lllllllllllllllllllllllll

I see. Actually, the reason I asked is because I haven't tried typing in Japanese, though I do write the characters I have learned daily on a notebook. I have Windows 7 too and I see the language settings in the control panel where you can set the language/s of your keyboard, which you can select later on, as you said, on the right of the task bar. But how do you exactly type the words in Japanese? Like do you actually type the Romaji equivalent of the word "Boku wa" and it would be presented in Kana already?

Well, I'm not sure if my experience is similar to your case, but there are instances where the word I wanted to express is already at the tip of my tongue but just can't seem to recall what it is, so I am left speechless for a few seconds, even minutes, until I remember the word or if the person I am speaking with already figured out what I'm trying to say. I think it is more of a problem with maintaining a sharp memory rather than an issue with lack of vocabulary knowledge or something.

As the old saying goes, keep it short and simple. It is important to have a clear and concise sentence about the message you are trying to get across, particularly when posting on forums. You don't want to end up with replies saying "TLDR". But you mentioned you are writing articles, so I guess it is somewhat an excuse to write long sentences as it is understood that people would be reading something long. If a person enters a blog or read a news article, they know what they are getting themselves into so they should be prepared to spare some time to read the entire thing. If you are an experienced writer, I doubt grammar would be an issue so it may be best to go with long sentences.

Haha cool video. Nice find! Well I like the Irish accent because the way we (Filipinos) speak English is close to how Irish people speak the language in terms of accent. I'm trying to learn the American accent, particularly the New York accent as it is said to be the standard American accent.

It appears that a lot of loan words are from French origins. The word "A la Carte" would be one, and it's not just used in English but I think it is used globally as you normally see this term in restaurants around the world.

I spend 3 hours a day studying a new language. Though there are breaks in between so taking into consideration every minute spent on the actual study time, I'd say around 2 and a half hours only.

As mentioned in the title, I am curious as to how you guys are able to type Kanji and Kana characters on computer? Do you have a Japanese keyboard or do you use some kind of software or program that has a wide range of characters that you can select by clicking on it using the cursor?

Haha yeah, idols have a lot to offer which is why they are so much fun to follow. Not to mention their fanservices such as photobooks and stuff. :grin: But you have a point, I do also think artists deserve recognition for their talent, which is why I am happy for them when they are winning awards and topping the charts. I actually had mixed emotions when AKB48 beat Mr. Children for the record of selling million copies in the first week of release as I feel that Mr. Children still deserve this record because of pure talent and not because of marketing strategies (handshake events, senbatsu voting tickets and other gimmicks). Ah yes, Maeda Atsuko the eternal goddess of AKB48. I don't think any current or future AKB48 member will be able to reach the same level of success that Acchan achieved. I love Yukirin for her epic reactions, and her dream is to become an idol so I don't think she will be graduating anytime soon. Ok I think we really went off-topic here. Sorry about that. :beaten:

Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize idioms from jargon. But here are some phrases I know that was derived from sports but can be used in any situation. Down to the wire - To the very end. Saved by the bell - to be saved or spared from something undesirable in a timely manner. Settle a score - to get back and get even with a person you previously lost a match to.

The first idioms I have encountered are "It doesn't take rocket scientist to..." and "hit the sack".

As mentioned by fredkawig, watching films or movies with subtitle may not really help especially if you are working on your active listening skills.

True. I guess what she finds puzzling is that idols are often what defines Jpop music in present times. Even during the time when Hikki was at the peak of her popularity, idols like Morning Musume and Arashi was still way more popular than her and are often seen on music variety shows and topping the Oricon charts. Even today, when you refer to Jpop, the first thing that comes to people's minds are JE boybands or AKB48. I know Japan is known for doing weird things (they have weird but epic variety shows like Gaki no Tsukai lol!) and I guess this is one of the weird things in Japan that is difficult to justify for those who aren't well-versed in Japanese entertainment. My original oshimen already graduated (Mariko Shinoda), so now my oshimen among the active members is Yuki Kashiwagi. :grin:

I wanted to learn Nihongo because I like watching Japanese anime, variety shows, films and dramas, but I just never got the motivation to do so, probably because of the fact that fansubs are always there to do the translation for me. :grin: But the past few months the fansub group doing the translation of the variety shows I watch is kinda slow and the episodes are already piling up, and I realized that I can't keep relying on fansubs to do the translation forever and now is the time for me to learn the language. Kinda silly reason to learn a language, isn't it?

I would begin learning a language by studying on my own and set a certain goal for a certain period of time. If I don't achieve my goal on the set time, it means my method is not effective and may have to start getting a tutor for proper consultation and studying techniques.

