#Japanese for self-learners

[bhumi1066]

Start Today: The Best Free Japanese Lessons for Beginners Online

Learning Japanese has never been more accessible than it is today. Whether you're a student, a working professional, or someone simply passionate about Japanese culture, anime, or travel—starting your language journey online is both convenient and cost-effective. With countless resources available, finding the Free Japanese Lessons for Beginners that truly help you progress can be overwhelming. That’s where we at LearnJapanese come in—to guide you toward the best platforms that offer real value at zero cost.

Why Start with Free Lessons?

Free lessons are a fantastic way to explore the basics of Japanese without any upfront commitment. They introduce you to Hiragana, Katakana, basic grammar, essential vocabulary, and everyday phrases. Most importantly, they help build your confidence and interest before you move on to more advanced materials or paid courses.

Here’s a guide to the best free Japanese learning resources you can access today:

1. NHK World – Easy Japanese

NHK World offers a structured course for beginners. With 48 audio-based lessons, accompanying text, and cultural notes, this platform is perfect for absolute beginners. You’ll learn common phrases, pronunciation, and daily-use vocabulary in a step-by-step manner. It’s trusted, authentic, and entirely free.

2. Duolingo

One of the most popular language learning apps globally, Duolingo’s Japanese course offers gamified lessons. It teaches through repetition, images, and fun challenges. You’ll practice Hiragana, Katakana, and sentence patterns without ever feeling overwhelmed. Ideal for learners who prefer interactive study sessions.

3. JapanesePod101 (Free Access)

While JapanesePod101 has a premium model, their free tier includes hundreds of podcast-style lessons, vocabulary tools, and beginner dialogues. It’s especially good for auditory learners who want to train their ears for natural Japanese pronunciation and conversational flow.

4. Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese Grammar

For those who want a deep understanding of grammar, Tae Kim’s Guide is a brilliant resource. It provides detailed explanations, examples, and easy-to-follow chapters for beginners. Though it's more text-heavy, it’s incredibly useful for self-paced, structured study.

5. YouTube – Japanese Ammo with Misa

Misa’s lessons are widely appreciated for their clarity, friendliness, and depth. She explains grammar, vocabulary, cultural nuances, and pronunciation with real-life examples. It’s a perfect visual platform for beginners who want to learn in a relaxed and relatable manner.

At LearnJapanese, we believe that high-quality language education should be accessible to all. That’s why we continuously research and recommend the most effective Free Japanese Lessons for Beginners available online. Our goal is to help you begin with confidence and continue with passion.

So, don’t wait for the “perfect” time. Start your Japanese learning journey today with these top platforms and expert guidance from LearnJapanese—your trusted partner in language success!

[mynihongolessons]

🎌 New Daiso in Olathe = Language Learner’s Paradise! 🇯🇵 Explore how this Japanese store turns shopping into a fun reading practice session. Great for learners & teachers! #DaisoOlathe #LanguageTips

[tokidokitokyo]

Japanese Studies - Self Care Edition

Japanese language-themed self care ideas, for those tough days:

brew a cup of your favourite Japanese tea in your favourite mug

read a favourite manga

cut up seasonal fruit (asian pears, apples, persimmons, etc.) and arrange it nicely on a plate, then use a tiny fork to eat it

watch a slice of life drama, anime, or documentary about Japan

listen to your favourite Japanese band or singer

fold origami

read a Japanese poem (original Japanese or translated) - e.g. haiku, renga, waka, tanka - or try to write one of your own, in Japanese or English

consider nature around you, in terms of wabi (transient and stark beauty), sabi (the beauty of imperfection and aging), and yūgen (profound grace and subtlety)

watch a Japanese children's show or something that makes you feel nostalgic

write something to your future self in Japanese with cute stationery and seal it for later

Don't forget to take a break from your studies to rest and relax and take some time for yourself!

[rigelmejo]

So if you ever are like "why the fuck can't I do my goal X activitiy after studying Y months/years?"

I encourage you to sit down and determine roughly:

1. How many hours you've actually studied in those months/years? (and if it's nowhere near the hours recommended for say a goal of reading or speaking at B2 level then perhaps consider planning to increase study hours)

2. How much of your study plan is spent focusing on practicing the goal skills? (If your goal is to speak to people at a B2 level, and you have never practiced speaking - or even shadowing after a dialogue - then perhaps change your study plan to Include some speaking related practice).

[haru-dipthong]

I had an argument several months ago in a japanese learning discord server that still annoys me whenever I think about it. It annoys me because I lost the argument so I’ve written a dramatic reenactment with Northernlion cast as myself and NL’s chat as The Rest Of The Discord Server in which I win the argument to soothe the psychic wound this shit has wrought on me.

NL: [while in the balatro shop] I dunno man, call me crazy but I think sometimes it would be better for some people to learn casual form first. I dunno why the masu-form-first thing is so universal. [reading chat] “-2, -2, it's just how everyone does it” Oh so just because everyone does it it means it has to be universally applied in every classroom and by every self-taught language learner without exception? C’mon dude, the world is a complicated place, let's not be boiling things down into absolutes. [opens arcana pack and puts finger on chin] What am I doing here? [gets distracted by chat again] “It’s probably more efficient for learning that’s why everyone does it.”? How do you figure that? Also literally every single native japanese speaker learns casual form first bro, they’re speaking with family. [voice starts getting more bombastic] And I can tell you now, an infant is learning quicker than you. You’ve probably been studying for four years on a 12 hundred day duolingo streak trying to minmax your spaced repetition algorithm on your fuckin uhh anki deck, you got the JLPT N3 kanji list memorised and still can’t say the three words you need in an average exchange with the lawson clerk - meanwhile a toddler whose brain isn’t even half as developed as yours is spitting coherent grammatical japanese 12 straight hours a day, and you think your method is [does finger air quotes] “more efficient”. Right. [pauses for 2 seconds] Now I know what you’re gonna say: [whiny nerd voice] “oough but NL first language and second language acquisition are different” [starting to sound genuinely pissed] Oh yeah how? How are they different and how does that difference mean that this specific thing needs to be taught differently? Read some Krashen bro, educate yourself. [picks the hermit, goes to next stake] [makes another inadvisable glance at chat] [reading in a doubtful tone] "In a classroom setting you have to speak formally to a teacher, it’s a respect thing.”? Some people don’t learn from a classroom, man! Some people learn from their families and friends and partners! A lotta people are self taught, are you telling me they need to start genuflecting to themselves?! ALL I’m sayin is that SOME people [puts both hands up to camera] NOT ALL, SOME people MIGHT have a better learning experience if they started with casual form, okay?

