AExAVF

My biggest regret is not learning a foreign language while I was still in my 20's. In my current age at 34 years old, I really feel that I have been left behind by the train. Most of my classmates in our Nihongo language class are in their youth (18 years old and above but less than 30), while I am the oldest. While it's never too late in learning a language, it just goes to show that on a personal level, you have been left behind. Now, aside from learning a new language, I am also coping with the pressure of finding a job soon.

For me, I highly discourage studying multiple languages all at once. I always prefer to take one language at at ime, as focusing on more than one language will result in me losing interest in both. I don't mind learning multiple languages as long as they involve the basics, but if I really want to achieve some fluency, I have to concentrate on just one specific language. Language multitasking is not worth it.

I used to watch NHK World before. Right now I'm at the NHK World site where they have a section on learning Nihongo. It's pretty interesting and I'm refreshing up on my Nihongo language skills. I just finished learning Elementary Nihongo 1 and I admit that I have been a bit rusty in my language skills since I haven't had any practice lately.

Informal English can be self-taught by anyone, and while it is commonly used in our everyday lives, it must not be taught in a formal class, especially when it comes to serious academic writing and research. As a compromise though, say in a 200- or 300-minute English class per week, at least 10 to 15 percent of the overall time can be allotted for informal English, preferably at the end of the formal sessions.

It depends on several factors, such as overall interest and desire to learn, the efforts being put at studying the language, the difficulty of learning certain aspects of the language, and time spent. Mastering a language doesn't mean neglecting to study the same even after you have accomplished a certain goal such as having completed a degree or diploma in foreign language. Continuous study, as well as an insatiable hunger to learn more, will help you achieve mastery of the language.

I have heard mainly of the titles -san, -kun, and -chan. In fact, during our Elementary Nihongo 1 classes, we were introduced to the terms in the first chapter of our Japanese language textbook. Since we focus more on the formal aspects of the language, we do not use the slang versions of these words. We address our teachers as (first name)-sensei. We haven't used sempai yet, but in future Japanese language classes.

I recall having two teachers in high school who were British, but that was a long time ago. Right now, I have had friendships with a couple of native English speakers, some from the United States and others from Australia. However, they are mostly on Twitter. We used to be talking about news in general, particularly the cable news networks such as CNN and Fox News.

Learning Nihongo/Japanese is difficult when it comes to the listening portion. The biggest weakness that I have is being able to comprehend verbally what is being said. Sometimes I have a tendency to get lost in the spoken language. Though I don't have a problem with the grammar aspect, I find it really difficult to grasp the language when I am on the receiving end. In fact, during my midterm and final examinations, my knowledge of grammar is quite acceptable, but my listening skills are not yet attuned.

I usually go for offline courses. In my case, I studied Elementary Nihongo/Japanese 1 as a regular class, and I had fun. It's a shame that I wasn't able to reach a higher score, though I did pass the subject. Right now though, my Nihongo language school is experimenting on online classes, but I'm not too confident on taking said classes. For me, I think it's better to be in a regular class, as you get the feeling of learning.

The idiom "grab the bull by the horns" means to take risks about something. It can also mean confronting the problem head-on, and avoid turning away from the challenge. There's also another idiom I've heard, "put the coyote in the chicken coop," which means to bring about, invite, or seek trouble. Literally, it means to have the coyote or some other predator eat the chickens. I've also read these animal idioms as well, and I find them really interesting to use in describing various situations.

The verb do is a quite unique verb in the sense that it can be joined by the present tense of the verb. In short, it is in the form of a helping verb. Have you heard the sentence, "I not like him." Grammatically, the sentence is wrong, unless you are a prehistoric caveman uttering broken English. "I do not like him" sounds more appropriate, at least grammatically. Do adds some correctness, meaning, and emphasis to the sentence.

These are helpful English phrases. These will be of great help to beginners who are learning English for the first time, and at the same time advanced English users will see these phrases as a refresher.

Every person who is learning a foreign language will be afraid to speak it because of the fear of making a mistake, but that's normal. When I was in elementary school, I was required to study Arabic. I was afraid to speak the language for fear that I might make a mistake. Nowadays, I no longer fear speaking in a different language, as is the case with Japanese. Of course, I still make mistakes from time to time, but that's okay since we are starting with the basics.

As I have just completed Elementary Nihongo 1, I am not yet familiar with the masculine and feminine language. It is most likely that I will be able to learn about the branching out of these languages once I start taking more advanced Nihongo lessons. Our Elementary 1 class focused more on the neutral language. I may ask about this once I decide to enroll in the next level. Anyway, thanks for sharing the link.

