Well I decided I'm going to (re)learn Japanese. However, I only want to be able to read and understand Japanese, I have no current need for writing or speaking Japanese (no doubt I'll still learn it on the way). Reason? Manga, TV and movie subtitles, and video games, mostly for reading. in before "WEEABOO", my automated response to that: "Fuck off."
Current proficiency:
Can read & write Hiragana 100%.
Can read & write Katakana 100%, and decent enough at translating it.
CANNOT read & write Kanji at all, outside of numbers.
Is aware of the difficulty of Japanese grammar, levels of politeness, particles etc... but does not know much about it.
Anyone have any decent Japanese-learning links or download resources (textbooks, audiobooks etc)?
I'm currently going through my old high school textbooks and a Genki Vol.1 e-book. I need a decent hardcopy Japanese dictionary though, know a good one?.
Thanks.
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Anonymous2007-03-17 10:18 ID:k798bHDN
First of all, you should become to be able to read the Kanji.
So you will be able to practice of the writing Kanji.
If you live in Japan, why don't you buy Japanese child's novel that have hiragana printed beside each kanji.
eigo(Englihs) ga umaku kakenakute gomennasai...
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Anonymous2007-03-17 11:03 ID:f0xDdNYn
If you're serious about learning the kanji, you should definitely get James Heisig's *Learning the Kanji* books. It requires some dedication, but that's most likely the best way of building quick kanji proficiency.
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Anonymous2007-03-17 12:10 ID:RjouvYQC
You should get "Japanese for Weeaboos", I hear it's good.
Well I decided I'm going to (re)learn English. However, I only want to be able to read and understand English, I have no current need for writing or speaking English (no doubt I'll still learn it on the way). Reason? Comics, TV and movie subtitles, and video games, mostly for reading. in before "AMERIKKKAN", my automated response to that: "Fuck off."
Current proficiency:
Can read & write upper-case letters of the alphabet 100%.
Can read & write lower-case letters of the alphabet 100%, and decent enough at translating it.
CANNOT read & write English words at all, outside of numbers.
Is aware of the difficulty of English grammar, levels of politeness, particles etc... but does not know much about it.
Anyone have any decent English-learning links or download resources (textbooks, audiobooks etc)?
I'm currently going through my old high school textbooks and a English for Dummies e-book. I need a decent hardcopy English dictionary though, know a good one?.
Thanks.
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Anonymous2007-03-17 18:56 ID:AZLLHOX7
Well I decided I'm going to (re)learn Windows programming. However, I only want to be able to read and write programs, I have no current need for compiling or debugging (no doubt I'll still learn it on the way). Reason? The next killer MMORPG, weather simulation systems and robotic A.I, and V.R. games, mostly for lulz. in before "One word, the forced indentation of code", my automated response to that: "Fuck off."
Current proficiency:
Can locate the Start Button 100%.
Can click on the Start Button with my left mouse button 100%, and decent enough at locating "Turn Off Computer...".
CANNOT use any programs at all, outside of Solitaire.
Is aware of the difficulty of saving, deleting, downloading etc... but does not know much about it.
Anyone have any decent Windows-programming-learning links or download resources (textbooks, audiobooks etc)?
I'm currently going through my old elementary school textbooks and a Windows programming for Dummies e-book. I need a decent hardcopy Windows architectural documentation though, know a good one?.
Thanks.
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Anonymous2007-03-17 19:52 ID:RjouvYQC
Well I decided I'm going to (re)learn cooking. However, I only want to be able to prepare and digest food, I have no current need for chewing and swallowing (no doubt I'll still learn it on the way). Reason? Mostly because I need nutrition to survive. in before "PUT THE FORK DOWN FATTY", my automated response to that: "Fuck off."
Current proficiency:
Can heat water to boiling point 100%.
Can operate simpler cutlery 100%, and decent enough with BBQ accessories.
CANNOT operate oven or stove or anything else necessary for cooking food.
Is aware of the difficulty of frying, simmering, setting the table etc... but does not know much about it.
Anyone have any decent Cooking-learning links or download resources (textbooks, audiobooks etc)?
I'm currently going through my old elementary school textbooks and a Cooking for Dummies e-book. I need a decent hardcopy Cooking manual though, know a good one?.