[torachan39103]

Tsukasa Tenma Shimeji headcanons!

yes this is my first fic, its probablyyyy not that good. But hey, everyones gotta start somewhere, right?

Warning: possible shitty writing.

The first time you saw Tsukasa-or atleast caught a glance of him was as he tried to get out of the folder he originated from, only to then end up in other folders. He started to get irritated by being unable to get out, letting out a melo-dramatic groan. You, confused as to where the sound could have been from, innocently opened the folder he was in. Tsukasa, feeling the presence of something, no, rather someone else, looked up, eyes wide as he realised he had been caught.

"Ha! Hello, human!!! Youve been graced by the presence of the up-and-coming future star himself!"

He proclaimed, striking a 𝑒𝓍𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝑔𝒶 𝒸𝑜𝑜𝓁 pose, his hand on his chest as the other ones up in the air.

Ever since then, the little guy has been living alongside you in your device.

-Tsukasa, even for a shimeji, is surprisingly not all that tech-savy. Although he can edit and move files, at first he has no real clue on how to do it, messing up a couple times. Make sure to keep a back-up of any files you dont want him to accidentally delete.

-He's really active, moving around a ton on your desktop! He will practice the dances for his upcoming performances, try to find the best 𝑒𝓍𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝑔𝒶 𝒸𝑜𝑜𝓁 poses known to man, and if hes really bored he will start climbing around, using your files as the holds. Yes, if he manages to climb to the top, he'll mount his flag up there, laughing victoriously.

-Tsukasa isnt all that good at video games, nor is he that experienced. Most of the time, he will either watch you play, enthusiastically commenting on whats happening on screen, or he will try to play it himself, he's a pretty fast learner, and he'll pick up the controls rather quickly! But, if he has to choose any games, he mostly enjoys simulations, roleplay or....dress up! yea, he likes putting together outfits to varying themes, or he just goofs around.

-Unlike what you may assume, he actually isnt that fond of physical affection at first. he's not used to it, he didnt get it much when he was younger. At first, he will just nervously giggle, scratching the back of his head, or even try to avoid it all together. Tho, the more time he spends around you, the more he gets used to it.

-Once hes used to it, buckle up cause he is NOT stopping. He LOVES headpats, and WILL ask (demand) them whenever you can give them. In return, he will hug your cursor. How cute!

-Every time you open and close your device, tsukasa will pop up from around the corner, excitedly greeting you by striking another 𝑒𝓍𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝑔𝒶 𝒸𝑜𝑜𝓁 pose! Great way to start you day, huh?

-Tsukasa is.....well, he's not the worst at helping you, but also not exactly the best, either. He will help you look up and find info about topics, and He'll even try organising your files for you! Tho, it might not be perfect, but hey, its the thought that counts, right?

-well....even Tsukasa gets burned out or tired sometimes. Trying to achieve greatness is a supreme, but sometimes, kinda exhausting goal. Whenever he is exhausted, he will be noticably calmer, but, still his star self! But, if he's burned out....well, cant have anyone seeing a star like that, right? He will take shelter in your documents, hoping you wont notice him being off. Please reassure him its okay!

-Tsukasa will watch anything youre watching with you! He's interested in most things, but acting or art related stuff especially attracts him. He'll lay out entire theories out loud, try to predict what will happen, and have a great time in general! Nothing could ever be dull with Tsukasa!

-Tsukasa will gladly sing for you! He'll sing anything, but he cant really speak anything other than japanese, atleast not without it sounding like he's singing with hot potatoes in his mouth-but he will try! You might also catch him silently humming along, both to songs youre listening to currently and background video-game music. If you bring it up later, he WILL be embarrassed about it.

-Tsukasa can, and WILL talk your head off if you let him. He comes up with the most random topics on the fly, related to what youre doing or not. He will enthusiastically ramble on, making elaborate hand gestures to match.

-If youre playing or watching anything without sound, Tsukasa will passionately and...rather dramatically read it out loud. Goodluck trying to take it seriously then.

-Tsukasa has...mixed feelings about you picking him up. At first, totally no!! he will squirm around, trying to escape the cursors almighty grasp. If you drop him, he WILL fall face-first onto the desktop, grumbling silently while getting up. But, later, if he starts to like you, then he actually really likes it! When you pick him up, he'll playfully pretend to be flying! But-dont do it to suddenly, that might startle him.

I wrote way to goddamn much didnt i? Well, you only live once so write bible-lenght fanfic while youre at it. I hope there arent much spelling mistakes or non-cannon things. Just tell me if thats the case, ill try to edit them out. I will mostly just write for Tsukasa, maybe Miku or Kaito sometimes. Have a nice day.

(PS: after needing to make a new account to get verified, this is finally actually viewable. If thats a blessing or a curse, you decide.)

[dokushoclub]

Short Story Collections for Learning Japanese

Short stories are very popular with language learners – and rightly so. Being able to finish even a short tale aimed at native speakers will feel like a great accomplishment.