I am also using Anki as my flashcard software. It has enabled me to practice and learn over 100 Kanji in 1 month. Yeah I know, I'm a slow, because my method is I make myself write the Kanji again and again while the English word is displayed until I fill up an entire page of a notebook. This software also helps to broaden my vocabulary.

Yeah, Momoclo songs always have an upbeat tempo to match their energetic dancing. Speaking about weird, Japanese idols are often seen as weird by other cultures anyway. I remember watching the music video of one of AKB48's earlier song Skirt Hirari with my sister, and with the exception of Minami Takahashi's solo parts, almost all the solo parts in the song by other members are terrible, and my sister was wondering why even allow these girls to sing when obviously most of them don't have talent for singing. I tried explaining to her that idol in Japan is not just about singing, dancing and acting but more about the overall package, which is why they tend to be more exposed in variety shows as these shows gives them opportunity to showcase their personality and character traits. She still thinks the idea is stupid because for her, a celebrity should excel in at least one of the pillars of the entertainment industry (singing, dancing or acting). If a celebrity doesn't possess talent in one of these then he/she shouldn't be a celebrity at all. She does have a point, but I guess having followed the Japanese entertainment industry for a decade, I probably got used to these idols and I don't see anything wrong with them anymore.

Most of the Portmanteau words I know are technical terms such as camcorder, intercom, malware, pixel (picture element), cineplex, simulcast, and WiFi.

I see. Tricky one, isn't it? I guess I'll give you a break for now. I'll post here if something comes up that confuses me regarding prepositions.

An interesting way to start learning a language. :grin: Here are some that I know: Shimatta and Kuso - vulgar words but more often used as an expression similar to "damn" or "crap". Kisama, Teme, Kouno yarou and Kouno ma - extremely rude words you say to the person you are in hostility with, kinda like "b*tch", "bastard", "scum" or "motherf*cker". Yariman and Saseko - wh*re Baka and Aho - idi*t

Interesting. Honestly this is the first time I have encountered the old English terms mentioned in this thread. And who would have thought that the word "gay" has an old meaning to it. By the way, does the words "beseech" and "henceforth" still being used in present times? I hear this term in medieval films and games but I don't remember hearing this from my superiors or bosses who are native English-speakers.

I have a couple of "similar" words I often confuse the meanings of, but at the moment precise and accurate are the words I may have used mistakenly and still can't see the difference between them.

I appreciate the pointers you provided. Your example about Megaplex and NYC is really helpful as I sometimes commit the mistake of using "at" whenever I am referring to a place regardless if it is a specific or general location. If you don't mind, I may need more help, though I am not even sure if this is even a matter concerning preposition. All I know is it involved "in" or "on", so I guess it is still part of preposition. :beaten: How would you say: Seek the guidance from above [should I use in or on (or maybe "for"?)] everything that you do.

Thanks for the warm welcome! Yeah, I realized learning a new language is fun when a person have a motivation such as understanding the language of the shows he/she is interested in rather than when you are studying because you need to or because it is a requirement in a curriculum. I just love it when there are smilies in my posts, makes it more colorful and lively. I actually dropped by in the Study Japanese section and I see that it is quite active. Exporting visual media is a good way of promoting a culture I guess. I mean a country can export products that is always used in our daily lives such as household materials, appliances, vehicles and electronics, but you can't get the interest of people to learn your culture with these stuff as they won't give a hoot where it came from as long as they can use these products. But with visual media, you tend to attract people with the culture being visualized (be it a film, TV series or anime), which in turn get people to learn the language for better understanding of the culture.

I see that there are idol fans in here. Wotas unite! :grin: You guys should check out Momoiro Clover Z too if you are into idols. Anyway, back on topic. Just like Miya, I didn't realize that I was starting to learn new words by knowing the lyrics of the songs I listen to. I try to memorize the lyrics in Romaji and don't pay attention to the translation, but sometimes you get the gist of the meanings especially if you have an idea what the song is about. Words like kokoro, namida and kimochi are often used in sad ballad songs or love songs, so you know that these are about emotions or feelings of a person.

I've been studying and practicing the language for several years now, but up to now I still think this is the part of English language that I am still having difficulty with. For example, I know when to use "on" when referring to the placement of an object, but then again "on" can be used in many instances such as date and time, so it kinda complicate things for me. I still get confused as to when to use "in", "on" or "at" when referring to a given situation. I am working on improving my knowledge of prepositions and hope to perfect, if not, at least improve significantly. For non-native English speakers and those who are still learning the language, do you guys find this area of the English language kinda difficult to remember given it has many rules and stuff? :shy: