こんにちは。
Yesterday was officially my 1 year mark in learning Japanese! I've learned a lot over this past year. I've learned so many things, anything from what study methods work best for me or aren't worth my time, to having a deeper understanding and appreciation of how culture influences language use.
I plan to continue learning, and I still love Japanese and am so happy to have learned all I have this past year. It's been a great journey so far!
じゃまたね。
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Thursday, July 21, 2016
10 Months of Learning Japanese - Day 305
こんばんは。久しぶりです。Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I've felt up to making a new post. The last two months have been full of personal and family health challenges. I've been feeling a little better the last couple of weeks, and I've been able to study some more after having to cut back a lot for two months.
To brush back up on things I've been reviewing all my vocabulary words on Anki and other apps I've used here and there to remind myself that I haven't forgotten Japanese! I was getting a little stressed for a while that I might start studying again only to find I'd forgotten everything. This hasn't been the case though, so I'm very relieved to be picking up again where I left off.
I haven't been learning anything new since I've been focusing on reviewing things I've learned so far. I can't believe I started learning 10 months ago already! It seems like just yesterday, but it also feels like it was a long time ago.
I hope to feel well enough to make some more progress soon, but even if not I will keep reviewing all the things I've learned and continue to love and enjoy the Japanese language and culture.
じゃまたね。
To brush back up on things I've been reviewing all my vocabulary words on Anki and other apps I've used here and there to remind myself that I haven't forgotten Japanese! I was getting a little stressed for a while that I might start studying again only to find I'd forgotten everything. This hasn't been the case though, so I'm very relieved to be picking up again where I left off.
I haven't been learning anything new since I've been focusing on reviewing things I've learned so far. I can't believe I started learning 10 months ago already! It seems like just yesterday, but it also feels like it was a long time ago.
I hope to feel well enough to make some more progress soon, but even if not I will keep reviewing all the things I've learned and continue to love and enjoy the Japanese language and culture.
じゃまたね。
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Day 252 Progress Update
皆さんこんばんは。
Hi everyone! Since my last post on May 11, I've reached a couple of landmark dates. On May 21 it was the eight month mark since beginning to learn Japanese. It was my 250th day on May 27. I like numbers and dates if you can't tell. ;) It helps keep me motivated when I measure things that way.
I haven't increased my vocabulary much the past few weeks. I've just been working on the words I already know, so my total is around 5600 words that I do my best to remember and recognize. This last month has brought a lot of physical challenges for me and someone else close to me, so many days it's all I can do to review my flashcards while laying in bed. That sounds weird, but it gives me something to do when I'm trying to get enough energy to get out of bed.
I continue to utilize JapanesePod101's lessons, and I review the meanings of kanji in addition to using some other apps here and there. However, if I'm not feeling well at all one day, I do my review flashcards for the day and call it good. I have made some progress in Genki and definitely find that to be the best use of my time when I'm up for it. Hopefully I'll feel a little better in these coming weeks, and I'll be able to make some more progress. If not, then I hope to at least retain what I've learned so far. 'Tis the challenge of learning languages when you are chronically ill.
Working on Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, and Korean in varying degrees gives me positive and interesting things to do each day. I feel like my brain starts turning to mush without some brain food, so languages are my brain food right now. It's easy to get very down when you can't do much physically. Studying gives me something to look forward to and make progress in even when doing very poor physically. It's either this or watch a lot of tv or play games. Which in excess feels like brain junk food when consumed in high amounts. ;)
I have always loved languages. Even though I'm not very well physically, learning about some of the languages and cultures that have always fascinated me is definitely fulfilling. I look forward to seeing where I am on my next update!
If you're interested, I have posted my first blog post today on cantoneseiscool.blogspot.com. I'll be posting updates on my journey and progress of learning Cantonese. It's exciting so far!
