How long did it take you to learn japanese?

[Inuyasha-the-kid]

How long did it take you to learn japanese? It is taking me to long

[Ma Cherie]

Let's see, I've been learning japanese since I was 14, and now? I'm still leanring. :bluush:

[Maciamo]

Let's see, I've been learning japanese since I was 14, and now? I'm still leanring. :bluush:

As we don't know how old you are, that doesn't tell us much about how long you've been studying (1 year ? 50 years ?)

I have started learning Japanese just a few days before coming to Japan, so 3.5 years so far, but not intensive at all (and without textbooks or lessons most of the time).

[Ma Cherie]

I'm 20, just so everyone would know. :cool: But I lost track of how long I've been studying japanese.

[rajs20]

I have started learning Japanese just a few days before coming to Japan, so 3.5 years so far, but not intensive at all (and without textbooks or lessons most of the time).

Wow... that's very brave, I've never heard of anyone going to live in Japan just like that without learning a good deal of Japanese first :) How did you get by? Also, what did you go to Japan for, were you there doing some kind of study abroad, or working or something?

I would love to just pack up and move to Japan right away, but I don't really see how it'd be possible until I know the language better, because companies probably wouldn't hire me until I had 2kyuu or 1kyuu JLPT level.

[GaijinPunch]

Really depends on your idea of "learn". If you mean "carry a conversation" most people can do it after a couple of intensive years. If you mean "get to the point where you don't have to study/practice anymore" then never in most people's case.

[Inuyasha-the-kid]

I started 11 still learning and 12 now

[Uncle Frank]

about a year & a half to learn everything I needed to get around(no Kanji) and then about a year to forget it all when I quit using it everyday. Living with Japanese friends and using the language everyday is a great learning aid.

Frank

:blush:

[Bucko]

rajs20 - I lived in Japan last year and arrived without knowing anything. All I knew was "konichiwa". I lived there for 6 months without knowing anything and I was too lazy to learn - it's very possible to live and work in Japan without knowing any Japanese. FYI I was working as an English teacher. I'm planning on going back in a few months but this time I want to speak some Japanese.

[kokiri]

:wave: HI, I fell under Japan's charm in 1996 when I went there for a workcamp and I started learning when I came back. I'm working so I took evening classes, speaking mostly and a few kanji.Now I can go round Japan on my own but I have to work on my kanjis. Sometimes it seems long (10 year O MY GOD!) but then you're learning for yourself so it's rewarding when you can sing songs in japanese in a karaoke or talk to the old lady in the street.
It's hard though to meet people who can invest time and energy in learning a language.

kokiri

[starbaby]

I've been studying for two and a half years at school, but I went to Japan on exchange recently so that hiked my speaking level up quite a bit. I think it'll take few years yet to get me to a more fluent level. I hope, at least.

[dogcountry]

To me it really can't be told how long it will take to learn Japanese. I depends mostly on the learning capabilities of the individual. I spent two years in Japan and thru the navy I took a Conversational Japanese course. This course lasted for six months which was three nights a week lasting two hours each. This was a drag. I found I learned much more from my lady. Trouble learning from a lady you will tend to learn a lot of feminine terms. I later had to break away from those expressions. When we returned to Boston I enrolled at Berlitz School of languages. My course was for six months and every day from 9 to 4 FIVE DAYS A WEEK. Once enrolled you DO NOT speak a word of English, even when you take your coffee break. I was taught by native teachers (2) both were professors at BU. They were good I'll say that. That's a long time for a language course and I do not recommend that. Considering that length it was equal to two years of college. I was taught fluent Japanese. Reading and writing Katakana and hirogana and with the kanji I learned was equal to a 3rd grader. I was taught the method of doing Kanji. I learned a lot of business terms as I thought we'd be returning to Japan to get into exporting. I had stacks of books that I did a lot of self study from. I would NEVER go through all that study again. I would rather recommend several short courses that may last three months at various schools that teach Japanese. Learning Kanji will knock you out, but learn the basics if possible. Today, the only chance I have at speaking some Japanese is if I should bump into some Japanese, maybe tourists. I was a licensed marine captain in Miami and had to narrate the complete trip around off shore miami in Japanese. Since then I enrolled in now recently named Miami College for Spanish. That was never ending but consider myself reasonable fluent in Spanish. In parts of Florida having a good basic knowledge of Spanish is mandatory and a plus. I had to use it today at a roadside coffee stand. My son is also fluent in Spanish due to our living in Miami. Good to know in Florida.
Don't overload yourself if you start a course. Take it slowly at first until you know your learning capabilities. There's no rush. What is available in Japan I have no knowledge. Good luck...Russ

[kixot]

I don't quite "speak" japanese, but I won't starve if staying in Japan. It took me about two months to learn the basic stuff. I had to because I stayed alone for those tow months.

