Question for translators/those Fluent in Japanese! (:

[Alisinoa]

Hello there! I'm currently engaged in Japanese studies as well, and I'm always interested in learning how others have become fluent in the language. For those of you fluent: was it mainly through self-study (and if so, what sort of techniques did you employ in studying Japanese?) or was it mainly through schooling (high school, college classes, private classes, etc)?

Right now, all I have under my belt is four years of high school-language class studies in Japanese, and even now, everything still seems so daunting. It's always inspiring to find people who speak English that are also fluent in Japanese.

All righty, thanks for your time! (:

Well, I'm not fluent (considering I have to translate every kanji with a dictionary, and not well read in katakana) but I have gotten decently readable with hiragana. I downloaded a Python program called Kana-no-Quiz and right before I went to sleep, spent about an hour just drilling myself on the hiragana. Steadily adding a set after I went about two runs in a row without a mistake.

The windows version requires some tweaking to increase the number of 'questions'. I also chose to have to type it in each time rather than a multiple choice, focused more on memory.

It helped that I did it before I slept, it was fresh in my mind, and as I slept, was "written" into my longterm memory.

[gp32]

Do remember to participate in this year's al|together.

That goes for both of you.

[Haeleth]

Announcement coming soon~!

As for learning Japanese... yeah, self-taught. It helps that I have a background in linguistics, so I can get more out of written descriptions of a language than maybe most people, and I had already learned how to learn languages.

The textual approach has left my spoken Japanese leagues behind my command of written Japanese, though. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who seriously intends to go and live in Japan. :)

[roxfan]

I learned mainly through fansubbing (timing really helps improve your listening comprehension) and random lyrics translation/manga/novels reading. Electronic dictionaries spoil me though, I often look up words that I already know but can't read...
P.S. speaking of kana trainers, here's the best one I've seen:
http://tsunamichan.phpwebhosting.com/japanese/

[l|ammamama]

About a year ago I was in a similar place to yours with respects to the language - I don't know how it worked with you but listening to a lot of anime gave me a pretty decent vocabulary and comprehension skills, but kanji made reading anything nearly impossible -_-

If you're really, really, really determined to get fluent with kanji check out Remembering the Kanji by james heisig. It's by far the most efficient method i've seen and it works well - but you're going to need all three Reallys in order to get through the 400 some-odd page book (which doesn't even teach you how to read any of the kanji -_-)

Nowadays in order to improve my comprehension I watch unsubtitled anime (to make sure I don't get lazy and start reading the subtitles..), and for vocab/kanji practice I read visual novels. I'm just working my way over that hump which allows me to actually enjoy most of what I'm reading in Japanese.

Ooh, and I forgot to mention, watch those intro songs every time and look up most every word you don't know. It has to be the single easiest way to memorize vocab.

♪　残酷な天使のように少年よ神話になれ！　♪

[Nanatuha]

Although I can't talk big, because honestly the period of time since I resumed studying English is shorter than you.

To have regular opportunities to write/speak the language you want to learn is effective. You could find how you have troubles to construct sentences. Then as looking up a reference how to express something you want to say, you would also find natives are using same expression that you just didn't notice so far.

Repeating it, the daily conversation considerably becomes comprehensible. It isn't effective well for formal sentences mainly used in newspaper or so on, though.

[AstCd2]

Self-taught. I learned the grammar from online sources and textbooks, and my vocabulary from manga, visual novels, and light novels.

In terms of reading ability, all you really need is:
(1) a willingness to frequently look up words and grammar;
(2) a wide variety of reading material; and
(3) persistence.

If you're interested in mastering the language as a whole, though, you'd be better off adopting more formal techniques (eg. Kanji drills, finding people willing to converse in Japanese) in order to improve your writing and speaking/listening abilities.

well so far my method has been from watching alot of anime. before I went to Japan for my holiday I could read a bit of hiragana and a select few Kanji. after my trip, my listening skills slightly improved and realised that not everyone will speak clearly enough for you to interpret. but now I am studying Japanese as some of my final units at uni.

I learnt also from reading Japanese manga, playing visual novels and attempted translations on my own.

[Leo_Otaku]

I have been trying to learn fluent Japanse for a few years. I suck at languages ^-^" So it will take me a long time and step by step.I heard you can self teach, but books and teachers help alot (because somtimes there are certain things that have expections and rules). A university course is very good but background knowledge is highly suggested because it will help you alot (fast paced).

I learned lots of words and small sentances from anime. But I watched anime for like 8 years or so, subbed and slowly picked up words. Ican understand an anime most of the time raw. I know about 30 or 40 kanji, hiragana and just about all the katakana (why is it not as easy to remember XD)I just practice everyday at work, school and class. I count and use japanese words when I can. I only listen to Japanese/ anime/game music in the car and on computer.

I just have problems using particles in sentances LOL. Practice makes perfect. I will get it one day XD.

[DragonmasterX]

A university course is very good but background knowledge is highly suggested because it will help you alot (fast paced).

I disagree with this. I've taken 2nd and 3rd year college Japanese(skipped 1st) and found them to be significantly easier than any rpg or visual novel. I personally find learning through rpgs and visual novels to be much more fast paced.

On the other hand, if you can play rpgs and visual novels fine, I recommend Japanese classes for the easy A+'s to boost the GPA. Now that I think back, I was quite idiotic for skipping 1st year Japanese. That was 4 credits per semester of easy A+'s!

[Leo_Otaku]

maybe your university wasn't fast paced but mine is ^-^ so let's jsut say that "depends on your university" as like the textbooks you get and your prof so yeah..

[Carl]

My Japanese is still poo. I really need to get some formal tutoring or something...

[DragonmasterX]

maybe your university wasn't fast paced but mine is ^-^ so let's jsut say that "depends on your university" as like the textbooks you get and your prof so yeah..

So you'd say the stuff you learn in your university(what year are you in?) is harder than rpgs and visual novels in general? If so, then I'm impressed.

[Spiritsnare]

Originally Posted by Carl

My Japanese is still poo. I really need to get some formal tutoring or something...

Same, though in voice I can get the general gist of what's going on.