Thanks.
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Anonymous2007-03-17 20:26 ID:x783mzzT
Well I decided I'm going to (re)learn auto mechanics. However, I only want to be able to understand the components of my 1987 Ford Escort, I have no current need for being able to actually repair anything (no doubt I'll still learn it on the way). Reason? My car is a peice of shit and it breaks down all ofthe time, I want to modify it with plastic hubcaps/spoiler to add horsepower, and I'm a desperate balding old man who wants women, and women love guys who can fix cars. in before "PUSHRODS PUSHRODS PUSHRODS", my automated response to that: "Fuck off."
Current proficiency:
Can open the hood 100%.
Can remove the air filter 100%, and decent enough at replacing it.
CANNOT do anything else because the engine is greasy and scary, sort of like Mexicans.
Is aware of the difficulty of installing a turbocharger, modifying exhaust system, etc... but does not know much about it.
Anyone have any decent mechanic-learning links or download resources (textbooks, audiobooks etc)?
I'm currently going through my old high school textbooks and a 1985-1990 Ford Escort for Chilton e-repair manual. I need a decent hardcopy repair manual, know a good one?.
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Anonymous2007-03-17 23:24 ID:5z/st1RK
Well I decided I'm going to (re)learn air traffic control. However, I only want to be able to look at and talk to pilots, I have no current need for separating aircraft or ensuring their safety (no doubt I'll still learn it on the way). Reason? Airplanes are the shit and maybe some day I'll get to go up to one and actually touch it with my hand. in before "lol planes go BOOM", my automated response to that: "Fuck off."
Current proficiency:
Can look out the control tower windows 100%.
Can put on a radio headset 100%, and decent enough at pressing the PTT switch.
CANNOT control aircraft in the tower pattern at all, especially when only one is in my airspace.
Is aware of the difficulty of anticipated separation, special VFR, and issuing clearances... but does not know much about it.
Anyone have any decent air traffic control links or download resources (textbooks, audiobooks etc)?
I'm currently going through my old high school textbooks and a FAAO 7110.65 for Dummies book. I need a decent hardcopy pilot/controller glossary though, know a good one?.
I wish to enjoy certain aspects of Japan's entertainment, so I wish to learn the language.
Why don't you tell me what's wrong?
Also, you and most people in this thread should learn the definition of weeaboo which you obviously don't understand. Actually, that's not even a fucking word, just some made up shit by the fags at /b/. Look up "Wapanese" instead and relay the definition to me.
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Anonymous2007-03-18 8:05 ID:EMOMjmXF
Legendary thread, I save it for the future generations.
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ee™2007-03-18 8:11 ID:EJQqiTFH
>>1
Oshit, you can write/read in japanese? That's pretty neat..
Buy the Genki books off Amazon. If you really want to study, invest some cash. Genki is your best bet. If you can get your hands on it, Minna no nihongo is very good as well.
I applaud your efforts at beginning to study Japanese. If you truly are studying diligently, it means you aren't a weeaboo (and if you are, I wish you would die with your 300 word Japanese vocabulary.)
Second, for the /b/tards: (From Urbandictionary)
“Wapanese” are decidedly caucasian individuals who, by means of thoroughly warped postmodern acculturation processes, have come to the decision that it is in their best interest to act as if they were denizens of the nation of Japan. The term “wapanese” can be accurately though of as an analog to wigger. A whitey can be classified as a “Wapanese” if they are in possession of two or more of the following defining traits:
1. Has an unhealthy obsession with shallow, saccharine and intellectually insulting animation shows (also refered to as anime by the nerd elite) originally tailored for young Japanese children
2. Operates under the erroneous belief that every aspect of American culture is vastly inferior to that of Japan’s – even though 99.9% of Wapanese have never had firsthand experience of any sort with their preferred culture (in other words, they’ve never set so much as one foot upon the island(s) of Japan)
3. Halfheartedly studies Japanese language and/or is a part-time practitioner of martial arts
4. Has a sword (samurai swords only, of course) collection
5. Is a Virgin
6. May be afflicted with a terminal case of yellow fever; however, they constantly fail in their quest for Japanese pootytang
7. Extreme cases may traipse around whilst wearing a “costume” that makes them resemble their favorite anime characters (this practice is reffered to as cosplay; cross-dressing and raging homosexuality is not an uncommon component of cosplay.
