From Beginner to JLPT N1 in 2 Years - Here’s How I Did It!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 13 кві 2024
- Welcome to my journey from beginner Japanese learner to passing the JLPT N1 in roughly two years! In this video, I'll share my personal story, the strategies I used, the resources that were invaluable, and the challenges I overcame. Whether you're starting your Japanese learning journey or looking to push through to a higher level, you'll find actionable tips and motivation right here.
📘 What You'll Learn:
Key techniques that accelerated my learning.
Study habits that make a big difference.
Essential resources for mastering Japanese.
👍 If you find this video helpful, please like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to get updates on my latest content. Your support helps me create more videos!
💬 Got questions or want to share your experiences with the JLPT? Drop a comment below-I love hearing from you!
Thank you for watching, and let's master Japanese together!
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:34 - GENKI
01:31 - The Kanji
03:23 - Manga
04:49 - Listening
06:48 - Output
08:09 - The JLPT
09:27 - Wrap-up
Wow…proud mother here, so grateful John is using his gifts and skills to encourage others. Nothing could make me happier as his mother 🥰
He really inspired me to jump in.
He’s incredible, I’m studying for the N2 now, that alone is very difficult-I doubt I’ll be able to pass the N1 while working
@@jean-paulmita2957 All the best to you!
@@jean-paulmita2957 I don't think I could have done what I did if I had a full-time job. Just keep up your good habits and you'll get there soon enough!
seems like a good kid. ❤
I forgot to mention: I did the same to learn French. Spoke to myself, spoke to the dogs, literally 8 hours a day while working. And then I forced myself to think in French. I am now fluent. I will need to do the same in Japanese.
That sounds like a great method and I'm sure the dogs liked it too! I'm looking forward to our first back-and-forth in Japanese 😉
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL😂
In what time you learn french like just you told you were doing practice 8 hours a day,
I wanna learn german, cause i wanna go germany for my master. Please write in details and routin. And how much time it took. Please sir 🙏🏻
@@Yoowaaimo As you probably already know, learning a language is not a finite journey but a life journey. You will always learn something knew, perfect it, than learn something new, prefect it again etc. To be able to have conversational French that would allow me not only to speak to clients but also do my job and speak to my coworkers, it took me 6 months of full immersion, in class 9-5 and continuing at home - lunch hour with teachers included. I did that at Berlin’s and reached their highest fluency level (level 9). After that, it was on me. To reach full fluency for work, having been officially tested and obtaining an official certificate of exemption - meaning I never have to be tested in French again, took me 15 years. I got the final mark May 2023. My journey studying French started in 2007. But for personal life, travel, making friends, watching news, movies, going to French plays etc, it took me 1 year. I’ll be honest though: understanding stand-up comedy in French, just recently. And I do not get everything. I have never lived in France. I do now work in french all day. Clients, coworkers and superiors.
Routine: I speak French everyday. Home and work. In order to force me to always keep in touch with the language, I raised my two kids solely in french and placed them in full French schooling. I have never spoken to them in English - my spouse does that. They are fluent in both languages. I want to watch a TV series? I put audio in French and close captions in french. If there’s no audio, whatever language the show or film is in, subtitles in French. Listen to regular radio and French radio (and now Japanese radio for input) and books? Whenever I see a title, I look for the equivalent in French and read it in french. Same for audiobooks. It is a constant struggle and journey. Sometimes I need a break. And now I need to do the same for Japanese, since I feel i reached a level in French, that I am comfortable in leaving it aside, since I speak it 8 hours a day per week. I can now focus on Japanese.
@@Yoowaaimo Just wrote you a huge reply… did you get it?
As a native Japanese speaker, I want to say this, his Japanese is SUPERB!!!! まじですごい👍Just 2 years?!! Wow wow!!!
Thank you for your kind words! Just to clarify, roughly two years to pass the JLPT N1, but eleven total years in Japan! I passed the test about nine years ago 😉
🔥@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL 😂hahahaha
But it is scripted.... I agree that it's good but I would like to hear a more real performance
@@coinbird1 I’m glad you asked! Here it is: ua-cam.com/video/bQzFA9FSh8M/v-deo.html.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL 2 years, 11 years, Scripted, not scripted.. doesn’t matter because your pitch-accent is so accurate. Even with a scripted speech in English, I will never be able to speak like native English speakers. Your Japanese is that good.
I think this video really showcases that a multi-faceted approach to language acquisition is necessary to fully equip someone to gain a high level of fluency in a language.
Nice insight! How have you used a multi-faceted approach in your own learning or teaching?
I didn’t really do this on purpose, but realized it after the fact. I would learn new words from reading or hearing it. As soon as possible, I would try to use it in my speaking or writing. At first I usually made a lot of mistakes, but that really helped me to remember how to use it. So this feedback loop of using what I encountered right after I encountered it was a great feedback loop for me.
@@royallanger4217 It's honestly the best possible approach, especially if you don't live in Japan. The hardest part though is having the deep love and discipline to get out of your comfort zone and go for full immersion. I've been studying for 4 years and I'm still only getting an overall C in the N3. It's purely my fault.
Yes, it's very important to take a holistic approach. Manga, anime, tv, grammar, kanji, and many other things.
These days, you can create an immersive experience for yourself in any environment.
Manga is great, I’ve read a few easier novels too but they’ve been too dull-I’m never bored flipping through manga
Biggest problem is...theres a million grammar points and I understand it...that part is super easy and straightforward. The problem is...tomorrow I forget what that grammar was.
I feel your pain, brother!
