Comments for AJATT | All Japanese All The Time http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog You don't learn a language, you get used to it. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:37:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on 1 ≫ 0 by Ken Seeroi http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/1-is-bigger-than-0#comment-186869 Ken Seeroi Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:37:19 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6315#comment-186869 You know, before I started studying Japanese all the time, I used to be quite a runner.  And the only problem with being a runner is that you become a better runner.  Like at first, running a mile is hard.  Then running two miles is hard.  But if you keep at it, pretty soon you're clocking six miles a day.  And then more.  That's just the way it is.  You get good at things.  What a mess. Who wants to be good at stuff?  Being talented takes up all your time!  Pretty soon you're knocking out 90 minute workouts.  And while that's cool, it also feels pretty daunting.  I remember so many early mornings when I was like, Jeez, it's raining, do I really have to go out for an hour and a half?  And I did then what I do now in Japanese.  I let myself off the hook.  I said, Okay fine, I'll only go out for 20 minutes.  Just a quick jog.  Mentally, that's waaay easier to deal with.  And invariably, once I ran 20 minutes, I'd feel pretty good and just keep going.  It's the same thing now.  The hardest thing is just doing something small, getting out the door.  Once you do that, you've got momentum, and it's a lot easier to continue. You know, before I started studying Japanese all the time, I used to be quite a runner.  And the only problem with being a runner is that you become a better runner.  Like at first, running a mile is hard.  Then running two miles is hard.  But if you keep at it, pretty soon you’re clocking six miles a day.  And then more.  That’s just the way it is.  You get good at things.  What a mess.
Who wants to be good at stuff?  Being talented takes up all your time!  Pretty soon you’re knocking out 90 minute workouts.  And while that’s cool, it also feels pretty daunting.  I remember so many early mornings when I was like, Jeez, it’s raining, do I really have to go out for an hour and a half?  And I did then what I do now in Japanese.  I let myself off the hook.  I said, Okay fine, I’ll only go out for 20 minutes.  Just a quick jog.  Mentally, that’s waaay easier to deal with.  And invariably, once I ran 20 minutes, I’d feel pretty good and just keep going.  It’s the same thing now.  The hardest thing is just doing something small, getting out the door.  Once you do that, you’ve got momentum, and it’s a lot easier to continue.

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]]> Comment on Using Music Videos To Learn Spanish by kokage http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/why-people-fail-at-learning-languages-and-why-you-wont-be-one-of-them#comment-186857 kokage Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:09:48 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6373#comment-186857 Great post - I haven't touched Spanish for years, but still know the lyrics of "Mi musica es tu voz" from the first Operacion Triunfo by heart. I heard them when I was in Spain for a student exchange and it's sooo super cheezy... Our teacher in school back then often used spanish songs from Shakira or Loona (Hijo de la Luna) Would be great if they had 'mi musica es tu voz' in a japanese karaoke machine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHLayRAq_kA&feature=related Great post – I haven’t touched Spanish for years, but still know the lyrics of “Mi musica es tu voz” from the first Operacion Triunfo by heart. I heard them when I was in Spain for a student exchange and it’s sooo super cheezy… Our teacher in school back then often used spanish songs from Shakira or Loona (Hijo de la Luna)
Would be great if they had ‘mi musica es tu voz’ in a japanese karaoke machine: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHLayRAq_kA&feature=related