Interestingly, Wapanese are generally thought of as “failures” and rejects within their own culture. Social scientists such as myself speculate that it was their failure to gain acceptance within their own culture than has lead many a white geek to seek out Japan’s culture as a surrogate; however, they’d be shattered to know that the insular and somewhat racist Japanese society would be even less accepting of them than the people of their true and native culture.
>>6. May be afflicted with a terminal case of yellow fever; however, they constantly fail in their quest for Japanese pootytang
But, I, er...god damnit.
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Anonymous2007-03-18 11:08 ID:lY9bIjjB
>>22
Aw hell, forgot quoting doesn't quite work the same on text boards. Meh
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Anonymous2007-03-18 11:45 ID:Q5WAnYf2
FUCKING LEGENDARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Anonymous2007-03-18 19:01 ID:J2+h+ADz
>>17
STFU you nigger. Truth is you don't know jack shit. You are what we call weeaboo, now stfu and go become an hero. "BUT URBAN DICTIONARY SAYS..." NO! GTFO.
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Anonymous2007-03-18 22:24 ID:skVufs3R
Fucking sit down, at your your computer, go to amazon, buy this book < http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/4789004546/103-5564390-2055865 >, also buy a electronic dictionary with a good kanji dictionary included, learn how radicals of kanji work, spend the next fucking 10 years learning everything, YOU CANNOT LEARN JAPANESE WITHOUT LIVING IN JAPAN, sure you can "get by" but you are never going to come close to fluency in reading, writing, or speaking. unless you are just waisting your time give up now, and i'm not putting you down, i'm serious, i studied japanese for 4 years at college and have been living in japan for the last year, and i'm no where close to being able to carry on anything more than normal everyday conversation. infact, just buy a gun and be a hero
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Anonymous2007-03-18 23:28 ID:KOwrJn3i
I learned Japanese by reading www.guidetojapanese.org, downloading manga (Aria, Mahoraba, Suzuka, mostly ones with furigana) to use as reading material, listening to music, watching TV and anime, and finding Japanese people on the internet who want to chat via MSN messenger or send emails back and forth. Now, after a few years of studying that way, I have been living in Japan for about 6 months. I have a girlfriend here, and while I can understand most anything she says, it's still very hard for me to fabricate my own sentences from scratch. I feel that I sound like a little kid when I speak.
>>29
APPARENTLY you have never been to japan, if you are white and not ungodly overweight then you can get a japanese girl with no problem, try learning something before you act like you know shit asshat
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Anonymous2007-03-19 4:16 ID:GEyUo4Ey
>>31
Not everyone is white, not overweight, and want to hook up with Japanese girls. So what are you trying to say? GTFO you king of weeaboos!!!
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Anonymous2007-03-19 5:22 ID:fLO54n9b
This thread is full of human failures.I will back up this thread often so the involved human race in the next centuries will witness the retardness of their ancestors. Please continue to post shit like this, it's entertaining and will be a great step for science evolution.
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Anonymous2007-03-19 5:58 ID:d1EF4xtA
Excuse me...
If I get wrong >>2 sentenses, please revise my sentenses...
>>26 >>27
If you're living in Japan you should be able to get good at Japanese pretty fast I think. You're probably just not using the language enough, or you're using English too much. Do you hang out with all English speakers or something? I've been living here for about 2 years now and I don't have any English speaking friends, the only time I really use English is on 4chan (one side effect of this is that I have a hard time speaking politly in English anymore and tend to say words like faggotry and fail a lot). But seriously. Hang out with people, make friends, use 2ch, play eroge, hell, just read books and shit. In less than a year I stopped feeling like I'm having trouble with stuff and started just talking as normally as possible and sounding kinda silly but in time it started feeling a lot more normal and shit, my friends sometimes give me shit for having a slight accent and sometimes I talk really fast (I talk fast in English too and it kinda carried over I guess) and then get all dyslexic and shit, but otherwise I never really feel like my language skills are inadequate. I just feel like the one guy foreign kid in your group of friends you probably had back in highscool who has an accent and occasionally says shit that makes people go "huh?" but for the most part sounds normal. I mean, think about immigrant kids you'd meet in highschool back in the US, they'd learn English to a pretty fluent point in a few months because it was the only language they ever used. Learning Japanese (or in my theory any foreign language) is only a matter of learning the target language up to a certain point, after that it's a matter of UNlearning English or whatever other mother language you had. I realized I was getting fluent in Japanese the first time I went back to the US to visit after living here about a year and found myself formulating a lot of stuff in Japanese grammer first and then stumbling on it in English, like, I'd say, "More than... er, well, more over than that, er, I mean, like, isn't it kinda late?" and shit when I was just trying to be like "つーかもう遅くね？" or something like that. Being really fluent in 2 languages at the same time, now that'd be cool. Right now I'm in a stupid middle ground where when I really sit down to write something and try to make it sound good, I find myself having trouble in both languages.
>>35
I'm not using the language enough because I live on a military base and speak English all the time. If I had even more Japanese friends, that would problably help.
I hang out with my girlfriend during the weekends, but she does most of the talking. I feel that I've hit a roadblock and can't really progress any further, but I'm sure as hell trying.
I've only been here for about 6 months, so I still have to give it some time before I'm truly fluent.
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Anonymous2007-03-19 18:44 ID:qz6obE6Y
>>35
you probably only think you are good at japanese, i'm guessing you are fagging it up more than you think, that is not to say that you are progressing, but living in japan for 2 years will not get you fluency, japanese is a very fucking hard language to master, sure you may get to the point where you can understand everything said, but trying to reply with an adequate responce at the same level is a different matter, stop trying to fool yourself >>37 I've only been here for about 6 months, so I still have to give it some time before I'm truly fluent.
go fucking die for this comment
>>39
i think that he is trying to point out that >>37 is not even close to being fluent after 6 months, therefore it was stupid to say that he has to give it some time
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Anonymous2007-03-20 5:02 ID:GWK7Kfiq
Let's face it: less than 1% of us are going to go to Japan to learn the language, because of many reasons; economic, families, friends, fear of discrimination, fear of living alone in foreign land. If half of ppl interested in the language go to japan soon it'll be so crowded we'll have to live like monkeys in the mountains. So going to Japan is not practical advice to foreigners learning the language.
At the moment I'm just trying to find a decent non-noob dictionary that will suit my purposes. I already have an offline one (IE. Jim Breem's dictionary on PC) but would like a hard copy one to carry around.
On a related note, I find it interesting that people continually say learning Japanese is hard. I mean, if the international Chinese students at my university can pick up English decently (with English having probably as much inconsistencies and stupidness as the Japanese language), then I fail to see how non-Japanese people can't learn Japanese.
Put in the effort and you'll get the results, amirite?
>STFU you nigger. Truth is you don't know jack shit. You are what we call weeaboo, now stfu and go become an hero. "BUT URBAN DICTIONARY SAYS..." NO! GTFO.
HULK RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE.
Wow, looks like I hit a nerve. You must feel so much better after typing that out.
What, did you and/or your mom get raped by a Katana-wielding Wapanese or something?
To everyone else, your advice will be considered.
And age, because this will become a legendary thread.
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Anonymous2007-03-20 7:38 ID:F4x/FV/8
>>42
That's because the Chinese students you are talking about are forced to speak English around people who speak English. And there's no way you can find a Japanese-speaking environment, unless you go to Japan. Because English is an international language, you get to meet English-speaking people even if you're not in England, so English is easier to learn. No way you're going to gain mastery without speaking to Japanese on a constant basis.
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Anonymous2007-03-22 0:53 ID:dkdR1QOX
At least he can accomplish his goal of reading, though. Speaking...maybe not. But reading, yes.
Needs something comprehensive for grammar like "Teach Yourself Japanese" (cf Amazon), plus something like "Kanji and Kana" (again, cf Amazon), and start making 3x5 kanji flashcards and vocab flashcards (kanji compounds).
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Anonymous2007-03-22 3:01 ID:H+kTvg3v
Needs something comprehensive for grammar like "Teach Yourself English" (cf Amazon), plus something like "Teach yourself ABC" (again, cf Amazon), and start making 3x5 English words flashcards and vocab flashcards.
