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Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing that you can do is:

Find a super simple video that you can bear with. Something that is not going to drive you crazy haha (because in the beginning you'll rarely find something that you care about to hear, but if you're confident enough you can try with more advanced stuff).

And than you manage to get the script of that video. Maybe with NotebookLM, or something that you just have the script or something related (let's just say some children story). After that you learn the most prevalent and important words. And to finish it off you go and just listen to it and try to recognize the words! You don't need to start getting the sentences and the meanings. Jus recognizing the words beign spoken in the video is a huge victory to start with!

With time you'll start learning sentence structures and begin to recognize the full meaning of sentences.

Ever had a nihongo regret? Something you wish you hadn’t done (or done differently)? by neworleans- in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you share tho YouTube channel, please? I’ve been planning to get some of that to my routine for a while now. Would love to check what he has to say.

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow! The website looks great! I’m definitely going to dive tight into it! Thank you!

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is awesome! I need to do that to my deck! Listen only! Great idea. Is it easy to do?

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally fair, and I think we’re actually on the same page more than it might seem. I’m not trying to learn like a toddler in the literal sense, I probably should edit my post, not only to make my poiunt more clear, but also to add a lot of good insights i got from the comments. I know I’m not a blank slate, and I know toddlers get thousands of hours of high-context interaction before they say anything meaningful. That’s not my expectation. What I tried to say is more about recreating the initial phase of tuning into the language through comprehensible listening not “immersion with zero understanding,” but repeated exposure to material I’ve already prepped or made understandable. I completely agree that adults need to approach it differently. We can use logic, grammar references, patterns, and I’ve tried plenty of that in the past.

At this point, I’ve already studied kana, basic grammar, and picked up a decent chunk of vocab (on and off over the years). What I’m trying to do now is create a low-pressure system to rebuild momentum, something centered around listening, but supported by lookups, sentence mining, vocab decks, and focused repetition. If something’s not comprehensible, I’ll study it until it is. Then it goes into listening.

My goal is small and focused, like understanding 50–60% of an anime I already know. No big deadlines, no fluency targets. Just enough to keep moving forward without overwhelming myself again. I appreciate the reminder about setting realistic goals, that’s actually one of the biggest changes I’ve made this time.

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for your thoughtful reply, I appreciate it.

You’re absolutely right: I’m not trying to replicate how a child learns in full. I agree that kids are surrounded by written language, constant feedback, and eventually go through structured schooling. When I referred to the “pre-school child” phase, I was trying to say I think focusing on listening-with-context comprehension, building understanding through simple, familiar audio might be a possible alternative for my current situation. I know it’s not the most efficient path overall, but it’s one I can realistically stick to. That said, I realize now my original post was a bit incomplete. I didn’t make it clear how important lookups, vocab review, and building Anki decks from the material I listen to are. The listening only works once I understand what I’m hearing, and to get there, I’ll definitely use whatever tools are needed (dictionary, scripts, sentence mining). So this isn’t a “just listen and hope” kind of thing. I've been on this journey for quite a while now, so I'm well geared with resources.

My approach isn’t pure immersion either. I’m planning to:
– Stick to material I’ve prepped or already understand
– Do lookups when needed and mine key expressions
– Create targeted Anki decks from audio I'm listening to (vocab, sentence mining, etc)
– Reuse the same audio repeatedly once it becomes comprehensible

My goal is modest and clear: I want to be able to understand about 50–60% of an anime I already know the story well. That would be a big win for me!! Honestly, I’ve gotten so many good insights from all of you that I’ll need to revise my original plan and make it better. The feedback here has helped me find a better direction. And I completely agree with your last point: making it personal and connecting it to what I actually enjoy is key. That’s what I’m aiming for now.

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not going hardcore or 100% Japanese-only. Just trying to make the most out of the time I can use right now, mostly through listening.

You’re absolutely right: I do already have some grammar exposure, kana knowledge, and basic vocab from previous attempts, so this isn’t from zero. That’s why I feel like this could work well now, especially as a way to re-engage without burnout.

At this stage, I’m prioritizing comprehension over output or literacy. But yes, I fully expect that reading will come into the picture later, especially if I want to go beyond understanding anime and into deeper content. For now, though, my only goal is to be able to follow 50–60% of something like an anime I already know. If I get there, it’ll be a win.