Just a quick PSA here since these kind of videos can be greatly inspirational or incredibly demotivating for people who've been struggling with their Japanese studies for a long time:
Counting in Years can be deceiving. How much time you can dedicate every day to language learning is what matters (which greatly differs when you're a student leaving at home with your parents or an adult with a full time job and a family for example). Rapid or slow progression doesn't equate with your own "lack" of intelligence or passion for the language. Tenacity and consistency are the deciding factors, no matter how many years it takes!
Please follow the advice in this video and, I'll never say this enough : HAVE FUN with the language you're learning! ❤😊
Beautifully put! I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Yeah... I've been struggling at it for 13 years and I still couldn't pass an N5 test
@@EnchantedPencilLearnsJapanese I’ve been studying Korean for 5 or 6 years and can still barely hold a conversation!
@@EnchantedPencilLearnsJapanese same but i recently realized i had been studying the wrong way for myself. i have a rather poor memory so just memorizing the kata for example was getting me nowhere. I watched a lot of anime and J-dramas and could understand much of what was being said thanks to context. I've recently revamped my efforts and finding that translating books seems to work for me, like actively learning the Kata and even kanji. I've only been doing it 2 or so months in very small increments but I'm able to recognize and piece together sentences. i can't wait to try speaking it and make every Japanese person cringe, lol (i can barely speak my native language cohesively)
@@EnchantedPencilLearnsJapanese You haven't been struggling at it then, you've just been watching anime xD
The most realistic and direct explanation I've heard. Thank you!!
Thanks for watching and showing your appreciation!
Thank you for your simple explanations and motivation. I did about two years of self study before coming to Japan 6 months ago. I still struggle with the language because I'm also super shy and hate to make mistakes lol but your advice about talking to yourself is probably the best thing you can do if you feel the same way. Start your day describing/narrating your life as you wake up and you will feel an immediate difference in your abilities throughout the day. Thanks for the reminder!
Welcome to Japan! What brought you here?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Thanks John! Marriage lol, it didn't start out that way, but it ended up that way.
@@anactualsandwichCongrats! That must be a story worth telling.
I really appreciated your thoughtful feedback, by the way! What type of content would you like to see more of?
Over the past month I’ve lost a lot of motivation with learning Japanese but the way you explained your process and how long everything took has helped me realize why I started in the first place 度もありがとう
I'm delighted to hear that. Feel free to ask questions and leave learning updates at any time!
you wrote "thank you" wrong in japanese
subscribed! loved some of the things you mentioned, and i really feel a lot of the things you said! i recently took n3 after 7 months and planning to take n2 at the end of the year (can't make it for july 😭) and make n1 next year. i think this is really motivating for anyone who is studying japanese and/or looking to take the jlpt! ♥
as for kanji, i'm pretty privileged that i had a foundation from learning chinese kanji beforehand - so i used the same methodology that i used to learn chinese kanji to further my understanding of japanese kanji. when i first started (learning chinese) I started with learning how to read/write the basic kanji (one, two, three, wood, fire, etc.), then moved onto more complex characters that involved those as radicals. along the way, i learnt basic stroke order rules (top to bottom, left to right, etc.). most of the time kanji is made up of a combination of other smaller kanji and have meanings associated to them - for example, the water radical 氵 is often used in water-related words, like 泣 (to cry), 湖 (lake), etc. which helps me remember!
Thanks for watching and thanks for your feedback! Having a background in Chinese definitely seems like an advantage. Did you start with simplified or traditional characters?
Your tip for getting fluent was awesome, will try that too, thank you. And congrats on making it!
I appreciate it. Best of luck!
日本語の発音がとても自然で上手ですね！私達日本人も2年間で英語ができる様になるはず、という証明。
ありがとうございます！英語は発音の種類が多い上に例外だらけで日本語より難しい気が…😅
This is my 100th day of learning Japanese on dulingo. (I've also started learning Japanese just because I enjoy it.)
Now that I've watched your video, I'm thinking of taking it more seriously...
It seems even more fun now 🎈
I’m glad you feel inspired! How has Duolingo been for you so far?
It's amazing that you could do it in 2 years! I feel like I can relate to your love for Japanese. I had a very similar experience with learning how to speak. But I didn't really focus as much on reading kanji as I did on listening. Also, I decided to take N3 for my first JLPT because I was confident I could pass it and I did! Now I wanna take N1 soon. Thanks for the helpful tips!
Congrats on passing the N3! Keep us updated on your progress and let me know if you have any video requests or questions.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Thanks! Will do that.
That's quite the journey. Thanks for sharing brother
Absolutely! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
Congrats on passing the JLPT N1! It's quite an accomplishment. Heisig is the best method I know of. Excellent information!
My parents were going to visit me in Japan, so I had a hard deadline. I went through the first book in 1 month. Years later, after working as a translator and finally as an attorney practicing international law, I've been able to retain what I learned and learn even more.
One month is definitely doable! I’m sure you put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in though. Thanks for watching and commenting!
this video was incredible, one of the best that i saw about japanese learning. Thank you
I'm honored that you thought so! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Where are you in your own Japanese language learning journey?
