5 Effective Ways to Learn the Japanese Language

By: Antonia Ava Posted on Wed, 26-02-2020

Japanese is derived from Altaic languages which include Turkish, Tungstic, Mongolian, and Korean. It is a very important language and is spoken by approximately one-hundred forty million in Japan only and it is a second language in Chinese and Korean speaking countries. Although Japan's growth is not like China, still it is the largest economy in the world next to China.

Why Learning the Japanese Language is Important

Everyone has a reason to learn the language. Let's see why it is important to learn the Japanese language.

Many people learn foreign languages like Spanish, French, and German. If you learn the Japanese language than it will set you apart from the crowd.

Japanese culture is becoming a part of global culture
Learning Japanese will bring you business opportunities.
Japanese-speakers are the Internet's 3rd largest language group.
The Japanese language will help you study abroad.

Different Ways of Learning Japanese Language

Want to learn the Japanese Language? Looking for some tips? We can help you out! There are different approaches to learning a language and here we are going to share some very useful ones for your help.

Each approach has its own pros and cons. Take a look at the 5 different ways and see which one is better for you.

The Penetration Approach to Learning Japanese

The penetration approach dives you into the Japanese language and culture. It includes traveling to Japan and spending time in Japanese culture. Another alteration towards the penetration approach is the affiliation approach that is when you learn a language by becoming close friends with someone who speaks Japanese.

Pros

It is a very good approach to learn a language in its natural environment. This is a great Japanese learning method. By using this method one can use the language daily by connecting with native speakers and one can know the cultural norms and values. It is known as the fastest method because this method helps in learning a language quickly.

Cons

Not everyone can travel to Japan because of time and money constraints. This method is costly, time-taking and stressful. No doubt all native Japanese speakers are hospitable and they will assist you with your first contact with the language. The initial language barriers and cultural sensitivities are very stressful and even terrifying.

The Translation Approach to Learning Japanese

People who studied a language before 1900 or studied vanished language like Latin has used this approach. In this approach, the Japanese find a book in Japanese and use a bilingual dictionary to translate in their native language. You can also take professional Japanese Translation Services if you want to adopt this approach.

Pros

This learning approach is very economical and is considered to be the cheapest way to learn Japanese. If you are willing to invest more energy and time than this approach is beneficial.

Cons

A new language is learned when you try to communicate in that language. This approach is very difficult to learn the language because it does not teach you speaking, listening and writing. Japanese is an existing language with millions of native speakers so you need to find another competent approach.

The Grammar-Based Approach to Learning Japanese

In this approach, one can learn the Japanese language through textbooks and teach himself with the help of language books. These books include several chapters that contain little vocabulary followed by a large number of grammar rules, which helps in laying the basis of Japanese learning. As the name of this approach suggests, Grammar-based approach is focused on the grammatical rules.

Pros

If you learn the grammatical rules of Japanese it will help you to assimilate grammar with vocabulary. For beginners who want to know the basics of the language and want to write the Japanese language well, this is a very beneficial and economical method.

Cons

Just like the translation approach, learners who are seeking Japanese with the grammar-based method will not be able to speak and listen to the Japanese language. Learners have to memorize grammar rules which becomes very tedious and annoying. Furthermore, the vocabulary learned is the practical aspect of a Japanese-speaking environment so learners cannot use their learning right away. This can become irritating and result in a lack of motivation in learning the Japanese language.

The Communicative Approach to Learning Japanese

The communicative approach is normally used in schools that teach Japanese as a second language. You must be familiar with this method if you have a language learning experience in school. In this approach, the instructor gives lessons to a small group of students. Lectures are usually divided into reading, writing, listening and speaking activities to assist students to learn Japanese swiftly.

Pros

People who learn the Japanese language using this communicative approach are given a well-versed education. If the class is linguistically designed and taught well than the students have a better option of face to face interactions with their instructor and other students in the class. With the help of this method, the students will be able to start communicating in Japanese after a few weeks of course enrollment. This is why many language instructors are of the view that the communicative approach is the best way to learn Japanese.

Cons

Japanese classes are very expensive and you cannot judge the quality of these classes. The attitude of the instructor can build a learning motivation or break it. Japanese learning classes are designed while keeping in view the general IQ level of the student. The students who learn language slowly are not given proper time. It becomes difficult to make progress after a certain time.

The Vocabulary-Based Approach to Learning Japanese

Many language-learning software and applications like Rosetta Stone, Babbel, and Busuu are using a vocabulary-based approach for Japanese learning. In this approach, grammar rules are not taught and student associate words with pictures. In this way, they learn naturally by objects used with words

Pros

This approach can enhance your vocabulary swiftly with the use of objects and images. Money and traveling time can be saved by using this approach of a traditional class. These traditional classes can progress at their own pace. It is considered as one of the easiest ways of learning Japanese.

Cons

No doubt one can enhance vocabulary by using this approach but this vocabulary is not useful for people who want to travel to Japan and people who want to communicate swiftly Japanese language. Although grammar is not taught seeking a program that will assist students with basic Japanese grammar rules, speaking and writing can be expensive and many language learning software doesn't give importance to these areas.

Wrapping Up

Every approach has its benefits and drawbacks, and every approach has a slightly different objective. When you decide to learn the Japanese language, you should be clear about your learning objective. You also need to consider your time and budget. After looking into these options you will be in a better position of deciding which approach to go for learning the Japanese language.