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AExAVF

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Posts posted by AExAVF

  1. Memrise is good for learning the basics, and so far I have learned 10 or more words. Sometimes you will have to remember the words and their translation in order to get it right.  I used to play the app before, but now not so much anymore.  There are some words which I learned but were not yet covered by the regular classes.

  2. At first, I was mainly influenced by Japanese music and anime and to some extent, some video games in the Japanese language.  After taking one class in the Japanese language, I only came to realize that learning the language takes me to an entirely new level, as I need to study the topics rather seriously than just listening to music and anime for fun.  Listening to anime and music is not only fun, but also you learn some new words which you don't encounter in the regular lectures.  Athough both involve language learning, the regular classes make me learn in a serious manner.

  3. Spanish swear words keep ringing in my head, as I used to play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on my PS2 and am also checking the videos about the various missions.  The most frequently used Spanish non-swear word which I hear is "vato" meaning dude in Spanish.  "Baka" means idiot/fool in Japanese. so when I'm saying that person is a "baka", it means he is an idiot or moron.

  4. That is indeed a useful method.  Though I don't watch the lottery, the idea of translating the numbers from the current language to the target language seems all right.  I am currently learning Japanese, and it is quite fun translating the lottery numbers to their Japanese equivalent.  What I find a little tricky though is memorizing telephone numbers, because of the use of "の" to indicate the dash in the phone number (e.g. 756-3478).

  5. If not for the more important family and life matters which I have to deal with right now, I would have progressed into learning Elementary 2 and possibly 3 of the Japanese language so I can take the JLPT N5 exam.  I recall last year that I had to run errands for my father while I am in the middle of my final examinations in Elementary Japanese 1.  Though I passed the course, I am not satisfied with my performance.  My father is a total idiot for completely distracting me.

  6. I always do both.  Enrolling in a formal language class not only gives me discipline, but also allows me to study in a rigid manner.  Being with a teacher is helpful as he will guide me in areas where I am having some problems.  But outside of class, I always do self-study because I want to train myself to be a better student.  Most of the input will have to come from you, and the teacher is there to help you along the way.  He/she will not teach everything for you; there are things you will have to learn on your own.  Who knows, you may even know more than your teacher.  I still have my Japanese textbook and notes with me, and read them from time to time.

  7. I have checked out the NHK site, and it has decent lessons which one can access to learn Japanese.  Most of the lessons are very helpful to the beginner, but it can also serve as a refresher for those who already know the language.  It also has vocabulary as well as other helpful words.  You can also try out JLPT Resources as well.  I usually bookmark important sites for future reference.

  8. From my experience, I watch Japanese movies, and they have decent English subtitles.  There are various fansubs such as TV-Nihon and Over-Time which translate Japanese texts into English.  TV-Nihon fansubs stay within the literal meaning of the spoken dialogue.  For example, a certain example is from a movie, where a character says,  'shounen shoujo' it is translated and subtitled as "boys and girls."  Over-Time, on the other hand, takes the translation in another direction by focusing more on what is being conveyed, so 'shounen shoujo' from their perspective means "children." Either way, both translations are okay, though TV-Nihon is word-for-word accurate.  Another difference between these two sites is when it comes to translating show titles.  TV-Nihon prefers to keep the original title, while Over-Time translates the title as may be necessary, such as zyuden being translated to "voltasaur," whiled ressha translated to "express," and so on.

    In the end, it all boils down to personal preference.  i used to pick TV-Nihon for shows which they subbed, but later switched to Over-Time because they focus on the meaning of the words.

  9. In my case, I managed to learn my English very well from a non-native English teacher.  There was a period in my high school years when my fourth year English was taught by a British teacher.  I didn't see any problem with that, as our English teacher then managed to adjust quite well.  Because of the non-native background of my English teachers, I found it very easy to learn grammar, but I didn't get very far with literature.  On the other hand, I had some problems with my native language (Filipino) because for one, it was already native to us.  We also communicate in Filipino during break time as well as lunch time.  In a way, we took our Filipino learning for granted.  I also agree that when it comes to basics, a non-native speaker must guide you, but for advanced speaking techniques as well as assimilating into the mainstream, a native speaker is recommended.

  10. "I read an interview with (name)" is partially and grammatically correct because an interview requires two persons - the interviewer and the interviewee (the person being interviewed).  So if the one speaking the sentence is ALSO the interviewer, people would assume that that person also conducted the interview.  So to rephrase your words, "I read an interview [by (name)] with (name), that would mean that another person conducted the interview.

    As to the second question, "I work at (company name)" is definitely correct because you are specifying the company you are working in.  "I work in..." is more appropriate if it is followed by a common noun (the private sector, freelance business, etc.) or a particular place, but without specifying your employer.

  11. I never got the motivation to study Arabic.  I lived in Saudi Arabia for around 7 years, but we mostly speak in the English language, as it is the language of business in the Kingdom.  It's like I am being forced to study Arabic, and there's not much motivation for me if it will be forced upon.  I only studied it because it is a requirement in our classes to understand the language.    As for Japanese, I retained most of the lessons I learned, but right now I am putting my language learning on hold due to factors beyond my control.  I still recall the grammar and reading, as I have brought the Japanese language textbook with me.

  12. To make learning more fun and interesting, our Japanese language instructor uses visual aids as well as teaching with the use of flash cards. She even gives us various exercises which we do at home.  We also read our materials in advance to make learning more interesting.  When I was starting the language, I was initially a bit lost as I was having some difficulty trying to remember the subject matter.  But as time passed I eventually got the hang of it and I got quite high marks in my midterms.  Family problems and distractions have slightly pulled down my grades in the finals, but I was still passing nonetheless.