Hey John, I've been working on my Japanese for 6 months, at my own rhythm, of course. Taking classes, exchanging with a pen pal and learning on my own. I think overall it's getting together quite nicely. I am somewhere between N5 and N4 grammar wise, and got 250 kanjis tackled down. I tend to go all out and burn myself a bit, then have weeks of low study time as I need to recover motivation. Your video has been popping in my feed for a week now, and I was really reluctant to watch another "I learned Japanese 1000 faster than you" video, no matter how kind the content would be. But truth is, there is good to take from such stories, there are valuable information from your experience, and I am glad I watched it, because no matter how slow I can consider myself, I feel like it's doable. I am just using this comment to vent out a bit of frustration I've been cumulating lately regarding my learning curve, and be a bit kinder with myself haha
Go on with your content, I'll keep an eye on whatever you can share. Take care.
Feel free to vent any time 😉
And best of luck with your studies!
Well done JohnG ! Wow. Good insights.
This is so inspiring man. I needed this!
Glad to be of service. Best of luck!
great video! currently aiming for N1 by 2026 and have been trying to read/immerse via listening through podcasts and dramas everyday but it is a rough uphill climb!! hoping to get courage in having conversations with myself
Thanks for watching! It is indeed quite the struggle. Keep your chin up!
I've been working on a similar goal. I've been trying to study and immerse about 4 hours a day since January and hope to pass N2 by December 2025. I'm thinking about trying the N3 this December mostly to see what the real test is actually like and to see how much I've actually progressed over 11 months.
For Kanji, I mostly learn them by recognition and space repetition from Anki. I take full sentences from the things I read and watch with Kanji and make Anki decks out of those sentences to test myself on reading, meaning, and pitch accent of the kanji. The downside to this approach is that I don't really learn things like stroke order and how to hand write them, but it is a very fast way to learn to read them in real material. I was able to start reading basic material like kids manga and stuff only 2 months into learning Japanese and most people seem to take much longer to learn to read material with Kanji.
I don't really study grammar and syntax much and I've never used a textbook. I piece together the grammar as I immerse in the content and look up UA-cam videos if I get stuck or confused.
I think in some ways I'm fairly advanced like in my reading and vocabulary knowledge compared to most people 4 months in, but in other ways I'm a bit behind just owning to my round about way of picking up things almost randomly. I don't really know numbers that well and I couldn't really explain how I know which verbs are ichidan or godan verbs for example. That's where taking a test might come in useful to point me towards things to work on that I don't pick up from just watching TV or reading books.
Idk, maybe by next year I'll be confident enough to try the N1 instead or the N2. Having never taken a JLPT before I'm probably just nervous that I won't be as prepared as I will be.
It sounds like you've found effective study methods that work for you. You don't need to write kanji during the JLPT, so learning how to read them is a good start. Picking up grammar here and there is great, but it might be beneficial to get a systematic understanding at some point. What type of video would be most helpful to you?
Thank you so much John, very encouraging!
I'm glad you felt encouraged! Where are you in your own Japanese learning journey?
This is exactly like the moment I realized I could understand and speak English, after learning some things in school or UA-cam videos, spending time trying to say some words I saw on the internet or lyrics of my favorite songs, I suddenly realized that it had become quite easy, I have been learning Japanese for 1 year, I had a weak motivation but now I think it might be a good time to take this seriously, it could be a lot of fun, as long as I can keep it interesting to me, this video gave me a very good idea to improve my study method and my long-term plan
I'm glad you could relate to my experience! Thanks for the feedback and best of luck on your Japanese learning adventure. Feel free to let me know if you ever have any questions!
His pronunciations and how he speaks are so perfect! incredible ❤
From Japanese native speaker JJ
I appreciate your kind words! Still a work in progress though. Thanks for watching and commenting!
This video was not only inspiring but very fun to watch! I agree with many of the tools you utilized to learn, definitely inspired me to study more. Subscribed
Honored to hear it and welcome onboard!
Very inspiring. Thank you very much ❤️
Thanks for watching! Let me know if you have any questions at any time, and feel free to keep me updated on your progress.
Wow, Thank you sharing!
Thank you for watching!
Thanks Bro! Hoping to get to conversational level soon
Best of luck to you. Let me know how I can help!
Wow your Japanese is amazing! Typically Americans have certain accents and grammatical errors but yours is very very solid. Congratulations on your progress/achievements!!
Thanks for taking the time to watch and for the kind compliment!
Amazing video!! I'm about to finish my university studies in 3 weeks, can't wait to get back to japanese again :) looking forward for more videos!
This video boosted my motivation like a LOT. Thanks John.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching and let me know how else I can help.
Wow that was a super interesting watch, something unique here is that every time I hear people talk about learning kanji they always say to not even bother learning radicals, to just learn through vocab. Might have to try it though.
Thanks for watching! Definitely give it a go. Remembering the Kanji is great for burning through the kanji meanings quickly. WaniKani is great if you want to pick up readings and vocab along the way: www.wanikani.com.
Thank you so much for this video, John! Please continue to make informational videos about Japanese. A recommendation would be a deep dive into the JLPT exams. :)
I appreciate your support! Also, thanks for the request. Best of luck in your studies!
This is such a great video. I have tried to learn Japanese on and off the past 7yrs but I've slowly gotten a schedule that works for me. The tips you've shared have been super helpful. I use wanikani for Kanji because of it's SRS system. UA-camrs like Kaname, NihongoDekita, Yuyu, Tanaka podcast have been great for listening and other vocab practice. I also got Genki too and a visual dictionary. Slowly but surely I can become better and fluent like you.
It sounds like you have a great set of resources at hand. Keep doing what you're doing!
This is an inspiration for me because I have been struggling with motivation, and always had; I’ll try, but I do not exactly have a motivator, I have great interest in old “samurai” speak and fonts. I’ll try to be as outgoing as you are, this will be my declaration.
