What does "Are" mean in Japanese

[Rhyevaln]

Before getting any more material, I would suggest taking a Japanese course at your local college.

The reason I suggest this is because at my college, over 70 students enroll in Japanese 401. By the Mid-term there are around 30. By Final there was 24 of us left.

Japanese 402, 18 showed up the first day. Mid Term 14. We are now holding steady at 12.

If you enjoy it and can handle the work, great! Take the next one up. Keep going. If not, you won't have had spent more than you had to on learning material.

Or move to Japan and learn it that way. But self teaching is quite the task.

My 2 cents.

[Rhyevaln]

Or move to Japan and learn it that way. But self teaching is quite the task.

I meant those two to be separate. Learning Japanese by being there.

Self teaching at home (not in a japanese speaking community) is quite the task.

[dokool]

Having taken Japanese in a summer program (Summer Sessions @ UPenn), I want to completely agree with Rhyevaln. I think we had... 3 people at the beginning of the first session, ended at 2 because one had to leave... then 3 people during the second session (of course, it's a summer program, so you can't expect that much.)

Since I'm spending my year abroad in Tokyo (at Temple University Japan, which means that I'm paying state tuition), I'll be taking the language along with most of the other international students.

It's <i>hard</i>. Not hard to the point where I'd suggest you not take it, but it takes persistence and dedication. It's not like French or Spanish where you have the same basic alphabet and have to get adjusted to a couple new sounds, but instead you have to learn two different alphabets and an entirely new set of syllables. And that's <i>before</i> you start with kanji.

I'm not insinuating that you lack either persistence <i>or</i> dedication, but it's much easier to utilize both in a classroom setting. I know a couple people who are self-taught, but for the most part all of the <i>gaijin</i> Japanese-speakers I know have spent lots and lots of time in class. Will Milberry can definately speak to that, I think he's in his 2nd or 3rd or even 4th year of classes.

Ganbatte! It's a tough language to learn, but as soon as you can write smoothly in kana it's one of the coolest things in the world. And then kanji eats your soul.

-DOKool

[Rhyevaln]

And then kanji eats your soul.

What I found very interesting about Kanji is that everytime I started a new set (usually around 15), they looked like practicing them would be hell. Although, once I sat down and did the correct stroke order... it was cake! Learning Kanji is a perfect example of "you never know until you try" because after you try, it's a breeze. Of course some people are absolutely love kanji, while others hate it with a passion. However the thing that separates the most people who stick with it (learning Japanese) and those who don't is when Kanji comes along.

Then reality sets in that you are on your 1st kanji of a new set of 15 making your total is just more than 60 when you need something to the tone of 1,200 to read a local newspaper and 2,000 to be considered "educated".

At that point I cry myself through the rest of the set. Hehehe

[Vlad86]

Before getting any more material, I would suggest taking a Japanese course at your local college.

Actually, I'm a senior in high school, and I will try to go to the local college, but I don't think it offers Japanese. It's a small college.
(getting stuck in small towns sucks).
But, I might try to go to a different college aftera year at this local one.
(I was thinking about UNT.....)

Or move to Japan and learn it that way. But self teaching is quite the task.

My 2 cents.

I'd love to go to Japan. But I don't have the cash

Yeah, self-teaching is the hardest. Seriously.
Things work so much better when you have a sectioned off time to study the language, and go through things in a chapter in text book.




But, yeah. I was pretty much expecting the answer to be "go to college, take Japanese courses there"
I'll try my best.

Learning Japanese works on many levels for me.
1. I can finally understand fully, what's happening in my manga..
2. Watch shows without subtitles
3. Knowing Japanese might help in some career fields
4. Talk to people in Japan.

Well, there's more, but I can't think of it now.


But, at the very least, I'd like to visit Japan one day. (and not sound like a lost gaijin.

[Rhyevaln]

Ask your local college about programs that allow you to study abroad. There is more than one way to skin a cat- I mean, get somewhere.