I had a look at three approaches for intermediate and advanced learners to enjoy Japanese short stories. For each I can also recommend a few matching short story collections:

Short Stories in Easy Japanese

Japanese Short Stories with English Annotations

Parallel Readers

I give my more detailed thoughts on all these short story collections for learning Japanese in my blog post. You can find it here:

[mochayoubi]

hello!! how are you? i'm reaching out to you because you're the one i keep seeing my dashboard that's related to japanese learning.

i wanted to ask: how do you suggest a beginner should start studying? like, they're N5, and they know hiragana and katakana, but do not know how to move forward from there because it scares them? (it's me, btw, hi hello how are you how are the kids)

thank you so much!! have a good day!!

omg hi!!! im doing ok (im sick rn but it's fine lol) thanks sm for the ask! :3

i think the best thing you can do for yourself is follow your curiosity! at the early stages of learning curiosity will take you much farther than trying to set hard deadlines for yourself - especially when it sounds like moving forward is a bit intimidating at the moment.

so, i'm going to list out things that might be worth checking out. it takes a while for people to figure out what works for them, and since you mentioned you already know hiragana/katakana you're primed to get out there and really explore your options! embrace the feeling of possibility rather than the fear of the unknown :D i say this bc if you get too caught up in making the "right" choice it might just make learning too stressful to want to continue

anyway here's some things that beginners commonly go for when continuing with japanese learning (under the readmore)

find a textbook and work through it there's a bunch out there, I know Genki I is probably the most well-known, but i'm also familiar with Tobira I, Yookoso, and Minna no Nihongo. textbooks are nice because they're literally designed for learners and offer structure to what order you learn kanji, grammar, etc. and come with lots of practice questions. the difficult part is self-teaching through them since they tend to assume youre also using it with a teacher who can correct you and give advice. however they're still pretty good as references imo! if you google "[textbook name] pdf" they're pretty likely to come up

find an app you can use daily there are also a lot of these, and many of them are designed to be used daily so you can better enforce the habit of studying japanese every day. these tend to be simpler and gamefied to make it more appealing and easier to pick up as well. i would just stay away from duolingo as i've heard their japanese curriculum is bad. some other ones i've heard are helpful are Renshuu and Human Japanese.

find an online guide and follow it by "online guide" i mean websites people have compiled of their own guides to learning japanese, such as Tae Kim. these are more accessible and unlike textbooks tend to assume that you are self-studying, so it's easier to follow independently, but usually don't have any practice questions or ways to test yourself. still good as a reference. you can also check out this website that specifies their philosophy on what makes effective japanese learning and what steps to take as a beginner (imo it's very. long. and winds on for a while. but people have said it helps!)

download and use anki anki is an app (both phone and pc) that uses flashcards and that many learners use to retain vocab. their site has decks other people have created, and you can find decks of "core vocab" for example which has flashcards of common japanese vocab. you can also create your own flashcards of words you encounter in the wild to help practice them even after you've read it. i think anki is super useful, but i would probably suggest using it once you have more of a grasp on basic japanese concepts or else you'll just be rote-memorizing things that don't make sense to you yet. but i'm putting it here in case this appeals to you!

take a class or find an online tutor now this one will most likely cost you money, but it offers the most structure and guidance possible which can be extremely helpful starting out since you're able to ask questions and get feedback. you can look into nearby universities who might offer japanese classes, or you can try one of the many language-learning tutor websites out there. i've had some decent success with italki, and there's also JOI (japanese online institute) that i've heard is very helpful too.

watch japanese-learning videos these can be nice bc you can actually hear the japanese and how it's supposed to sound, and it's typically lower effort and easier to get into than actively starting a textbook or class. miku real japanese, japarrot, and 日本語の森 are channels i've watched before and like, but there's plenty others out there too. i'd just steer away from clickbait-y looking ones like "i learned japanese in 30 days and here's how!!" since they tend to not be that helpful.

read simple stories in japanese reading in japanese tends to be the most intimidating step for people, but there's sites that have stories made for beginners that are easy to follow and only use hiragana/katakana. my go-to for my students is usually tadoku since the stories are short, organized by level, and very beginner friendly. a while ago someone showed me natively which lets you look up japanese books, also by level. if you want some good beginner manga, yotsuba and teasing master takagi-san are what i've recommended before

misc. things you can try!

watch anime but intentionally - try to actively listen and pick up on words they say. a long time ago i used animelon, which puts japanese subtitles that you can adjust to show hiragana only

look up jlpt n5/n4 specific materials. they're geared for an exam so it might not be the most natural feeling, but they do tend to be convenient for lists of vocab and grammar. this website has some helpful resources for that

add an extension on your browser that will let you hover over japanese words and see its definition. i use firefox and have 10ten reader to do this, but rikaikun and yomichan are also similar extensions

when you learn the japanese word for something in your house, put a sticky note on it that has the japanse word. like, for "table" you can put a note on it that says 「テーブル」. i heard this can help with retention (i haven't done it myself tbf)

EDIT: ohh i can't believe i forgot this. but join a japanese-learning community! there's discord servers out there, and if you have a friend willing to study with you you can ask them to be your accountability buddy.

anyway, i know that was a lot but i hope that gives you some direction on where you'd like to go next in your japanese learning journey! ^_^ and again, absolutely no pressure to do all of these. the most important thing is letting curiosity be your guide and fostering a positive relationship with learning japanese rather than being afraid. if i can help out some more lmk!!

[aliceslanguagediaries]

List of my main tags & introduction

❁ Japanese

Japanese resources

Kanji of the day *

❁ Bangla

Bangla vocabulary of the day

Bangla resources

❁Irish

Irish resources

❁French

French resources

❁General

Poll

*I use both kanji textbooks (I alternate between a few but please ask if you would like recommendations!) and the Renshuu app as resources for kanji of the day posts. All of the kanji are N1 level, and I hope to have covered them all by December to help me revise for the exam :)

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫･━━━━━━ ❜

Introduction post 🤍 (feel free to ask me any questions)

❁ Name: Alice

❁ Main blog: @opheliasrue7

❁ Age: 20

❁ Area of study: Applied language and translation studies in French and Japanese

❁ Why I started this blog: To motivate myself to and hold myself accountable for studying my languages every day , and to connect with other language learners and share useful resources!

❁ My background in language learning: I was monolingual until I was seventeen, and was entirely self-taught in all of my languages for three years before I began my current university course. I was also homeschooled for my final years of school, so I learned my languages alongside teaching myself my other school subjects!