じゃね。
Hi everyone! Since my last post on May 11, I've reached a couple of landmark dates. On May 21 it was the eight month mark since beginning to learn Japanese. It was my 250th day on May 27. I like numbers and dates if you can't tell. ;) It helps keep me motivated when I measure things that way.
I haven't increased my vocabulary much the past few weeks. I've just been working on the words I already know, so my total is around 5600 words that I do my best to remember and recognize. This last month has brought a lot of physical challenges for me and someone else close to me, so many days it's all I can do to review my flashcards while laying in bed. That sounds weird, but it gives me something to do when I'm trying to get enough energy to get out of bed.
I continue to utilize JapanesePod101's lessons, and I review the meanings of kanji in addition to using some other apps here and there. However, if I'm not feeling well at all one day, I do my review flashcards for the day and call it good. I have made some progress in Genki and definitely find that to be the best use of my time when I'm up for it. Hopefully I'll feel a little better in these coming weeks, and I'll be able to make some more progress. If not, then I hope to at least retain what I've learned so far. 'Tis the challenge of learning languages when you are chronically ill.
Working on Japanese, Spanish, Cantonese, and Korean in varying degrees gives me positive and interesting things to do each day. I feel like my brain starts turning to mush without some brain food, so languages are my brain food right now. It's easy to get very down when you can't do much physically. Studying gives me something to look forward to and make progress in even when doing very poor physically. It's either this or watch a lot of tv or play games. Which in excess feels like brain junk food when consumed in high amounts. ;)
I have always loved languages. Even though I'm not very well physically, learning about some of the languages and cultures that have always fascinated me is definitely fulfilling. I look forward to seeing where I am on my next update!
If you're interested, I have posted my first blog post today on cantoneseiscool.blogspot.com. I'll be posting updates on my journey and progress of learning Cantonese. It's exciting so far!
じゃね。
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
234 Days of Learning Japanese!
皆さんこんにちは。
Well, here I am on day 234! I've been continuing to work hard learning new vocabulary, grammar, and to improve my listening skills. I've noticed that I'm starting to understand more and feel less overwhelmed when listening to music or watching videos in Japanese.
As a result of feeling less overwhelmed, I've been listening to even more music, watching more videos, and listening to audio books while reading along. It's been helping so much and I feel that I've turned a corner into where I can actually enjoy learning instead of studying being so serious all the time. I'm still doing all the serious studies, such as reviewing vocabulary cards in Anki, but now when I don't feel up for that I can at least watch or listen to something and understand what's going on without having to rely on subtitles or a lyric translation so heavily.
It's such an exciting feeling to listen to something and catch more than just a word here and there. To be able to listen to something and be able to really understand (with a little work) it has been really great.
I've been listening to a lot of music the past few weeks after I came across a song that I had known the tune previously but didn't know more than that. The song is "Ue o Muite Arukou" or sometimes known as "Sukiyaki" sung by Kyu Sakamoto. I've been a little obsessed with the song and have played it and sung it a lot.
Last week I downloaded a CD called "Planet Journey" from an artist named Ritsuka. I love all the songs and I have learned new vocabulary and grammar from listening closely. I've been really into the song "Aoi Tori" aka "Bluebird". There were a lot of words I already knew when I first listened to it so it had caught my attention, and now that I have listened a lot I've learned a good deal. I've been enjoying some other songs and artists as well, but these two songs stand out. I've been trying to find some additional music artists that fit my tastes but it's a lot of work.
I also have been watching some clips from game shows on YouTube. AKBingo is my favorite right now even though I know there is a lot of controversy and some shady things concerning AKB48, the music group that the show is built around.
Aside from diving into Japanese music and media a little more, I've been continuing to practice in more serious ways as well. I haven't done as much Rosetta Stone as I'd like to the past few weeks because I haven't been well enough (thus all the time on my hands to watch game shows and such). I have been doing some more vocabulary, and have worked my way up to about 5500 vocabulary words that I'm currently working on. Since I've been doing more reading and other things, it has felt easier to remember more words and their meanings. Sometimes just practicing a word in Anki a couple of times, and then hearing it in a song or on a program is all it takes to remember it well.