Thanks for your comment! Do you have any goals for Japanese or are you just learning for fun?
Nice job on this video! It's so nice to see a practical, workable approach driven by passion and interest rather than an arduous study schedule designed only to meet the test requirements. I'm just a beginner in Japanese but have been fluent in other languages in the past and the "self study" of enjoying target language books, TV, music, etc. really truly does make all the difference. I subbed and hope your channel does so well! PS -- I know it's a pain to get your room backdrop looking the way you want but def don't point your ring light at the wall if possible, your shadow got a little ominous a few times 😱😅
Thanks for your insightful and encouraging feedback and constructive criticism!
I got another similar comment about my setup, so I'll see what I can do.
Thank you so much! I am actually planning to take n1 on december and looking for materials to help me study.
How exciting! What resources and study methods have you found helpful so far?
reading books will help a lot with studying! i recommend natively in finding books that are level appropriate for improving
Inspiring, engaging video with great resources provided!
Thanks for watching!
Amazing video, I started learning Japanese about a month ago. I didn't knew where to start and how to properly study but I am proud to say that I have learned Hiragana and Katakana and am getting into Kanji now. I am still trying to build a schedule that works for me but for now I'm learning radicals and doing Anki on my little 5 to 10 minute breaks.
Thanks for watching and commenting! For kanji guidance and encouragement, definitely check this one out too: ua-cam.com/video/oDy28pTNI_w/v-deo.htmlsi=Lh_0xSOo9TnOF9J9.
Your spoken Japanese is impressive!
Much appreciated! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Enjoying it* The best way to learn. ✨
You hit the nail on the head!
Honestly I'll just watch all your videos now, you help me alot in this one day imagine a month I'll watch and like to all your videos now, also keep up the good work, thanks again
I appreciate the support! Let me know if there's any topic you'd like to see covered in future videos.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIALhow about particles especially the wa vs ga debate, it's very confusing, so if you can, please make a video about it, your explanation makes lots and lots of sense, for a 10 min video it helped me alot, I really appreciate it, tysm for the help and for the explanation that made lots of sense, so if you can please make a particle video
@@XhenEissaLopez That's a great request. I just put it on my to do list!
I just started taking learning japanese serious so I bought genki and remembering the kanji and this video help me to validate my purchase, because I now know that somebody got to a high level of japanese with these books. Thank you very much for this video :)
Absolutely! Thank you for watching. Let me know if you have any questions along the way.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Just a quick question, how much time did you usually spent in a day to study japanese ? I want to stick around 1 hour to not burn myself out...
@@kushyme Short answer: 3 hours a day + passive immersion.
Detailed answer: ua-cam.com/video/DJ_9wugjUQs/v-deo.html.
Thanks for the question!
I have studied japanese for one year already, but I got pretty lazy and ended up in N4. Watching your video gave me some strength to retake this path, I already bought the books you recommended so I hope I can get the mindset, great vid 👍
Welcome aboard and congratulations on achieving N4! That’s a great milestone. I talk about mindset a bit in this video, if you’re interested: ua-cam.com/video/DJ_9wugjUQs/v-deo.html.
Super AJATT-inspired. Your Japanese is very impressive!
Didn't know about AJATT at the time, but definitely a similar approach. Thanks for your feedback!
I notice that ユニクロ t shirt from a mile away. Love it, stocked up on so many when I was there
These are great aren't they! You've got quite the eye, haha.
ローマに住む日本人です。イタリア語をどうやって勉強したらいいのか分からず困っている時にJohnさんの動画を発見しました。私もシャイで完璧主義者で文法はできるし読むこともできるのに話せず困っていました。一人で話す練習してみます！マンガだけで勉強するとオタクっぽい話し方をする人がいますが、Johnさんの話し方はそんな感じはないので、たぶん「げんき」でしっかり学んだ上でマンガで勉強したからだと思います。私もがんばります！
僕の動画を英語で見て理解したということは、言語能力があるということだと思います！ぜひ、「独り言学習」を試してみてください！
オタクっぽい話し方をしないのは、たぶん日本に11年間いるからだと思います。日本語能力試験のN1に合格したのはもう9年前の出来事です。
イタリア語、がんばってください！そして、僕の分のピザもたくさん食べてください！笑
Great video thank you!! I've been doing Duo Lingo, Anime, Music, Pimsleur and I just bought the Genki books 1 since I feel confident enough to start those. I'm HORRIBLE at Hiragana and Katakana.
Thanks for watching and commenting! You've gotta check this out if you haven't yet: www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-hiragana/.
I would have needed that back when I learned Japanese in 2016. I passed JLPT N4 at least in 2019, but kinda lost touch with the language and moved on focusing on my uni studies and other stuff. But now I will apply a few tips from you for improving my Hungarian, which I learned from my father but sadly didn't speak that well until beginning of this year. Now I improved a lot and hope I will become 100% fluent in the next 1-2 years!
I'm glad to hear that you're willing to apply some tips here to another language. Thanks for watching and best of luck in achieving your Hungarian goals!
making that step from heiseg to manga and using furigana is actually brilliant and fun. ❤❤
It definitely takes the "study" feeling out of things. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you for this. It’s a great approach. I’ve been grinding my wheels and progressing too slowly, knowing it’s due to my lack of speaking. I’m good dealing with text, but face-to-face I get lost quickly.
Definitely try some talking to yourself! Mimicking speakers in dramas and UA-cam videos should help a bit too.
Very interesting - thank you 😊 I still learning katakana- long way to go. 😅💪🏼
Part of me envies you! You're in for a wonderful journey.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
very motivational video 🙌
Very motivational comment 😉
Thanks for watching and good luck in your studies!
