How to Learn Japanese

Japanese may seem like a very difficult language to learn, but this outlook is often caused by bad teachers teaching Japanese in a very confusing and non-intuitive way. This guide hopes to clear up how simple and logical Japanese REALLY is so you can reach fluency in just a few years.

Step by Step Guide to Learning Japanese

1. Understand how humans learn languages

2. Learn the alphabet (hiragana & katakana)

3. Set up Anki to learn Vocab

4. Look up grammar when you need to

5. Mining from immersion

1. How do humans learn languages?

When people start learning Japanese, they usually have some sort of goal like "To understand Japanese content and speak fluently" but it's no secret that a majority of learners never make it. It's not rare to find learners who are unable to explain even the basics of Japanese grammar, let alone speak it despite studying for years.

The main reason for this is because traditional second language education is simply ineffective and produces a shockingly high failure rate.

This guide will operate on the premise of using a method called "Immersion" as the main reference. It is the method that Jouzu Juls and many other successful learners have used to obtain a native-like level or otherwise extremely high level in Japanese within a relatively short amount of time.

1.1 What is Immersion?

Immersion does not simply mean "to be in Japan", it is an entire system/methodology/lifestyle of language learning that is based on the scientific research of the linguist Dr. Stephen Krashen.

In summary, Dr. Krashen proposes that all humans learn languages the same way- just like how we all breathe the same, digest the same, excrete the same, etc. It's simply a biological function that happens the same way in every person.

The core thing that we need in order to "acquire" languages (not just "learn" them) is what's known as "comprehensible input". This is what's known as "The Input Hypothesis".

This is completely opposed to the traditional approach of "More output!" or "In order to learn a language, you must SPEAK it more!"

1.2 How Immersion Works

Let's say you don't know how to say anything in Dutch- you don't know how it sounds, how it's written, or even know how it sounds. If I asked you right now to start talking in Dutch and say "I lived in Japan for 5 years" there is simply no possible way for you make the right sounds to get that across.

The only possible way you would be able to say anything even remotely close to it is by getting some sort of input-- whether that be searching/Google translating it and reading, or by hearing someone to say it to you. There is no universe where you can suddenly know how to speak in Dutch without first getting the input for it. This is the same for every human being and for every language.

This proves that what we need to learn a language is NOT to speak it more, but to listen/read more- in other words, to optimize our INPUT.

This sort of approach, of finding as much comprehensible input as possible and surrounding ourselves with it as much as we can-- that is called Immersion.

2. Learn the Alphabet (hiragana/katakana)

The first step for all Japanese learners is to learn Hiragana and Katakana (collectively called Kana), the 2 alphabets of Japanese. While being proficient in reading Hiragana and Katakana will not immediately allow you to read real Japanese, you will NOT be able to read real Japanese without mastering these 2 alphabets first.

Here is a video and written guide on how to learn Kana in just a few hours.

3. Set up Anki to learn Vocab

The most efficient way to reach fluency is to get more comprehensible input in the most optimal way possible. This means NOT learning random words fed to you by a random list sorted in no particular order, but instead learning from a list containing the top most commonly used words with example sentences too.

Anki is an SRS memorization software that will show you a flashcard with a word on it right before you forget it. It is designed to be used every day and boasts an average of 90% retention for all the data you feed in.

At a beginner level, you can download a preexisting Anki deck to learn fundamental Japanese vocabulary.

4. Learning Japanese Grammar

Japanese grammar is often taught in a very ineffective and confusing way, but it does not have to be this way. Japanese grammar is very logical and very simple if you understand the core structure of how Japanese works.

Whenever you stumble upon unknown grammar points that impede your understanding of a sentence, one option is to look it up by checking for a video by Cure Dolly Sensei or Jouzu Juls. Alternatively, you could try asking on the Jouzu Gumi Discord server.

5. Mining Japanese

The final step of learning Japanese is to "mine" from your immersion material, this will directly increase your comprehensible input and allow you to rapidly progress your skills.