I have recently began to make use of italics in book titles, e.g. The Terrorist Next Door, The Mossad whenever I make posts such as these. Prior to learning about italics, I used to type these titles in quotation marks, which is technically wrong. When you quote somebody, the quotations will automatically be in italics. Here's some additional information about the use of italics: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/italics.htm

はじめまして。 AExAVF さんです。34さい です。 どうぞ よろしく。 にほんご が すこし わかります。

Non-fiction books are always known to drive me crazy just reading them. One book, The Mossad, which is the story of Israel's intelligence service, has chapters on the capture of Adolf Eichmann and the story of Israel's master spy Eli Cohen. Whenever I read that book, my eyes will always focus primarily on those chapters. On occasion, I also read most of the other chapters in that book, but I will always remember that book for making me focus on just those two chapters. Another non-fiction book is The Terrorist Next Door by Daniel Levitas, and I am fascinated primarily by the relevance of a U.S. Civil War-era statute, the Posse Comitatus Act, to the various hate groups around the U.S. mainland.

Children have a greater desire to learn many things and acquire more knowledge, and this includes learning a language. Also, it depends on what particular language the child desires to learn. In my case, I still retain some basic Arabic phrases and greetings as well as vocabulary, despite the fact that I no longer wished to learn Arabic. I just recently completed my basic Nihongo classes, but I still have problems with writing the kanji. I also agree that learning too many languages, all at once, will be very difficult if not entire impossible. A professor once told our class that it's better to have "more of less rather than less of more." In short, don't try to be a jack-of-all-trades, but rather focus on your desired specialization/s. This very well applies to languages - you can learn some or most of the available languages around the world, but you can't learn ALL of them.

I have the very same problem like you guys. Though I don't have a problem with writing Nihongo, as well as mastering its grammar and vocabulary, I'm left out when it comes to speaking the language. Most of my classmates in our Nihongo language class had already traveled to or are currently in Japan, while one had Japanese colleagues while at work. As for me, I've never been exposed to anything beyond what I've learned other than doing the Nihongo language exercises.

When I was still in elementary school, I was first exposed to foreign language as a mandatory requirement. Our class was required to learn Arabic, whether we liked it or not. I think I was 8 or 9 years old at that time. While I never had any desire to speak Arabic, much less learn it, that was when I found out about my hidden potential to learn a foreign language. Now, at 34 years old, I am learning basic Nihongo, and I am more interested in learning about Nihongo than Arabic. I never really got into learning Arabic, and my knowledge of that language has been purged, except for some words which remained.

I decided to try out Duolingo, and it's similar to Memrise, which I am using for my Nihongo. I started out with the Spanish Duolingo, and it is quite confusing, since the Spanish language has specific words for the masculine (boy, man) and feminine (girl, woman) gender. I have yet to immerse myself with the Spanish language, and so far Duolingo works well. You get to practice speaking the language as well, and that is where Duolingo holds the advantage. I'm imagining right now how much I could learn and appreciate Nihongo even more if Duolingo will be finally made available in Nihongo.

It's expected that toddlers and those in the nursery age are only starting to develop their communication skills, but only using a dictionary will not be sufficient. Children are excited to learn new words, but they will not be able to stimulate their learning skills by just reading one source. A dictionary contains the word, the meaning of the word, and uses, but that's it. Sooner or later the children will get bored and eventually fall asleep. This is where children's language workbooks enter the picture. As they grow older, they will start reading more advanced books, and depending on their career path, they will have to deal with books even more. As Francis Bacon once said, "Some books are to be tasted; others to be swallowed and digested."

I practice my English as practicable as possible. I also watch English language movies out of boredom, but secretly I learn how to speak the language correctly. Sometimes I speak in front of the mirror, even articulating my words correctly. I am hesitant to practice my English while within earshot of my family, as they might think I am just speaking to myself.

In my case, I am currently enrolled in a traditional Japanese class, which is concluding in three weeks time. You can do self-study, but you can only go so far as mastering hiragana and katakana. When it comes to grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary, a traditional class is one possible avenue, since you can ask a teacher regarding any questions you may have. Also, having a teacher will help you correct your mistakes, and this is where self-study will not be sufficient in helping you.

I am familiar with the particle ga for but; in fact, we discussed it in our Nihongo classes two weeks ago. I have also heard of the word demo, but in case of the latter, I hear it more often in movies and some anime shows. I have yet to encounter shikashi and kedo, but most likely in future Nihongo classes that I will be taking.