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫･━━━━━━ ❜

❁ Languages I speak and why:

1. English, my native language

2. Bengali/Bangla ���🇩/🇮🇳: Bangla is my fiancé’s native language, I’m learning it because I love him very much (and also to communicate with his family, which I hope will become mine too). I started learning 11 months ago, and my progress has been slower than usual due to a lack of resources ): but it is a truly beautiful language and I love studying it. I am unsure of my level but I understand the majority of conversational language, though I lack confidence in speaking.

My goal for Bangla in 2025: Gain more confidence in speaking, improve my pronunciation and expand my vocabulary. I would like to be able to communicate fluently enough by the end of the year!

3.Irish/Gaeilge 🇮🇪: I am Irish, and began to learn some basics in school, but ended up forgetting the majority of it and had to relearn. I’ve been studying Irish seriously for three years, and I believe my language level is around C1. I received a H1 grade (96%) in my leaving certificate Irish exam, and while I did not continue with Irish at third level, I take a lot of pride in my language and I’m trying my best to maintain it!

My goal for Irish in 2025: maintain my current level

4. Japanese 🇯🇵: I started learning Japanese in late 2021 due to my interest in Japanese literature and manga. I studied mainly with a focus on JLPT, but I also sat the Japanese leaving certificate exam (H1, 100%). I’ve been trying to sit the N1 exam for two years (we only have the December exam here in Ireland, and it keeps clashing with my Christmas exams ): ) but I hope that this will be the year! I also study Japanese at university, so I now receive much more opportunities to participate in extra-curricular events relating to Japanese.

My goal for Japanese in 2025: Unfortunately my language level has not improved much at all in the last year or two, so other than passing the N1 my goal is also to change that. Also, I can read far more kanji than I can remember how to write as I focused on study for the JLPT, but I need to be able to write 2,000 kanji for my degree so kanji writing is a huge focus this year!

5. French 🇫🇷: My father is ethnically French but I unfortunately did not grow up speaking it. I learned some basic words and phrases when I was very young, but started studying seriously in 2022. I have a C1 level and also received a H1 (100%) grade in the leaving certificate. I now study French in university.

My goal for French in 2025: I do not really actively study French outside of my assignments anymore, but I would like to read more novels and improve my vocabulary! I have no real plans to study for the C2 exam yet

6. Hindi 🇮🇳: I studied the basics of Hindi (A1 level) last summer, but unfortunately entirely fell out of practice since I started uni in September ): I sadly still don’t have much time to give to it and have mostly forgotten the little I learned, but I do plan to pick it back up this year!

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫･━━━━━━ ❜

❁ Some other facts about me:

Other than language learning, I love reading (mainly classics, occasionally literary fiction and poetry), writing, and spending time in nature.

I’m very happily engaged :)

I’m a Christian; I was raised Catholic but converted to Orthodoxy

I suffer from chronic pain and commute 3h a day to university, which I struggle with and can make it difficult to keep up all of my languages

Despite studying languages at uni and despite language learning being my main hobby, I am actually really shy when it comes to speaking. I worry constantly about making mistakes, my pronunciation, stuttering etc. I much prefer written and aural exams for this reason.

Other than tumblr, I do not really like social media anymore, but my goodreads and pinterest are linked on my main blog!

I’ve had my main blog for a year but I’m still not great at using this app …

[sadlynotthevoid]

Why can't nii give Sakura interesting layers to his character outside " traumatized socially awkward teen" like any interesting new revelation about him? Give him close or special person " relative, friend" anything!

His distant and closed off personality is boring icl

From where? All the people who discriminate him?

If he had actually had people who had accepted him before, why would had him gone to try to gain a sense of self-worth by beating people up in the middle of who knows where?

Sakura's character goes taking shape as he gets to experience things beyond reject. Like how his favorite food is omurice, probably because it was (I suppose) the first meal someone has gave him because they wanted.

But if we're talking about something he is that can't be linked downright to his trauma and the shitty life he had, then that be his kindness. Bro doesn't have a single reason to be kind, he just is. Despite how people took that kindness coming from him.

There's also how bad at technology he is. You can't blame that on his lack of bonds. Suzuri has only just started playing games (finally) and he's already better at it than him. Meanwhile, Sakura has had his phone since before joining Furin and boy can't type a single message. Yeah, you could say he didn't have no one to text to, but has he never used internet? Google or whatever search engine Japanese people use?

To be honest, that only makes me wonder what did he do in his free time. I mean, teenagers without friends tend to spend their free time reading or online. Did he seriously just sleep? Did bro spent all day sleeping or fighting?

Bro, is this how you got so good at parkour? Did you go up in any given chance to avoid people to the point you can compete with cats?

This kinda just made his character funnier to me. Here there's a teenager with no friends nor social life, with an avaible phone, who never thought on using internet to waste time.

I got sidetracked. Anyways, yeah Sakura's trauma is a big part of his character. No, he probably doesn't have any positive bonds linking to anyone of his past. (If he had, then probably something bad would had happened for him to move away of them so...) Well, I don't think he has. And about the last part—

"Distant and closed off" is really just how he starts. He's defensive, yes. But he's terrible at keeping people away and literally can't reject their kindness. Just on the first chapters bro ended up carrying a mountain of food because he couldn't say no. He also finished it all.

There's also that funny scene when he carries granny Sato on his back all the way to Pothos— only for her to jump off his back and land in a superhero pose (we love granny Sato).

He also goes to Anzai's childhood friend (the girl one)— I don't remember if he went to know what was going on with Anzai or he asked because she was crying— and listened silently to her story. That's kinda why he followed Anzai and all that.

And then in the Noroshi arc, after getting his ass beat and finally winning Endo (in whatever sense you prefer), he still helped him to get to the roof to watch the Umemiya vs Chika (almost typed Chiaki— whoops, wrong fandom) fight.

He's not distant (despite his name), he's defensive (hence the tsundere behaviour), mostly when he's embarrased, and silent. He's also really naive ("Oh, you're foreigner?!" and literally every interaction with Suo, lol).

