Haven’t decided yet? Read our review of Yoyo Chinese here.

Yoyo Chinese Discount: 10% Off Coupon Code

How to get 10% off the Yoyo Chinese:

1. Click the button below. It will open the Yoyo Chinese sales page in a new window:

2. Choose which courses you want. (Check out our review of Yoyo Chinese to help you decide)

3. Then, at checkout, enter this code in the box that says “Coupon Code”:

After that, the discount will be automatically added to your purchase.

Thanks for using our discount code and good luck with learning Chinese!

Michael

Michael has lived in Japan on and off for almost 10 years. He loves studying Japanese, and is currently working on going from N2 to N1 on the JLPT.

I have a confession to make…

I love reddit. For all its flaws, it’s still probably one of my favorite sites. I’ve probably spent at minimum 10 minutes on the site every single day for the last 5 years. And some days I fall down a reddit rabbit hole that takes me hours to get out of.

The beauty of reddit is that it uses the wisdom of the crowd to separate the good advice from the bad. That’s why when I’m looking for advice on something (especially things I’m too embarrassed to ask about!) I usually go to reddit to search for the answer.

Reddit Teaches You How To Learn Japanese

Today, I wanted to answer the age old question: What is the best way to study Japanese? So I turned to reddit to see what advice I could find.

Browsing through some of the all time top voted posts in r/learnjapanese, r/languagelearning, and r/japaneseresources, I skipped past the memes and funny posts to pick out some of the most recommended resources.

Here are a few of the most useful reddit posts I came across for learning Japanese:

The r/learnjapanese Start Here Guide

Level: Absolute Beginner to Low Intermediate

This ‘Start Here’ guide is pretty solid, if a little dry.

It walks you through the very basics of the Japanese alphabet, textbooks, tests (JLPT), and links to some really great resources like the Kana study sheets.

I also agree with their Japanese textbook recommendations — Genki 1 and 2 — although it seems they recommend Pimsleur over JapanesePod101, which is good but I still feel JapanesePod101 is much better (I suppose it was included because Pimsleur is less expensive). PS: If you’re looking for JapanesePod101 Coupon Codes, here you are.

I also think they should have mentioned Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji, as that’s probably the best way to learn Kanji from scratch.

All in all, this is a great place to start in terms of a resource list for starting Japanese.

I Made a Master List of All Free Japanese Resources Online

I made a master list of all free Japanese resources online from LearnJapanese

Japanese Level: All Levels

Reddit user SusieFougerousse created a VERY comprehensive list of free online resources for learning Japanese.

Actually the whole site is a pretty cool idea (that I wish I’d thought of) — collecting all the free online resources for a variety of topics (including language learning).

Even an intermediate student will likely find something here to help their study.

Here’s the Free Japanese Resource page, organized into sections (Apps, Video Lessons, Audio Lessons, Online Courses, Practice with Native Speakers, etc.)

A Year To Learn Japanese

A year to learn Japanese from languagelearning

While it’s maybe not a reasonable goal for most people to learn Japanese in just a year, sometimes overly ambitious goals are the ones that move the needle the most. Reddit user Storm94 posted asking for advice to help him reach a decent understanding before his vacation to Japan — in just a year’s time.

SuikaCider came to the rescue in the top comment with a comprehensive gameplan for reaching a decent level of Japanese in just a year. Here’s a sampling of his strategy:

His whole comment thread is worth a read for anyone planning out their Japanese acquisition strategy.

It’s rare that I agree this much with someone’s language learning strategy (it can be a very personal thing), but I agree with probably 90% of his suggestions: Genki 1 and 2 (plus workbooks), Heisig, Anki sentence decks…

The only things I disagree with are his anime recommendations

Side Note: You Should Be Watching Terrace House To Improve Your Japanese

Speaking of Japanese watching material, I have to interject here with my own important advice:

If your end goal is to be able to speak natural Japanese and you’re not watching Terrace House regularly, you’re doing yourself a HUGE disservice.

Terrace House is a goldmine of real, natural, conversational Japanese language in daily use, as well as showing you important cultural context that you might not get from watching Anime.

Here’s an excellent video from MattVsJapan that talks about Terrace House and ‘reading the air’

Now that we’ve got that little rant out of the way… On to our next reddit post.