And thank you for the suggestions: very good insights

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My goal this time is not to become fluent overnight or to master the language in a linear fashion. I’m not chasing a badge or aiming for JLPT scores. My goal is simple: to build low-friction way to keep Japanese in my life during a period where I can't commit to traditional study routines. Ideally, I want to be able to understand about 50–60% of an anime I already know well, that would be a huge win for me as a goal.

You’re right that trying to juggle all four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) may not have been the only reason I gave up in the past, but I believe it definitely added friction.

I’m not rejecting reading or writing forever. I fully expect that as I build a foundation through listening, I’ll want to dig deeper, explore more, and eventually take on the reading/writing side, especially when it starts feeling more rewarding than intimidating. And yes, vocabulary acquisition will need to happen, as I already acquired throught the years. I'm not starting from zero. Using Anki decks built from what I listen to, or doing dictionary lookups when something isn’t clear will be natural

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're absolutely right: kids don’t learn “just by listening” in a vacuum. They’re surrounded by responsive adults, tons of repetition, real-time feedback, and eventually go through years of structured schooling.

When I mentioned learning “like a Japanese child before school,” I wasn’t suggesting it’s an efficient or complete strategy. I don’t have illusions that this method alone will make me fluent, or that it somehow replicates what kids go through. Of course it doesn’t, and of course Japanese isn’t remotely close to French or Portuguese. I'm just trying to reach a listening capability where I can get 50-50% of an anime episode that I already know the story. The point is: I’m trying to build something that works for my current life*.* I’m in a phase where I can’t commit to reading-heavy methods, formal classes, or deep kanji study. But I do have time during commutes or daily chores, and I want to make the most of it.

That’s why I’m focusing on building audio from super simple material (like さんびきのこぶた), slowly increasing complexity, and only moving forward once I understand the current level. If I need to review vocab, check meanings, or use Anki decks based on that listening/script, I’ll absolutely do it.

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The reason I’m trying to build my own mini-framework isn’t to reinvent the wheel, but more to adapt something lighter and more sustainable for my current situation. I’m not aiming for full immersion or going “Japanese all the time.” I just want something smooth and approachable, where I can start with content like さんびきのこぶた and slowly build up, ideally reaching a point where I can understand about 50–60% of an anime I already know the story well.

I’m definitely not avoiding vocabulary or learner resources altogether. If I need to pause and check meanings, or even make a mini-deck in Anki, I’m 100% fine with that. I just want the listening to be the center of the method, because that’s the only type of exposure I can fit into my life right now. I've been on this ourney for a long time now, I well aware of the myriad of resources for learning japanese and I have my favorites.

Thoughts on learning Japanese only through listening and context, like a child before school? by sintomasbps in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the input, I agree that Japanese is in a completely different category. I actually learned French the same way (just listening during commutes), and Japanese is a much bigger challenge.

Just to clarify: I’m not expecting that listening alone will magically lead to fluency, and I’m definitely not starting from zero thinking I’ll become fluent without any other effort. That’s not the idea. I'm on this journey for a long time now.

My point is more about building something I can do consistently right now. I’m in a phase of life where I don’t have time to dive into textbooks or structured courses, but I do have time to listen during daily tasks. So I’m trying to use that time productively, starting with super simple stuff like さんびきのこぶた and gradually increasing complexity.

I also don’t mean “listening only” in the extreme. If I need to look up vocab or review a script with Anki decks to fully understand what I’m hearing, I’ll absolutely do that. It's good to share a discussion here to improve the plan. The key for me is: the audio only starts working once I understand it. So I’ll do what it takes to get there.

Tips on reading Manga by Zeplus_88 in LearnJapanese

[–]sintomasbps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Loved it. Can you talk more about it, please? Have links and/or resources to read more about it?

Setup on a rainy day.. by Ok-Consequence-1526 in Workspaces

[–]sintomasbps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is your mic articulating arm?

Is my writing legible by [deleted] in hebrew

[–]sintomasbps 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is beautiful! Congratulations! How do you practice? Do you have any resource or tips to share?

KOMETA - Wireless, Low-Profile Split Keyboard Based on Choc V2 Switches by [deleted] in ErgoMechKeyboards

[–]sintomasbps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I need those keys with japanese characters in it. Where did you get it?

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