And imagine I am here praising myself for learning all N5 kanji in 4 month. I need to step my game up. Thanks.
Praising yourself for that accomplishment is exactly what you should be doing! I talk more about that here, if you’re interested: ua-cam.com/video/DJ_9wugjUQs/v-deo.htmlsi=BFRRRxAp2x7mIer3.
Bro, I studied Japanese for 5 years and lived in Japan for 1 year studying Japanese at university and still, your pronunciation sounds more natural than mine 🥲
Still struggling to get the N1, but I hope this time I will make it!
Hello from Brazil
Just to clarify, I passed the N1 in about 2 years, but I've been living and working in Japan for 11! Thanks for watching and commenting, and keep doing your best!
This is super impressive I have started learning Japanese earlier today and I have already learned quite a bit I expected to be very lost, I still have a ways to go but Japanese grammar and vocab is whats scaring me right now.
You started today?! What a momentous occasion! Are you enrolled in a class or learning on your own?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Im learning through renshuu so far its actually pretty fun and everything seems super confusing but it turns out to be easy this is my second day of learning now and I now a few kana and a few words.
@@idahocoolest Nice! You're on a roll!
This is a phenomenal tool for learning the hiragana: www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-hiragana/.
And here's the page for katakana: www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-katakana/.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Thank you!
I'm really struggling with Kanji! Thanks for the tip!
Check this one out for more advice and encouragement: ua-cam.com/video/oDy28pTNI_w/v-deo.html.
And let me know if you have any specific questions about the kanji. Thanks for watching!
This is a great introduction to creating a comprehensive learning experience when you can't be immersed in the language and culture in person. Thanks! I'm going to start looking for some anime and manga suitable for those of us working through the Genki series. Any suggestions?
It depends on what you're interested in! What genres would you like to read from? There is a manga out there for just about any topic.
Crazy you considered yourself and on paper, FLUENT! In only 2 years! Congrats!
As of my own experience, I have been learning it for 3 years but very on & off recently I have been doing much more output and THAT has taught me more than the input I have done. Might as well review the genki books again, and check out remembering the kanji, and read manga now🤙🏼
Thanks for the inspiration!
Glad to hear you're inspired! Thanks for watching and commenting and let me know if you have any questions along the way.
Will do man! Congrats on every accomplishment you’ve shared and thank you for sharing this experience with everyone! Very valuable!
@@Numin99 Thanks for having the humility and positivity to learn from my videos. Best of luck in your studies!
As a native Japanese speaker, his Japanese sounds super natural. やばいね🎉
I’m delighted to hear it. Still a work in progress though!
Aww love the ending! Same here, I'm LOVINGGGGG learning about the language and culture. I've studies French and Spanish but neither captured me as much as Japanese! Also ANIME, lol I want to watch without needing subtitles.
Loving the language will take you farther than just about anything else! What are some of your favorite anime?
You earned a sub and like simply for the Naruto study method.
A fellow Naruto fan?! Pleasure to have you here.
Wow this is a pretty good video, as im about to start my business management and Japanese modern language University degree this September, so ill use your tips so that by at least my 2nd year im N3 to around N2 level at least, in Year 3 i get to spend 1 year abroad in Japan !
A year abroad in Japan? Now that’s exciting! Thanks a million for watching and commenting, and best of luck in your language learning journey!
John さんは日本語で話し方が上手です。❤
ありがとうございます！まだまだですけどね😅
I hope this was full time study, I feel like I cant hope to match that speed without sacrificing everything else for learning the language while working
I had a part time job, but other than that yeah, basically full-time study. There’s no need to match my speed or anyone else’s! I answer in greater detail here, if you’re interested: ua-cam.com/video/DJ_9wugjUQs/v-deo.htmlsi=GIxXnsiOw7Fyg0g1.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Thanks, I'll check it out
boy you must be a genius because i've been doing the same thing for 1 year and a half and I'm just at a N4 level
"Genius" is too strong a word, but I suppose there was some level of natural ability involved. I suck at everything else, so I had no choice but to focus on Japanese!
How many hours per day do you study on average?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL me similar. I was studying for a year and I passed the n4, but then I cant advance. You ask how many hours? Usually if you are working full time you dont have "hours" for another things.
@@SsaidakThat’s a good point! It’s more like “minutes” isn’t it. I talk about time management a bit here, if you’re interested: ua-cam.com/video/DJ_9wugjUQs/v-deo.html.
Sameee! I can’t seem to get past n4 it’s been a year 😭
@@sistersister9344 Hang in there! And watch this one for some encouragement: ua-cam.com/video/DJ_9wugjUQs/v-deo.htmlsi=UK2xLk-eSLwOxO-2.
I use minna no nihongo around N4 level now. And watching anything in japanese is what keep me learning
Sounds great! Keep it up.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Impressive. I've been studying 2 years and haven't even attempted JLPT N5 yet, though I feel I'm close to trying it.
It's the hours, not the years, that count. Keep your chin up! It's okay to go at your own pace. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I've been studying Korean on and off for five or six years and still can't hold a conversation. Keep us updated on your JLPT and Japanese progress in general, and let me know if you have any questions or requests!
I’d been watching anime for years, and started taking the language more seriously a year ago. I’m now at 800 kanji in WaniKani, N4 grammar in Bunpro, and have been having fun reading manga and listening to anime, podcasts, games, and youtube.
My pace has slowed down a bit but I’m still hoping to reach N2 within a few years!
