Comments on: Stop Mystifying Japanese http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:53:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Elisianna http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-30917 Elisianna Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:11:53 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-30917 Well said =P There is nothing I hate more than people saying "blah blah is the hardest language to learn" no matter what bloody language it is. I kinda go the opposite way of a lot of people though... I always tell everyone how easy Japanese is, especially in the beginning. This coming from someone who has taken German, French, Spanish and Italian... as soon as I came upon this language where we didn't have to spend the entire lesson conjugating bloody verbs I was happy. When people start whining about Katakana, Hiragana and Kanji (Oh my!!) I tell them I taught myself Katakana and Hiragana in a couple of days and retained it... and Kanji is so much fun to learn =P English is a ridiculous language. I am so happy it is my first language, because I sure as hell wouldn't want to learn it. (And I do not understand why it is so "cool" to foreign people... I read a lot of foreign magazines (especially Japanese) and they go crazy with the English. Well said =P There is nothing I hate more than people saying “blah blah is the hardest language to learn” no matter what bloody language it is.

I kinda go the opposite way of a lot of people though… I always tell everyone how easy Japanese is, especially in the beginning. This coming from someone who has taken German, French, Spanish and Italian… as soon as I came upon this language where we didn’t have to spend the entire lesson conjugating bloody verbs I was happy.

When people start whining about Katakana, Hiragana and Kanji (Oh my!!) I tell them I taught myself Katakana and Hiragana in a couple of days and retained it… and Kanji is so much fun to learn =P

English is a ridiculous language. I am so happy it is my first language, because I sure as hell wouldn’t want to learn it. (And I do not understand why it is so “cool” to foreign people… I read a lot of foreign magazines (especially Japanese) and they go crazy with the English.

]]> By: HiddenSincerity http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-26611 HiddenSincerity Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:39:59 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-26611 @Vin Kim What isn't true is your reference. Smelling some fine grade BS when I saw the title of the article, I actually checked the reference the lying idiots at Wikipedia used to support that statement and it says nothing of substance about Korean definitely taking the longest to learn of all the worlds 6000+ languages and dialect. . What it (the reference, not the article) does say is that it has been found that toddlers begin to use a particular grammatical pattern in Korean at around age five, although there is evidence they understand it before hand. This is mentioned almost in passing, in a context talking about Chinese. Also, Wexler, the author of the piece reference appears to be following a Chomskian perspective of language acquisition, which is ... how to put this kindly ... 40+ year old dribble from a man who was so well trusted that the rest of the linguistic community didn't bother testing out his hypotheses and people who believe it nowadays should be shoved in a room and made to watch Prison Break season 4 for days and days and days until they repent ... or come up with some actual evidence. @Vin Kim

What isn’t true is your reference.

Smelling some fine grade BS when I saw the title of the article, I actually checked the reference the lying idiots at Wikipedia used to support that statement and it says nothing of substance about Korean definitely taking the longest to learn of all the worlds 6000+ languages and dialect. .

What it (the reference, not the article) does say is that it has been found that toddlers begin to use a particular grammatical pattern in Korean at around age five, although there is evidence they understand it before hand. This is mentioned almost in passing, in a context talking about Chinese.

Also, Wexler, the author of the piece reference appears to be following a Chomskian perspective of language acquisition, which is … how to put this kindly … 40+ year old dribble from a man who was so well trusted that the rest of the linguistic community didn’t bother testing out his hypotheses and people who believe it nowadays should be shoved in a room and made to watch Prison Break season 4 for days and days and days until they repent … or come up with some actual evidence.

]]> By: Vin Kim http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-26597 Vin Kim Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:13:37 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-26597 >every single hearing baby on Earth somehow managed to learn every single language on Earth within the same amount of time, and began speaking at the same amount of time, and developed the same oral/aural vocabulary in the same amount of time This isn't true. Korean takes the longest time for toddlers to learn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardest_language >every single hearing baby on Earth somehow managed to learn every single language on Earth within the same amount of time, and began speaking at the same amount of time, and developed the same oral/aural vocabulary in the same amount of time

This isn’t true. Korean takes the longest time for toddlers to learn. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardest_language