All of Japanese Grammar in a One Hour Video

This video is a gold mine… All of Japanese grammar in an hour from LearnJapanese

Level: Beginner to Low Intermediate

If you’re just starting with Japanese or know just a little, this video and the cheat sheet might help give you a better overview of how Japanese grammar works.

Reddit user Metatart even went through the trouble of typing up the charts from the video in hiragana. Here’s the download link.

I Summarized Genki 1 & Genki 2 in Poster Form

Japanese Level: Beginner to Low Intermediate

This one is pretty cool. Reddit user Zwergkrug created some really beautiful PDF posters with tables that summarize all the grammar points in the Genki textbooks (verbs, adjectives, etc). This is a good one to print out and keep laminated as a reference.

Download the Genki summary Posters

Found This on Tumblr, This the Best Explanation I’ve Seen for Reading Kanji

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

A cool image found on Tumblr by user Shirookami99 that shows how to know when to read a kanji as On yomi vs Kun yomi. The image is originally from the book “kanji from zero”

Honorable Mentions, and Other Cool Japanese Language Stuff I Found on Reddit

Read Your Level – a list of popular Japanese kindle books with “easiness” scores

This is a VERY cool project — another one I wish I’d thought of. James Knelson has compiled a site that organizes Japanese books by reading level. They even take a sampling of 5000 characters to see how difficult the kanji is.

James’ site is highly recommended for finding reading material that will help you with the difficult jump from Intermediate to Advanced.

PODCAST for Intermediate Level Japanese

PODCAST for Intermediate Level Japn from japaneseresources

A good podcast find for intermediate.

Related: Check out our list of best podcasts for learning Japanese. 

Bob Ross-esque painting tutorials in Japanese, great for listening practice as well as for learning to paint!

This one is great for more intermediate to advanced students looking to improve their listening skills. If you like Bob Ross, you’ll probably like this.

Finally, if you’re looking to add a little “spice” to your Japanese learning (And your sex life), you might want to check out the List of sexual terms and fetishes   (WARNING: This list in NSFW!)

Any good reddit posts about learning Japanese we missed?  Let us know in the comments!

Michael

Michael has lived in Japan on and off for almost 10 years. He loves studying Japanese, and is currently working on going from N2 to N1 on the JLPT.

The good

– Fluent Forever is a fantastic guide to mastering the sounds of any language. This is where the author’s opera background really shines. He teaches you to train your ears to the new and bizarre sounds you will often encounter when starting out. In addition, there is plenty of value here for intermediate students and above. Contrary to popular belief about the “critical period” being the only time when people can learn new sounds, it’s encouraging to know that adults can improve their pronunciation in a systematic way. For more details, check out the book.

– The book offer a science-based strategy to improve memory recall of vocabulary items. The author’s system is so clever that I wish I’d had his idea first! I won’t attempt to describe it here, but the strategy involves the creation of multiple neural links that make use of sound, image-association and personalization. I tried the method with Korean vocabulary items and can confirm that it works.

– Incorporation of frequency lists. This is a principle we have followed for a long time. Why would anyone ever learn the Chinese equivalent for “pencil sharpener” before “go”? The vocabulary contained in many academic textbooks is often illogical. Frequency lists are your saviour. Understanding the most frequently occurring vocabulary serves as a massive boost to your comprehension.

– The author’s endorsement of flashcards and spaced repetition software (SRS) is right on the mark.

– Makes effective use of internet tools such as Google Images. Yes, I was skeptical too, but it’s a novel approach that actually works!

– The appendix contains tons of valuable information and links to free online resources.

The bad

– It’s too long. At times it feels like there is more filler content than necessary. If you patiently read through, there is plenty of value to be found but several chapters probably shouldn’t have made the cut.

– At times it can be confusing how and when you are supposed to incorporate the various strategies. I think that a “90 day plan” or something similar would have been useful for beginners looking to start out in a completely new foreign tongue.

Belongs on the bookshelf of every language student

I’m certainly no newcomer to studying foreign languages, but Fluent Forever was a revelation. It offers solid information on building long-term foreign language proficiency. I can honestly say that I learned a lot from this guide.

To sum up, Fluent Forever is a highly actionable book that deserves to be on the bookshelf of any semi-serious language learner. You can buy it here from Amazon. If you are in a rut and looking for inspiration, I recommend Barry Farber’s excellent “How to Learn Any Language” (see our book review).