It sounds like you’re making good progress with solid, reputable resources. Keep up the good work!
I used the kodansha's learner's course to learn most of the kanji. Ironically, the author in the book says once you get to 1200 it should be relatively easily to absorb the rest. I am at about 1900 kanji and preparing to take N2 this year. Not sure if I know enough grammar for N1, but my journey with Japanese mostly comes from chatting with friends, playing Japanese games, and watching videos on UA-cam. I definitely feel like if I went to a language school for a year or two that I could come out pretty fluent. I just don't have a massive amount of time to study these days.
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! Your paraphrase of the author's statement about the 1200 kanji tipping point is interesting and I can definitely relate!
If study time is an issue, this one's for you: ua-cam.com/video/DJ_9wugjUQs/v-deo.htmlsi=BEBUkbIaVmQ647sz
Man got good pronunciation and vocabulary 😭😭😭😭👌🏻👌🏻I'm so jealous
Thank you! Still a work in progress, though. がんばって！
Good? It's immaculate!
@@HimonoOnna90 You guys are way too kind!
I get surprised to see the number of likes/subs because of the quality of the video!
Congratulations on your journey, I don't know if you've planned to submit other videos, but I subscribed and wish you the best, here and IRL!
俺について、怠惰な人だからまだ日本語を話せないよ、漢字を勉強しなきゃな
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! I really appreciate your feedback.
I’m definitely planning to release more videos in the near future, so thanks for subscribing.
日本語がすごく上手じゃん！How have you studied kanji so far?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL 優し言葉をありがとう！
I was in Japanese language university during almost one year before my dad get sick, so it was Japanese way: brainwashing, writing, learning them, test and again and again 😂
On my own I did - and I do - something similar to Sir Heisig, maybe the only difference is that I also invent the meaning of the radicals (does he do the same?), but same as you: even tho I recognize them I often struggle to read them quickly so I will maybe try to add some manga reading in my routine
I'm sorry to hear about your dad. How's he doing now? It's great to hear that you've been able to continue studying in spite of your struggles.
A lot of Heisig's radicals retain their traditional meaning, but he made up his own where it was more expedient to do so. WaniKani is a good example of a program that uses a method similar to Heisig's but invents a lot of radical names to aid in memorization. Have you tried WaniKani? I think there are pros and cons to both working with traditional meanings and inventing one's own.
Definitely give manga a try if you haven't yet! What kinds of stories are you into? Are you able to get your hands on manga easily? Let me know if you have any other questions or need more suggestions!
I heard that for English native speakers, it's tough to learn Japanese because of the kanji, it's really amazing that you can pass N1 in just about 2 years! As a Chinese I am familiar with lots of kanji, I hope I can learn Japanese as fast as you
Thanks for being part of the community here and best of luck learning Japanese! If you put in the time and effort, you can learn quickly for sure!
Oh yeah, radicals! I use that when teaching Chinese too.
Yeah, they’re super useful to know!
As someone with dyslexia, remembering kanji and listening are hands down the hardest. My brain is really bad at absorbing words
That does sound tough. Have you looked into methods tailored to people with dyslexia?
I saw some people who achieved fluency through listening and speaking only, and then started reading. Their progress in absorbing vocab maybe not so fast as for people who read a lot, but it's a viable strategy.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL I have yeah. Reading is deffo my biggest help. It's amazing how much you can absorb just by reading.
@@penriplays I'm with you on that. Reading is invaluable for language learning.
Hello mr. John I'm also a Japanese learner, made pretty good progress so far but i usually get stuck like what should i do from here on wheather continue learning kanji's or vocabs ( suggested by other foreign youtubers ) please read this comment and kindly make a video like how we're supposed to study Japanese after completing hiragana , katakana and a little grammar with 200+ vocabs ( I've been studying from like 1 month from the free souces available from apps or websites )
Hi John, very inspiring...i am trying to get a job in Japan and lots of good ideas here... いいアイデアがいっぱいでありがとうございます
見てくれてありがとうございます！
What kind of job do you have in mind?
2年でN1は本当にすごいですね！😆 日本語教師をしていますが、とても参考になるお話でした😊
日本語教師の方にそんなことを言われて光栄です！
hii just started learning japanese recently and loooord im trying to catch up with reading and vocabulary. i still struggle to memorize kanji, so ill look in what you suggested!! i really dream to stay in japan and work there when i graduate. manifesting i could pass the jlpt 🙏
This video gets into much more detail on learning the kanji, so definitely check it out: ua-cam.com/video/oDy28pTNI_w/v-deo.htmlsi=DeqGt1RUzSZvrjJA.
Thanks for watching and commenting, and best of luck!
The thing that has always tripped me up about other languages is structure, the way the sentences are contextual and (to an american) out of order has always thrown me, i can remember words, learn kanji, but the sentence structure trips me up so bad when trying to read a conversation or speak, end up looking like a computer loading every time i hear or read something because my brain is loading the translated meaning, its not just words yet
Likewise though it interests me a lot, the idea of using Japanese structure with English, end English structure with japanese
I'm taking the JLPT N2 this year and honestly, I am mostly worried about the grammar...😅Watching your video is such a motivation! Thank you!
I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, grammar can be tricky. How have you approached learning it so far?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL I was in a language school so I have all the books I need! But I finished school and now I'm continuing to prepare for the N2 by myself
@@Sunflower_mov Sounds like fun!
You're not learning per se. You are just enjoying with extra bonus of learning. Thanks great way of doing things without knowing that you are really doing the thing. 😎
You hit the nail on the head. Thanks for watching and commenting!
