HELP

[TokyoRoze]

Im losing motivation to learn japanese HELP

[Daisuke]

Motivation is the most important things to have when learning. If you lose it, it probably means that you no longer want to learn. You have to create you motivation again, i don't think that problem could be solved by others than yourself.

Good Luck!

[TokyoRoze]

Domo

[clay]

I used to sit back and "day dream" me speaking Japanese fluently with someone in Japan. Even though at that time my spoken Japanese level was very low, it helped motivate me to study harder.

Learning a Language isn't one huge, unapproachable step, but made up of many small, easy to accomplish steps. Therefore, if concentrate on one small step at a time, you may not get discouraged as often.

[Qbe]

How long have you been working at it? No offense here, but you're fairly young. You're learning what kind of things you like, and not everything is going to be a keeper. When I was your age, I took first steps in learning at least a dozen different languages. After a short time with each one, I'd drop it and move to the next. I picked up smatterings of quite a few, but real skill in none.

Go back and figure out why you want(ed) to learn Japanese in the first place. To be cool? To play Japanese video games? Because you like Japan and Japanese culture? Ask yourself if you still really want to learn it.

As clay said, be aware that learning a language is a process which can take a while. In my younger days I wanted to be able to buy a book and know the language within a few days or weeks. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Persistence is the key. Just keep plugging away at it and you will progress, even when you don't feel like it or believe that you're making progress. Keep your goal in mind, whatever it may be, to give you motivation.

If you can track down "How to Learn Any Language" by Barry Farber, do so. It's a great inspirational book with some really helpful hints. I got it for a few bucks at Barnes & Noble, but your local library might have it too.

[Daisuke]

what does "domo" mean?

[clay]

doumo means thanks and is used with or without "arigatou"

I totally agree "How to Learn Any Language" is a great book. I read that years ago and it influenced the way I study. I wish I could find my copy...

[Tamai]

Learning something is an exponential function, in the beggining it's hard to keep going, because you can't get an exciting feedback, for every new thing you learn, it seems that you forgot another thing you've learned. It will take sometime until the "knowledge axis" gets higher then "time axis", until then, it's very important to keep studying, getting some scattered information, when the time comes, you'll learn naturally faster and will fell excited again.

[TokyoRoze]

Doumo everyone ill keep that all in mind. youll see me posting alot more!

[hihlordjp]

Tamai wrote:
Learning something is an exponential function, in the beggining it's hard to keep going, because you can't get an exciting feedback, for every new thing you learn, it seems that you forgot another thing you've learned. It will take sometime until the "knowledge axis" gets higher then "time axis", until then, it's very important to keep studying, getting some scattered information, when the time comes, you'll learn naturally faster and will fell excited again.

That sounds like math... Not something you'd want to tell me and my fellow math-o-phobics. :p

TokyoRoze, it's just a phase. Just press on.

[TokyoRoze]

Doumo
どうも

[Tamai]

Oh, c'mon... math is just a tool, or if you prefer, it's a way to express the world, just like any other language... and it's very useful, it's the classical culture, add a little ocidental culture, and a little oriental culture and you'll be able to be comprehended almost everywhere. Just try not to mix oriental and classical too deeply, there are some kind of oposites that are really confusing together...

Just one simple question... how long do you intend to keep studying formally?

[TokyoRoze]

Depends on what u mean by "formaly"

[Daisuke]

It means: how long do you want to study the language