Comments on: How to practice listening for Japanese language http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:53:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: dipta http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-4685 dipta Sat, 09 Oct 2010 22:19:55 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-4685 Yes, I definitely agree that, without studying, your language skills (in any language) will never be that great. BTW, have you tried the 2kyuu Kanzen master kanji book? There's exercises for you to write the sentences you hear with the proper kanjis. It might be helpful too. Or maybe, since this is kind of an old post, you already passed the 2kyuu and don't need it anymore^^ Yes, I definitely agree that, without studying, your language skills (in any language) will never be that great.
BTW, have you tried the 2kyuu Kanzen master kanji book? There’s exercises for you to write the sentences you hear with the proper kanjis. It might be helpful too.
Or maybe, since this is kind of an old post, you already passed the 2kyuu and don’t need it anymore^^

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-4640 Doug Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:11:46 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-4640 Hi dipta, and welcome to the JLR. I think you're right that listening and exposure really help your language skills a lot more than study. Though study is needed somewhat to help provide context. :) Hi dipta, and welcome to the JLR. I think you’re right that listening and exposure really help your language skills a lot more than study. Though study is needed somewhat to help provide context. :)

]]> By: dipta http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-4639 dipta Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:43:33 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-4639 For sure listening is a key part of any language, what's the point of reading and such if you don't even understand? But I think the harder part isn't actually listening, there's a point where you can understand pretty well what people say and mean, but it's a totally different story actually expressing yourself the same way. You get stuck with the question "oh, what was the word he/ she used? The expression??" When you can engage in a normal conversation about anything without any of this topics in mind is when you can consider yourself fluent, isn't it? However, if you mean for JLPT, then maybe listening is the hardest IF you don't live in Japan or have to listen to it everyday, everywhere? I just remembered my friend's case; he speaks very well as he has been in Japan for a couple of years and, although he can't read half as much, he passed the JLPT 2 kyuu last year. Maybe he couldn't make it with the new rules now, but it's just to say that kanji and grammar were the hardest parts for him. Think for me listening isn't the hardest either. Even when I first arrived in Japan, it wasn't the difficult part, maybe because I listened to a lot of Japanese music and watched drama too?^^;; Well, sorry for the long text, but just wanted to add that most people I know never got to learn the language with their spouses, but with friends, classes, etc. For sure listening is a key part of any language, what’s the point of reading and such if you don’t even understand? But I think the harder part isn’t actually listening, there’s a point where you can understand pretty well what people say and mean, but it’s a totally different story actually expressing yourself the same way. You get stuck with the question “oh, what was the word he/ she used? The expression??”
When you can engage in a normal conversation about anything without any of this topics in mind is when you can consider yourself fluent, isn’t it?

However, if you mean for JLPT, then maybe listening is the hardest IF you don’t live in Japan or have to listen to it everyday, everywhere?
I just remembered my friend’s case; he speaks very well as he has been in Japan for a couple of years and, although he can’t read half as much, he passed the JLPT 2 kyuu last year. Maybe he couldn’t make it with the new rules now, but it’s just to say that kanji and grammar were the hardest parts for him.
Think for me listening isn’t the hardest either. Even when I first arrived in Japan, it wasn’t the difficult part, maybe because I listened to a lot of Japanese music and watched drama too?^^;;
Well, sorry for the long text, but just wanted to add that most people I know never got to learn the language with their spouses, but with friends, classes, etc.

]]> By: arunlikhati http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-1684 arunlikhati Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:48:59 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-1684 I forgot to mention that another finding in the study on perceptual learning was that the subjects learned better if they got a full night's sleep! I forgot to mention that another finding in the study on perceptual learning was that the subjects learned better if they got a full night’s sleep!

]]> By: Kendall http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-1668 Kendall Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:37:31 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-1668 One source I have for listening to Japanese is music. I have a number of OST from anime that I enjoy listening to, even though I can't translate many of the lyrics I am finding I can make out more of the pronunciations as I learn more Japanese. I also have movies in Japanese that I can listen to as well as your typical Japanese learning aids. One of my concerns will be my pronunciations. One of my learning tools (Nintendo DS: My Japanese Coach) lets me record my voice and compare it to the Japanese pronunciation, but it's still limited. I don't currently know anyone offline that speaks Japanese that can listen to me, but I won't be that far along for a while. I at least have a natural knack for foreign accents. One source I have for listening to Japanese is music. I have a number of OST from anime that I enjoy listening to, even though I can’t translate many of the lyrics I am finding I can make out more of the pronunciations as I learn more Japanese. I also have movies in Japanese that I can listen to as well as your typical Japanese learning aids.

One of my concerns will be my pronunciations. One of my learning tools (Nintendo DS: My Japanese Coach) lets me record my voice and compare it to the Japanese pronunciation, but it’s still limited. I don’t currently know anyone offline that speaks Japanese that can listen to me, but I won’t be that far along for a while. I at least have a natural knack for foreign accents.