]]> By: Paula http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-23259 Paula Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:16:23 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-23259 Reading through some points on kanji... wow. I have been studying Japanese for about a year (more like, 1 year 3 months ago I decided to start learning) and I know about 300 kanji, give or take a couple. That isn't nearly as fast as I would wish, but seeing other examples here... well, ah,... I feel encouraged? One thing: to this I disagree: "Full competence in one’s mother tongue is acquired early, but writing has to be learned separately and much later." My native language is Spanish, which I learned to read within my first two years (my writing... was somewhat correct but crap back then though) I find Japanese to be very simple... (but of course, very different from both Spanish and English). I can (finally) understand some of the Ontama show for the group capsule (finally) and other music interviews (not in their entirety, but quite a bit... my goal now is to understand full videos). Thanks for the posts, always motivate me. Reading through some points on kanji… wow. I have been studying Japanese for about a year (more like, 1 year 3 months ago I decided to start learning) and I know about 300 kanji, give or take a couple. That isn’t nearly as fast as I would wish, but seeing other examples here… well, ah,… I feel encouraged?

One thing: to this I disagree: “Full competence in one’s mother tongue is acquired early, but writing has to be learned separately and much later.” My native language is Spanish, which I learned to read within my first two years (my writing… was somewhat correct but **** back then though)

I find Japanese to be very simple… (but of course, very different from both Spanish and English). I can (finally) understand some of the Ontama show for the group capsule (finally) and other music interviews (not in their entirety, but quite a bit… my goal now is to understand full videos).

Thanks for the posts, always motivate me.

]]> By: Bel http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-22730 Bel Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:12:07 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-22730 Everyone's like 'JAPANESE IS SO HARD' and I don't think it is. It's DIFFERENT, and it takes awhile to learn, but that doesn't make it HARD. If you just have the right mindset while learning, Japanese isn't hard. Kanji are annoying as hell and I struggle with them, but the Japanese language as a whole is just DIFFERENT, not hard. English I think is one of the hardest languages in the world. Everyone says "No, it's easy!" and that's because they speak it natively. I do too, but I've looked into the linguistics of it and it's history and it's complicated as hell! Japanese is much easier than English. Good article! Everyone’s like ‘JAPANESE IS SO HARD’ and I don’t think it is. It’s DIFFERENT, and it takes awhile to learn, but that doesn’t make it HARD. If you just have the right mindset while learning, Japanese isn’t hard. Kanji are annoying as hell and I struggle with them, but the Japanese language as a whole is just DIFFERENT, not hard. English I think is one of the hardest languages in the world. Everyone says “No, it’s easy!” and that’s because they speak it natively. I do too, but I’ve looked into the linguistics of it and it’s history and it’s complicated as hell! Japanese is much easier than English. Good article!

]]> By: shou http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-22710 shou Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:47:16 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-22710 >Some experiments have shown that kanji are processed faster in the brain than phonetic systems; I certainly find that kanji pack a lot of meaning-per-pixel. Meanwhile, many countries that use the supposedly simpler Roman alphabet — even Romance-language-speaking countries that don’t have the phonetic gap of English — have crappy literacy rates. Don’t even get me started about adult illiteracy in the US. wow, this is inspiring thanks for khatzumoto for lifting up beginners in studying learn Japanese, like me. >Some experiments have shown that kanji are processed faster in the brain than phonetic systems; I certainly find that kanji pack a lot of meaning-per-pixel. Meanwhile, many countries that use the supposedly simpler Roman alphabet — even Romance-language-speaking countries that don’t have the phonetic gap of English — have crappy literacy rates. Don’t even get me started about adult illiteracy in the US.

wow, this is inspiring

thanks for khatzumoto for lifting up beginners in studying learn Japanese, like me.

]]> By: Mani http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-22408 Mani Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:39:17 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-22408 As french, I dont consider english as an easy langage, because its full of "two words components". There are so many situations were you have to know the meaning of this two (or more) words stuck together... English is closest to the most mysterious chinese kanjis in many senses. There is, too often, no logic, but knowledge. And now I'll have a look on japanese, it can't be worst! As french, I dont consider english as an easy langage, because its full of “two words components”.
There are so many situations were you have to know the meaning of this two (or more) words stuck together… English is closest to the most mysterious chinese kanjis in many senses.
There is, too often, no logic, but knowledge.