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]]> Comment on Are you learning Japanese the wrong way? by Tsubasa http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/are-you-learning-japanese-the-wrong-way#comment-186737 Tsubasa Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:12:13 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=5676#comment-186737 語学を学ぶ人は、みんな一番の近道だと思って一生懸命お勉強してしまいますね。 お勉強をしてから、その言葉を楽しめるんじゃないかと思って。 自分もそうでした。随分長い間一生懸命英語をお勉強してきたと思います。 今から思うと、近道だと思いつつ、ぜんぜん違う方向に進んでいたと思います。 今は、たくさん英語で本を読み、自分で書いたり、ドラマを英語で見たり。 ただ楽しんでいるだけですが、お勉強していた頃よりずっと力が着いたと思います。 長い時間がかかりましたが、間違っていたことに気づいてよかったと思っています。 みなさんはまだまだ若いから、これからいくらだって日本語を楽しむ時間があります＾＾。 語学は長い旅をするようなもの。 たまには迷子にもなるでしょう。それはそれでまた善しです 間違いに気づいたら、そこからがまた始まりですから＾＾。 近道をさがすのではなくて、 どうぞ日本語の旅をのんびりのんびり楽しんでください。 、   語学を学ぶ人は、みんな一番の近道だと思って一生懸命お勉強してしまいますね。
お勉強をしてから、その言葉を楽しめるんじゃないかと思って。

自分もそうでした。随分長い間一生懸命英語をお勉強してきたと思います。
今から思うと、近道だと思いつつ、ぜんぜん違う方向に進んでいたと思います。

今は、たくさん英語で本を読み、自分で書いたり、ドラマを英語で見たり。
ただ楽しんでいるだけですが、お勉強していた頃よりずっと力が着いたと思います。

長い時間がかかりましたが、間違っていたことに気づいてよかったと思っています。

みなさんはまだまだ若いから、これからいくらだって日本語を楽しむ時間があります＾＾。

語学は長い旅をするようなもの。
たまには迷子にもなるでしょう。それはそれでまた善しです
間違いに気づいたら、そこからがまた始まりですから＾＾。

近道をさがすのではなくて、

どうぞ日本語の旅をのんびりのんびり楽しんでください。

、
 

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]]> Comment on So Should We Track and Log Every Second of Japanese? by Kanjiboy http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/so-should-we-track-and-log-every-second-of-japanese#comment-186658 Kanjiboy Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:34:49 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=5393#comment-186658 Dude you are my clone, I though I was the only person who put studying Japanese into that perspective, Most people never even think about that dude, you rock!!! Dude you are my clone, I though I was the only person who put studying Japanese into that perspective, Most people never even think about that dude, you rock!!!

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]]> Comment on No Fun, No Good: You Must Enjoy Learning Japanese by The Skills to Pay the Bills (Y'all) | Spanish Only http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/no-fun-no-good#comment-186642 The Skills to Pay the Bills (Y'all) | Spanish Only Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:14:30 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/no-fun-no-good#comment-186642 [...] And have fun! [...] [...] And have fun! [...]

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]]> Comment on Why The Way We Read Sucks and How to Fix It: Part 3 — The Unified Reading Process by lisbet http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/why-the-way-we-read-sucks-and-how-to-fix-it-part-3-the-unified-reading-process#comment-186615 lisbet Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:02:18 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=469#comment-186615 You know, as an academic my reading method depends on why I am reading something and what it is.  If I need to teach something, skimming won't do. If I need to use it as a significant component of my work, the same thing applies. And if I am reading right before I fall asleep, I find sleepily reading along more relaxing than active skimming. There is a time and a place for skimming, to be sure. But it's not a rule I can or would apply to everything. Maybe Japanese everything. But not English everything. (As a lover of writing I often saver books as do the others above ^^^ and eagerly inhale every single word.) You know, as an academic my reading method depends on why I am reading something and what it is. 
If I need to teach something, skimming won’t do. If I need to use it as a significant component of my work, the same thing applies. And if I am reading right before I fall asleep, I find sleepily reading along more relaxing than active skimming.
There is a time and a place for skimming, to be sure. But it’s not a rule I can or would apply to everything. Maybe Japanese everything. But not English everything.
(As a lover of writing I often saver books as do the others above ^^^ and eagerly inhale every single word.)