Have you already read Fluent Forever? What were your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!

Rohan

Rohan has spent years studying Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and currently lives in Japan. He created the perapera pop-up dictionary plugins to help other learners of Chinese and Japanese.

I arrived in Japan in 2005 to teach English at a language school in Saitama. I had a few lessons of Pimsleur Japanese under my belt but an otherwise rudimentary Japanese level.

Having read Barry Farber’s inspiring book How To Learn Any Language: Quickly, Easily, Inexpensively, Enjoyably and on Your Own, I decided to go it alone. I avoided Japanese schools, classes and teachers like the plague. I bought a bunch of books and audio courses and did a lot of trial and error.

In the end, I probably made more progress in my Japanese studies than my students did in English. It’s totally possible that I sucked as an English teacher but something bigger is at work here. Simply put, self-study is the way to go. I learned a great deal in that six months of studying alone and all this before helpful tools like Perapera’s dictionary tool.

Why You Should Self Study A Language

So why is self-study so powerful for learning a language? Here are some of the reasons I think learning alone beats language courses or academic studies.

1. It’s fun

I found it was more enjoyable to learn alone. Not because I was a loner, but because self-study gave me more freedom and was more fun than a class. Japanese study time became the best part of my day and I would look forward to hitting the books. The kanji were fascinating and it was satisfying to hear a new vocabulary word I’d learned that day on TV or in the local bar.

2. It’s cheaper

However you look at it, studying alone will save you a load of money. You could conceivably buy all the books out there available for learning Japanese and it would still be cheaper than taking language classes! I often reminded myself of this when I was getting stingy about the price of a particular book. I did buy some less helpful books along the way (avoid our mistakes by sticking to our 10 best books for Japanese) but it was definitely worth it in the end.

3. Self-reliance

When you study by yourself there’s no homework. Nobody is there to put pressure on you to learn new vocabulary. This is liberating but it also means that you have to get on with it and take responsibility for your learning. Time and time again as a teacher I’d have students who evidently thought that coming to my English class a couple of times a week was “enough” English learning for the week. It’s easy to fall into this way of thinking when you are a passive student in a class where someone “teaches” you the language. When you self-study, this kind of self-deception doesn’t happen because you are lovingly grappling with the language day by day.

4. Efficiency

Self-studying also saves you time. No more lost time getting to class. The classroom is your bedroom or your favorite cafe. No more classes that are below or beyond your current level as we all know ourselves best. You are in a better position than any teacher to see your weak points in a language and work at them.

5. Immersion

With the vast resources available for any foreign language, it is today easier than ever to immerse yourself in the target language without living in the country of said language. The subject of immersing yourself in your target language is a fascinating one that deserves its own post.

6. Native speakers are your teachers

Spend too much time in a language class and you will pick up bad habits and non-native intonation. When you watch a Japanese variety show you’re not just enjoying some fun entertainment. You are also learning real and authentic Japanese and getting a glimpse into Japanese culture. The irony of language classes is that you end up making friends with other non-natives and speaking English with other students becomes your routine. Getting out there and struggling in the language and making friends will serve you better in the long run. Even if you don’t live in the country where the language is spoken, there are now many options for language exchange by email or Skype that make your current location irrelevant for learning a language.

7. Your learning material can be anything

Studying is a lot easier when you are interested in the content. Enjoy baseball? Watch the Japanese major league in Japanese. Fashion buff? Buy a Japanese apparel magazine or even better, read it online with Perapera and save the new words The freedom of choice self-study gives you is truly exhilarating.

Of course, the learning never ends. I still encounter kanji I can’t read or miss the meaning of something in a meeting. But when all is said and done, I still have to pinch myself at times. I have reached a level of proficiency I never dreamed of when I bought my first Japanese book. My job and daily life now depend on my Japanese and it all started with a humble few books and audio courses.

Next lets look at some pointers to give you a better study experience for learning languages.

How To Self Study A Language: Our Best Tips

This isn’t gospel, just our informed opinion after having studied Asian languages for over a decade. Feel free to follow the parts that vibe with you and discard the rest. With that caveat in place, let’s get started!

1. Invest in your learning

As 21st century learners, we all live in an age of abundance. There has never been a time when it was easier (or cheaper!) to learn an Asian language. Useful tools such as Perapera and limitless foreign language media are available for free.