He also seems to be a fast learner when it comes to fighting (he literally uses Tsubaki's way of kicking after the gravel arc, has used one of Choji's move before, and then there's whatever he did in the bridge), seems to have strong morals, and he also hates hats and glasses. Though that last one is most likely related to his trauma (i think it was referenced before, but I could be wrong).

A pity you find him boring, I guess. You don't have to read it if you don't want. You can also read it because of someone else besides the main character.

[mynihongolessons]

✨ New blog post! ✨ 5 things I wish I knew before starting Japanese—from mindset to motivation. Whether you're a beginner or starting over, these reflections are for you. 💛 #LearnJapanese #JapaneseForBeginners #SelfStudyTips #MyNihongoLessons #LanguageJourney

[sadie-the-dragon-slayer]

Self / Independent Learner's Guide to Language Learning From Zero

-a mini study plan I used this for Spanish, French and Italian, it is my favourite way of starting to learn. It won't teach you the langauge but if this is your first time, if you feel confused and don't know where to begin, this is for you! -this is kinda romance langauge based but might give you ideas if you are learning from a different family too -this is very notebook / writing based since i prefer learning that way Step 1: Preperation

First of all, ask yourself "do i already have some amount of immersion in this langauge?" As humans, we learn from immersion a lot. Songs, but especially visual media is incredibly heplful. I never studied japanese but after watching a few animes i picked up 5-10 random words. Passive vocabulary, being familiar to most common words will be your biggest friend. If the answer is no, before start studying ANYTHING do some immersion. e.g. I watched dix pour cent for French and learned arrêt which means stop because characters were shouting to each other all the time.

After making sure you have some immersion or if you already have some, PREPARE YOUR RESOURCES. Make a file in your computer, reblog tumblr posts, save links. Search for pdfs in google. (x language a1 pdf / x langauge a1 grammar book / x language a1 reading) Free PDF's and and useful websites. The more the merrier. Why? Because when you actually start learning you will slowly realise them half of them are not actually useful, too advance, too simple, not in your preffered style etc. You will en up using same handful amount of resources again and again but before that, you have to TRY EVERYTHING. You are unique and so will be your learning process.

Google x language A1 curriculum. (you can try adding "pdf" at the end of sentence as well) It "probably/ hopefully" exists. If you can't find that way, learn which offical exam is necessary (e.g. for French it's DELF/DALF, in english there is IELTS and so many more) If you are lucky, you can find a langauge teaching enstitute's curriculum and you can find in what order they teach things. This was very helpful for me because sometimes you don't know what to study next, or just want to visualise what do you need to learn, it is helpful. I printed one out and paste it to the back cover of my notebook. You won't need this one YET. I'll explain in a second. Keep reading.

Get a notebook. I don't prefer books while learning from zero because it will be filled with vocabulary you don't know. My pereference is no squares no lines empty ass notebook and colorful pens. I'm a person of shitty doodles. I love to draw and visualise things. It really helps my brain. In A1, your knowledge is absouletly zero and your brain is about the explode with realising GREAT MASS of knowledge you need to learn in order to be "fluent" . So keep things away from being "too much" if you want to avoid a burnout.

Set a timer. If you want to avoid burnout, the secret is always quit when you feel like you can go another round happily. Quit when you are dopamine high. If you study too much, next day you'll wake up tired, want to rest etc. and make it harder for you to create a habit. I did this mistake with French by studying 4-5 hours everyday for around 30 days. I completed my challenge, completly quit and then didn't come back for MONTHS.

You will be re-studying A LOT. Language learning is repetition. You will start by studying "the A1 curriculum". But, because this is your first time your focus will be on the vocabulary and general comprehension. You are trying to re-wire your brain, and learn a different way of thinking and living. It's not easy. It will take time. It will be painful at times. But it is 100% worth it.

After you finished studying your curriculum, you'll take a short break and then study the curriculum AGAIN. For a second time. Because you already know the basics, this time you will be able to focus more on the little things you weren't able to comprehend the last time. e.g. articles or whatever little frustaring thing your langauge has. Also focus more on basic prononciation and especially reading aloud. Find a realistic text-to-reader. Copy-paste a text. Listen and repeat.

Get a new Youtube and Instagram account dedicated to langauge study. How many good resources exists and where they are is really depens on which langauge you are learning. For english, youtube is better. For French, instagram is better. You have to see for yourself. If you get a seperate account for your langauge algorith will learn faster and you won't be distracted by other stuff. Short form engaging videos are the best for absolute beginners. Re-watch things and try to repeat them out loud. It's called shadowing and is your future best friend.

If you want to learn how to speak, you first need to how to write. If you can't write sentences without looking at google translate (or reverso) you won't be able to make up sentences in your head. If you want to learn how to write, your first need to learn how to read. You need to start in this order but also don't be perfectionist. Do it even if you do it wrong. They will be fixed eventually and won't stick. Record yourself speaking even if the text you are reading is 90% google translated. Why? Beacuse speaking will enhance your vocabulary in a way no other thing can and that's the core of reading. So this isn't a linear thing. It's actually a circle!

Step Two! Ok, Sadie, i got my notebooks and read through all the warnings where do i start? *First page: [] means written is target langauge

[x notebook] x= your target langauge

Add something cute and make you feel happy to open up the notebook. It can a drawing, a picture, anything. First page is your entrance to your new home. Make it welcoming.

*[My name is X. I am Y years old. I live in Z.] *Greetings. Main articles if there are any. Yes, no, please, thank you. *What is your name, what do you do for living, how are you, where are you from, how old are you, how many langauges do you speak, numbers from 0-100. If there are multiple way of saying these things and probably there are, just write one. You will eventually learn others. Baby steps. *write a basic ass text of two people having a conversation asking and answering these questions.

*the alphabet and how to pronounce the letters. basic letter combinations that change into a different sound. a youtube video about this 100% exists.

*personal pronouns and if there is a "am/is/are" verb the conjugation of it. (in spanish there is two unfortunately) *artciles and basic noun endings. a couple exemples of nouns in x form but takes y article. *first 5 most common verbs. learn the conjugation, try writing basic ass sentences. (e.g. to come, go, have, speak)

*three more verbs (e.g. to eat, can, to want)

*take some time to fully comprehend. check your curriculum list to look and see if you want to add anything. e.g.for spanish that can be ser vs estar, for spanish is can be "how to ask questions in french" becaue it's way harder compared to other langauges.