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]]> Comment on 10,000 Hours: Building Listening Comprehension by Chagami http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/10000-hours-building-listening-comprehension#comment-186587 Chagami Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:27:40 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/10000-hours-building-listening-comprehension#comment-186587 Agreed on the continued relevance on the article! My opinion - which I think Khatz shares - is that Japanese audiobooks are great for Japanese immersion and study. Agreed on the continued relevance on the article!

My opinion – which I think Khatz shares – is that Japanese audiobooks are great for Japanese immersion and study.

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]]> Comment on Table of Contents / All Japanese All The Time Dot Com: How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. by 6 consigli per studiare giapponese (e altre lingue) | Hanami Blog http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/all-japanese-all-the-time-ajatt-how-to-learn-japanese-on-your-own-having-fun-and-to-fluency#comment-186499 6 consigli per studiare giapponese (e altre lingue) | Hanami Blog Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:07:23 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?page_id=268#comment-186499 [...] Se non sei hai più voglia di continuare a studiare il giapponese ho preparato una lista di consigli per motivarti a continuare (a meno che il giapponese non ti interessi proprio più!). Ovviamente gli stessi consigli si possono applicare allo studio di una qualunque lingua considerando altre risorse e siti non riferiti al giapponese. Per scrivere questo articolo mi sono ispirata al metodo AJATT. [...] [...] Se non sei hai più voglia di continuare a studiare il giapponese ho preparato una lista di consigli per motivarti a continuare (a meno che il giapponese non ti interessi proprio più!). Ovviamente gli stessi consigli si possono applicare allo studio di una qualunque lingua considerando altre risorse e siti non riferiti al giapponese. Per scrivere questo articolo mi sono ispirata al metodo AJATT. [...]

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]]> Comment on 10,000 Hours: Building Listening Comprehension by Kanjiboy http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/10000-hours-building-listening-comprehension#comment-186488 Kanjiboy Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:40:15 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/10000-hours-building-listening-comprehension#comment-186488 I know tbis is an old post, but it stands the test of time. Anyway my question is: Would you sudgest listening to Novels in Japanese that have already been pre-recorded and stories in Japanese??? I know tbis is an old post, but it stands the test of time. Anyway my question is: Would you sudgest listening to Novels in Japanese that have already been pre-recorded and stories in Japanese???

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]]> Comment on 1 ≫ 0 by Magdalena http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/1-is-bigger-than-0#comment-186445 Magdalena Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:06:39 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6315#comment-186445 You are right. Common sense knowledge should be constantly reminded. I think this will be my motto from now on: "One is better then zero". Your post immediatly got me doing things. Thank you!   You are right. Common sense knowledge should be constantly reminded. I think this will be my motto from now on: “One is better then zero”. Your post immediatly got me doing things. Thank you!
 

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]]> Comment on Massive Turnover: How To Banish Boredom and Burnout from Immersion Even When You’re Just a Sucky Beginner by ブライアン http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/massive-turnover#comment-186408 ブライアン Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:48:57 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=316#comment-186408 Before you've finished kanji, reading is not your priority.  Start learning them right now; the format doesn't really matter, the important part is to do them.  The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be through them.  (And screw what Khatz suggests, try everything and go with what YOU like.  Invent your own format.  It's your learning, own it.)   Until you're done, focus on listening for your immersion.  Youtube videos (雑談 -- lit. miscellaneous conversation -- is a good general search term), music, anime (Crunchyroll streams a lot of series for free; the more recent ones even have removable subtitles.)  Just have stuff on in the background; it really does help, I promise.  LOOK at books, and manga, and whatever, but until you've at least most of the way through the kanji, don't expect much.  (Oh, and FWIW, even with the head-start your reading skills will probably catch up to and surpass your listening pretty quickly once you start.) Before you’ve finished kanji, reading is not your priority.  Start learning them right now; the format doesn’t really matter, the important part is to do them.  The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be through them.  (And screw what Khatz suggests, try everything and go with what YOU like.  Invent your own format.  It’s your learning, own it.)
 