Free is fantastic but it does have its limits. Despite all the good free stuff available, it is still better to invest in your language learning. There are several reasons for this.

First of all, we as humans do not value what is free. It’s like having a gym membership – paying for it is part of what motivates you to go. Or it should do anyway!

Second, learning a language is also an investment in yourself. The money you spend now will pay you back many times over, both financially and personally. I now earn more yen in a week of work than the total of my spending on Japanese books and courses. This initial investment has given a massive financial return which continues to accrue every day. By all means, take steps to decrease the cost of your learning, but always invest, invest, invest.

The third and most important reason is that physical books and courses that cost some money are almost always better (see below).

2. Prioritize the offline over the online

In the early stages of your learning you should spend more time offline than online.

This might sound strange coming from us – after all, we write a blog and make language plugins, but traditional offline resources are still vastly superior to (most) online language courses.

An insightful book will save you hours of time. A solid audio course will get you acquainted with the grammar and pronunciation of the language. A helpful language tutor will give you a huge boost in confidence. So invest in all of these offline resources to hit the language from different angles.

The danger with online resources is that, despite the best of intentions, you end up surfing around random sites. This represents wasted time that you could have spent being immersed in the new language. In addition, many internet forums and websites give outright poor advice and misleading information. Other free resources online are of low quality and produced by amateurs.

Once you are intermediate, you can (and should!) read news sites and check out blogs in the foreign language. But until you get there, it is more effective to focus on offline resources that give you a base proficiency. So turn off your laptop, make yourself a coffee and get to work.

3. Watch movies in your target language

You need to have some fun with your learning. In fact, that is the whole reason for doing this language thing!

Find some foreign movies that interest you. It is is fine to watch with English subtitles, although movies with both the audio and the subtitles in the foreign language are optimal.

In the beginning, most of the dialogue will still sound like random syllables, but your ears slowly adjust. You will begin to recognize words you have learned from other sources. This is highly motivating. As you progress, you will find that you increasingly follow the plot and grasp the gist of conversations. Eventually you will struggle to remember a time when you couldn’t understand films in Japanese or Chinese. Trust me, that moment will come much quicker than you expect!

You can watch a large selection of Asian movies for no cost at all by signing up for a free 30 day trial with Amazon Prime. If you prefer, just cancel the membership before the month is up and you won’t be charged anything.

In the near future, we plan to do a series of posts on the best Asian movies we have seen to date. Watch this space!

4. Remove distractions

People are becoming more and more addicted to their smartphones. This is a problem for language learners. You simply cannot study efficiently while you are texting friends, checking the weather and reading Twitter all at the same time. Even just having a phone in your pocket serves as a distraction more often than not.

The only solution to smartphone addiction is to turn your phone off or, at the very least, put it into airplane mode while you study. You do want to learn this language right?

I know the idea of turning off your smartphone will strike fear into the hearts of many of you. Admit it, you are paranoid of missing out on something. But how many of those notifications are actually urgent? The world can wait an hour or two, so take a break from being connected for a change and let your brain focus on the task at hand. Remember that the benefits of good habits build up over time.

There you have it: my advice on how to self study a language.

Have you successfully learned a language on your own? How did you do it? We would love to hear your stories!

Rohan

Rohan has spent years studying Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and currently lives in Japan. He created the perapera pop-up dictionary plugins to help other learners of Chinese and Japanese.

1. Self-study

I tend to repeat myself on this site but it’s for a reason. This point alone could save you thousands of dollars! You do NOT need to go to school to learn languages, period.

You can discover Chinese, Korean or Japanese on your own terms, with your own books and in your own time. It’s a wonderful experience.

Studying on your own transforms your learning experience from a passive one into an active endeavor – it’s more effective, cheaper and, most importantly, more enjoyable. The benefits extend far beyond learning a language. You will become more confident and believe in your abilities.

However, many prospective students are still stuck in the mindset that they need to pay to go to an expensive language school. As far as I’m concerned, if this blog convinces one person to study on their own then it will all have been worth it.

2. Buy used books

Hypochondria aside, there is no reason to avoid second-hand books or courses. It’s the same information available for less.

When there’s a book I want, I usually check out Amazon to see if there are any used versions available for cheaper.

