#Japanese language learning

[spitzy-speaks-jp]

I'm streaming games in Japanese and translating them on the fly to pay my car insurance

I'm new to asking for help so outright like this, but I believe the big text above gets the gist across. i got blindsided by a massive car insurance payment, and i could really use the help at least offsetting the cost The link up there is a link to the page where I'm accepting donations, all working up to a hefty $900 goal. As of 7:11pm 10/30/23, I'm at $0 donos are greatly appreciated, but reblogs help massively, as does just putting me on in another tab

[eddis-not-eeddis]

I listen to one of those Japanese for Beginners podcasts while running these days because my Korean teacher told me to get my heart rate up while practicing vocab to maximize my retention, and also because I hate myself.

[japaneselanguagecourses]

Japanese language courses: Essential Tips for Beginners

Starting a Japanese language course as a beginner can be an exciting and fulfilling experience. By understanding the basics, choosing the right course, practicing consistently, and engaging with native speakers, you'll build a strong foundation. Immerse yourself in the culture, set realistic goals, and utilize a variety of resources to enhance your learning experience. Remember, patience and persistence are essential.

[studieswithmi]

Oct 2, 2023 ・❥・Week 1 Day 2 of prepolygot’s Langblr Reactivation Challenge

Write a list of goals you have for your target languages. Make both long-term and short-term goals. An overall goal could be the ability to talk with a native speaker with ease and a smaller goal would be to finally learn that difficult grammar point that's been plaguing you for ages. How will you achieve them?

Non-Langauge Specific Goals

Watch and listen to more movies, shows, music and podcasts in target languages to practice listening, and repeating phrases back to practice speaking

Buy more books in target languages to practice reading

Start journalling in target languages to practice writing more often

Korean Goals

I don't have too many short-term goals for Korean, I'm more looking at the broad picture.

Reach B2

Watch a movie without subtitles and feel confident in understanding what is going on

Do more speaking exercises to gain more confidence in pronunciation

Focus on vocab more (I know a lot of grammar but it outweighs my vocab knowledge so I can't use my grammar to its full potential)

Japanese Goals

Reach B1

Improve my handwriting - sometimes I can't read the kanji when I go back later to review my notes :') But my handwriting can be improved overall

Create at least 60 vocab flashcards and memorize them by the end of the month (October)

Watch more subbed anime (often I swap to dub so I can do other things and leave the show on in the background. Watching in sub would force me to listen and focus more)

Spanish Goals

Reach A2

Do at least a lesson of Duolingo everyday

Continue watching children's shows dubbed in Spanish - Shout out to Bob Esponja

Focus on Latin American Spanish

Be confident in knowing when to use ser vs estar

Reach Intermediate on Spanish Pod 101

[clockwork-solus]

local sorcerer of eld looking for friends, feel free to hit me up or follow me or whatever

will tag stuff im interested in, discord provided in dms upon request

i promise, i don't bite

[mysteclipse7]

One thing I’ve found to be really interesting and to motivate myself/keep myself interested when I’m teaching myself Japanese is breaking down vocab and words with the kanji and seeing what they mean!!

It’s like when I realised what made up 人形 (doll) was a combination of “human/person” and “shape/form”, or that 花火 (fireworks) is pretty much “fire flower”, and most recently that 子守歌 (lullaby) involves “child”, “protect” and “song”. It’s really cool and I find it quite exciting to see what makes up a lot of them and I think it can not only make them easier to remember or set a particular image in your mind but I just find it fun to realise! And some of them are really just pretty too TT

Searching up I realise that Wanikani actually breaks down a lot of these already so a simple way to do that is by searching up the vocab etc through there, but it’s also something you can just notice as you learn over time kanji that make up certain vocab.

It’s just something cool I find and I wanted to ramble about it, and it’s nice to think about those exciting little things if I’m ever feeling a little drained on motivation for doing flashcards or things like that “:D

[kaydegard]

I thought the hard part of Japanese would be figuring out which reading to use for Kanji but it’s not that bad actually? you kinda develop and intuition for it based on the word should mean and what sounds are surrounding it because like in any language, not all sounds are possible.

[christadeguchi]

i'll let phie-san say it:

[myjapaneseonline]

Embarking on the journey to master the Japanese language is only possible by the exploration with cultural immersion. MyJapaneseOnline emerges as a lighthouse, guiding learners online through a comprehensive and transformative practice through native Japanese teachers. 

