Is this good or not?

[Shinsan]

Hey, Shinsan here. I learn about 5 Hiragana characters per night. I know about 21 Katakana so far. Is that good? I've been studying for years, but I've been REALLLY lazy lately. So if I learn about 5 Hiragana per day, finish Hiragana and learn about 5 Katakana per day, is that good or..?

Thanks!

[ASHIKAGA]

Assuming you indeed have been studying "for years", that is pretty bad.

Do we really need a new thread for this?

[Shinsan]

Yeah, I know. Since April of 2005 =/ For years my dream has been to live in Japan and now, I'm going to start to hardcore study. 2 hours a night, learn as much kana as I possibly can until I graduate from college.(Yes, I know.. kana isn't that much, I could probably learn it by like next MONTH, but I meant study nihongo itself for the 6 years that I have left. (Sophomore in High School) So, I ask you. Is 2 hours a night for 6 years going to get me good in Japanese?


Arigatou!

[tada]

Hiragana/katakana were the first thing I learned. One week for each, and I know people who have learned both within one week.

[ASHIKAGA]

So, I ask you. Is 2 hours a night for 6 years going to get me good in Japanese?

Since I do not know you, I can't really say. Don't waste your time talking about the study methods and how much time you should spend on what. I have no idea what your current level is after 3+ years of studying since you have not posted anything in japanese. Only you can know for sure what you need to work on and just how much time you need to spend on it. I mean, who is to say whether 2 hours a night is hardcore or not? My answer to your question, "Is that enough?", is "Is that all you can do?".

This forum already has many threads with "I want to study Japanese on my own. What should I do?" type of questions. Check them out if you're interested in what others are doing. Below is one of those threads.

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?p=578942#post578942

I guess what I am trying to say is DO THE WORK and if you have any specific questions, there will be people here who'd be nice enough to answer them.

Now, put away that bag of Cheetos and get to it!

[Shinsan]

Haha thanks! You motivated me =) I'm actually going to set my goal to master Hiragana by August the 6th, and Katakana the 13th. Yeah.. the 6th. No offense to anyone, it's a week from now. Lol.. =/

[nice gaijin]

3 years and you haven't finished learning hiragana? This must be a joke.

[Shinsan]

No, I've been lazy and I'm REALLY good at speech, I haven't studied for a year but I have always had a passion for Japan.. I've been lazy and from today on, I'll continue to study Japanese about 3-4 hours a day.

[Shinsan]

I'm finally done studying, I mastered A I U E O. I was wondering.. once I'm done with Hiragana, how do I make it so that I don't forget any of it?

[Kirakira1232]

I'm finally done studying, I mastered A I U E O. I was wondering.. once I'm done with Hiragana, how do I make it so that I don't forget any of it?

The most surefire way is using it. When I'm in my Japanese lectures I write as much as I can in kana rather than romaji. If you dont have that benefit, then stick the hiragana/katakana alphabet in a place where you are most likely to stare at, like for example next to your computer or on a wall. Before long you should have no trouble remembering. Practice typing kana on a computer, that helped me a lot as well.

As for the answer to your question...all I can say is well everyone is different and obviously writing wasnt the most urgent priority three years ago. There is no magic number of days/months/years for when you "master" a certain alphabet, its all ongoing.

[FrustratedDave]

Learn kanji first ,it will probably take less time...

[Emoni]

No, I've been lazy and I'm REALLY good at speech.

I'm finally done studying, I mastered A I U E O.

I'm not sure there is any value in responding to this thread as I am seriously doubting its legitimacy. Never-the-less, for the sake of those who might use this thread as reference or on the slim chance that this thread is legit, I'll answer.

Ignoring the fact that there are many statements you made that seem to go against each other, if you want an answer to your question; like NiceGaijin and Ashikaga said, not knowing Hiragana after three is pretty bad. I'll go far as to say it is freaking awful to such a degree that is it is the very foundation that behind why posters question the honesty of this thread. So yes, it's bad. Very bad.


As for your speaking being really good. Please type in roman characters to prove it. We need to see in order to help you in that area in connection with writing as well. Once again, assuming you are being honest, then writing and reading is where you need to catch up on. If you do not have an understanding of a reading and writing system, you are missing a very large foundation of a language that will also help you expand your speaking and listening. Everything is connected, and the more you know from different aspects the better the chance to remember and the stronger it is stuck in your brain. That should answer your question on how to remember things.

As for a general time line, when I first learned Hiragana, I had the basics down and the characters memorized in a little under two weeks. It was the first thing I learned. As for Katakana, I'd say a week, but it was ongoing since I would forget a few sometimes due to not using it all that much at the start. I see no reason why you shouldn't have everything memorized much faster considering you claim your speaking is really good.

On the comment of wanting to live in Japan... If you can't even focus to learn Hiragana after over three years, then you had better seriously rethink your own personal motivation and personal abilities in regards to moving and living in a foreign country. It isn't a minor thing, and living abroad takes about 70 million times the dedication and effort that learning to write hiragana does.

This will sound harsh, (I guess not really since I'm even taking this thread seriously) but listen to it well. Get your act together (as you claim to be doing) learn the basics of the language, learn to focus and complete set goals, and take a trip to Japan before you EVER think of picking up your entire life and jumping over into something you are completely unaware of yet.

Then again, you clearly knew the answer to your question before anyone replied anyway from the way you posted it. I can only assume you were looking for the push... or you were a troll. The first we don't mind giving, the latter you can congratulate yourself on wasting honest people's effort and exploiting the kindness of our help.

Good luck

[Mike Cash]

I'm finally done studying, I mastered A I U E O. I was wondering.. once I'm done with Hiragana, how do I make it so that I don't forget any of it?

You're such an obvious troll...and absent the redeeming quality of at least being an entertaining one...that I have never understood how you have managed to avoid a permanent ban.

I seem to recall back in the days when you were a college senior (before you were 15 years old, as you are now), you once claimed to be quite proficient in Japanese.

[epigene]

Seems that the OP got all the help he needs and can get. All he has to do is get to work and study, rather than starting up all these threads!

Thread closed.