What I’ve gathered from this video on how to learn kanji:
1. Learn Cantonese
2. Realise half the pronunciation and most characters are the same or simplified
I didn't know the pronunciations were similar! I might try Cantonese next, haha. Thanks for the feedback.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL I would recommend Mandarin instead of Cantonese because it's the official Chinese language. Also, compared to Japanese, Mandarin kanji generally have one main reading that is used most of the time, which makes it a lot easier. In mainland China, they use a simplified notation, which is different, but if you learn the simplification rules, you can usually work out the equivalent. For example 東 becomes 东, but the is a rule for the top part that is used constantly. 馬 becomes 马. You get the picture. With a knowledge of Japanese kanji and 2 in person lessons of Mandarin (plus some own study), I backpacked in south west China for 3 months and did fine.
@@johnforde7735 Cool, fellow John! Thanks for the tip.
Backpacking in China for that long sounds amazing! Did you make a blog or anything?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL It was in 1997, when blogging wasn't really a thing. ;-) I guess the good thing about such adventures at that time is that everything wasn't on UA-cam. When you went somewhere, it was a new experience that you hadn't seen before.
@@johnforde7735 That's a great point! I would have loved to see pictures though.
Are you living in China now?
I've been trying to learn Japanese usually as little paid resources as possible, but it seems like everyone why has gotten fluent quickly has at some point use a stack of textbooks and traveled to japan
There are a lot of good free resources out there, but it might be worth investing in at least a good grammar reference with audio. Would you be interested in a video about learning Japanese entirely for free?
As far as coming to Japan goes, you can get a company like NOVA to pay for your plane ticket if you have a university degree and are willing to teach English.
thank you for these many usefull tips ; well im doing some of them
soo i began learning for 2 years now , i used to goo to a japanese club at youth home ,once or twice a week whille sourrounding my self with the language :tv shows , anime ....
and reacently ive been using some games to practice it with japanese people
i can make a good conversation well noot in every topic eventuanlly but i can handle my self
its really fun to learn a new language honestly :D
(i hope there is no mistake in writting , im kind bad with this part in english
Your English is understandable. How cool that you’re learning multiple languages!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I love how even the smallest of UA-cam channels these days don't fail to provide high quality content like this; if you told me you had 1 mil subs I would be inclined to believe it. Good stuff!
Also, a quick question. I have been told that you shouldn't bother to manually learn the kanji, but to absorb them overtime by learning vocabulary and the kanji associated with said vocab. What do you think of this advice?
I think it’s a valid approach that works well for some learners. Check this one out for my personal opinion: ua-cam.com/video/oDy28pTNI_w/v-deo.html.
Thanks for watching and leaving such a nice comment!
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL I'll check it out, thanks!
As a Kanji learner, I wonder about the relationship between Kanji and vocabulary based on it. Here's a scenario: You are walking along and see a stone on the sidewalk. Do you think せき or do you think いし? A car runs up on the sidewalk. Do you think しゃ or do you think くるま? Can you derive a general rule from the answer to these questions?
Your question touches on the difference between on-readings and kun-readings. On-readings, which are derived from Chinese, are most commonly used in compound words. Kun-readings, which are native to Japan are most commonly used when referring to an object or phenomenon with a single character. Both いし（石）and くるま（車）are kun-readings and are single-character references to objects. せきぞう（石像, stone statue）and ばしゃ（馬車, carriage [lit. horse car]）are words made up of combinations of on-readings.
Does that help at all? Let me know if you need more clarification. I'm kind of braindead right now, and I'm not able to gauge exactly how coherent that was 😅
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Yes, thanks! Much appreciated.
I don’t like Genki, which I have. It, like most textbooks, has poor explanations of how Japanese actually works. Trying to make Japanese fit English is not useful for me. I find that either I’m bored or I’m left more confused. This isn’t always the case, but often. I know that Cure Dolly didn’t exist on UA-cam when you started learning, but I’ve found her explanations and modeling of the language far more useful and much clearer than any English to Japanese mainstream textbook.
For Kanji, I’m using WaniKani. I’m on level 14 currently and I started about 6 months ago. I could be going faster, but I’m an adult with a job in science/IT and I am busy. Still, as you say, the more you learn, the easier it is to learn more. Radicals are your friends.
Lastly, watching anime with Japanese subtitles is helping me in a ton of different ways. I still have a long way to go, but this is my third language, so I know how to learn languages. I’m not too worried.
Sounds like you're well-equipped to become fluent in Japanese! Thanks for watching and commenting, and best of luck with your studies.
Hello there, your video just popped up on my recommendations as i started to practice writing in Japanese.
So, i spent one year learning Japanese by now and in that time, i mostly just scroll through Twitter reading my favorite streamers tweet. I read and translate any kanji that i don't know. I never use any resources and i think i did good for the time being. The first time i tried to speak in Japanese is on April 2023, at that time i could totally do conversation with my friend and he was shocked to know that it's actually the first time i speak in Japanese. I've been told that recently my pronouncation is getting better, i guess it's because i usually watch my favorite streamers clip with English subtitle.
Honestly, i think i'm on N5 level while my friends always encourage me to take N3 and now i'm practicing my Japanese writing.
You’re taking a unique approach, but I’m not surprised that it’s working! It sounds like you’re constantly exposing yourself to material you find interesting, which I think is really important. Keep up the good work!
Did you go from reading to speaking without much audio exposure before getting into Japanese streamers?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL yes, it seems like it's going that way. I'll do my best!