And now I’ll have a look on japanese, it can’t be worst!

]]> By: mpz http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-16248 mpz Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:33:40 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-16248 I don't entirely agree with the notion that kanji representation of words makes Japanese somehow special or faster to read than English because the meaning is imbued in the logographs. I don't read English text letter by letter, sounding them out in my head. I read and understand words directly, much like I pick up the meaning instantly when I see a kanji compound. Given that English pronounciation and writing have become separated to such a large extent, I have no problems treating English words as just another form of logographs. They're made up of letters, just like kanji is made up of components. I don’t entirely agree with the notion that kanji representation of words makes Japanese somehow special or faster to read than English because the meaning is imbued in the logographs.

I don’t read English text letter by letter, sounding them out in my head. I read and understand words directly, much like I pick up the meaning instantly when I see a kanji compound. Given that English pronounciation and writing have become separated to such a large extent, I have no problems treating English words as just another form of logographs. They’re made up of letters, just like kanji is made up of components.

]]> By: Fryie http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-9471 Fryie Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:12:48 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-9471 As a student of linguistic but without more than some basic knowledge of Japanese, I tend to agree. I'm also positive that all languages are roughly equal in complexity (yes, it is incredibly difficult for an European speaker to learn a native American language like Lakhota, but that's because they have other ways of thinking - so it would be equally difficult for the native American without European influence to learn, say, French), but I also have to add that language is not writing. Full competence in one's mother tongue is acquired early, but writing has to be learned separately and much later. Also, spoken and written language follow different rules, the latter changing and adapting much slower and being more subject to authoritative decisions than the former. To me, this also means that there CAN be differences in the complexity of writing systems although I'm not experienced on that subject and can't provide details. However, still admitting my lack of knowledge on the subject of Chinese and Japanese, it wouldn't seem that wrong to me if one were to say that WRITING Japanese (or Chinese) is harder than writing, say, Italian (I didn't want to pick English because of its horribly outdated orthography which has no more reason to exist than ASCII encoding or QWERTY keyboards have). At least, if you learn how to pronounce an Italian word, you should almost always be able to write it down; but this does not hold for a logographic writing where in fact you have to learn to different representations for each word, a spoken and a written one, which bear no systematic relation. That said, I still disagree with the "OMG I CAN NEVER LEARN THAT LANGUAGE" bullshit that can often be heard. I'm confident I could learn every language I wanted to if I had enough time to do so. As a student of linguistic but without more than some basic knowledge of Japanese, I tend to agree. I’m also positive that all languages are roughly equal in complexity (yes, it is incredibly difficult for an European speaker to learn a native American language like Lakhota, but that’s because they have other ways of thinking – so it would be equally difficult for the native American without European influence to learn, say, French), but I also have to add that language is not writing. Full competence in one’s mother tongue is acquired early, but writing has to be learned separately and much later. Also, spoken and written language follow different rules, the latter changing and adapting much slower and being more subject to authoritative decisions than the former. To me, this also means that there CAN be differences in the complexity of writing systems although I’m not experienced on that subject and can’t provide details. However, still admitting my lack of knowledge on the subject of Chinese and Japanese, it wouldn’t seem that wrong to me if one were to say that WRITING Japanese (or Chinese) is harder than writing, say, Italian (I didn’t want to pick English because of its horribly outdated orthography which has no more reason to exist than ASCII encoding or QWERTY keyboards have). At least, if you learn how to pronounce an Italian word, you should almost always be able to write it down; but this does not hold for a logographic writing where in fact you have to learn to different representations for each word, a spoken and a written one, which bear no systematic relation.

That said, I still disagree with the “OMG I CAN NEVER LEARN THAT LANGUAGE” bullshit that can often be heard. I’m confident I could learn every language I wanted to if I had enough time to do so.

]]> By: M http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-9469 M Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:25:28 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-9469 People keep on telling us that it's so hard. You eventually come to believe it. Thanks khatzumoto for changing that and giving us motivation. To your method in general I have to say though, that although I don't doubt that it works for you and many people who try to follow you, it might be a too strong strain on one's social life for most people. Nevertheless, this doesn't change the facts you stated. People keep on telling us that it’s so hard. You eventually come to believe it.