[chally]

Wow....I'm a green bean! I started to like Japanese language a year ago. The reason is because I like a Japanese band, L'Arc-en-CieL! Knew it a year ago! So, I wanna study nihon go! I think it's true that if U wanna learn a language, jez hang out with the native speaker of the language! I'm from Indonesia, so....it's quite difficult for me to learn japanese, ha! But anyway, it won't stop me from trying! Hehehe, I'm cHally! Hi everybody! For those other learners of nihon go, GAMBATERUYONE!!!!!!!!!

[nemesae]

Wow....I'm a green bean! I started to like Japanese language a year ago. The reason is because I like a Japanese band, L'Arc-en-CieL! Knew it a year ago! So, I wanna study nihon go! I think it's true that if U wanna learn a language, jez hang out with the native speaker of the language! I'm from Indonesia, so....it's quite difficult for me to learn japanese, ha! But anyway, it won't stop me from trying! Hehehe, I'm cHally! Hi everybody! For those other learners of nihon go, GAMBATERUYONE!!!!!!!!!
Ah, mine started with a Japanese band as well, and I wanted to be able to read my manga ^^;

[PaulTB]

Well look who's back. I wouldn't usually post PM's but in the circumstances* I'm making an exception. The odd thing is that I made that post _ages_ back (I can't seem to find the original now).

I'm not sure what you're trying to say but it didn't make very much sense at all.

Make up your mind what you want to ask and post it in the right forum.

If you have Windows XP and you don't know how to install / use the IME then ask how to install / use the IME.

There's no such word as 'kanicchiwa' and there's nothing stopping you typing 日本語の字.

SCREW YOU B!TCH

* i.e. I think mikecash will find it funny.

[Mike Cash]

Not as funny as <insidejoke> "Ohayou gozaimasu" </insidejoke>, but not bad.

[dogcountry]

I don't think Japanese is considered one of the toughest languages to learn. I speak Spanish also and when learning that the pronunciation is exactly the same as Japanese, vowels are the same. At some Japanese language schools the cost is somewhat higher. When I went to Berlitz for that 500 hours I went on the Government GI Bill and understand the cost for one hour was $5.00 (could be wrong.)
When with a group of Japanese speaking I don't know how anyone can get anything from them speaking. You must be able to ask, "what does that mean in English." If one just wants to learn Japanese from memorizing, that's fine. I learned mostly using grammar and all those parts of speach etc as I had the books to study. Berlitz only teaches a student just by repeating a phrase or a sentence. All of it was blackboard study so you had to be constantly taking notes. At home my wife and I studied together. Studying for 500 hours at a school I do not recommend as some will simply go off the deep end. In Costa Rica where we lived they have organized tours for students of Spanish language and you are away touring with the teachers for all day. That's one of the best methods of teaching. When I was in Japan I had to travel around the country. This is good as you will notice the different dialects. All understand the Tokyo dialect, but in Osaka/Kyoto and up to Sappora (where we did some sking the dialect is different, but understood. I really miss speaking Japanese. I have forgotten so much. too much...A couple years ago a women brought her dog to my kennel for boarding. She was Japanese and husband American. At once I knew she was Japanese and I let loose a bunch of Japanese. She was so surprised she couldn't speakand when she did I was so happy and she so delighted we conversed on and on. Her husband was unable to speak ANY Japanese so all he did was observe. She was from Hokaido. That's it...Russ

[ashuri2]

sadly, i've been in a japanese language class for 3-4 years now and i'm still horrible at grammer. i know a lot about the traditional and pop culture, and i can't write a little bit, but speaking is totally outta my league.