*take some break from grammar and learn some vocab maybe. it can be colors, or feelings. (i am sad, i am hungry etc.)

*start studying most common verbs. usually a form of categorization exists. usually it's verb ending. (unless it's a language like turkish where every verb either ends with -mek or -mak lol.) Start with 10- 15 most common verbs. You will also be learning some vocabulary by default. (try to stick to regular verbs if you can, if not that's fine) (Do not learn any verbs you won't be able to use immediately.)

*Learn basic adjectives and how they work so you can form more detailed sentences.

*After comprehending how to form basic positive negative sentences and some verbs, congratulate yourself, because you deserve it! *Learn how tell time. "What time is it? It's x'o clock."

*learn clothing and how to simply describe physical look e.g. hair color, eye color, beard, glasses...

*learn the verbs of daily routine. be able to write a generic ass "i wake up, i do breakfast, i eat lunch at school, i sleep" sort of text.

*demonstratives. this that. these. those. you can add some vocabulary you like. this is a cat. this is a tree. you can add placement adjectives now or later. (the cat is under the sofa. the bird is on the table etc.)

*Now you know a lot of things! Take some time and focus a bit more on the vocab, let your brain process things, do some passive immersion. avoid a burnout at all costs. *learn how to say "there is" (if you want more vocab transportation and city centre themes can be included.) *learn how to talk about your hobbies. This is the generic A1 curriuculum. You are able to understand basic things, you have a generic comprehension. That's all it takes to be considered A1. If you want to pass it though, what you need is a good grammar source. For French and Spanish Kwiziq was very useful. I couldn't find a good online grammar resource for Italian yet. (please ask more experienced langblrs for recs.) Slowly learn more vocab (since A1 is more vocab based. If you hate Anki and Quizlet stuff check Linguno. Actually check Linguno anyway it's a banger and i'm gonna die on that hill.)

If you don't have have native friend to ask questiones and you don't have any ethical concerns ChatGPT can be useful. I'm using it for French for months. Why are we using this particle here, why this and not that, can you give me some example sentences.... you can play guess the animal, ask for writing prompts and then make ChatGpt find and explain your mistakes to you. It's very handy.

*Don't be scared to share about your journey on Tumblr and most importantly ENJOY!

[maziijapanese]

Complete guide to self-studying Japanese

Learning Japanese on your own can be a rewarding experience with the right resources. Here's a comprehensive guide to various methods and materials that can help you effectively self-study Japanese.

Self-study Japanese through textbooks and guides Textbooks and guides are the backbone of structured language learning. They provide comprehensive coverage of grammar, vocabulary, and kanji, ensuring a solid foundation. The "Genki" series is highly regarded for beginners, offering thorough explanations, engaging exercises, and accompanying audio CDs to practice listening and pronunciation. Another excellent resource is "Japanese for Busy People," perfect for those with limited time, focusing on practical conversation skills and essential vocabulary. Additionally, "Minna no Nihongo" offers an immersive experience by using only Japanese, pushing learners to think in the language from the start.

Self-study Japanese through videos Videos are an invaluable resource for enhancing listening skills and understanding pronunciation nuances. YouTube channels such as "JapanesePod101" and "Learn Japanese from Zero" provide free lessons ranging from beginner to advanced levels, covering grammar, vocabulary, and cultural insights. Additionally, watching anime like "My Neighbor Totoro" or dramas such as "Terrace House" with subtitles helps learners get accustomed to natural speech patterns and everyday expressions. For music lovers, listening to Japanese songs like those by J-pop artists such as Hikaru Utada or Arashi can also improve language skills and pronunciation.

Self-study Japanese online The digital age has revolutionized language learning, and Japanese is no exception. A plethora of online resources are readily available to cater to diverse learning styles. Interactive platforms and engaging apps offer personalized experiences, allowing learners to focus on specific language skills and track their progress efficiently. From mastering grammar to honing pronunciation and expanding vocabulary, these digital tools provide flexibility and convenience for self-paced study.

Self-study Japanese through exam preparation For those aiming to certify their proficiency, preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is crucial. Resources like the "Nihongo So-matome" and "Shin Kanzen Master" series offer focused practice across all JLPT levels, including grammar, reading, and listening exercises. Additionally, websites like "JLPT Sensei" provide practice tests and tips to help learners gauge their readiness and identify areas for improvement. Self-studying Japanese can be a fulfilling journey with the right resources. By utilizing textbooks, video lessons, online tools, and exam prep materials, you can develop a well-rounded understanding of the language. Remember, consistency and practice are key to mastering Japanese, so make use of these resources to enhance your learning experience.

[haru-dipthong]

Fansub release + translation notes for Utena ep 26!

お前は彼女の事どんな風に思ってるんだい？

This line from Akio is an interesting one to translate. Word for word, it means “How do you think of her?” But this misses a few bits of nuance. For example, 彼女の事 is “her”, but it comes with the nuance of “her whole self”, so the question is almost like “what do you think of her - body and soul?”

“How” is also an oversimplification of どんな風に, which feels more like “in what kind of way do you think of her”? For this line, I settled on this:

When you think of her, what do you feel?

I believe it encapsulates what Akio is asking, even though the individual words deviate quite heavily from the original script.

Akio then grabs Anthy violently and asks again, this time more directly and aggressive:

彼女の事どう思ってる？

Again, this could be translated directly as “How do you think of her?” The only thing that has changed is どんな風に into どう as well as omitting the subject and question particles — a shorter sentence with more direct meaning. I translated it as a more direct way of asking the same thing:

What is she to you?

Anthy: さあ、でもそれはイメージなんでしょ？

Anthy: Sure, but I thought it was just a fantasy.

