Monday, October 1, 2018

WHY I AM STUDYING JAPANESE



           I decided to study Japanese because I have always found the culture to be an incredibly fascinating area of study. There is inherent artistry, beauty, and respect integrated into the Japanese culture, which I thought was unique from my own cultural upbringing. The food, art, music, and especially the history have, for this reason, consistently appealed to me throughout my life. In addition to just my initial interest, I took a class in Japanese last year during my Senior year of high school, and I really wanted to continue learning the language to be able to view more aspects of the culture via the language. I have always considered language to be the doorway into a culture, and I thought that since I had many interests in the Japanese culture, I should first focus on studying the influential nature of the language and the ways in which the language shapes and reflects the culture. 
           Considering this, I am excited to enhance and advance my speaking, writing, and reading skills in the Japanese language, and specifically in the three alphabets: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. In the past four weeks, I think the only difficulties I have encountered have stemmed from trying to organize and schedule my time for this class. Since the class is fast-paced, it is easy to get lost if you are not studying frequently. I think many of my difficulties then have resulted from trying to manage my time well in relation to studying for this class and practicing the material and my writing. 

6 comments:

  1. I also think Japanese culture and history are interesting. Since you just started your college, I suggest you can may consider related major or concentration. This class is so fast-paced and I'm glad you have a bit background. Language learning is fun to me because I can see myself learning new things everyday.

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    1. Hey Yiting-san,
      Yeah, since I just started school, I'm still not sure what I am interested in majoring in, although I do want to do a business concentration. I might consider something related to languages, but I am still unsure. It's great that we both enjoy language learning because taking on a new language definitely requires more interest than just the motivation to fulfill a requirement.

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  2. Samantha,

    I share your interest in Japanese history and culture, and I also broadly agree that linguistic knowledge is essential to exploring any culture. I’m not surprised to read that you have some background in Japanese, as you seem to have been keeping on top of the material quite well! It’s hard to offer advice on how to structure a study routine, as what works best tends to be something everyone has to work out individually, but certainly reviewing flashcards via Anki or a similar app regularly is a good idea, as is periodically taking some time to review old material (even if you think you already understand it, it can be nice to use a language you’re learning in a more relaxed setting once in a while, and even if it’s not as obvious, practice where you understand what is going on/being said has just as many benefits to offer as the more effortful sort of learning that is required before/during each class). In any case, I look forward to learning alongside you over the course of the semester!

    Mackenzie

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    1. Hey Mackenzie-san,
      Thanks so much for the advice about how I can better study. I think definitely applying my Japanese conversationally outside of class along with reviewing the materials will be really helpful. It's cool that you also enjoy learning about Japanese history and culture, and I look forward to learning alongside you as well.

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  3. Samantha-san,
    I agree with you that planning time for this course is tough, but I agree with Mackenzie-san to review the flashcards and studying a little ahead of time during the weekends will help a lot! It is nice to know that your interest in the culture helped in continuing your interest upon learning the language; I am new to both the language and the culture, but I am also getting fascinated with both subjects! I look forward towards our journey upon learning the language!

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    1. Hey Dahee-san,
      It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who thinks this course can be a little tough, but thank you so much for the advice on how I can better schedule my time and practice my Japanese. I think all of your advice will be very beneficial to my learning. Since it's your first time learning Japanese, I hope you're having fun because the language and culture are very fascinating once you get into it. For as much as the language may be difficult to learn at times, in the end, it's very worth it.

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