Truely, you people are underestimating the difficulties of being able to reach a stage where you can read mangas, play games or watch tv. That's what the memes at the start of the threads are trying to say.
Of course, if you want to learn it only to a stage to impress non-Japanese, be my guest. But if you speak it to Japanese, you'll only get laughed at, like how we make fun of Engrish.
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Anonymous2007-03-22 7:17 ID:8/CQNPfo
ok look, i studied japanese for 4 years in the states,two years in high school and two years at college, my major is even japanese studies/language. i am currently living in japan going to the second best university in japan (waseda or keio, i'm not going to tell you wich one) on an exchange program for a year, i thought i was good at japanese before i came to japan, then i was like.... oh fuck. learning another language is much much easier said than done, you have to be determined to do it, and if you are not determined enough to learn it to go to a country where it is the primary language then you are NEVER going to become fluent in the language.
>>45 i agree, after all i have been studying it is a bitch to read manga or play games, it takes forever because i have to look up a kanji every sentence or two.
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Anonymous2007-03-22 13:01 ID:FeSKwXj1
>>46
"and if you are not determined enough to learn it to go to a country where it is the primary language then you are NEVER going to become fluent in the language."
I disagree. I've never been to an English-speaking country, but I consider myself fluent in English. Watching movies and reading books worked for me. Of course Japanese is probably a lot more difficult, or else the weeaboos would eventually learn it simply from watching all that anime.
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Anonymous2007-03-22 15:32 ID:OCjOLzS0
>>47
One word, the forced pervasion of English speaking people in non-English-speaking countries. Thread over.
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Anonymous2007-03-23 0:16 ID:tJTZpqI0
A goal must be defined. The last few posts are mixing many goals: speaking to native speakers, watching movies, reading books. These are all separate. I now make the point that should be obvious: that learning to read a foreign language does not require travel to the country of origin. Unless you somehow cannot access that country's reading materials, which is certainly not true for Japan! >>46 I'm sorry that looking up kanji bothers you so much. But you can stick to manga that have furigana over the kanji...
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Anonymous2007-03-23 1:44 ID:JWABCUpH
>>49
That also depends on the IQ of the learner, and his need to learn the language. While a small percentage of people are able to do that, it is but a very very small percentage. You also didn't mention to what extent a person learning a foreign language becomes proficient at it. Sure, any one can learn any freaking language without going to the country dude, if it doesn't exceed "good morning" or "good night".
Have you ever wondered why the Japanese are generally poor at English? Firstly because their English teaching system sucks, and secondly, they don't need the language, they can do without it. This is the same for most people learning Japanese, and not needing a language for survival makes mastering the language much harder.
And the memes are saying, you can't master writing/speaking without mastering reading/listening. One is the absorption of knowledge and one is the usage of it, they have to go hand in hand in order to master a language. If you're so great, try speaking Japanese here, so that people can laugh at you.
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Anonymous2007-03-23 8:11 ID:XONVDtoG
>>49
i didn't say that it bothered me, i said that it was a bitch, which is what learning is, a big fat bitch, and you weeaboo bitches are not going to learn japanese from just reading manga and shit, japanese has three different ways of speaking depending on where you are related to the person and when you get to being really really fucking formal (keigo けいご 敬語) there are three different forms within that. you know what is never used in manga or anime? that's right, formal form, like i said before, stop trying now to learn japanese from manga and anime, now GTFO!
I personally picked up a bunch of books at my university's oriental studies department library
Some of the books I took out hadn't been for 20 years but they still worked...
Under windows using the IME hand writing recognition thing will speed up your kanji lookup a lot
If you use firefox I recommend an extension like rikaichan to look up words you draw and those you find online
I didn't find heisig's "remembering the kanji" particularly useful. I liked the graded lessons books and the readers (annotated reading practice) more. Right now I'm using a book by 'Vaccari', "complete course of japanese conversation grammar" edited in 1980, which makes it RAD TO THE MAX
I felt my reading had improved a lot after I had learned the first 500 kanji. I picked a specific area of study to build vocab on which was japanese grammar terms, so I still don't know Japanese for 'kitchen sink' or 'toothbrush', etc. Learning that basic living crap always annoyed me in elementary classes for other languages. Borrowing one(let's be real here) magazine in japanese was worth it too. Also, tons of porn doujin.
