A site for lovers of Kanji.

This post was a long time in the making. This post will consist simply of exactly what I personally did and felt in the process of preparing for and passing the Japanese language proficiency test.

In the beginning, I didn’t really know anything about techniques or more effective ways to learn, but the one thing I do remember feeling was a resolution. There was never an “if” there was only a “when”. “I will be fluent one day”. I believed it. Now, I know it.

This self-confidence, this perhaps over-confident belief that I would succeed, is, I think, the over-ruling factor that made it possible for me to maintain motivation, and carry on with the study of kanji and of the Japanese language for a long time. It doesn’t go away when you get the passion. “Isn’t it great knowing stuff!”.

Optimism and confidence are super important for sure. Looking at what you can do in the language will boost your confidence. Study for one week and think, “wow, I learned 100 kanji this week, I rock”. Not, “ugh! I still don’t know anything…” Really feel the satisfaction of progress and try to remember it the next time you struggle for motivation.

The kanji are typically put forward as something that people have difficulty with when it comes to Japanese learning. I don’t like this way of thinking to be honest. This is a belief that people have that holds them back – a self-limiting belief (an SLB ). With the sincere consideration of this idea you fall prey to allowing kanji to be a real barrier. Why are the kanji difficult? “Because everyone knows they are”.

Now, of course some people all have their own area where they excel the most, but what you will typically find, is that they excel at whatever that might be, because that is what they spend a good deal of their time doing. If someone spends all day running, then they are likely to be very good runners. Likewise if you spend a good amount of time learning and practicing memory techniques like those in RTK, or some other powerful mnemonic technique, “no matter who you are”, you will most likely get a much improved memory.

Memory is not a gift, it is a skill. It is something that you can hone and get much, much better at using. A few memory tricks is all it takes to remember with great ease for example, the fact that when you are feeling “gloomy” 『』, you put on your crown 『』 of cans『缶』, walk into the woods『林』. In the woods you see a small square container『』  (<-perhaps one like this). It is filled with rice『』. Sticking out of the rice are 3『』 spoons『』, and you feel content again.

As you imagine this, see the crown of cans “vividly” in your mind’s eye, see a colorful forest, really go into it, in your mind, see that square box filled with rice, imagine how good the rice will taste perhaps, then see the 3 spoons sticking out of the rice, think how odd it is, remember that feeling.

“Are kanji difficult?” – No, they are not. They are whatever you choose to believe they are. There is a tradition of believing that they are, of course, but you aren’t a traditionalist anyway.

I think about language learning and about most other things in life in a similar vain. The physical restrictions should be the only restrictions you accommodate. Say “no, thank you” to a mind that holds you back.

This is quote from AJATT and Anti-moon. “Why is it, that 4-year old kids can speak their language so fluently”? Is it because their minds are like sponges? Is it because anybody over the age of 5 years loses the ability to learn languages effectively? Or might it be something else.

Children typically love their parents. They have role models who they mimic like crazy at every turn. They listen intently. They copy ferociously. It’s almost like they are even trying to become that person. Most of it may be subconscious, but it happens nevertheless.

Adults are very much their own people. Adults have well-formed opinions on things. They “know” what is going on. And they “don’t” like being told they are wrong, and they certainly don’t copy what other people do! How embarrassing! Not many adults would want to be caught imitating another adult. It is for this reason, most likely coupled with a few humongous SLBs that most people don’t attain their language learning goals.

JLPT prep involves getting the books with the word lists, grammar, reading, etc. Then you create some nice new Anki cards and hit your reps (I have an Anki tutorial in the works, but until I post that up, there is a fine tutorial on Anki here). Use sentences, study the grammar points and new vocab in context. What’s ideal for acquiring the grammar/ vocab, rather than going through the motions with the textbook is to actually encounter them in real language texts – google it up.

That plus mass listening and mass reading is how you pass the Japanese proficiency test. Try and log as many hours as you can manage listening to the language. That will guarantee you the listening. Then it’s about the reading and the organization/ timing you will need during the exam. Timing, especially on the reading section is very important IMO, you need to make sure you don’t spend too long on one question, and spread your time evenly between all the available points, if you run out of time, just give it a guess and move on.

Reading can be tough (If you believe that you are doomed to find it so). When I started out I had the feeling that the books were made difficult on purpose just to wind me up. There was loads of words that I didn’t know. In the beginning (edit: I must point out that this was after a good year or so of study, so the word “beginning” refers to when I started to try and read books) there must have been anywhere from 5 – 10 words I didn’t know on every page. But I just tagged them, carried on reading, and then came back to add them to Anki later on.

Once they are in Anki you can forget about them, just don’t forget to remember them ). In the beginning there are many words, but I have always found that kind of diving into stuff to be not only the most effective, but the most fun and the way that always brings me back for more random attempts at deciphering the code of the language.

To me, language is like a huge puzzle that is almost never ending. The kanji in particular have this allure. The depth of it is what makes it worthwhile.

I hope this has been of some small use to all who read it. If you have any comments questions, rants, complaints, suggestions, requests for kanji videos or anything of the like, please don’t hesitate to leave me a message below or send me an email.

Best,

-KB