Begin Your Japanese Study Now

BEGIN YOUR JAPANESE STUDY NOW



Have you ever thought to learn 2nd language? You start out with great intentions and set a challenging study schedule. Maybe you buy some books. Then, inevitably, frustration sets in. Maybe your study isn’t progressing as quickly as you’d hoped. Or maybe you grow disappointed with the lack of real life applications for your study. This is because modern study techniques are too focused and lose sight of the big picture.



Do you remember how you learned your native tongue? Your parents or relative kept speaking to you and trying to communicate everyday. Somehow, in time, you understood what they meant. As a baby what you needed was someone like mom and dad to survive. You wanted to eat and have your diaper changed. Being loved by someone made you feel somehow happy and relaxed... You learned your language using entire body and feeling. Now, you are not in the same situation like a baby. You don't have a Japanese mom or dad to talk to you everyday. However, the same technique can be effective. You need to learn the culture if you want to learn the language.



As far as Japanese is concerned, the language has so many styles of talking. We talk differently when you talk to someone you are close to you (such as your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife), to your family, to your friend, to your teacher or boss or senior, to little kids, to strangers. There are different ways of talking depending on gender, level of formality, age, etc…



There is an appropriate way to talk in each situation and we know in which way to use just by living there. But it'll be too much for you to learn if you really want to master Japanese appropriately. So first, I recommend you learn polite forms first. Since you don't know anyone in Japan and you are likely to be in danger of making a mistake or behaving in a rude way, learning the polite form of Japanese ensures that you will be able to function in all situations. Even though you know some Japanese, we think you "should still show some respect." That's a good way to make your life easier.



The polite level of Japanese is marked by a special class of words, known as honorifics. These words can be identified by the presence of honorific prefixes, such as o or go. For example, cha (for tea) is referred to as o-cha in polite society. An additional example would be the word "goshujin." Normally, the word "shujin" is translated as "husband", but here, it is granted the honorific "go" prefix when referring to someone else’s husband.



The Japanese language is full of potential cultural mis-steps like those mentioned above. It is absolutely essential to have the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher. While there are many resources out there, "Japanese Study Now!" is a website you can learn Japanese as you are reading a blog of Japanese culture and I highly recommend it.



http://www.japanesestudynow.com