Learning on your own is a good idea, but how do you intend to go about it, especially if you have no prior knowledge of the subject?
The Japanese language is beautiful but not so simple language to learn. With over 3.66 million people studying this language around the world, it is the 9th most learned language in the world, with approximately 128million native speakers.
Now that you have decided to study the Japanese language on your own and you have all the required materials in place, how then should you go about it?
Set study goals
I believe before you decided to go on this learning journey, you already have goals in place that will serve as motivation for you. If you don’t, then it’s not too late to set some. These goals are the long or short-term achievements you look forward to achieving at some point in your language learning process. The fact that you have some set goals to look forward to means you will be able to handle all the hurdles and difficulties that come with studying on your own and look beyond the hassles for the better end result. As someone learning Japanese on their own, it is important to set short term study goals first. You can choose to make long term goals later.
Develop good study habits
Setting goals is amazing, but how do you intend to keep it going? For self-study, 3-5hours a week is how long you should study if you intend to maintain an effective study routine as well as memorize what you’ve learned. You can choose to have a particular time to study each day, and in a short while, it will become a habit that you find yourself indulging without any stress. Remove all distractions before you start to study and try to learn at a slow pace.
Learn to manage your time effectively
This is definitely a problem for most people learning a language on their own. If you decide to study for an hour, you shouldn’t spend 30minutes out of your study time doing something else. Always remember that study time is for studying and not for running house chores, discovering new talents, or engaging in other activities. In other words, you need to prioritize your study for the best results.
Study outside the textbook
Real-life situations are the best when learning the Japanese language, and since you’ll be studying on your own, it is important that you look beyond textbooks to learn the Japanese language. Watch Japanese movies or TV series, talk to natives, and engage in a language exchange program. Whatever you decide to do, just ensure not to solely depend on textbooks to learn the Japanese language.
Focus on speaking
Learn to have loud conversations with yourself. Readout loud, speak Japanese to your family and friends even if they don’t get you. Sometimes, it’s easier to think you know how to do things than you actually do. Every time you speak out loud, you build your confidence and even learn to pronounce things correctly and better than you previously did.
Review and test yourself
How will you identify your strengths and weaknesses if you don’t test yourself? Review everything you have learned and memorized. Take note of the ones you find difficult to remember or understand, dedicate more time to learning them and go over the review process again. You can test yourself once every 2 months. This will help keep you on track and even boost your confidence in case you decide to take any of the Japanese language proficiency tests.
Hard work
Until you decide not to let any distractions keep you away from learning the Japanese language, you may not be able to study and learn effectively. The hard work you invest in studying is directly proportional to the results you get. In other words, your input equals the output. When it comes to studying, you don’t always need to sit down to do it. You can learn some parts of the Japanese language while doing your home chores, lying on the bed, walking on the street, and even when watching your entertainment series. To achieve this, you need to ensure to get the right materials, which include podcasts and flashcards, etc.
Stay consistent, committed and motivated
Consistency and commitment are paramount for success. You can’t abandon your lessons every now and then and expect to pick up right where you left. The Japanese language is already a difficult one to handle, and so, any long break between your study times may not be as beneficial to your study life as you want it to. Well, it’s okay to take breaks in between in order for you to recharge, refresh, and allow what you have learned to assimilate, but these breaks shouldn’t extend longer than it is supposed to. For instance, a 2days break from the study is reasonable, but 3weeks break can cause you to forget more than 20% of what you have learned, and so, you may have to spend more time trying to revise and memorize them again instead of moving to your next study level.
Motivation does not come easily, and so, you must find ways to feed your motivation. If you have other Japanese language students around you, find out from them how they stay motivated. You can also go online to read about others who have passed through the process and learn how they maintained motivation. Also, if you need a reward to stay motivated, then give yourself one. Just do whatever you need to do to keep your study routine going, and with each passing day, you will become better than you were the previous day.
Bonus tips- if you don’t mind having cards, notes, or wallpaper up on your home wall, then it will be wise to write down some of the things you want to learn and have them up on your wall. This way, you will become familiar with them, learning them unconsciously. Another idea that could be helpful to you entails that you change your phones’ language settings to the Japanese language. Navigating your phone may seem very difficult at first, but with time, you will get used to it.
Best of luck!