[ayin-me-yesh]

In light of Duolingo laying off its translators, here are my favourite language apps (primarily for Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and te reo Māori).

Multiple Languages

Anki is a flashcard programme and app that's not exclusively for languages. While making your own decks is ideal, you can also download shared decks for most languages.

If you're learning Japanese, specifically, Seth Clydesdale has websites for practicing alongside Genki's 2nd or 3rd editions, and he also provides his own shared Anki decks for Genki.

And if you're learning te reo Māori, specifically, here's a guide on how to make your own deck.

TOFU Learn is an app for learning vocabulary that's very similar to Anki. However, it has particularly excellent shared decks for East Asian languages. I've used it extensively for practicing 汉字. Additionally, if you're learning te reo Māori, there's a shared deck of vocabulary from Māori Made Easy!

Mandarin Chinese

Hello Chinese is a fantastic app for people at the HSK 1-4 levels. While there's a paid version, the only thing paying unlocks is access to podcast lessons, which imo are not really necessary. Without paying you still have access to all the gamified lessons which are laid out much like Duolingo's lessons. However, unlike Duolingo, Hello Chinese actually teaches grammar directly, properly teaches 汉字, and includes native audio practice.

Japanese

Renshuu is a website and app for learning and practicing Japanese. The vast majority of its content is available for free. There's also a Discord community where you can practice alongside others.

Kanji Dojo is a free and open source app for learning and practicing the stroke order of kanji. You can learn progressively by JLPT level or by Japanese grades. There's also the option to learn and practice kana stroke order as well.

[goodplan-ipromise]

[haru-dipthong]

Gendered pronouns in Japanese vs English

In Revolutionary Girl Utena, the main character Utena is a girl (it says so in the title), but very conspicuously uses the masculine first person pronoun 僕 (boku) and dresses in (a variation of) the boys school uniform. Utena's gender, and gender in general, is a core theme of the work. And yet, I haven’t seen a single translation or analysis post where anyone considers using anything other than she/her for Utena when speaking of her in English. This made me wonder: how does one’s choice of pronouns in Japanese correspond to what one’s preferred pronouns would be in English?

There are 3 main differences between gendered pronouns in Japanese vs English

Japanese pronouns are used to refer to yourself (first-person), while English pronouns are used to refer to others (third-person)

The Japanese pronoun you use will differ based on context

Japanese pronouns signify more than just gender

Let’s look at each of these differences in turn and how these differences might lead to a seeming incongruity between one’s Japanese pronoun choice and one’s English pronoun choice (such as the 僕 (boku) vs she/her discrepancy with Utena).

Part 1: First-person vs third-person

While Japanese does technically have gendered third person pronouns （彼、彼女） they are used infrequently¹ and have much less cultural importance placed on them than English third person pronouns. Therefore, I would argue that the cultural equivalent of the gender-signifying third-person pronoun in English is the Japanese first-person pronoun. Much like English “pronouns in bio”, Japanese first-person pronoun choice is considered an expression of identity.

Japanese pronouns are used exclusively to refer to yourself, and therefore a speaker can change the pronoun they’re using for themself on a whim, sometimes mid-conversation, without it being much of an incident. Meanwhile in English, Marquis Bey argues that “Pronouns are like tiny vessels of verification that others are picking up what you are putting down” (2021). By having others use them and externally verify the internal truth of one’s gender, English pronouns, I believe, are seen as more truthful, less frivolous, than Japanese pronouns. They are seen as signifying an objective truth of the referent’s gender; if not objective then at least socially agreed-upon, while Japanese pronouns only signify how the subject feels at this particular moment — purely subjective.

Part 2: Context dependent pronoun use

Japanese speakers often don’t use just one pronoun. As you can see in the below chart, a young man using 俺 (ore) among friends might use 私 (watashi) or 自分 (jibun) when speaking to a teacher. This complicates the idea that these pronouns are gendered, because their gendering depends heavily on context. A man using 私 (watashi) to a teacher is gender-conforming, a man using 私 (watashi) while drinking with friends is gender-non-conforming. Again, this reinforces the relative instability of Japanese pronoun choice, and distances it from gender.

Part 3: Signifying more than gender

English pronouns signify little besides the gender of the antecedent. Because of this, pronouns in English have come to be a shorthand for expressing one’s own gender experience - they reflect an internal gendered truth. However, Japanese pronoun choice doesn’t reflect an “internal truth” of gender. It can signify multiple aspects of your self - gender, sexuality, personality.