[dogcountry]

If you're learning Japanese it is not vital that you learn using proper Grammar. Let's say you ae learning for pleasure. Get the sounds correct for the right pronunciation. In Japanes the past, present and future are necessary for example
Present; Wakarimasu
Past: Wakarmashita
Negative; Wakarimasen You can see I'm no teacher so you must get into a simplified books. My school was close to Harvard Sq in Cambridge, MA noted for Harvard College. In those book stores I could find tons of good books. While eating lunch in those shops I'd have my books open and you'd be surprised the overlookers taking their post grad. work at Harvard would be curious about my studying japanese. I was devoted in those days...Russ

[dogcountry]

Some students are very simply not cut out for learning languages including their own English. If that is the case drop it and not waste your time. Being in a class for 2-3 years and haven't learned enough to converse, there is something wrong. Find out why you haven't learned enough Japanese or move on....Russ

[lv426]

The gramma is pritty hard, but I guess it is for any language. I droped french when I was little, but now in doing Japanese I find it alot easyer in comparison. Does anyone else find it easyer to read the gramma than make it up them selves, especialy when speaking. I think one of the greates things I did was learn the kana, something I was opossed to at the begining!

[ashuri2]

Some students are very simply not cut out for learning languages including their own English. If that is the case drop it and not waste your time. Being in a class for 2-3 years and haven't learned enough to converse, there is something wrong. Find out why you haven't learned enough Japanese or move on....Russ

it's not because i'm bad at learning languages, its more a sense of laziness. my teacher doesn't really make us rememeber what she teaches and i am personally more interested in the culture and so forth so i don't really take the time to remember grammer points. i can understand it and write it pretty well, as i said, and even read it a bit, but i have no one to really practice the speaking on.

[dogcountry]

Just got home and got tons of stuff to do, but I want to do a reply to you. Learning language can be a *****. You can learn from class one day and forget it the next, UNLESS you have someone to practice on. Without a listening ear to hear your day's lesson, what can I say? it'll go by the wayside. Why can't you get other students you know, those that are studying Japanese, get hold of them and discuss having a weekly get together at someone's home. Get all those phone numbers from the teacher. And, that teacher you have SHOULD review everything that you had the day before. Tell her. The best for you, get that group together. I'm stuck in south Florida and is a rarity for me to speak Japanese with someone. I speak Spanish when we go to town more than I speak English. I probably at this time have forgotten more than I learned (Japanese) I do watch TV for those speaking Japanese especially movies. The movie The Last Sumarai I was able to pick up a lot of that (somewhat) rough Japanese, but other than that speaking I am really lost here. Find out if there are any Japanese stores in the city near you. Go down to Benny Hanna's and start ordering something speaking japanese. Don't ever feel embarassed when speaking it. Most will stop what they're doing to listen to you and they will feel honored to listen to you. Don't forget the slight bow. A noticeable nod of your head is more than appreciated. Gotta' go...Russ

[ashuri2]

the problem is, i don't have the time to do all of that, and my mom isn't supportive at all about things japanese and would think i was becoming obsessed if i tried that hard to learn things. but its okay cause the colleges i'm looking at have japanese as a minor or major, so i will definitely continue in it no matter what, hopefully with better teaching and support this time around!

[dogcountry]

I dunno' those answers. Mamas should be supportive to anything as long as it's in the educational realm. I never ever been objective to what my four daughters learned whether in or out or High School. They were honor students and had no mom as I had legal custody and was a single parent until my wife came along. My wife Sandy is one half Mass. Wampanoag Indian and 11 years older than my oldest daughter. She was a great step mom and all of them were like sisters. They were straight kids in and out of school. I let them read whatever they wanted including those underground papers from Harvard College. I told that much to their principal about those papers. My wife lost her hearing totally many years ago. I learned ASL American Sign language with her and that's considered another language. She reads lips expertly and her voice and speech remained normal. Being a single parent I got the two oldest into college and one has a BA and the other a MFA, both are teachers. I did all this on military pay so I know it all and been around the block a few times. Some kids have it rough as some parents don't quite understand their kid's wants and needs. I came from the school of hard knocks. I was thrown out of HS and finally accepted back on tip toes. My teachers told me I'd be a downtown bum and a drunk. Well I got through school, a navy career, some college and raised a family. I married at age 20. Owned my home at 23 and raised a family. Some can do it, some cannot. Just strive to do the best you can. At 18 you got a lot of years ahead of you and they go fast. Decide what you want out of life and work on it...Russ

[hitomebore]

I just started learning japanese about 2 weeks ago and am still confused on the sentance structure xp :p

[dogcountry]

Aikarawazu genki desu may be better. What you've shown looks ok to me. Try putting your nouns first, like: watakusi wa Anata o aishimasu. Say that to girlfriend I hope I got it right...R

[dogcountry]

Wrong: should be aikawarazu, if I remember correctly.