Hello. Learning foreign languages is very hard. I have heard that Japanese is one of the most difficult languages.
As for me, I have been learning English since I was 5th grades. Besides we had to keep up with daily school lessons. In our generation, English was suddenly added to main basic subjects like Japanese, math, science, social studies at the beginning of junior high school.
We seldom met foreigners around us, and only TV programs for overseas provoked our daily life. Even in such poor circumstances, we had to study new language, English. Owing to my previous study at the elementary school, and there were few students who had already studied English, I didn’t need to rush to remember alphabets, or easy expressions.
Nevertheless, I had to study English hard. We were obliged to study as an academic discipline, not enjoyable language lesson. Vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, these 3 dynamic sections always came rushing over mid & final term exams. Some teachers handed out daily exams. As time went by, next awful subject was added, classical Japanese.
It seemed to me just like another foreign language. Modern Japanese is not easy, and another new big wave, that is, classical Japanese attacked us. What’s worse, another new language appeared!!!! that is classical Chinese. I didn’t understand why we should study such old languages at the same time. However these studies would be significant subject in taking entrance exam for Japanese universities. For me I loved to study English and wanted to go abroad in the future, so I didn’t study except English. I had thought I had no need to study other subjects by the time I entered American university. I had to take liberal arts program at university……Still I didn’t need to study classical Japanese and Chinese.
As knowledge, they are important I think now. Needless to say, it was hard for me to keep up with some classes at university. I was not educated as native speakers do. In my high schooldays, there was no programs to train listening and speaking English. So I attended 3 cram schools to train speaking. This experiences brought me a lot. Until then, I didn’t know how natives live or spend their time in a daily life. Many differences about English were exposed. My pronunciation and accent was correct in the cram school, but at school they were incorrect.
Only learning expressions is insufficient. I do really suggest that you should learn language, culture, custom, manner, history and so on. These backgrounds make your learning time fulfilled. No matter how long you learn Japanese, you have to reevaluate study methods.
Discover your own way to knowing about Japan. I can help. Thank you.