In one of my last posts I talked about taking a break from new vocabulary, and I took around a month long break (or close to that). I may take another break in the future if I feel burned out on new words, but right now I feel like my learning is similar to a snowball running down a hill that's getting bigger and bigger and I want it to keep going. It's a hard balance between doing too little and not progressing much and becoming frustrated that way, or doing too much and getting overwhelmed. This past week I've felt like being in an at-home pseudo-immersion where I just want more and more no matter how well I understand it all. I know that will likely taper off but it's been nice to feel less overwhelmed in general, even if it's a temporary thing.
I've felt myself more easily be able to make sentences, and I often think quite a few sentences (at minimum) in Japanese each day. Even though I'm by myself a lot it is a relief to be able to form a complete thought fairly quickly about something I'm watching, etc. Baby steps!
I can't wait to see how much progress I make between now and my next update! Thanks for reading!
じゃまたね。
Well, here I am on day 234! I've been continuing to work hard learning new vocabulary, grammar, and to improve my listening skills. I've noticed that I'm starting to understand more and feel less overwhelmed when listening to music or watching videos in Japanese.
As a result of feeling less overwhelmed, I've been listening to even more music, watching more videos, and listening to audio books while reading along. It's been helping so much and I feel that I've turned a corner into where I can actually enjoy learning instead of studying being so serious all the time. I'm still doing all the serious studies, such as reviewing vocabulary cards in Anki, but now when I don't feel up for that I can at least watch or listen to something and understand what's going on without having to rely on subtitles or a lyric translation so heavily.
It's such an exciting feeling to listen to something and catch more than just a word here and there. To be able to listen to something and be able to really understand (with a little work) it has been really great.
I've been listening to a lot of music the past few weeks after I came across a song that I had known the tune previously but didn't know more than that. The song is "Ue o Muite Arukou" or sometimes known as "Sukiyaki" sung by Kyu Sakamoto. I've been a little obsessed with the song and have played it and sung it a lot.
Last week I downloaded a CD called "Planet Journey" from an artist named Ritsuka. I love all the songs and I have learned new vocabulary and grammar from listening closely. I've been really into the song "Aoi Tori" aka "Bluebird". There were a lot of words I already knew when I first listened to it so it had caught my attention, and now that I have listened a lot I've learned a good deal. I've been enjoying some other songs and artists as well, but these two songs stand out. I've been trying to find some additional music artists that fit my tastes but it's a lot of work.
I also have been watching some clips from game shows on YouTube. AKBingo is my favorite right now even though I know there is a lot of controversy and some shady things concerning AKB48, the music group that the show is built around.
Aside from diving into Japanese music and media a little more, I've been continuing to practice in more serious ways as well. I haven't done as much Rosetta Stone as I'd like to the past few weeks because I haven't been well enough (thus all the time on my hands to watch game shows and such). I have been doing some more vocabulary, and have worked my way up to about 5500 vocabulary words that I'm currently working on. Since I've been doing more reading and other things, it has felt easier to remember more words and their meanings. Sometimes just practicing a word in Anki a couple of times, and then hearing it in a song or on a program is all it takes to remember it well.
In one of my last posts I talked about taking a break from new vocabulary, and I took around a month long break (or close to that). I may take another break in the future if I feel burned out on new words, but right now I feel like my learning is similar to a snowball running down a hill that's getting bigger and bigger and I want it to keep going. It's a hard balance between doing too little and not progressing much and becoming frustrated that way, or doing too much and getting overwhelmed. This past week I've felt like being in an at-home pseudo-immersion where I just want more and more no matter how well I understand it all. I know that will likely taper off but it's been nice to feel less overwhelmed in general, even if it's a temporary thing.
I've felt myself more easily be able to make sentences, and I often think quite a few sentences (at minimum) in Japanese each day. Even though I'm by myself a lot it is a relief to be able to form a complete thought fairly quickly about something I'm watching, etc. Baby steps!
