Kanji, a Japanese language of historical importance, consists of Chinese characters being adopted in the early centuries. The literal meaning of Kanji is Chinese characters. The language has ideograms i.e., each character corresponds to a word and has a specific purpose. At the same time, the Japanese also associated them with their own pronunciations. The three elements of the Japanese writing system include Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. The latter is more complicated than its two counterparts.
To kick start your journey to Japan, Kanji is a survival skill. Learning Kanji is a severe struggle. It’s a linguistic challenge, and mastering it demands grit and perseverance. Motivation, correct methodology, and dedication are the much-required pillars. Once you start learning Kanji, then there is no looking back as it is a passionate process.
Basics tips for speedy learning of Kanji:
1. Set Goals:
In order to make it a strict point of learning Kanji, you need to set goals that are specific, realistic, attainable, and functional. Achieving is the practical aspect of the theoretically set goals. Surviving in this fast-paced and impatient world is possible only if you set up small goals for yourself and achieve them steadily daily.
2. Download the apps:
Nothing is off-limits when it comes to technology. With the availability of numerous apps, the daunting task of learning Kanji has turned out to be quite straightforward. The free apps for the same includes:
ü “imiwa?” for iOS and “tangorin” for Android: These are the dictionary apps
ü “Anki”- the flashcard app
ü Google translate- for both iOS and Android.
The paid apps are “Midori” and “Skritter.”
3. Learn Radicals:
Going by the basics is relatable and reliable. Because all the involved characters are made of some rudimentary radicals, learning the latter is much effortless. Quite often, it would happen that the radicals and the associated pronunciation are the same in the composite characters when split.
4. Practice Stroke Order:
There’s a distinct style of writing Kanji. Kanji is written in a specific stroke order. This might appear a point to be forsaken but bear in mind that not going by the sequence will just make learning hard for you. Following as is said will make things easier for you in memorizing, and in turn will reinforce your interest as well.
5. Frame Flash Cards:
Making flashcards enables you to quickly scan through what you need at the moment. Flashcards happen to be quite handy whenever the learners encounter something which is unyielding to them. The most common way is to write Kanji on one side and its meaning on the other. Along with the flashcards, it is also prudent to memorize via mnemonics. Flashcards are handy and so it is a great tip for practicing. Make it a habit of remembering the words daily in the morning so that you will learn this language in a fast and efficient way.
6. Learn with the images:
Visual memories are the best. The renowned Heisig method of learning Kanji takes into account the photos. The eminent books like Remembering the Kanji‘ by James Heisig and’ Kanji Pict-O-Graphix’by Michael Rowley prove out to be helpful for many learners. For example, the character for ‘person’ looks like a person. Images are the perfect source of learning things. Practicing this language is challenging, but visual learning is an excellent way to practice this challenge.
7. Repetition:
A simple concept of learning any new entity is revising and repeating. Owing to the fact that there’s not much of understanding in Kanji, mugging up happens to be the option. As a matter of fact, to convert your short term memory into long term, memorizing around 4 times is must. It’s a key to hold on for an extended period. Repetition is the traditional way of learning kanji, and this requires a lot of hard work. In this essential tip, beginners have to write the same Kanji over and over again in small square boxes made on the paper.
8. Read the Japanese text as much as you can:
Learning individual kanji glyphs is one step. To make your learning more concrete, you should read the text as much as possible. Memorizing will be rendered fruitful only when you see Kanji in context. Its like getting a bigger picture. Agreed with the fact that finding interest in reading an unknown text is tedious, but in order to achieve the task of learning Kanji, this step is a must.
9. Learn with Sounds:
Japanese have their own way. After you have your plan ready and commitment set, hear, spell, and pronounce the characters. Going in this way is the only technique by which you can acquaint yourself with such an exigent foreign language. Read aloud the Japanese alphabets and words daily so that you have a sense of familiarity in a day or two of practice. For approaching a language like Japanese, a realistic and smart plan needs to be framed.
Conclusion:
The toughness level of Kanji is well accepted. Even the native Japanese people do not know it by their hearts. Learning a foreign task itself demands courage, and when it comes to logograms, things turn out to be more cumbersome. The only key is to practice as hard as you can. Have faith in yourself and keep reminding that nothing is impossible in this world. You can do this and don’t be discouraged by small failures because, in the end, you will undoubtedly become fluent in the Japanese language.
