Easiest way to find out is to pay someone on Italki to have a conversation with you without any context whatsoever and post it online without any editing. But most of the people who claim to be super good on YT would be immediately exposed doing this method so they avoid it. Anything else (JLPT, exams, whatvever) are all nonsense compared to a native conversation.
I agree; conversation is hard but is the true application of skill. I have been to Japan twice and with a fear of failure, the first time I barely talked to anyone at all. My most complicated conversation was asking a shopkeeper in the subway where to buy a bus ticket (which I did understand and should have been more elated that I was but I had been where he had directed me before I asked. I went back up to realize I hadn't gone far enough to see the counter.) The second time, I had many people come up to me to practice their English while I was out but in the hostels, I did meet natives who encouraged me to use Japanese more; these conversations were broken but I had let myself get rid of some of that fear. It made me realize I needed to train my mouth more to be able to get better overall. So right now, even though some words differ between writing and speaking, I read aloud as often as I can. And the Yuyuのpodcast he mentioned in the video is one of my go-tos for listening, though the ones I can understand the most are the ghibli ones. I hope to take the JLPT N3 to be able to give my future employers an idea of what I am capable of, though the language likely won't be used in my country. But showing I had the dedication to achieve distinction in one of the hardest languages for English speakers might mean I can sign up for something more applicable to my community's needs and they might pay for it. Languages I know would be useful would be ASL, Spanish, Filipino, and Mam, the latter two being more difficult to find resources for, much less courses.
The concerned face before answering the questions and then the happy face when you got it right 😃 adorable! Also congrats on another awesome sponsorship!!
I love the kind and generous heartwarming atmosphere that you create, your kind, easygoing, warm vibe. ❤ I am absolutely obsessed with you videos, They are like a burst of motivation and positively that keeps me going. From your awesome Vlogs to those satisfying organizing videos, I cannot get enough. Your content seriously inspires me to stay focused and chase after my dreams.
I am out of practice, having almost minored in Japanese in undergrad. I should have taken the JLPT then. Now, I don’t see it as worth it unless I could pass the N3. I am in the same position as you: my skill is between N4 and N3, though I may have some gaps you don’t. We studied the Genki series, which lines up as between due to it first being made when there were only four levels. I am glad they made it five, though, as it sounds like the difference between the old N3 and N2 was like crossing the pacific on a tug boat. Good lukc to you any anyone in the comments studying away.
You’re a great story teller. It’s very engaging to hear you and get invested in the story that’s an awesome talent. As always cheers from me your trusty random Colombian. Btw I’m learning Swedish.
Hi there, I like your videos. I normally follow knitting podcasts and came across your channel when planning short trip to Stockholm. And I enjoy the content a lot! I have a strange question - please don’t judge - if you answer I will be happy but no pressure. I am trying to learn Norwegian, can I buy any books in Norwegian language in Stockholm? My guess is that probably not.
SRS is brute force… Is not a “natural” way to learn. Read books… that’s it, audio books to follow along if you want. I HATE the 2K 6K… such a frustrating bad deck.
Hello me again. It's July 2024 and 500 hours extra later, I feel ready for N3 as I was mid N3 from this past message. I'll continue this year for N2 with tons extra hours.
and when should you start with immersion? I know like 300 japanese words, can read Hiragana and mostly Katakana and know some very basic grammar (like 8 Genki lessons if you know that textbook). I tried doing some listening comprehension and Im really struggling with it. Is it too early for immersion or just a question of time until it gets better?
start with immersion as soon as possible. Dont aim to understand everything. You'll get used to seeing words in context and find things easier with time.
There is a method out there that I believe was termed "washing" but I could be wrong. Basically, it is treating listening like a cycle going on in the background. You pick a podcast or conversation video that is no more than twenty minutes long, preferably between 5-10 minutes, and put it on repeat; keep it for the week as something you play when you are doing a mindless task like walking or chores or if you have nothing better to do. The point isn't to focus on finding the words you know because that will take you out of what is being said next. You want to let it flow over you so your ear begins to understand the pitches and sounds, the "music" of the language. Usually, you will listen to the same audio 50-100 times, which is why shorter videos are better but not too short as you eventually want to understand conversations that last longer than five minutes. If you can get your hands on graded readers, children's books, or apps that help you read Japanese like Todai, read the text aloud as often as you can to train your mouth, an easily forgotten part of language learning. There are some differences between reading and speaking in Japanese but practice is practice; you can study those differences later. Apps like Todai can also help you do something called scubadiving: you listen and read at the same time. I hope this helps with your immersion. I can say I returned to a video I used to "wash" from and was surprised how much I understood from it after being away for so long. Find podcasts here or on Spotify (though Spotify won't let you repeat them) and find a voice you like to listen to. Yuyu, mentioned in the video, has a nice voice but most of his videos are over 20 minutes. I like to check my progress with him in active listening instead.
Oops not good advertisement for Kai language school if after 40 weeks of intensive Japanese students still don't really speak Japanese at a decent level.
I should say my Japanese was way better when I had just stopped studying at Kai, and I have many friends who did the full two years and graduated copmpletely fluent. So Kai is awesome, it's just me not having kept it up since I finished my year there ^^ Thanks for the comment!