I can't wait to see how much progress I make between now and my next update! Thanks for reading!
じゃまたね。
Monday, April 18, 2016
Day 211 Progress Update
皆さんこんばんは。
Hello everyone! Here I am on day 211, and I feel like things are going well. I've continued to review the vocabulary words I've learned so far, but I have not been learning any new words via an app. I have still learned new words the natural way here and there.
Getting off the insane vocabulary word accumulation treadmill has been so good for me. I've instead used my time building my core skills and grammar. Even though I was working on all those things before, I'm now able to spend more time on making sentences and understanding than I had been able to before. I feel a lot less stress about learning and it has become enjoyable again. I will definitely learn more words again at some point, but I can see now how I just need to go with the flow a little more and do what feels right each step of the way instead of trying to fit my studying and progress into some kind of pre-made mold.
I've been using my Genki I book and Rosetta Stone mostly these past few weeks in addition to reviewing vocabulary words/example sentences in Anki and using JapanesePod101. I've felt myself reach a higher level of understanding than where I'd been previously and it's exciting! I've been working especially hard on increasing my usage and understanding of a wider scope of verb conjugations and using more particles correctly.
Can't wait to see where I'm at on my next update! Thanks for reading!
さようなら。
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Day 200 Progress Update
皆さんこんばんは。
Well, here I am on day 200! I've definitely learned a lot these past 200 days...and I'm also at a turning point. I've been in self-reflection mode a lot both because that's normal for me this time of year and also because of losing someone dear to me this past week very unexpectedly.
In the spirit of inner reflection, here are a few of the things I've been pondering concerning going forward in my Japanese learning.
I've been spending a lot of time learning vocabulary, which is a good thing, but can get a little out of hand. Focusing a lot on vocabulary is particularly popular for a lot of people including myself who like to quantify their learning into numbers. I've used different apps and books to aid in my learning, including using Anki. The deck on Anki that I've been using has helped me so much - I think one's experience with Anki and how effective it is largely depends on what deck you use. The one I've been using has been SO helpful. My reading comprehension and reading skills have improved so much. I am going to continue using Anki, but the thing I'm questioning is the pace of learning any new vocabulary for at least a little while.
Because I love numbers like most everyone else seems to these days, my most high goal has been to learn the all magical number of vocabulary words in one year - 10,000. Right now I'm at about 4400-4500 words that I can read and recognize well. No I can't use them all in conversation, but there are a lot of English words I know well that I would never use in a conversation either. That however is different since I can speak and think in English just fine... ;)
Because I'm now 200 days into learning Japanese, it's becoming more and more obvious to me how much more practice I need in making my own sentences. I do pretty well for the stage I'm at in reading other's writing and my listening skills are coming along well too. As for making complete thoughts and being able to say or think more than a sentence here or there, I definitely feel behind from where I'd like to be. The past week or so I've spent less time doing new vocabulary and I've been spending more time writing and speaking sentences. Simple ones, but I need to just work hard and build up my abilities in that area.
I've been a little addicted to reaching that 10,000 word goal for this first year, and I've evaluated that goal here and there along the way so far, but I'm really thinking about it even harder now. I've also justified continuing towards that goal because my reading ability has improved so much from expanding my vocabulary. However, I think because I do have some health problems and due to that situation I only have a small amount of time that I'm well enough each day to have "hard-core" study time. That means I really need to use that feel-good time wisely. I've been focusing so much on vocabulary, and while I know that's good and has helped me be able to read and know so much more than if I hadn't been doing so much vocabulary thus far, I really am at a turning point.
So right now the question I'm considering is this: Do I keep going forward as I have been, learning up to 35 new vocabulary words a day so I can attain that magical 10,000 words come September? OR Do I slack off a little on learning new words, failing to reach that obsessive compulsive 10,000 words, but in so doing I would likely spend more time doing other types of practice that I hope will help me more overall?
