Teira Eri

When I started learning French and Japanese, my first resource was audio and video. I listened to French and Japanese songs, watched movies, and tried to mimic the sounds I was hearing. Then I started applying grammar books and worksheets. With Japanese, I took an extra step. I went to Japan to attend a Japanese language school and immerse myself into the culture. Now I'm living in Japan, so I rarely pick up my textbooks since I'm always using the language and learning rapidly. Still, I write down words I might not understand in a notebook than research them later. As for my current French learning, I'm using apps on my iPad and still listening to music. It helps that I have French Canadian friends too.

This is an interesting thought. When I think about it, there are some genres that I like better in one language over another. For example, for the most part I do not like American heavy metal bands. I don't find the voices appealing. However, I will listen to metal in Japanese or German or Italian. I like Korean pop and rap, but I rarely listen to J-pop and English pop. French and Italian rap are where it's at for me. Sometimes the language increases the power of the music or flows better with the beat. Yet, if the song is good, I'll listen to it, regardless of where it originated from.

静寂（せいじゃく） この静寂な人生には、自分の生きている理由は何だろう。

Very nice write up, OP. I concur with your statement about trade-offs. Learning a new language takes a lot of effort, no matter which language it is. Asian languages, especially Chinese (and its variations), Japanese and Korean seem to require more effort for Westerners than European languages. I think its not only because the writing system is vastly different but because the linguistics are different. When learning an Asian language, you more or less have to rewire yourself to speak in a way you are not used to.

Others have stated it, but I think it's related to the frequency with which we use the words. I swear a lot in my native language, because cursing helps me emote. When I started learning French, I immediately went for the swear words for the ability to express myself more honestly. Then there's Japanese, where I did the same. But I rarely ever use curse words in Japanese. Rather, I never get the chance to. What I do use frequently and remember well are words associated with movement--since I'm a dancer in a company here in Japan.

果物　（くだもの） 私は酸っぱい果物が大好きです。

The Spanish words I've come to love are Corazon (heart) and Esperanza (hope). They just sound so beautiful when spoken.

For me it's a yes and a no. I too am learning Japanese, but I spent most of my time learning from native speakers... and have seen amazing results. Aside from learning the grammar points in a Japanese Language school, I also have a lot of Japanese acquaintances that are more than happy to point out my mistakes by saying, "That's weird Japanese" or "Japanese don't say that." So, even without them going into detail why it's wrong, I can note the mistake, learn from it, and move on with the conversation. It's a natural way to glean grammatical elements of a second or third language without endlessly studying. However, as someone who is also teaching English in Japan, I do have to agree with you that it is sometimes challenging to explain things we just assimilate as children. If you learn how to teach the subject material, that's fine; but when you're asked randomly what something means or how a sentence should be structured and have taken it for granted your entire life, it is indeed difficult.

Oh, it's true. Not only am I the perfect example, I know hundreds of people who are. I moved from the United States to Japan to not only become fluent in Japanese, I'm living and working here too. Within the first 3 months of studying at an immersive language school in Shinjuku, my Japanese comprehension escalated rapidly. Within a year, I was practically a conversationalist. Now I'm preparing for the JLPT N1, the highest certification you can achieve in Japanese fluency. Other examples include my Korean friends who've not only lived in Japan and gained a conversational-level of comprehension but who've worked temporary positions in Australia and America and rapidly acquired knowledge of the English language. A Japanese guy I dated lived in New Zealand for 3 years. When he first arrived in NZ, he didn't know a lick of English. In 3 years, he could read, write and give business-level speeches in English. So, no, you don't necessary have to live in another country to acquire a language, but as others have said, it's the ideal situation. You simply assimilate things more naturally when you have no choice but to adapt.

I'm with Alfonso on this one. Aren't we being a little biased in just limiting our views to English speakers of North America? Someone who grows up speaking English anywhere is a native English speaker, in my opinion. Then again, we are talking about stereotyping here lol. Some stereotypes I've noticed living abroad is that speakers of other languages immediately think I want to use English all the time. I'm also burdened with proving to them that yes, I do understand Japanese and other languages quite well. The other thing living abroad is that people think I'm in the country to teach English. This isn't the case. Not every native English speaker is an English teacher. Lastly, I run into a lot of people who have the assumption that English has no variations (British, Australian, South African, American, etc.). Apologies for repeats.

Though I love a lot of different words from all over the world, one screams, "pick me, pick me." It's fernweh, German for wanderlust. The other that equally rivals fernweh is shimoyake, Japanese for frostbite.

空腹（くうふく）

I believe the best way to self-evaluate your vocabulary is to pick up a book in your chosen language and attempt to read it. You will soon be able to ascertain your level of vocabulary. Also listening to the radio or watching the news helps you gauge your level of comprehension. Another method worth looking into may be Skyping with someone of your target language to see if you can truly carry conversation. They will probably say you're great, but you will internally know how much you understand. The other way is to take comprehension tests like the TOEIC or JLPT. Depending on the language you want to test, ability tests may or may not be available.