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Anonymous2007-03-24 2:51 ID:aYcoqJZY
>>52
you are obviously not as good as you think you are because you picked some of the easiest things ever as examples you dumb piece of shit, guess what kitchen sink is in japanese.....that's right シンク(shinku), and toothbrush....ya that's right 歯ブラシ(haburashi), or even easier,歯(ha)means tooth and burashi....well it means brush, learn more weeabo
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Anonymous2007-03-24 7:31 ID:yNCxqB+e
歯ブラシ 歯ブラシ IT'S AWWWWWWWWWWRIGHT
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Anonymous2007-03-24 9:08 ID:WBCKzsM0
歯ブラシ!!!
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Anonymous2007-03-24 10:02 ID:U6jfbg/g
>>53
yes I chose that to illustrate the danger of learning without a teacher
>>26
Wow, you must really suck at learning languages now. I studied Japanese for two years, moved there and after my first semester there I passed the JLPT level 1.
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Anonymous2007-03-26 9:08 ID:4kWC9fgL
>>26
>YOU CANNOT LEARN JAPANESE WITHOUT LIVING IN JAPAN
I call bullshit, especially with the CAPS LOCK.
Sure you might not be perfect, but I'm sure with effort and dedication anyone can get close.
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Anonymous2007-03-26 9:22 ID:b/yFWTzX
Talking about human failures..... this whole board is full of them!!!!!
huahuahuahuahuahuahuahuahua
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Anonymous2007-03-26 9:33 ID:ZzxOCXua
Try arguing in Japanese, and we'll believe you.
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Anonymous2007-03-26 13:59 ID:C4NIL89E
Kawaii desu~
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Anonymous2007-03-28 8:42 ID:1ALayDkp
up
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Anonymous2007-03-28 8:59 ID:2sJ/3Rc6
ok, look, japanese is considered a hard language because it is. i would have to say that chinese and japanese are the hardest languages that are spoken by mass ammounts of people, ya call in the "experts" but seriously, i've studied boh, and without living in the country you will not become fluent, and even then it is hard, i've been in japan 5 years and china 4. come one, stop thinking you know everyhing, because you never will, i doubt that there are many experts on asian languages on 4chan unless they were born in asia.
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Anonymous2007-03-28 13:42 ID:neT5NwMb
日本語でやってやろうじゃないか！こっちは日本語をマスターするのが超難しいと賛成する。
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Anonymous2007-03-29 5:10 ID:eIUyPcg2
>>66
finnally, fucking at last
本当に難しいだね！この奴らは全然知らないもん。おい！これを読んで、分かれば、返事してくれ。どのぐらい返事するだろ。少ないかな！
i learnt a decent amount of Italian using the linkword languages and am doing pretty well with these disks, they arn't great but give you great perspective of the grammar and order of the words. by no means is it a easy solution but these disks are a great starting point for any language. i managed to get a level 5 in my IB Italian using these disks but i was doing super basic Italian.
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Anonymous2007-09-19 20:36 ID:CjhL/d07
Search Tae Kim on google and never come back to 4chan again asking for advice.
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Anonymous2007-09-19 22:18 ID:s49kkq96
I hope you fags know this thread is months old. Quit giving advice to non-existing people who was a fag to begin with.
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Anonymous2007-09-21 3:17 ID:QZ2QS+lb
Why do they study Japanese
Because they want to play Japanese game and want to watch anime
i took an introductory japanese language course, and i plan to continue learning the language in college. if you want to learn quick particular phrases and stuff, you can lurk into those internets where people know over nine thousaaaand japanese shit, and share knowledges. also i know people can get easy lulz out of bashing weeaboos, but there is srsly better people out there to bash, if thats how egoparasite mans likes to play. i has been to japan, and i does consider some pieces of he/she/it culture to be more appealing than america's. not all though. asian girls are one of the islands' fine points compared to america, where everyone are fucking fat mcdonalds fucks. though there has mcdonalds in japland, but they has much better quality beef, etc. lol i has speak internets now? (see im coming into your land not speaking the language perfectly)