That thing with Korean is now that thing with Japanese!

Its not on record here on this blog because I didn’t open this blog when I stared learning Korean – I opened it wayyyy later when I realised I kinda wanted a record of my trials and tribulations but before when I had just learnt some basic grammar and I knew how to sound out words from the 한글 I had a massive obsession with watching video clips of Strong Heart and 짝 (the one with the couples! it’s actually a nice show although I last watched it like 3years ago) but really I liked watching those shows to get words and pick up on commonly used phrases.

I had no textbooks nor the desire to even own one then. But I adored watching and learning (mind you I watched unsubbed) which is actually how I have always watched variety shows. It became a thing, I never wanted to become attached to the subs and lose sight of the content + I was learning so I think the “learning” was more the reason.

But…enough about the Korean version-of-the-thing I am now doing it with Japanese, because somehow it was something I remembered helped me with Korean and I figured it could do the same with Japanese – this wasn’t even a conscious decision I made, just before I knew it I was doing it.

However, when I realised what I was doing, I stopped to think about the differences between the two languages. And I asked myself if the same thing I used to learn a lot during my early Korean days could be done with Japanese! And I came up with these answers to myself :

1. There is that damn-back-breaking Kanji all over the freaking place. So unlike Korean, which is just 한글 with the odd 한자 character every 10hours was relatively simple to use this method of watching unsubbed

• listening, looping 10seconds of audio for 12minutes to slow it down,
• carefully make out sounds and write it down,
• look it up, figure it out and stick in One Note.

This worked for Korean, happens to be the reason why my listening is the most finely tuned skill but now for Japanese, I won’t lie I already picked up a lot but I don’t think it matches well because of the the Kanji in there. I mean it pops up in everyday sentences, and I am fine with drawing them out on dictionary apps and looking them up, for now, but I don’t think its a long term sustainable method for me to keep using. I mean I figured out a lot using this, even words that I don’t even use in English (— yeah Japanese seem very candid with certain things ~) I like it though so doesn’t bug me at all.

2. Japanese people talk way faster than Koreans. Hey, this one could be in my head because I am too preoccupiedo with trying to listen to the sounds their making, but don’t they seem to just talk way faster than Koreans? I mean even slowed down, I was like -erm- slow down! lol. I guess its my beginner ear thinking this, or who knows. Maybe you can tell me, haha.

3. I don’t want to run out of steam early in the game. Big one, I don’t want to use this method a lot with Japanese like I did for Korean because I am essentially afraid. Although I am doing fine and showing the same excitement I did with Korean (I think, it feels the same, I always want to watch something and challenge myself to learn “more than ten this time” etc) Because I don’t mind having a dictionary app telling me what things mean, I mean half the stuff I have read from earlier (think two years ago) sometimes its the dictionary that read it for me, I just helped to input the info. And it works for me. But Japanese is more complex than that. And I don’t want it to feel like I am climbing up Mount Kilimanjaro after a while. I know its mind over matter or something (?) I mean your attitude counts and my attitude at the moment is perfect, I am not scared of having to look up high volumes of Kanji and basically figuring out which ones always come up (those will enter my long-term memory faster) than the uncommon ones which I will forget as soon as I learn. Duh.

And the fun tv shows make it more fun (yes, the way Japanese variety shows are match my personality and what I find “funny” compared to Korean ones which just get on my nerves after a while ~10mins max~

I guess number three is an accumulation of things people have said to me. I shouldn’t listen to people, some people said I’d never read a book in Korean, haven’t gotten to the end of one yet, but that’s laziness, I mean I can read it. I don’t even read all my English novels to the end (last time was 2012 I think) since then I always leave off when it gets boring. Same with Korean, when story slows I go to bed (I retire the book or skip to find more interesting bits in it).

I’m using SRS too for Japanese, basically using new methods with my old Korean ones. Let’s see who wins. 🙂

So obviously I will input Kanji and sentences into my SRS and use as a tool as well. Textbooks never fail me so I have to check on one (or two) I mean its better sometimes to just have a textbook for when you are sifting through the internet looking for fun and free resources.

Side bar : what is up with Japanese? There is resources galore, don’t get me wrong there is a lot, but there is also a high volume of 100% shit and useless resources for Japanese, higher than Korean if you ask me, and slightly worse than Chinese. I haven’t found anything close to matching the ttmik.com and koreanclass101.com resources ~ jpop101.com was a given it would be great like the kclass101.com so it doesn’t count.

So I need to keep looking for resources, just fun stuff to read and look at. Please note that my search engine skills are none-existent. So if you found stuff just be aware that online it takes me ages to find good stuff. 🙁 cursed this way haha.

I guess that’s all, this does seem more like it was a “reflection/ I need to try this” kind of post. I swear I had something else in mind, not sure what now though haha. I went on and on too much.

OH WELL.

xoxo