I'm pretty sure I'm going to be learning less new words from here forward, letting go of that 10,000 words in one year goal I've had. It's a really good goal, and I know it has done wonders for a lot of other people. It makes me sad to think about changing course a little and not being able to put a figurative checkmark at the end of my first year knowing that many words. But I can see that if what I really want is to be able to speak and think in Japanese and not just read and listen, I need to pull back just a little on being number obsessed and build up my core skills a little better. I know that I need to do this away from being in an app. Apps get you in kind of a quiz mode all the time yet put you in a situation where you're unable to recall many of those words outside of the app. I need to break free of that problem a little better by changing my focus.
So that sums up where I'm at right now for the most part. Self reflection mode. I know that losing someone close to me this week has made me think that much harder about how I'm doing things (not just with Japanese learning). I don't know what the coming days are going to look like exactly with my learning, but what I do know is that I want to be able to speak and think in Japanese, not just know a bunch of words as I read or listen that I can't put into sentences myself.
Thanks for reading! <3
じゃまた。
Well, here I am on day 200! I've definitely learned a lot these past 200 days...and I'm also at a turning point. I've been in self-reflection mode a lot both because that's normal for me this time of year and also because of losing someone dear to me this past week very unexpectedly.
In the spirit of inner reflection, here are a few of the things I've been pondering concerning going forward in my Japanese learning.
I've been spending a lot of time learning vocabulary, which is a good thing, but can get a little out of hand. Focusing a lot on vocabulary is particularly popular for a lot of people including myself who like to quantify their learning into numbers. I've used different apps and books to aid in my learning, including using Anki. The deck on Anki that I've been using has helped me so much - I think one's experience with Anki and how effective it is largely depends on what deck you use. The one I've been using has been SO helpful. My reading comprehension and reading skills have improved so much. I am going to continue using Anki, but the thing I'm questioning is the pace of learning any new vocabulary for at least a little while.
Because I love numbers like most everyone else seems to these days, my most high goal has been to learn the all magical number of vocabulary words in one year - 10,000. Right now I'm at about 4400-4500 words that I can read and recognize well. No I can't use them all in conversation, but there are a lot of English words I know well that I would never use in a conversation either. That however is different since I can speak and think in English just fine... ;)
Because I'm now 200 days into learning Japanese, it's becoming more and more obvious to me how much more practice I need in making my own sentences. I do pretty well for the stage I'm at in reading other's writing and my listening skills are coming along well too. As for making complete thoughts and being able to say or think more than a sentence here or there, I definitely feel behind from where I'd like to be. The past week or so I've spent less time doing new vocabulary and I've been spending more time writing and speaking sentences. Simple ones, but I need to just work hard and build up my abilities in that area.
I've been a little addicted to reaching that 10,000 word goal for this first year, and I've evaluated that goal here and there along the way so far, but I'm really thinking about it even harder now. I've also justified continuing towards that goal because my reading ability has improved so much from expanding my vocabulary. However, I think because I do have some health problems and due to that situation I only have a small amount of time that I'm well enough each day to have "hard-core" study time. That means I really need to use that feel-good time wisely. I've been focusing so much on vocabulary, and while I know that's good and has helped me be able to read and know so much more than if I hadn't been doing so much vocabulary thus far, I really am at a turning point.
So right now the question I'm considering is this: Do I keep going forward as I have been, learning up to 35 new vocabulary words a day so I can attain that magical 10,000 words come September? OR Do I slack off a little on learning new words, failing to reach that obsessive compulsive 10,000 words, but in so doing I would likely spend more time doing other types of practice that I hope will help me more overall?