The word イメージ (imēji) is one that trips up a lot of Japanese learners, and even some translators. Because it seems like a 1-to-1 loanword of “image”, it often gets translated directly as such. But in reality, the word only means “image” in the sense of a mental image, an impression, a depiction of something as opposed to the reality of something. This can be most commonly seen in the ubiquitous phrase seen on all food packaging — 写真はイメージです. A bad translation of this phrase would be “this photo is an image”, a hilariously redundant sentence. But its true English equivalent would be the phrase “serving suggestion”, indicating that the product contained inside is not exactly what is depicted on the packaging. 写真はイメージです is therefore more akin to “this photo is one depiction of how this product could look” or even “this photo is merely a depiction and may not reflect reality”, or sometimes even “pictures are for illustrative purposes only” if the photo on the packaging isn’t even a picture of the product (e.g. cows in a field on a milk carton, or a picture of pizza on a packet of pizza flavoured potato chips).

For example, this image was posted on a Japanese listicle titled 『でしょうな！当たり前すぎる「写真のイメージです」』 (translation: “Yeah, no shit! Extremely obvious product disclaimers”). The joke being that “yeah, no shit, I know this carton does not contain a literal field of cows”.

All of this to say, Anthy’s line might be translated by someone who doesn’t understand this as “Sure, but that’s just an image, isn’t it?”. But what she really means is “I thought that garden wasn’t a real garden, but instead an idealised image of a garden from Miki’s mind.”

Touga: 君の魂が本当に諦めていなければ、世界の果てを駆け巡る、この音を聞こえるはずだ。

Touga: If your soul hasn’t truly given up… You should be able to hear the sound that tears through the End of the World.

I forgot to discuss this in the notes for last episode, but it’s worth highlighting since it’s a phrase that will be repeated again and again. The key word here is 駆け巡る (kakemeguru) which means "to rush about" which I think is meant to evoke images of a car tearing through the streets. Kakemeguru is also a compound verb made up of the two words kakeru and meguru — kakeru means “to gallop on horseback” (or simply run/rush), and meguru means “to circle around, to tour around”. So the word carries nuances of almost joyriding around at high speeds. Also of note is the use of 世界の果て (end of the world) here to mean a location (the farthest ends of the earth) rather than an event (the revelation).

Thank you to my editor @dontbe-lasanya for their amazing work editing my translations!

Follow the blog for new episodes as they're released. You can find all the episodes released so far here:

[rigelmejo]

Guide for picking which study approach may suit you best

(aka some rough suggestions for who's "study method" to follow, what study resources you'll like best).

At the end of the day, in real life, you'll likely do a mix of these. You'll likely enjoy certain aspects when working on certain goals, or certain aspects at particular stages of learning.

1. You like learning directly from context, you don't like using tools - Comprehensible Input Lessons, Crosstalk, Graded Readers with pictures, Nature Method textbooks. Once you are no longer a beginner, learner podcasts and higher unique word count graded readers fall into this category. Once you are intermediate or above, this turns into just learning by extensively reading or extensively listening to stuff you understand the main idea of.

2. You like learning directly from context, you do like using tools - get yourself a translation app (Examples: Google Translate, Pleco, Yomiwa) and watch shows or read things, looking up words and grammar as desired to increase understanding. This can be done with learner materials as a beginner if you desire easier material to start, for example learner podcasts (Example: Nihongo con Teppei), or graded readers (Tadoku Graded Readers), just look up any unknowns you wish to know more about.

3. You like getting an explanation before you engage with things in the language - textbooks, grammar guides, word lists with translations, learner podcasts that include explanations (examples: Coffee Break French, ChinesePod101, Language Transfer), sentence audio flashcards with target language and translation audio (Example: Glossika), anki flashcards, classes.

4. You like getting an explanation before you engage with the language, but you want the quickest explanations possible - anki decks, SRS sentence apps (Example: Clozemaster), sentence audio flashcards, word lists that include example sentences and audio, textbooks that have very little fluff (Example: Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication: A Self-study Course and Reference)

If you want to have specific things made for native speakers in the language you want to understand ASAP - explanation study (3 or 4) followed by using tools (2) is the quickest way to get to the point of being able to watch a show, read a novel, etc. MIA/Refold/AJATT is basically 4 while also doing 2 immediately. Particularly tough individuals just jump right into doing 2 and learning everything that way. 2 is basically the shortest path to engaging with things made for native speakers, but it feels hard. So many people supplement doing 2 with doing 3 or 4 first, or doing 3 and 4 concurrently.

If you want to learn by directly using the language only, and are okay with waiting a while to understand things made for native speakers, then do 1. You can just do 1. You'll get to the point of being able to understand things eventually, it will just take a while. Great path for those who prefer to learn by doing, and learn in context.

If you want to be able to speak with others ASAP - tutors, classes focused on speaking, sentence audio flashcards, sentence anki flashcards, all can contribute to the skill of speaking provided you repeat/practice saying what you want to say often. Explanation (so 3 or 4) then 2 is your best bet - for 2 you would be looking up exactly what you want to say, and looking up translations/explanation of what people say to you in a language exchange (or if you pay a tutor then they may explain all those things if you ask). Again, 2 is the quickesy path since you're directly looking up what you want to say, and what people are saying to you. Doing 3, 4, or 1 for a while, before doing 2, will make 2 easier. The people I have seen who successfully learn to speak in a short amount of time (like Language Lord on youtube who learned to speak French in 30 days), do an intense amount of 2 - looking up what they want to saty, practicing saying it, conversing with others and looking any unknowns up to understand better and prepare for how to respond next time.

[nanonana39]

Language learning – Introductory tips for self taught beginners

Warning, this is a loooong read. Feel free to skip to the TL;DR at the end.

In this post, I will detail a few tips which have helped me (a self taught language hobbyist) with the beginning steps of learning languages such as English, Korean and Japanese. This is not a guide on how to achieve fluency quickly, it is meant to be an introduction to language learning. This is also based on my own experiences; feel free to disagree or correct me.

We will go over these points:

How do I start learning a language?

What should I use? Is an app better than online courses?

Do I learn grammar or vocabulary first?

How much should I study?

Should I practice immersion?

Where do I find resources/books?