Thanks khatzumoto for changing that and giving us motivation.

To your method in general I have to say though, that although I don’t doubt that it works for you and many people who try to follow you, it might be a too strong strain on one’s social life for most people. Nevertheless, this doesn’t change the facts you stated.

]]> By: mjaynec http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-9358 mjaynec Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:59:22 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-9358 I started using Heisig's book about two weeks ago and I've already done about 500 kanji. I was talking to a friend of mine who has been studying Japanese for three years, and when I told her about my progress she was floored. She said that she knows over 100 kanji. She happens to be one of the people that goes on and on about how hard and confusing the kanji are, but I introduced her to the Heisig method so hopefully that will change. I started using Heisig’s book about two weeks ago and I’ve already done about 500 kanji. I was talking to a friend of mine who has been studying Japanese for three years, and when I told her about my progress she was floored. She said that she knows over 100 kanji. She happens to be one of the people that goes on and on about how hard and confusing the kanji are, but I introduced her to the Heisig method so hopefully that will change.

]]> By: Takeshi Gaijin http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-9295 Takeshi Gaijin Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:38:14 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-9295 Some 3rd year Japanese students at my Uni were telling me how it takes 20 years to learn kanji! With that belief in their head, they'll never learn it anway. Some 3rd year Japanese students at my Uni were telling me how it takes 20 years to learn kanji! With that belief in their head, they’ll never learn it anway.

]]> By: Steven http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2597 Steven Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:04:34 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2597 NHK also has some videos with scripts. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/ NHK also has some videos with scripts.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/

]]> By: Glenn http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2584 Glenn Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:43:08 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2584 For news, I like ANN News. Just search that on Google and it should be one of the first hits. I've found that the "script" matches the video better than it does for FNN. For news, I like ANN News. Just search that on Google and it should be one of the first hits. I’ve found that the “script” matches the video better than it does for FNN.

]]> By: Joe http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2532 Joe Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:11:53 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2532 Great points, as usual: the more mystical and rarefied you make Japanese, the more forbidding it appears to learners. Great points, as usual: the more mystical and rarefied you make Japanese, the more forbidding it appears to learners.

]]> By: beneficii http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2464 beneficii Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:49:21 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2464 Lingo, > I wonder if they pulled the "adults can't learn as well as children" routine at that point. Lingo,

>

I wonder if they pulled the “adults can’t learn as well as children” routine at that point.

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2431 khatzumoto Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:43:58 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2431 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-watch-the-news-in-japanese In the comments, there's a link to TBS, which is a similar deal to FNN. If you're talking about a 24-hour CNN-type thing over the Internet, I don't know of any yet; it may well be out there, I simply don't know. You can put FNN on loop, though. http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-watch-the-news-in-japanese

In the comments, there’s a link to TBS, which is a similar deal to FNN. If you’re talking about a 24-hour CNN-type thing over the Internet, I don’t know of any yet; it may well be out there, I simply don’t know. You can put FNN on loop, though.

]]> By: beneficii http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2429 beneficii Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:15:33 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2429 Khatzumoto, From where do you recommend I get that news video? Fuji News Network has very short news video, but perhaps there is streaming? Khatzumoto,

From where do you recommend I get that news video? Fuji News Network has very short news video, but perhaps there is streaming?

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2425 khatzumoto Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:24:45 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2425 >every single hearing baby on Earth somehow managed to learn every single language on Earth within the same amount of time, and began speaking at the same amount of time, and developed the same oral/aural vocabulary in the same amount of time Them pesky facts... >every single hearing baby on Earth somehow managed to learn every single language on Earth within the same amount of time, and began speaking at the same amount of time, and developed the same oral/aural vocabulary in the same amount of time

Them pesky facts…

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese/comment-page-1#comment-2424 khatzumoto Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:11:53 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/stop-mystifying-japanese#comment-2424 1. If you must, try 「お店は何時からですか」 2. But avoid output 3. >somewhat disturbed sleep (any advice for this?) Pick something quieter (like news read by a single announcer)? 1. If you must, try 「お店は何時からですか」
2. But avoid output
3. >somewhat disturbed sleep (any advice for this?)
Pick something quieter (like news read by a single announcer)?

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