There are occasionally some real bargains. Last time I checked, Pimsleur Chinese was available for under $100 which is much cheaper than buying it new. Just make sure that the book listed is the latest edition and verify the seller’s past ratings.

3. FSI courses

FSI Language Courses is an incredible website with free US-government courses available for download in their entirety. The quality can be variable and a little old-fashioned but hey, it’s free!

I’ll leave you with the links. You can do the rest.

Chinese courses – Download here
Korean courses – Download here
Japanese courses – Download here

4. Read the Bible

I’m the last person to push religion onto anyone, but the Bible is a useful resource for your language learning. This site has FREE audio recordings of the scriptures to download. Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Swahili, Zulgo – You name it, they’ve got it!

Find the accompanying text online and you are gold. This source alone provides you with hours and hours of learning material for free! The fact that the content will be somewhat familiar to most makes it a lot easier to comprehend and therefore helps you to pick up new vocabulary and grammatical patterns. Again, this is not an endorsement of the Bible so take it or leave it.

5. Make friends with native speakers

While using a tutor is the ideal way to improve your language skills, budget is an issue for most of us. One alternative is to seek out native speakers in your area.

Is there a Chinese community nearby? Engage them and make some friends.

Is the chef at your favorite sushi place from Japan? Try some Japanese on him. He may speak English back to you. That’s fine too. Go with it and then switch back later. A little politeness goes a long way in these situations! Being keen is a charming trait, acting like a linguistic steamroller isn’t.

6. Do a language exchange

Language exchanges can be a good way of practicing your target language but require discipline and organization. If there are foreign students living in your city then you may want to advertise at a local university.

Alternatively, there are sites where you can find online language exchange partners. These internet friends tend to be much flakier though – be careful to avoid wasting time on the web. All things equal, an offline exchange partner is vastly superior to an online one.

The most common problem encountered with language exchanges is that the stronger partner (usually the person learning English) dominates the conversation. Avoid this situation by deciding on some ground rules in advance, such as splitting the time 50:50 between each language so you can both practice.

All this said, I prefer to find native speakers in a more natural way. It’s simply more fun to make new friends and have the language practice as an added side bonus.

Well that’s all for today folks! Do you have any money-saving tips to add to the above? As always, let us know in the comments below!

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Rohan

Rohan has spent years studying Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and currently lives in Japan. He created the perapera pop-up dictionary plugins to help other learners of Chinese and Japanese.

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” 

– Charlemagne

Learning another language can be a lonely and frustrating process. Sometimes we need a gentle push to give us a break and boost our motivation. In this post, I am going to introduce a couple of books that serve as inspirational and practical resources for those who want to forgo expensive and ineffective language classes and go it alone in learning any language.

How to Learn Any Language – Barry Farber

If you must get a book on language learning, get this one. I have mentioned it before on this blog, but Barry Farber’s How to Learn Any Language Quickly, Easily and On Your Own has positively impacted my life in a huge way. I was lucky enough to read the book as a teenager. Without a doubt, my international exploits were made possible by Farber’s wise words. In all likelihood, I would never have gone to live in Italy, let alone Japan without reading this book. It is a classic take on how to study a language on your own.

I rarely read physical books these days (no room in my tiny Tokyo apartment!), so I was pleased to see a Kindle version had recently been released and promptly bought a copy. So why would I own two versions of this book? In short, because this book is inspiring and my other copy was getting pretty worn. Like other classic books, it is something you can return to again and again when you need encouragement.

The first part of the book is auto-biographical and details the author’s early life. Farber accounts how falling behind in Latin grammar class at school led him to learn Chinese. You get this comical image of a little American boy trying to speak Chinese with sailors stationed in Miami Beach during World War II. What started out as escapism from a class he detested eventually turned into a lifelong pursuit of Chinese and many other languages. Now in his 80s, Farber is said to have a working knowledge of more than 25 languages.

One downside of the book is that it was written in the pre-internet era. There is no mention of some of the great online resources that have cropped up in recent years. However, concepts like making the little moments count, using mnemonics and the multiple-track attack (using many resources at a time to attack the language from different angles) all hold true to this day. Another great insight is that if you are self-studying, you are free to buy as many books and resources as you need! The reason? It is still going to be cheaper and more effective than taking classes. I couldn’t recommend a book more highly.

