Easy Japanese With These Four Tips

Intimidating? Perhaps. Exciting? For sure! Those are the emotions you might experience as you undertake learning easy Japanese as a second language – just like grade school or middle school. While teaching my students to speak Japanese, I came up with these four tips that will help you learn the language quite easily.

1. Make Mistakes. Sounds odd but that's the best way to learn easy Japanese. So, give yourself permission to err, and you automatically give yourself permission to learn in a way you never would've realized. You or others may laugh when you fail, but you're learning to win! So, at first, don't be afraid of failing a lot!

2. Learn Katakana. A writing system the Japanese use for importing words from other languages into their own, Katakana is most used to express English words. Once you learn to read Katakana, you will be pleasantly surprised that you will be making the sounds of words that are very familiar to you, only they will be written in Japanese. Learning Katakana as you start your Japanese lessons can be a real help to your self-confidence.

3. Take Chances. Speaking in any language, even your own, can sometimes be risky business. Take the risk. The worse that can happen is that you will learn what NOT to do. Go ahead, take a chance. Chances are you'll win, and if you don't – you'll learn. You may be a stranger in a strange land when you visit Japan. You will become less of a stranger if you attempt to use the language; even if you flub a lot your hosts will appreciate your effort. No matter how much you bone up on your Japanese basic phrases and customs, you're going to be recognized as a tourist and you're going to make some gaffes. Realize you are what you are – a tourist; don't be so afraid of making mistakes that you don't have a good time.

4. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. It may get boring, but stick with it. Repetition fixes things in your brain so that they become almost automatic in response to certain situations. Hone your skills, especially regarding the language, so you can easily call them up when necessary.

If you have some idle time before dinner or bedtime, use that to work on new language or cultural endeavors. Commuting time shouldn't be wasted time. Listen to audio CD's in your car. Or down load lessons onto your iPod and listen to them as you walk, or take the train or bus, to get to work.

Japanese is an intriguing language to learn, being well-spoken in it can advance your career, earn yourself foreign friends, or ease your travels in the Land of the Rising Sun.