shindo

What a fantastic trip through Funspot! Thanks for this. Quality stuff!

Hey everyone, An absolute shot in the dark, but was wondering if anyone happens to be selling a PS1Digital? You know, an extra you may have, or one that fell behind the couch and you bought another so you don't need two. Or one you bought for your significant other who then broke up with you and now you can't even look at it and need it out of your house before the memories feel like they are crushing your chest? You know. One of those. A PS1Digital. If anyone has one and is looking to sell, let me know! Thanks!

@DoctorEncore has some great advice, as does all the other posters in this thread. Repetition is key when learning as an adult. When I first came to Japan almost 14 years ago now, I didn't know a word of the language. I knew I had to get competent fast, so I just put my head down and studied every free moment I had. Of course, what works for one person might not work for another, but my preferred method was using flashcards. Old school, hand-written flash cards. Look around your room and write down random items, verbs, etc and then translate them. For me, it was important to actually write the kanji/furigana myself. It helped to codify the word into my brain. Then, just go through them. All the time. Once you get better, try to narrate your life in Japanese. You'll sound stupid (I sure did!) but being unwilling to make an ass of yourself will really, really set you back in your learning. Now, you kids are spoiled with your newfangled smartphones, so you can download a huge amount of vocab and just do them on the train, or in your room, or on the toilet, wherever. Memorize a group of them, and then move on to more. Do this in conjunction with going through a textbook (the go to is probably still Japanese for Busy People) and also listening to as much Japanese as you can. Youtube videos, anime, news, whatever. The more input, the better. If you're having fun, it's much easier to study. So, watch your Ghibli movie without subtitles and write down a word if you don't know it to look up later. Or play a game in Japanese only. It helps, trust me. You could also sign up for lessons online with Japanese teachers, or find a language partner. Easier to do in non-pandemic times, but they are out there. Of course, immersion is cheating if you can actually move here! That was my shortcut. Now I use mostly Japanese throughout the day and in my job. It opens up so much in a culture. Good luck!

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