About learning Japanese... How to get past the frustration?

Question:

I've been studying the language by myself from books and apps for about 2 1/2 years, and it seems like every time I start to feel like I'm getting somewhere, something happens that makes me realise just how ignorant I am.

For example, I'm always making stupid or embarrassing mistakes, and there have been a few very awkward moments when I've tried speaking to native Japanese :( Every time something like this happens I feel awful and like I'm a complete idiot. Even my most well-meaning attempts can sometimes come across completely the wrong way.

Anyway, I go on... Basically I'm feeling a bit disheartened and was wondering how other people cope with this feeling, and if I'm alone in thinking that I'm an idiot/being laughed at when I make attempts! Does it get better?

Thanks in advance for your answer :)

Answer:

Do not give up yet, I get frustrated too, but i love learning the language, and i recognize that learning any new language is hard. Just ask people to correct you and thank them when they do. you have to have some more confidence in your abilities. maybe think about the things you know you have down, then pick out your weaker points. focus on fixing those to the level of other concepts you understand. practice writing sentences whenever just to get some practice in. Yes, sometimes i will be lost on a concept but i try to be a bit more positive about it.

also, i tend to compare something i think is hard to my native language, which is English. Don't get me wrong, i love my native language, but thinking about some of the downright WEIRD things in it will usually give me a laugh and cheer me up, which is good because i hate trying to learn when i am already frustrated with something. Maybe the same works for you in French? (that weird "h" sound? [my friend studies French and this sound baffled me, lol])


All in all, just keep it up, you will surely improve. If the social minefield bothers you, i would try to focus a bit more on polite terms, and simply be familiar with the more informal ones so you can recognize them when you here them, but you do not need to say, memorize every way to say one word depending on who you are talking to.

I hope you continue to advance in your studies, ganbatte.