How can i not lose interest in Japanese?

Question:

heres the thing, im struggling and wishing for me to go to a japanese class, but i don't know any near by classes that i could take?? everyday i wish for a class that i could take, because my school does not teach japanese its just spanish, french and whatever... :( i look on the internet all the time to practice words, katakana, hiragana, and kanji, but it's just confusing, and so thats why i need a class, and i'm starting to lose interest because i cannot understand it perfectly, i mean seriously this is one of my life goals, that i cannot fail, ive wanted this since i was 12, now im 17, could someone please tell me some tips that i could do, because i really do not want to lose interest in learning japanese, because i have no other ideas for my future, someday i will have the guts to go to japan...

Answer:

Hello Blake, The best way is to mix up what you are learning and the way you learn it. Set some goals for motivation and try to achieve your goals. These could be a test at the end of the year or simply to learn 10 new kanji every week.

The best way to learn Japanese is by taking a class, enrolling in a course or investing in a good textbook. If you can't take classes then the self-study method with the correct resources is a good way.

The key to learning Japanese effectively is to work on your grammar, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Its best to think of these as separate categories and focus on each specific category as these require different methods and techniques.

Start by learning the basics through grammar. These books really helped me.

• Shin Nihongo no Kiso I & II
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

• An Introduction to Modern Japanese by Osamu Mizutani & Nobuko Mizutani
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

• Japanese Demystified by Eriko Sato a self-teaching guide
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

These books cover both polite Japanese, which is extremely important to learn in order to speak Japanese effectively and causal Japanese, which is great for everyday conversations.

I also recommend trying to learn a certain amount of vocab or kanji each day as this helps you build up your vocab and kanji ability. I tried to learn 5 kanji per day or about 20 a week and did the same with vocab.

Watching Japanese anime or any Japanese TV program is a good idea for improving your listening skills and also your vocabulary. Keep a notebook and jot down any new words you hear. Then look them up and find out the meaning.

Websites are not always the best way to learn Japanese. Most websites are run by people with no teaching credentials and are not even native speakers of Japanese. Some of them are just interested in making money and not in helping you in what you need to be successful in learning Japanese.

How to Learn Japanese
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010…