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-1666 Doug Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:24:36 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-1666 Wow, <em>well said</em> Mr. Chen. Well said, indeed! The roles I have to play are ones I am grateful for, so I am not complaining at all, but like you said, it can make learning language difficult. But, before I get too old, I am determined to really give it one last big effort. :) Actually, I have a second reason as well, in that I hope to use my language skills later when I resume my training as a Buddhist priest. That's something I had to drop years ago, due to circumstances at the time, and hope to take up again, but this time smarter, wiser and with better language skills. It's not something most readers here even know about because it was something from my very first blog almost 4 years ago, but it's something I never really gave up on either. Indeed, we can only follow the course of nature with a determined, but relaxed mind. Thank you! Wow, well said Mr. Chen. Well said, indeed!

The roles I have to play are ones I am grateful for, so I am not complaining at all, but like you said, it can make learning language difficult. But, before I get too old, I am determined to really give it one last big effort. :) Actually, I have a second reason as well, in that I hope to use my language skills later when I resume my training as a Buddhist priest. That’s something I had to drop years ago, due to circumstances at the time, and hope to take up again, but this time smarter, wiser and with better language skills. It’s not something most readers here even know about because it was something from my very first blog almost 4 years ago, but it’s something I never really gave up on either.

Indeed, we can only follow the course of nature with a determined, but relaxed mind.

Thank you!

]]> By: Kuei-sen Chen http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-1664 Kuei-sen Chen Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:36:05 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-1664 Hi, Doug, The description of your feeling about the difficulty in mastering Japanese especially the listening skill well fits my experience of learning English which is my second language (Japanese being my 3rd). Having lived in an English speaking country for 17 years and yet I still struggle with it. I think my English level in general is of the same level of your Japanese. Listening is my biggest concern. The secret of attaining a big leap in mastering a language, I think, is the amount of time you can spend to expose yourself to an environment of that language. I think your barrier is the nature of the roles you have to play at this stage of life. Sometimes we can only follow the course of nature with a determined but relaxed mind. Kuei-sen Hi, Doug,

The description of your feeling about the difficulty in mastering Japanese especially the listening skill well fits my experience of learning English which is my second language (Japanese being my 3rd).

Having lived in an English speaking country for 17 years and yet I still struggle with it. I think my English level in general is of the same level of your Japanese. Listening is my biggest concern.

The secret of attaining a big leap in mastering a language, I think, is the amount of time you can spend to expose yourself to an environment of that language.

I think your barrier is the nature of the roles you have to play at this stage of life. Sometimes we can only follow the course of nature with a determined but relaxed mind.

Kuei-sen

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-1663 Doug Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:19:01 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-1663 Hi Arun, This is <em>exactly</em> something I've been wondering lately. I think I missed your last response, so please accept my apologies. In any case, I was worried that if I only passively listen, then I might not learn much, but I do notice how my mind kind of floats in and out of the conversation I am listening to over streaming media, which to me sounds like when I listen to English language programs, so it's the same effect. Yeah, I still study actively (usually an JPod lesson a day or every other day), and spend time on Anki daily thanks to an Microsoft Outlook calendar reminder, so I hope these will balance out my Japanese better. I am quite concerned about how unbalanced my training and self-study has been up until now. :p Hi Arun,

This is exactly something I’ve been wondering lately. I think I missed your last response, so please accept my apologies. In any case, I was worried that if I only passively listen, then I might not learn much, but I do notice how my mind kind of floats in and out of the conversation I am listening to over streaming media, which to me sounds like when I listen to English language programs, so it’s the same effect.

Yeah, I still study actively (usually an JPod lesson a day or every other day), and spend time on Anki daily thanks to an Microsoft Outlook calendar reminder, so I hope these will balance out my Japanese better. I am quite concerned about how unbalanced my training and self-study has been up until now. :p

]]> By: arunlikhati http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/03/11/practicing-listening-for-japanese-language/#comment-1662 arunlikhati Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:11:14 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=3394#comment-1662 I posted about this on your previous blog, but I think it will help: You can listen to streaming media while working at the office, even without consciously trying to make out what the news is saying. This is especially helpful if you download a newscast and play it on repeat. Even though you may not be spending much conscious effort in listening, your brain still integrates this information. Combined with only 30-90 minutes a day of active training (best in 30 minute intervals), your listening skills will probably improve faster than only watching Japanese television. I posted about this on your previous blog, but I think it will help: You can listen to streaming media while working at the office, even without consciously trying to make out what the news is saying. This is especially helpful if you download a newscast and play it on repeat. Even though you may not be spending much conscious effort in listening, your brain still integrates this information. Combined with only 30-90 minutes a day of active training (best in 30 minute intervals), your listening skills will probably improve faster than only watching Japanese television.

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