Looking for any linguists out there that can help give me any tips on learning a new language, or any webisites/books/software/etc that could help. Language I'm focusing on is Japanese but maybe someone else needs help with other languages
>>51351
wee
a
boo
Just say you want to learn japanese and don't beat around the bush, you big fucking pathetic weeb.
Anyway, the best way to learn ANY language is to, first, learn the basics of its grammar and second, practice it. Of course, for practice, you need a good dictionary to learn the vocabulary. As an additional third point, when it comes to written languages that don't use glyphs you already know, of course, you need to do drills in said glyphs.
You can follow this to learn the basics of jap grammar:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD4C5B65A10143C15
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1E12BC258532A32D
jisho.org is a fantastic online dictionary.
And of course, >>>/a/djt is full of other jap learning resources, including those you'll need for written language drills. Once you know the language, you can practice, for example, reading raw manga with furigana. All shonen and shoujo come with furigana, as well as some seinen (ie the comic-meteor titles, which you can legally read online).
>>51355
thanks a lot! I'll try not to not to hide the weeb next time, I've been trying to learn hirigana for the longest time but i feel i either push myself too hard and burn out or I don't push hard enough and lose interest. any tips combating that??
>>51364
Do your fucking drills.
>>51366
noted.
>>51355
Not OP but thanks for this. Wanting to learn Russian and Jap for some time.
>>51372
Every time.
>>51379
Same, and maybe French as well.
>>51364
>I've been trying to learn hiragana for the longest time but I feel I either push myself too hard and burn out or I don't push hard enough
Just wait until you have to deal with kanji. If you have a phone I recommend the Kanji study app. It also has all the Kana and let's you practice with quizzes, flash cards, and stroke order. As for the grammar and everything else Japanese pod101 is great.
Also, anybody know any good way to learn kanji?
>>51364
My opinion is to disregard regard learing the kana until you have nailed the conversational element - even if its only being to able answer the quizes of the language course you are using.
Japanese is about as alien of a language as a English speaker can learn and it is too easy to get overwhelmed plain, polite, very polite sentence and vern constructions. The writing system - the kanji particularly - will require that you get help from a native reader.
However if you are learning by yourself, once you have conversational element down, reading children's books, aimed at the kindergarten through 3rd grade crowd, become relevant and somewhat comprehensible.
>>51372
This guy has some advanced technique, if my french teachers swore, berated me constantly and made me drink beer I would probably know a lot more french by now
>>51380
Why are all the reaction faces cropped porn these days? It's kind of unsettling
>>51745
>>51351
aren't there any japanese classes in your area? Because my cousin is also going to japanese classes, and in a couple of years you'd learn a lot. But its probably FULL of awfull weebs. Actually I guarantee it is, because my cousins class is also full of them.
>>51745
>>51987
Who's this qt?
>>52024
Emily Grey
>>52049
>Emily Grey
Thanks bb.
>>52051
>reverse searched
>no name, but saw site watermark on one of the results
>found her there
Wasn't too hard, but at least you didn't make a new thread for it.
>>52054
Fuck man, sorry. I didn't think of that, I'm pretty stupid.
The "websites" and "software" are scams and wastes of time, really. I'm not saying that they prevent you from progressing; it's just that they aren't significantly more effective than just studying by yourself or with an actual teacher.
If you are motivated, you'll learn. If you aren't, no amount of apps and websites will help you learn.
So, OP, you should get a dictionary and a grammar, and just go at it.
Just memorize the damn hiragana. How hard can it be? It's just 46 symbols and some modifiers. I bet you memorized more pokemon than that.
Watch Steve Kaufmann's videos. He has a very pragmatic approach to language learning. He learned Mandarin in 9 months or something and got a job as a translator back in the seventies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzUf3mMyt7k
>>51351
Japanese classes are the best for learning quickly.
Once you learn a bit, use this site I just found to supplement your practice.
http://lang-8.com/
You write a blog entry about whatever and someone native to the language reads it and points out any mistakes while you help out others using your language. It's a give and take language exchange that helps out a bit.
>>52426
>Japanese classes are the best for learning quickly.
topkek
Yeah, you'll learn Japanese real well after about 20 years.
>>52466
I always thought Japanese classes were pretty good. I'm taking my second semester of a university Japanese language course that's pretty intensive with 5 days a week and I'm really getting it. Although, unlike a lot of people I know, I knew it wasn't going to be "anime class." I went in knowing full well it was going to be extremely difficult. I have the motivation to drop the anime and manga to actually study because this is something I seem to have a passion for. Having Japanese exchange student for a best friend has helped too.
So I guess it wasn't entirely true for me to say that taking classes is the best because it certainly isn't just by itself.
On its own, you wont get anywhere even if you get As in the class because you'll just forget all the material eventually. You really have to want to learn it and go out of your way to practice as dynamically as possible.
>Make friends with Japanese people.
>Go to any optional language exchange meetings.
>Time yourself reading paragraphs in Japanese.
>Use flash cards or Anki (I recommend making them yourself).
>Do all the work in your book even if it's not assigned.
>Write answers on a sheet of paper separate from the questions' paper (or cover your answers with a post-it note) so you can constantly come back to have a go at answering them again without spoilers.
>Speak aloud when reading or practicing with flash cards.
>Most importantly, don't give up!
Also, taking a semester of Japanese abroad helps you learn it much faster and more efficiently. However, avoid going to tourist-heavy parts of Japan like Tokyo because they'll spoil you with English.
I still say taking Japanese classes is a great choice (if you can afford it) for learning as long as you make an effort and combine it with other things. If I hadn't starting taking classes, I probably wouldn't be doing all the stuff I mentioned either.
wanikani can help you with kanji
>>52466
actually I know someone who took similar classes in an night school and he speaks/understands it decently
Op here. Update: Been slowly teaching myself Hirigana symbols (25 out of the 46 so far) I also found a program called TextFugu which looks like its made specifically for japanese but the way its written is actually really great! so far i would recommend it but i'm only in the free lessons right now (first few lessons are free but than its a monthly subscription) teaches you in a well structured way while also giving you different tools to help study and drill you. If this post is around in a few days I'll update you guys more.
These mnemonics helped me a lot with kana. Also check http://realkana.com if you haven't already.
>>51351
>>51355
>>51364
I'd say watching Japanese shows, TV, anime, real people, etc. Probably playing a few Japanese games too like VN/Eroges and RPG. Classes are pretty much useless, do it at your own pace and interest. I pretty much learned English through similar ways before moving to Australia, I didn't even take special English classes, just study, learn and have fun and do things in English that matches along with my interests, think of it as a song, it's easier to memorize a song compared to a boring poem. School and classes literally does nothing, think of Asian countries like Japan, even though people have really high academics and special regards towards English, still, without the influence of other things like Social Media, western entertainment and people, they wouldn't or could not learn English easily in any other way.
Anyways just try not to overly fuss about how hard the language is but see how good it is, always think positively of it. Real people might help you show the proper way but exploring on your own is much better, don't be afraid to make mistakes since that wisdom will show you the correct way and the wrong way of grammar. When you learn the basics, don't stick to the stereotypical ordinary and cliched or even scripted way of saying stuff (Because you'll sound like a book, trust me.), learn to fully grasp the grammar by expanding on to some unusual stuff like accents, interjections, emphases, old version, etc.
>>51372
>>51381
>Mfw he put all of his videos on private yesterday
>>51594
Don't know about kanji, but I can tell you French is easy as fuck. Pretty much any resource can help you learn French.
>>51351
Try this, OP. You will probably find this useful.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/capture2text/
http://kanjitomo.net/