I'm pretty sure I'm going to be learning less new words from here forward, letting go of that 10,000 words in one year goal I've had. It's a really good goal, and I know it has done wonders for a lot of other people. It makes me sad to think about changing course a little and not being able to put a figurative checkmark at the end of my first year knowing that many words. But I can see that if what I really want is to be able to speak and think in Japanese and not just read and listen, I need to pull back just a little on being number obsessed and build up my core skills a little better. I know that I need to do this away from being in an app. Apps get you in kind of a quiz mode all the time yet put you in a situation where you're unable to recall many of those words outside of the app. I need to break free of that problem a little better by changing my focus.
So that sums up where I'm at right now for the most part. Self reflection mode. I know that losing someone close to me this week has made me think that much harder about how I'm doing things (not just with Japanese learning). I don't know what the coming days are going to look like exactly with my learning, but what I do know is that I want to be able to speak and think in Japanese, not just know a bunch of words as I read or listen that I can't put into sentences myself.
Thanks for reading! <3
じゃまた。
Monday, March 21, 2016
6 Months of Japanese!
皆さんこんばんは。
Well, here I am completing my first six months of learning Japanese! I have learned so much and it's exciting to be able to look back at how I've progressed. The main reason I started this blog six months ago was so that I would be able to look back and see how far I've come. Even though I have a long way to go, I know that for me and my personal intentions and goals I'm doing well. Everyone moves at different paces, and I'm happy with how things have gone so far.
It's interesting how as time has passed I've learned a lot about what works for me and what doesn't. I've used all kinds of mobile applications, audio/video, and books to study and feel like I've made a lot of progress in finding a good routine. Currently I use Anki mainly for practicing my reading and vocabulary. I was skeptical about Anki for a long time, and I know others are as well. I think it depends on the decks you use, what your goals are, and how you use it as a tool. All I know is that I have improved a lot since using it. Faster than I had improved using other methods.
I'm also still using JapanesePod101 for audio lessons. Sometimes I don't feel like the lessons apply to me very much because I'm not travelling to Japan, but I know all of it is still useful and important to know. I've started to use the video lessons a little more than the audio ones, but it just depends on the day/week and what I feel is the best use of my time.
Some of the areas I hope to focus on as I move forward is being able to use and understand more complex grammar, utilizing a wider variety of conjugations, and expanding my knowledge of sentence patterns and collocations. I've been looking up conjugations and grammar as I'm exposed to them, but I want to dig in deeper so I can get past the beginner wall and get closer to intermediate/advanced beginner. I know I need to step up my game in a lot of areas so that I can keep improving.
I've been doing a lot of inner reflection on what my goals are, particularly since my last post. It's very important to me to continue developing my vocabulary similar to how I've been doing so far. Every week I see more words that I've learned stick a little better in my mind and I find then coming to mind as I practice speaking and thinking in Japanese.
A few changes I've already been implementing mostly involve me being a little more realistic with my studies each day. I'm a very driven person, but sometimes I tend to get a little too number driven and my health and overall quality of learning can pay the price. Since I do have some health challenges I've found that I've had to reevaluate some of my goals to get me where I need to be and remember to keep my focus on the big picture instead of worrying about numbers. That's probably a good idea when working toward any goal. It's easy to work toward a number and look good on paper, but with what really matters, numbers don't even count. That being said I am still keeping count of my progress in vocabulary and other things even though it's just how I like to visualize my progress.
Another study method that has surprised me at how much it has helped is brushing up a little more intensely on the Spanish I learned ten years ago. The more Spanish vocabulary I remind myself of and work on, the Japanese vocabulary and grammar becomes easier to me. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but it has really been helpful to me. As I have learned Japanese verbs, it has been helpful all along when I have compared the coordinating Spanish verb. There are so many more similarities than I ever would have thought, and instead of getting confused, it has actually been helpful to me to start studying this way. Even with words that are completely different from each other this method has been helpful. It's like the words high-five in my brain and they're all linked together in shared meaning.