  13. It is the listening portion which I am having difficulty.  I don't have problems in the first few chapters of my Elementary Japanese I. but as the chapters progress I am having trouble with the listening portion during my examinations, especially when the sentences are sounding a bit complex.  Conversations can be especially tricky.  It is ironic that I have no problem with the grammar and understanding the basics of the language, but when it comes to listening as well as receiving information I am having some degree of difficulty.  It is for that reason why I had to stop studying for a while because it is my listening ability in Nihongo which is my weakest spot. 

  14. When I was confined in hospital for a few days, I recall this Indonesian doctor who was one of those who checked my progress.  He can understand Tagalog very well, and even studied medicine in the Philippines.  His classmates got along very well with him as they learned more about his background. It came as a surprise that I have heard of him as one of the hospital's resident specialists.  He even chatted with my father about his Indonesian lineage,

  15. i used to think that I'm not good at mathematics, as it is one of my weakest subjects in my elementary years.  However, when I took the government service eligibility examinations around 2 years ago, I was required to have a certain degree of proficiency in the languages and sciences.  It's been a while since I haven't reviewed my English and Mathematics subjects, but now that i am a government service eligible, I had to review my subjects again because that is the requirement for us.  To help me, I had to refresh my memory of English and Mathematics once more.  In fact, I attended a tutorial class in both subjects in order to refresh my mind. In high school, I was good at both subjects, but I was better in the languages.  However, I still have certain weaknesses in both the humanities and the sciences, as I'm not very good in appreciating literature, and I dislike geometry, trigonometry, and especially calculus. 

  16. If you are learning a new language, or more specifically, one which is not native to your home country, the reality is that there is no shortest possible time.  It depends on your willingness to learn, your ability to comprehend and understand the spoken dialect, your frequent interaction in that language with fellow learners, and a lot more.  If you have read that you will learn this language in 90 days or less, that is wishful thinking or more like a marketing ploy than anything else.  In my case, I am learning Japanese, but I haven't even began to go beyond the basics of the language.  I still have to take the next two levels of my elementary Japanese classes before I can take the JLPT N5, and that is still a long way to go for me.

  17. There is no single method to learn a language.  Learning in class, immersion with friends, frequent practice, reading books - all these can help your language proficiency the traditional way.  Language apps, video tutorials on YouTube, and various new media will supplement your traditional learning skills.  Sometimes there are those who will choose either the traditional or the modern way, but to me it is better if both are synthesized.  By learning both methods, your language skills will gradually improve without you even knowing it.

  18. We started out with the hiragana alphabet first, followed by the katakana.  As for the kanji, there is no particular order, but we started out with the basic ones.such as the numbers (一, 二, 三, and so on), days of the week, and certain words such as 川 (kawa) and 山 (yama). However, we always make sure that we understand the two readings of the kanji as the position of the kanji to the left or the right may have different meanings.  We also grasp the hiragana equivalent of the particular kanji so as for us not to get lost along the way.

  19. In elementary, as well as high school, we were taught the English and Filipino languages.   I feel more fluent in English because it has been my mode of communication, from writing papers to e-mails, and other formal writing.  I also feel more comfortable expressing myself in English, so it was more of a natural instinct for me to learn. Besides, with the exception of Filipino, English was always our mode of communication for all other subjects.  I rarely use Filipino except when conversing with my friends and classmates, and as a result, I never took the class seriously.  The only other class which we were taught was Arabic, as I was studying in a Filipino school located in an Arab country.  i have recently completed my Elementary Japanese i, and because I was an enthusiast of the Japanese language, I always took the class very seriously.  I had wanted to ace the Elementary I class but came up short, and although the score was enough for me to pass the next level, I am not satisfied with my progress.

  20. I was in my kindergarten years when I realized that I had started to read highly advanced materials at that time.  In fact, I was reading Grade 4 materials.  In addition, my mother bought me pictured story books which she would read to me every evening.  I may not have known it consciously, but my English reading skills have gradually improved.  In fact, I have very high marks in English from elementary to high school, but I still have some problems in understanding English literature when I was in college.  Today, I feel as though I can read anything, but even I must admit that my proficiency is still far from okay.

  21. I have always been fascinated by the Japanese culture as well as the honorifics.  In addition, I have been an anime and tokusatsu fan as I enjoy watching their children's shows.  I also have a lot of Japanese songs from both anime and toku series as well.  At one time, I have considered enrolling in a private university to learn about East Asian cultures, particularly Korean and Japanese.  Later on I enrolled in a Japanese language school and passed Elementary 1, but to me I still came up short.  Since then I have learned to love the Japanese language, and by extension, its culture. I honestly wish I had more time to learn the language even more, but certain events in my life have taken over.

    As I am also a taekwondo practitioner, I would very much like to learn Korean, but my heart longs to learn Japanese right now.  I have no plans to learn Chinese, though my late maternal grandfather knows a certain Chinese dialect, but it is definitely not Mandarin.

    In my elementary years, I was required to learn Arablc because our school was located in an Arab country.  Because I was "forced" to learn Arabic, it never stuck with me other than the basic phrases and some words.  Though I still passed the subject, I wasn't really fond of the Arab culture, and in the end the Arabic language was a course not worth remembering. 

     

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