The Way of the Linguist – Steve Kaufmann

Another helpful guide to learning languages via self-study is Steve Kaufmann’s The Way of the Linguist.

Kaufmann speaks 10 languages fluently. Some may think he is naturally gifted, but he is certainly no linguistic “genius” and makes no claims to be. Despite how that might sound, I mean that as a compliment. He has learned languages through a combination of hard work and lifestyle choice. Kaufmann has lived in various countries throughout an illustrious business career which he admits “would not have been possible” without learning languages.

On Amazon, there are a couple of negative reviews that seem to suggest that Kaufmann’s book is all about self-marketing. It didn’t strike me that way. I got a lot of practical value from it as I do from reading his language blog. He is much more realistic than certain others out there who make claims of reaching “fluency” in a matter of months, all with the goal of selling their latest eBook.

In a nutshell, Kaufmann’s learning approach focuses on getting as much input as possible by listening and reading content you’re interested in. I like this philosophy. Like detective novels? Pick one up in Chinese. Prefer tennis? Watch the latest Grand Slam on Japanese TV. Want to become an entrepreneur? Read stories of successful businessmen in Korean.

Some learners who wouldn’t usually watch the news in English somehow think they “should” when they study a foreign language.They are making the language into a chore.. Kaufmann encourages learners to do what they feel like doing. Find stuff you like and the language will follow. I agree. This is 2013! There are a wealth of resources out there, so follow your interests and find some content that you will enjoy.

What I like about Kaufmann is his willingness to air his views and speak on camera, in whatever language. Of course, anonymous users on YouTube sometimes pick at his grammatical mistakes or intonation. It is much easier to be a critic than to truly put yourself out there.

Like Barry Farber, Kaufmann is a strong advocate of self-study. He also laments the damaging status quo that exists in second language education. Despite the woeful results, schools continue to use the same methods to “teach” languages. Languages are learned, not taught. How tragic that negative classroom experiences are discouraging people from taking up foreign languages. It’s a lonely battle, but I admire Kaufmann’s personal crusade against the establishment. Every little helps.

I am not going to break down his language ability here (that is for native speakers of the respective languages) but I can personally attest that his French is excellent. You can get the Kindle version of his book here.

Rohan

Rohan has spent years studying Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and currently lives in Japan. He created the perapera pop-up dictionary plugins to help other learners of Chinese and Japanese.

What is intermediate fatigue? 

Intermediate fatigue is where you start to feel discouraged with your rate of progress in the language you are learning. You might even lose motivation too. I’ll lay out the possible symptoms before suggesting how to get through it.

1. You are at the stage where you no longer need textbooks.
2. You’re definitely not a beginner, but not yet advanced.
3. You study online with the help of some amazing language extensions (shameless plug :)), reading material intended for native speakers
4. You listen to podcasts in your target language but get frustrated you can’t fully follow what is going on.
5. You can slowly read books in the language but you struggle without a dictionary.
6. You are frustrated that you still fumble for words when speaking to native speakers.
7. You haven’t finished Heisig yet (that’s an in-joke for Japanese learners)
8. You are constantly berating yourself with variations of “I should be better by now!”
9. You have moved onto reading literature but still get stumped by questions from the restaurant waitress.
10. You have no problem talking to your native speaker friend but get lost in group situations when he brings his friends along.
11. You can follow the whole dialogue of comedy sketches but don’t get the punchline.
12. You receive constant praise for your linguistic ability, but the taxi drivers don’t understand you. And so on…

Once intermediate fatigue sets in, all the gains you make in the language feel much smaller than before. Sometimes they will even seem nonexistent. But the important thing to remember is that you are progressing. All the time you spend picking up vocabulary and exposing yourself to new content in the language builds up into something much greater. Even if you don’t feel that you are improving, you need to suspend disbelief. Just when the fatigue seems to be at its heaviest, you are about to step up to the next level.

It all adds up! 

Always remember the snowball effect. As the renowned polyglot Alexander Arguelles reminds us, 15 minutes of study every day adds up to over 90 hours in one year. 30 minutes a day is over 180 hours! These are amazing numbers. Just imagine what is possible with just 45 or 60 minutes per day. In fact, Arguelles used this fact to study multiple languages at the same time, dedicating hours per day to keep them up. You don’t need to become a language monk like Arguelles, but a steady time commitment each day will build into a sizable snowball over time. It all adds up!