I feel frustrated. / I am not learning anything. /This is too hard, maybe it's not for me.

How do I start learning a language?

This is the first thing you will ask yourself when you decide you want to start learning a language. Whether it is for work, for studying, traveling or just for fun, most people feel overwhelmed at the thought of how or where to start.

The truth is that there is no set path to start learning a language, but researching the language before studying can help relieve your worries over it and give you an idea of how to start. Keep in mind that languages which have different alphabets/writing systems (i.e. Japanese, Chinese, Arabic) take longer for a native Germanic/Romance language speaker (i.e. English, French) to learn and achieve fluency, and vice versa, so if you do not have a second language as of yet, consider choosing a Germanic/Romance language as a soft start. I'll detail a suggestion as to where to start in point 3.

What should I use? Is an app better than language courses?

The current language learning app ecosystem is a far cry from what it used to be (yes, I'm talking about Duolingo and Memrise), but they are still your main allies if you have a busy schedule and want to learn a language. However what I've found is that simply tapping away in an app and taking notes isn't enough – sometimes the apps don't explain certain grammar rules, or they're locked behind monthly paywalls. As such, you have to find the answers elsewhere.

Here are some things which will make your life and your studying much easier if you are self taught and on a budget: books on the language (for grammar, you can find PDFs online), language channels (for more thorough and practical explanations, YouTube is the main hub for it), and regular media in the language of your choosing (for vocabulary, it can range from music to series/movies). If you have a friend who speaks the language, or perhaps is learning it with you, that also works. In my opinion, learning is better when you have other people to share it with.

There are also websites such as japanesetest4you.com which compile words and their meanings, just like a dictionary. The one I've mentioned not only displays kanji and its meanings, but also shows its variants in Korean and Chinese. There are many others in this same vein for other languages.

Do I learn grammar or vocabulary first?

When learning a language, most courses and classes will focus on teaching you the grammar and the writing system, which while helpful, can sometimes feel like you are going nowhere, as you know how to build a sentence, but don't have words to form it with, or can't pronounce it correctly. This is a common problem among beginners (and sometimes even more experienced language learners), don't let it discourage you.

A personal example I like to use is: To say "the sky is blue", you have to first learn what the sky is, then learn the color blue, and then learn the structure to be able to say "the sky is blue". Vocabulary is just as important as learning the grammar rules in any language; don't limit yourself to only learning how to write. So the answer is: Build a small vocabulary, learn the grammar, and then apply it in practice. It doesn't have to be correct on the first try, we've all been there. Though people learn in different ways, so perhaps you might feel like the opposite works for you. That's also completely fine.

This is another point where engaging with the language's culture and media outside of classes comes to play. Even watching a TV program during your free time and writing down words is enough, since you're also practicing listening, which is also very important and looked over. Try incorporating pronunciation and listening into your studying routines.

How much should I study?

This is a point of much debate within language learning spaces because there is no answer for it. Some might learn a language in 3 months, others might learn it in 10 years, a few can learn it in 3 weeks. It depends on what language you've chosen and the time you are able to dedicate to the language.

The best tip I can give is: if you can dedicate even just 10-15 minutes of learning each day, you can achieve the results you desire. Of course, you should increase that amount if you're able to in the future, but it's already an effort.

Consider your schedule and refer back to the first point, as the time you'll take to achieve conversational/fluency levels can vary depending on the language you choose.

Should I practice immersion?

The common view of immersion is: "speak the language at every opportunity, only engage with media in that language, and write only in that language". This is what you'll see in some of those "I learned (language) in only 3 months" videos.

Let's be realistic though, no one can start speaking German at all times when they live in the US, or Spanish when they live in France, and you'll only feel more frustrated if you force yourself to watch k-dramas without subtitles and nothing else, expecting to absorb it through osmosis. And also, you only now started learning how to say "the sky is blue".

Immersion comes in many forms, though. If you listen to a song in the language you want to learn and read the lyrics while listening, that counts as immersion. If you write a few phrases describing your day in that language as a dynamic exercise, it also counts as immersion. Immersion is what says on the tin – immersing yourself in the language – but it shouldn't bring you unnecessary stress. Also, contrary to what some might say, I do recommend you use translators, if it helps you associate words with their meanings. Don't just rely on them, though, since Google Translate can be unreliable with certain translations and meanings.

Where do I find resources/books?

This requires digging around, but I recommend you check sites like as WebArchive and YouTube. If you can, buy the books online, or borrow some from your local library. I recommend looking for actual textbooks, mainly because some of them include tidbits about the culture itself, like Genki. If you're on a budget, Reddit has a few threads which recommend apps/books, but be very careful with downloading things from random Google Drives or other file hosting websites.

Tumblr is also a very good place for learning new vocabulary. I see some blogs dedicated to sharing kanji and grammar rules, and it can be good to follow such blogs to build your vocabulary.

I feel frustrated. / I'm not learning anything! / This is too hard, maybe this is not for me.

Rome wasn't built in one day, and you definitely won't learn a language in a month or two if you are someone who is in school or has a job with long working hours. YouTube has made language learning easy, but it also has given the illusion that if you follow X method or study an N number of hours, you'll achieve fluency. That is not the case. It fails to take into account the nature of the language, its grammar rules, the writing systems, and everything else.

You don't realize this, but you definitely didn't learn how to speak in just 3 months when you were a child. Everyone learns differently, some faster than others, some slower, some have more time to study, others don't. Some people have difficulty concentrating and don't know how to make learning more fun. All I can say is: don't give up. As long as you put in some effort, even if it seems insignificant to you, you can achieve your results.

Don't feel obligated to continue learning a language if it is bothering you, though. Remember you can always take a break and come back to it another time. Who knows, maybe even during that break, you'll still be learning new words, and feel more motivated to go back.

TL;DR: Language learning is something which is more accessible now than ever, but you might find yourself confused on where or even how to begin learning a language. The key tip for learning any language is to do research, gather resources, know your own limits and how much dedication, time and energy you can invest into learning, and most important of all, to have fun with it.

I hope this can help some beginners in their journey into language learning. Thank you for reading this far!