さぁ、続けましょう！ 理論（りろん；Theory）

Though your question is a bit vague, OP, I'll try to answer as best as possible... I babble even when I'm not necessarily "learning". Sometimes I just need to stretch out my mouth and see what new sounds I can make. Humans are capable of a lot of different sounds, some that we even forget throughout the course of our lives. When I get fuddled while speaking Japanese, however, it's not really babble. I sound more like I'm getting trampled by a horde of hungry businessmen. French, on the other hand, I fumble with words so much that I do sound like a babbling child sometimes.

You're very welcome! And if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask

Thank you :3 The kanji for hasami is 鋏 but kana is the chosen method for writing it. Supposedly, there's a second reading to the kanji, "yattoko/やっとこ" which means pincers or shears. I suppose to prevent confusion, hiragana became the popular way to differentiate the two.

How many kanji do I know? Not enough. Ugh, it's never enough! I probably can recognize and accurately read close to 2000 kanji, but then when I pick up a Japanese newspaper, go to the politics or economy section, and find that I haven't a clue what I'm reading. It is super frustrating to think I finally learned enough then a friend throws in the kanji for apple and I'm flung back to rudimentary kanji practice all over again lol.

May I add a few to the list? 食器（しょっき）Shokki pronounced "show-key" = Dinnerware, dining ware, usually the ceramic and stoneware goods 炊飯器（すいはんき）Suihanki pronounced "soo-e-han-key" = rice cooker トースター　Toosuta pronounced "toasta" = toaster 箸（はし） hashi pronounced "hah-shee" (emphasis on the HAH) = chopsticks 鍋（なべ） nabe pronounced "naw-bay" = Japanese hot pot 小鉄（こてつ） kotetsu pronounced "koh-teht-soo" = Japanese heated table for the winter 鉄板（てっぱん） teppan pronounced "tep-pan" = The specialty teppanyaki maker/dish thing. I can't really describe it. フライパン furaipan "foo-rye-pan" = Fry pan はさみ hasami "hah-sah-mee" = Scissors 食器洗浄機（しょっきせんじょうき） shokkisenjyouki "show-ki-sen-jo-key" = main word for dishwasher 食器洗い機（しょっきあらいき） shokkiaraiki "show-ki-ah-rye-key" = secondary word for dishwasher 食器洗剤（しょっきせんざい） shokkisenzai "show-ki-sen-zai" = dishwasher detergent 棚（たな） tana "tah-nah" = cupboard or cabinet or shelving (depends on the room)

Just like anything else, you won't find the time unless you make the time. Time is a malleable thing. Take advantage of your downtime to study. Better yet, try to immerse yourself as much as you can into the language you are studying. Leave post-its with vocabulary words on your refrigerator and read them in the morning, practice thinking in the language, write diary entries or letters to yourself in the language, watch movies, read books, get apps on your smart phone. There's an endless amount of methods to squeeze practical application into your schedule.

I don't think perfect memory exists because of how memory works. But here's an interesting TED talks on elephant memory to help prove my point: Memories are built upon both intelligent and emotional components. Elephants remember because of the impressions strongly placed upon them. But unlike humans, whose mind is quick to twist things around and distort reality, elephants most likely recall the obvious truth. People can witness the same event and recall entirely separate stories. Our perceptions and judgments alter what actually was and is. For that reason, humans can't be like elephants. We certainly don't have their pure wisdom.

You're welcome! As for your question, no, that's not necessarily true. In the places where tourists go, like the famous temples and museums, the staff is indeed bilingual and will attempt to speak with you in English. However, as soon as you say in Japanese that you can speak and understand Japanese, they have no problem with switching back to their native language. Many are actually appreciative if you speak Japanese. As for your Genki problem, I have the electronic versions of the textbooks and workbooks available HERE. You should be able to download the PDF versions.

Sounds like a very aggravating predicament, OP. As others have mentioned, it may be the way in which you are attempting to retain this new language of yours. How dynamically are you using the language? Are you merely trying to memorize grammar points but not using them in any way? The best way to have a language sink in is to make use of it. I'd hate to say it, but practice makes perfect. If you are trying different methods and getting the same result, you might want to consider other factors. Stress, lack of sleep, or low levels of zinc or magnesium can cause concentration issues that prevent you from learning.

Hi VenusFairy, Welcome to the forums! I'm actually living in Japan right now and know a few decent websites for studying purposes. Tangorin.com has a great collection of sentences, kanji, and grammar points available for searching. There's also an app. Jisho.org is wonderful for looking up vocabulary words and sample sentences. Tae Kim's Guide to Japanese is fantastic. If there's something I need to double check when I'm studying, I usually refer to this website. Then there's also Japanese Lessons on About.com. When I first began studying 5 years ago, this was the site that introduced me to basic grammar. Have fun. If you need any help, feel free to ask

If you like Japanese poetry, might I recommend Japanese Death Poetry? It's not as morbid as it sounds. Japanese death poetry is primarily written by Buddhist monks as they die. It's their final moments forever immortalized through haiku and other poetic verse forms. I find them deeply moving.