Until you’re done, focus on listening for your immersion.  Youtube videos (雑談 — lit. miscellaneous conversation — is a good general search term), music, anime (Crunchyroll streams a lot of series for free; the more recent ones even have removable subtitles.)  Just have stuff on in the background; it really does help, I promise.  LOOK at books, and manga, and whatever, but until you’ve at least most of the way through the kanji, don’t expect much.  (Oh, and FWIW, even with the head-start your reading skills will probably catch up to and surpass your listening pretty quickly once you start.)

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]]> Comment on 1 ≫ 0 by 魔法少女☆かなたん http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/1-is-bigger-than-0#comment-186341 魔法少女☆かなたん Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:45:48 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6315#comment-186341 If you can, get some Japanese books (children's books are awesome) or manga that you can read whenever you're not "wired".   It does seem like an impossible journey even as you go along, when it seems like there's so much you don't know. Only when you step back and look at your results ("oh wow, I understand the gist of the plot to this drama without subtitles", etc.) does it become apparent that you're getting anywhere. If you can, get some Japanese books (children’s books are awesome) or manga that you can read whenever you’re not “wired”.
 
It does seem like an impossible journey even as you go along, when it seems like there’s so much you don’t know. Only when you step back and look at your results (“oh wow, I understand the gist of the plot to this drama without subtitles”, etc.) does it become apparent that you’re getting anywhere.

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]]> Comment on Overview by rigabamboo http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/about/overview-page#comment-186240 rigabamboo Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:17:51 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/about/overview-page/#comment-186240 That's what the immersion environment is for.   That’s what the immersion environment is for.
 

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]]> Comment on 1 ≫ 0 by Rou http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/1-is-bigger-than-0#comment-186172 Rou Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:25:34 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6315#comment-186172 Allow me to go slightly off-topic here... I recently had to stop doing well... about anything in Japanese, due to my computer breaking down (funny how much depends on a machine, huh?). According to Anki, the break has been 1.2 months. Wow. Maybe I haven't done that much learning beforehand (just RTK and about 350 words in Core2k), but I got rather used to at least doing Anki reps every day and during that time without a computer I really felt... bad, without being able to study.  I'd say it's a success - I got addicted to Japanese! But still, whenever I think of this language I feel like I'm standing at the bottom of Mount Everest with a guidebook in hand but no equipment or training. In other words, I have theoretical knowledge of what I should do to climb the mountain (learn the language), but I feel completely lost when trying to apply that to real life. Okay, maybe that's not the best metaphor, but you get what I mean. Nevertheless, AJATT and similar sites give me hope that someday, I will succeed and my dream of being able to speak and understand Japanese will come true.   Allow me to go slightly off-topic here…

I recently had to stop doing well… about anything in Japanese, due to my computer breaking down (funny how much depends on a machine, huh?). According to Anki, the break has been 1.2 months. Wow. Maybe I haven’t done that much learning beforehand (just RTK and about 350 words in Core2k), but I got rather used to at least doing Anki reps every day and during that time without a computer I really felt… bad, without being able to study. 

I’d say it’s a success – I got addicted to Japanese! But still, whenever I think of this language I feel like I’m standing at the bottom of Mount Everest with a guidebook in hand but no equipment or training. In other words, I have theoretical knowledge of what I should do to climb the mountain (learn the language), but I feel completely lost when trying to apply that to real life.

Okay, maybe that’s not the best metaphor, but you get what I mean. Nevertheless, AJATT and similar sites give me hope that someday, I will succeed and my dream of being able to speak and understand Japanese will come true.  