When I can, I like to sit down with my books for extended periods, but it’s tough to find the time. Life gets in the way. Being a true Tokyoite, I can be on-the-go for several days at a time. This makes it challenging to keep up my study regime. Sometimes it even gets discouraging but but there is no need to despair! All the time you invest will pay off. Language is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to remind yourself that it all adds up.

The little moments

Barry Farber is a talk show legend with a knowledge of more than 25 languages. He brilliantly describes in his book How To Learn Any Language about making the little moments count. What do you usually do when you are on the train or waiting in line? These periods are fantastic opportunities for learning.

Micro-study

I would estimate that over 50% of my language knowledge comes from micro-study during those little moments. Minutes spent on the bus and waiting for traffic lights to change add up to hours over time. Use them! Not only does it all add up but it also makes those moments more pleasant. As well as learning a language, you are improving your daily quality of life! Not a bad deal if you ask me. And guess what? It all adds up.

Farber is old school. He prefers to use index cards for his mobile learning (iPhones didn’t exist when he was learning the ropes) but I think that he would approve of helpful flashcard apps like i-Sokki and Anki. In any event, it’s much better than wasting your commute tweeting and looking at wedding photos on Facebook!

One more tip.

Still not feeling it? If you are lacking motivation, one good tactic is to look at old emails or letters you have written in the foreign language. It’s like looking at homework you did when you were a kid. You will laugh at your mistakes and wonder how you used to write so badly.

Reading old examples of your writing is a great way to show yourself how much you have improved. It reminds you that all the time you put in was worth it and motivates you to battle on. One glance at my gmail account is undeniable proof of my progress in Japanese. Give it a try! And remember, it all adds up!

I hope this post was helpful. Do you have any other tactics for beating intermediate fatigue? Let us know in the comments below!

For those of you who are interested in a wider discussion of mastering a skill (such as learning languages), I recommend reading Robert Greene’s latest work on mastery. It’s a very enlightening read.

Rohan

Rohan has spent years studying Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and currently lives in Japan. He created the perapera pop-up dictionary plugins to help other learners of Chinese and Japanese.

Pimsleur isn’t perfect by any means. As I wrote before about Pimsleur Japanese in my Japanese books post, the lessons in the third series got ridiculously formal and businessy. I remember being made to learn phrases along the lines of “I am very sorry Mr Tanaka but I will be 45 minutes late for today’s meeting!”. Pretty excessive for a beginner’s course, I think you’ll agree. This was before they had even taught you the informal Japanese that everyone actually uses! Also, some of the Japanese vocabulary you learn seemed a little weird at times and I am assuming the Korean Pimsleur will have similar pitfalls but I find that Pimsleur is a decent way of getting a spoken base in a language. It’s a bit like going to the gym. Put in your 30 minutes a day and you come away with something that you will remember later. That is more than can be said for many language courses.

I am still only one week in, but I am definitely noticing some similarities between Korean and Japanese, like how the sentences are structured. Some of the sounds can be quite tricky to pronounce but I love the intonation! How did I miss out on this language? It is really pleasant to get out of my comfort zone and learn something completely new and exotic. Although you would think learning another language would be a distraction from my Japanese studies, I’m recently feeling more motivated to learn Japanese too. It would seem that the two are feeding off each other.

A great app for learning to read and write Hangul

By night, I have been learning Hangul with a nifty little app called Korean Handwriting. It cost me $3. It is actually geared more towards Korean children than learners of Korean but it has been really useful so far. The lack of English explanations is actually quite helpful as it allows you to just focus on the various sounds and drawing the Hangul out on the screen. To be honest, it feels more like playing a game than studying although the little kid’s high-pitched voice can become a little grating after a while. Overall though, it has been a relief to find that Hangul writing looks a lot more difficult than it actually is.

UPDATE: That app seems to no longer be available, so we recommend this one: Write It! Korean

So, the next step is to find some decent Korean books. I have looked around on Amazon but didn’t see many courses that stood out. Does anyone have any tips? Just my first impression, but it seems like Korean has very few useful resources available.

Looking for a more interactive approach to learning Korean? Read our review of Korean Class 101.

Rohan

Rohan has spent years studying Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and currently lives in Japan. He created the perapera pop-up dictionary plugins to help other learners of Chinese and Japanese.