I believe i did go from listening Japanese streamers to reading then speaking. For the record, i've been watching anime since 2014 and Japanese streamers on mid 2022. So yeah, i'm so much used to listening Japanese language.
@@AvicierM I was under the impression that aural input is basically necessary to learn speaking, so that makes sense! Thanks for clarifying.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL you're welcome! And thank you for the insight!
I know it's been a month since you posted this, but how I started being 'fluent' and I use the word fluent loosely because I started with the Output first, where I talk with people. I tried to converse in Japanese with other people which did work and I have friends that helps me whenever I say something weird or wrong, but the offset of that is, I can't read my Kanji's nor write anything in Japanese properly. So now technically I'm working myself backwards, which is daunting. I've been using Manga and Games to read though which is helping but I know that isn't enough if I were to try to take a JPLT test. In the 4 years since I started with the Output first, I can confidently say I am more comfortable with speaking Japanese than I am reading and writing them haha
There are still a lot of things that I need to learn so! with your suggestions for the Kanji book and Genki's books, I might have some chance to actually mastering my Japanese so this video have been really helpful!
It sounds like you’re taking a less common but perhaps more natural path. Definitely check this one out too if you want more guidance for learning the kanji: ua-cam.com/video/oDy28pTNI_w/v-deo.html.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Thank you! I'll definitely check this out!
Hey John, nice video ! I'm trying to learn myself and I think you give great advices, thinking of getting myself one of those Genki books. I have just a thing to let you know about cause this is how I felt watching the video : Could you work on your set for your next videos ? Cause I know you're about to give more great advices but right now with this unique front light and the chill tone you're using for your voice is kinda scary, explaining myself with solutions : The shadow behind you is taller than you (reajusting the lights height should do the trick) it is very sharp and contrasted (sitting way more distanced from the wall and lighting the wall aswell will solve the issue while giving you a back light) the shadows on your face are sharpening your facial bumps and holes making you seem very serious (lighting with glowboxes and from both sides will solve the issue)
I'm allowing myself to share this as I see you're very committed in your comment section which is also awesome, thank you for your work !
Wow, I should pay you for this! I really appreciate the honest feedback.
I'm currently working on a super tight budget in a one room apartment, so I can't promise drastic changes overnight, but I'll see what I can do.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL I understand the trouble haha thank you I'm glad I can help there are a few tips I'd like to share when thinking of your set:
- you can try putting a White plastic bag around your lamp to create a glow box (make sure it does not touch the lamp or that the lamp doesn't heat too much or else you might end up burning the bag)
- you can use Aluminum or White boards or even mirrors to redirect your light to the sides and eliminate as much of the shadows on your face
- you might want to invest into a huge Poster to put standing on the ground behind your chair (so that you do not have to hang it on the wall itself) that will help with messing with the black on white contrast of your shadow with shadowy and colourful elements
- you can try wearing basic skin Make up or at least dry cleaning your face to erase dark spots and reflections of the light
- you can try wearing a two coloured top to create contrast : lighty bottom to contrast with your chair and darker tone top to contrast with the wall and the light skin
Try using always the same set to create consistency (avoid external light from windows), create yourself a colour edit template and you'll be completely good to grow and fix this lighting issue ^^
Hope these help like your videos help me and other people getting started !
9:47 - 10:07 Gem Words 😊😊✌✌,ありがとうございました
Thanks for listening to the end! That's the main message I wanted to convey. Keep enjoying Japanese!
As a Chinese who doesn't have problems with Kanji, I wish I could reach N1 level in 1.5 years.
I definitely think it’s possible. Have you already started studying?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Yes, started this January. I'm probably only at level N4.5 now :P Learning is one thing and being able to use the language is another. I defo need to focus more on the output; otherwise, not only do I learn it in vain, but the input will slip out of my brain over time.
@@halloweenist664 You’re clearly good at English, so you definitely have the talent. Try different methods for output and see where they take you!
流暢なのが、すぐにわかりました😮すごいです🎉
ありがとうございます！アドリブの動画もぜひご覧ください！ちゃんとボロが出ます😂
ua-cam.com/video/bQzFA9FSh8M/v-deo.html
Damm, good accent and fluence. Congrats!
Much appreciated!
Thanks for the inspiring video! Recently finished RTK and trying to learn the readings through kindle text books with furigana which is helpful because you can tap on unknown words to look them up in a couple seconds. Haven't tried reading manga & am excited to give that a try, though I wonder if you gave any tips for quickly finding the meaning of unknown words. Did you primarily read physical manga and just keep a dictionary on hand separately for unknown words?
Thanks for watching and commenting and congrats on finishing RTK! I'm sure you put a ton of work in.
Yeah, at the time, I only read paper manga and looked up words on my phone on the free dictionary app "imiwa?". Often, though, I wouldn't even look up words. I'd just pick up their basic meaning from context and let it get refined through repetition over time.
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL Thanks for the response! Appreciate your practical approach to learning & am inspired by your story. Have a great weekend.
Amazing 🎉
Thanks for watching!
素晴らしいです！！！
これからです！見てくれてありがとうございます！
Wife and I are moving to Japan at the end of July for her career. Been looking at different courses to try to learn.
I hope my video was of some use to you. Let me know if I can help you in any way!
Which part of Japan will you be moving to?
@@JohninJapanOFFICIAL We are moving to Tokyo. Looking at areas and apartments now that are close to her work.
@@johnbarnhart4618 Well, you'll certainly be at the center of lots of activity. Best of luck finding a good place!