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]]> Comment on SRS Is the Intellectual Equivalent of a Video Game “Save Point” by Kimura http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/srs-is-the-intellectual-equivalent-of-a-video-games-save-point#comment-186087 Kimura Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:27:34 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=2463#comment-186087 (Two-year necropost go!)   If Anki is basically the quicksave button in my Japanese Quest, then I think I have a corrupted kanjisave.dat file... I'm about 500 kanji into RTK (the Japanese Level Up deck, which omits little-used kanji and doesn't account for 6th-edition ones), and while I can remember the first few hundred or so, I'm consistently bombing the more recent ones I've done. I look at the keyword, go "wtf is this", and when I see the answer I facepalm. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, besides subconsciously avoiding the もう一度 button (which resets the interval timer) for any card with a "難しい" time of a month or more (aka all of the kanji I'm rolling ones on my Remember checks)... (Two-year necropost go!)
 
If Anki is basically the quicksave button in my Japanese Quest, then I think I have a corrupted kanjisave.dat file… I’m about 500 kanji into RTK (the Japanese Level Up deck, which omits little-used kanji and doesn’t account for 6th-edition ones), and while I can remember the first few hundred or so, I’m consistently bombing the more recent ones I’ve done. I look at the keyword, go “wtf is this”, and when I see the answer I facepalm.
Not sure what I’m doing wrong, besides subconsciously avoiding the もう一度 button (which resets the interval timer) for any card with a “難しい” time of a month or more (aka all of the kanji I’m rolling ones on my Remember checks)…

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]]> Comment on Using Music Videos To Learn Spanish by Andrew http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/why-people-fail-at-learning-languages-and-why-you-wont-be-one-of-them#comment-185856 Andrew Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:56:10 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6373#comment-185856 Niiiiiice :D Niiiiiice :D

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]]> Comment on Massive Turnover: How To Banish Boredom and Burnout from Immersion Even When You’re Just a Sucky Beginner by Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? « mefailenglish http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/massive-turnover#comment-185844 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? « mefailenglish Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:04:28 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=316#comment-185844 [...] przeczytałem na jednym z moich ulubionych blogów, że jeśli ksiażka, film etc. w języku obcym cię nudzi – zmien to – natychmiast! Oczywiste, prawda? Też tak sadze, ale mimo to poczułem dzika moc do [...] [...] przeczytałem na jednym z moich ulubionych blogów, że jeśli ksiażka, film etc. w języku obcym cię nudzi – zmien to – natychmiast! Oczywiste, prawda? Też tak sadze, ale mimo to poczułem dzika moc do [...]

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]]> Comment on Using Music Videos To Learn Spanish by Ken Seeroi http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/why-people-fail-at-learning-languages-and-why-you-wont-be-one-of-them#comment-185813 Ken Seeroi Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:47:17 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6373#comment-185813 Don't worry about learning to sing.  Learn to adjust the 3 knobs on front of the karaoke machine and you'll have the voice of Elvis.  As for picking up girls, yeah.  It is. .   Don’t worry about learning to sing.  Learn to adjust the 3 ***** on front of the karaoke machine and you’ll have the voice of Elvis. 
As for picking up girls, yeah.  It is. .
 

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]]> Comment on Using Music Videos To Learn Spanish by Andrew http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/why-people-fail-at-learning-languages-and-why-you-wont-be-one-of-them#comment-185750 Andrew Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:08:57 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6373#comment-185750 Oh yeah, I know, I've always thought that if I really get serious about learning Japanese I'm going to HAVE to learn to sing so I can do karaoke.  I'd love to go to Japan and do that, seems like it'd be a great way to pick up girls, too :D Cheers, Andrew Oh yeah, I know, I’ve always thought that if I really get serious about learning Japanese I’m going to HAVE to learn to sing so I can do karaoke.  I’d love to go to Japan and do that, seems like it’d be a great way to pick up girls, too :D
Cheers,
Andrew

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]]> Comment on Using Music Videos To Learn Spanish by Andrew http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/why-people-fail-at-learning-languages-and-why-you-wont-be-one-of-them#comment-185749 Andrew Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:07:39 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/?p=6373#comment-185749 Oops, sorry, I got your name mixed up with someone else's, fv. Oops, sorry, I got your name mixed up with someone else’s, fv.

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