For example, 僕 (boku) is used by gay men to communicate that they are bottoms, contrasted with the use of 俺 (ore) by tops. 僕 (boku) may also be used by softer, academic men and boys (in casual contexts - note that many men use 僕 (boku) in more formal contexts) as a personality signifier - maybe to communicate something as simplistic as “I’m not the kind of guy who’s into sports.” 俺 (ore) could be used by a butch lesbian who still strongly identifies as a woman, in order to signify sexuality and an assertive personality. 私 (watashi) may be used by people of all genders to convey professionalism. The list goes on.

I believe this is what’s happening with Utena - she is signifying her rebellion against traditional feminine gender roles with her use of 僕 (boku), but as part of this rebellion, she necessarily must still be a girl. Rather than saying “girls don’t use boku, so I’m not a girl”, her pronoun choice is saying “your conception of femininity is bullshit, girls can use boku too”.

Through translation, gendered assumptions need to be made, sometimes about real people. Remember that he/they, she/her, they/them are purely English linguistic constructs, and don’t correspond directly to one’s gender, just as they don’t correspond directly to the Japanese pronouns one might use. Imagine a scenario where you are translating a news story about a Japanese genderqueer person. The most ethical way to determine what pronouns they would prefer would be to get in contact with them and ask them, right? But what if they don’t speak English? Are you going to have to teach them English, and the nuances of English pronoun choice, before you can translate the piece? That would be ridiculous! It’s simply not a viable option². So you must make a gendered assumption based on all the factors - their Japanese pronoun use (context dependent!), their clothing, the way they present their body, their speech patterns, etc.

If translation is about rewriting the text as if it were originally in the target language, you must also rewrite the gender of those people and characters in the translation. The question you must ask yourself is: How does their gender presentation, which has been tailored to a Japanese-language understanding of gender, correspond to an equivalent English-language understanding of gender? This is an incredibly fraught decision, but nonetheless a necessary one. It’s an unsatisfying dilemma, and one that poignantly exposes the fickle, unstable, culture-dependent nature of gender.

Notes and References

¹ Usually in Japanese, speakers use the person’s name directly to address someone in second or third person

² And has colonialist undertones as a solution if you ask me - “You need to pick English pronouns! You ought to understand your gender through our language!”

Bey, Marquis— 2021 Re: [No Subject]—On Nonbinary Gender

Rose divider taken from this post

[japaneselanguagecourses]

Japanese language courses provide structured and systematic learning paths that are crucial for effective language acquisition. These courses cover essential aspects such as grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and speaking. Enrolling in a well-designed course ensures that learners receive comprehensive instruction, practice opportunities, and guidance from experienced educators.

[studieswithmi]

Sep 29, 2023 ・❥・Week 1 Day 1 of prepolygot's Langblr Reactivation Challenge

Day 1: Create an introduction post about yourself. What's your name? What languages are you studying? What languages do you hope to study? What do you hope you'll get out of this challenge?

Hi everyone, long time no see. My name is Mi, I'm 24, and a native English speaker. I use masculine pronouns in any language I study, as well as they/them in English.

My old url used to be hangugeo-hands but I changed it because while I do still want to learn more KSL, Korean and Korean sign language aren't the only languages I want to study. I'm shifting my focus to more Spanish right now because I'm looking at a possible trip in the future! That being said, I'll still post other languages as well!

With this challenge, I hope to use it as a fun little game to really motivate me to renew this blog as I continue my studies.

This is a side blog! Any follows come from @baldyeosang

Languages Currently Studying

Korean

Japanese

Spanish

Languages I'd Love To Study One Day

Gaeilge

Get back into KSL

French

German

[japanese-language-institute]

Japanese Teaching Course In Delhi

Teaching Japanese to a beginner is just like teaching ABC to a child Except the child already knows how to say "onigiri"! It's not hard - just that you need to learn it from somewhere you can trust. Therefore, it is essential to seek out a reliable source from which to learn. This can make all the difference in mastering the material and ultimately, achieving success as a Japanese teacher. This process is similar to building a house: if you want the structure to stand, it’s essential to use quality materials and take the time to lay them out correctly. The same is true when studying Japanese: use reliable sources, and you’ll get the solid foundation needed for success. We can help you find the right materials and resources to make sure your study foundation is strong and reliable. This way, you can maximise your efforts and make the most out of your studying time.

[dkettchen]

she would've told them unlike her canon! version who decided not to be an ally smh