Now to sum up about Japanese! In my first six months I have learned 4000+ Japanese vocabulary words. I am not to the point of using all of them in conversation, but I'm pretty sure I don't use very many words even in English! Recognizing the words when I hear them and being able to read them accurately when I see them written with kanji and kana is where I have improved a lot, and it is what is most important to me in my personal goals. I'm not going on some trip to Japan or moving anywhere with a large Japanese population. Being able to have conversations is a goal of mine, but an even bigger goal of mine is to read and write correctly.
I am happy to look back at where I started and see how I've progressed over the last six months. I'm excited to see where the next six months takes me!
じゃまた。
Well, here I am completing my first six months of learning Japanese! I have learned so much and it's exciting to be able to look back at how I've progressed. The main reason I started this blog six months ago was so that I would be able to look back and see how far I've come. Even though I have a long way to go, I know that for me and my personal intentions and goals I'm doing well. Everyone moves at different paces, and I'm happy with how things have gone so far.
It's interesting how as time has passed I've learned a lot about what works for me and what doesn't. I've used all kinds of mobile applications, audio/video, and books to study and feel like I've made a lot of progress in finding a good routine. Currently I use Anki mainly for practicing my reading and vocabulary. I was skeptical about Anki for a long time, and I know others are as well. I think it depends on the decks you use, what your goals are, and how you use it as a tool. All I know is that I have improved a lot since using it. Faster than I had improved using other methods.
I'm also still using JapanesePod101 for audio lessons. Sometimes I don't feel like the lessons apply to me very much because I'm not travelling to Japan, but I know all of it is still useful and important to know. I've started to use the video lessons a little more than the audio ones, but it just depends on the day/week and what I feel is the best use of my time.
Some of the areas I hope to focus on as I move forward is being able to use and understand more complex grammar, utilizing a wider variety of conjugations, and expanding my knowledge of sentence patterns and collocations. I've been looking up conjugations and grammar as I'm exposed to them, but I want to dig in deeper so I can get past the beginner wall and get closer to intermediate/advanced beginner. I know I need to step up my game in a lot of areas so that I can keep improving.
I've been doing a lot of inner reflection on what my goals are, particularly since my last post. It's very important to me to continue developing my vocabulary similar to how I've been doing so far. Every week I see more words that I've learned stick a little better in my mind and I find then coming to mind as I practice speaking and thinking in Japanese.
A few changes I've already been implementing mostly involve me being a little more realistic with my studies each day. I'm a very driven person, but sometimes I tend to get a little too number driven and my health and overall quality of learning can pay the price. Since I do have some health challenges I've found that I've had to reevaluate some of my goals to get me where I need to be and remember to keep my focus on the big picture instead of worrying about numbers. That's probably a good idea when working toward any goal. It's easy to work toward a number and look good on paper, but with what really matters, numbers don't even count. That being said I am still keeping count of my progress in vocabulary and other things even though it's just how I like to visualize my progress.
Another study method that has surprised me at how much it has helped is brushing up a little more intensely on the Spanish I learned ten years ago. The more Spanish vocabulary I remind myself of and work on, the Japanese vocabulary and grammar becomes easier to me. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but it has really been helpful to me. As I have learned Japanese verbs, it has been helpful all along when I have compared the coordinating Spanish verb. There are so many more similarities than I ever would have thought, and instead of getting confused, it has actually been helpful to me to start studying this way. Even with words that are completely different from each other this method has been helpful. It's like the words high-five in my brain and they're all linked together in shared meaning.
Now to sum up about Japanese! In my first six months I have learned 4000+ Japanese vocabulary words. I am not to the point of using all of them in conversation, but I'm pretty sure I don't use very many words even in English! Recognizing the words when I hear them and being able to read them accurately when I see them written with kanji and kana is where I have improved a lot, and it is what is most important to me in my personal goals. I'm not going on some trip to Japan or moving anywhere with a large Japanese population. Being able to have conversations is a goal of mine, but an even bigger goal of mine is to read and write correctly.
I am happy to look back at where I started and see how I've progressed over the last six months. I'm excited to see where the next six months takes me!
じゃまた。
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