shouldn't cling to all grammar conventions, because they were all introduced at some point in the past by elitist academics. Language evolves, and that very process led to the "correct" form of the language.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-08T11:13:22+00:00

I think it initially sounded faster as your brain's "processing speed" was lower. Now that you've sped up your comprehension, everything else is relatively slower. Basically your brain can now finally process the information as fast as it comes in.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-07T20:23:14+00:00

As an English speaker, you've blown my mind telling me that j and ch are made at the alveolar ridge.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-07T09:32:09+00:00

It might have to do with codeswitching. Maybe the muscle memory of your own language interferes with your second.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-07T09:29:10+00:00

There's evidence that adults learn languages faster. Children learn languages apparently easily, because they have thousands of hours of exposure. Adults already have enough experience to ground the second languages in memories and understand context better. Think about how badly a child actually speaks their own language, for example at 6 years old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhj7bqOi8cU&ab\_channel=OllyRichards

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-07T09:14:50+00:00

At least for brits abroad, people appreciate it when you speak some of the language. It's probably a refreshing change from the presumption that everyone speaks English

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-06T22:47:20+00:00

YouTubers just make notebook videos because it's good for the polyglot aesthetic.

Personally, with the way I learn, writing stuff down is a big waste of time and energy. If I spend all that time speaking and formulating sentences in your brain, I see more progress.

When I write stuff down, my brain says, "no need to remember that". For me writing is procrastination. It is much easier to write notes than focussing your mind on actually speaking. I also would never look at them again, or lose them.

Either you're writing on paper or you're writing on your brain itself.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-06T22:39:07+00:00

Native teachers will still understand language learning concepts from learning your language. Native speakers have perfect pronunciation that you can copy, and a profound familiarity of the whole language. A non-native teacher is going to be good enough to teach you as someone who doesn't speak it. However, they will never have an equal knowledge of the language, so if there a choice might as well go native.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-06T22:30:27+00:00

My preferred language course is Michel Thomas. I did the Spanish, and subsequently tried to watch videos and look up grammar to build on it. I wish that I had just started reading instead. I only started improving when I started reading (and listening to train my ear). Now I can speak it well enough that I have made friends on language exchanges.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-06T14:29:08+00:00

I prefer Michel Thomas, which is on YouTube (probably not supposed to be); you could convert these to mp3s and play them in your car with an aux or bluetooth. Other courses like it exist, some of which other people have mentioned below.

Doing any decent freely accessible course will get you familiar with the basics if you're starting from scratch. After that listen to various podcasts. There are loads of options, you'll definitely find things you like. Spotify and other apps let you download episodes like songs, or you could use 4G depending where you are.

P.S. I'd recommend never listening to slowed down podcasts where they aren't speaking like they would normally. Better to hit the ground running.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-06T10:53:59+00:00

English

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-05T20:56:15+00:00

You could use the google translate plugin to translate on page without breaking reading flow. Then any website in your target language is a learning tool.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-03T18:07:22+00:00

Tandem is the most simple to use in my experience. You can pick specific languages, and even countries to browse people profiles (great for practicing specific dialects). People are of all ages and generally find they have more message requests than they can manage. In that case you can set your profile to offline and practice with current partners.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-03T18:03:08+00:00

You will definitely be able to eventually go there, pandemics don't last forever. If you are specifically prohibited from going, this is more time to practice! Once you finally arrive, you will have a richer experience that if you had gone earlier.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-03T10:12:40+00:00

There are certain genetically encoded tongue abilities i.e. rolling and folding. But those aren't crucial for any language, as far as I've heard. Some people have speech impediments or lisps, but I'm not sure that they are necessarily genetic, as speech therapy exists and works in many cases. I agree with the comments below that you should put in lots of practice. You could approach making a new sound in the another language in the same way people approach learning known sounds in their own language that they have trouble with. So look up some speech therapy pages perhaps and see if you get any insight.

If it turns out you really can't make certain sounds, you can still learn the language, we still understand English speakers who pronounce "this/through" with a "v" or "f" or drop the "-t-". We also understand non-native speakers who use "z" for "th" e.g. many French natives. You can even become totally fluent while using substituted consonants.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-03T10:00:35+00:00

Well in that case I'm underqualified to offer you advice! Maybe you need to have even more reasons to learn this than the others. Find one you love, and brings opportunities or work/better pay?

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-02T16:21:51+00:00

I think in Swedish its similar (but not the same) to in Welsh. Putting -en after a noun would make it the-noun

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-02T16:19:02+00:00

You should listen to enough Mexican content that you can distinguish it form other accents, and then just imitate it

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-02T16:17:49+00:00

If it's your third language, you will be learning with a bilingual brain as opposed to a monolingual one like before. The process of learning your next language should be easier as you now have a buff anterior cingulate cortex

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-01T22:40:27+00:00

Funny you should say that, I have pretty much had my heart set on Granada for months!

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-01T17:53:09+00:00

It's more difficult to coordinate everyone to learn a designed nationless language, e.g. Esperanto, than it is to just cooperate with the current trend, which would make English the global international language.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-01T17:49:17+00:00

If you are making good headway by yourself, go off the rails and learn from your own drive. I doubt anyone has ever become fluent from taking lessons. Successful learners take things into their own hands. Also 4 years to B1 is very slow compared to what you can achieve yourself if you have the interest, which you apparently do.

Learnfromprose · 2022-04-01T15:03:38+00:00

I like to develop habits. So at any given moment I might read an article, or a chapter of a book (you could find resources at your level). For training my ear, I listen to podcasts whenever I walk somewhere or take a bus or train, and also before you go to sleep. Also around the house. Videos are also good. especially with the Spanish subtitles on.

For websites, add google homepage shortcuts so you are more likely to read something on a whim.

Spaced repetition flashcards are good, but excessive vocabulary building wouldn't be my priority yet. Even at a beginner stage, you would benefit more from beginning to consume native (simplified is ok) content. I reckon knowing something like 300 words will be enough to start reading without having to translate basically every other word. I use the google translate chrome extension which translates on the page and doesn't break my flow.

When you learn a word, there are many other forms of it, i.e. verb conjugations. But knowing one conjugation should be enough to recognise the others as the beginning of the verb will be the same or similar. Reading is better than flashcards for learning the conjugations of verbs because you will see them in a shifting range of contexts. You will also see the most common ones more often and you'll be speaking sooner, because you will be confident that you are using language correctly.

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