Learning Japanese

To learn something it often helps to play with the things you are trying to learn. Take language as an example. You can only learn to speak the language if you try to speak and practice speaking and listening to the words. When I travel I love to learn some of the language to where I am travelling. Sometimes I try beforehand to get a little knowledge of the language and then when I am there I practice as much as I can. When I say practice I mean it in a fun and active way.

I can tell you a secret. It is often in the bar that it is easy to learn new words. You do not have to drink much, but you have to be open and interested in connecting with new people. Take here in Japan for instance, I sometimes go down to the local bar and have a small beer. Every time I have done this I have met new people and I have learned a few new words or practiced the ones I already know. Often it ends with someone else paying my bill because they have enjoyed practicing their English or just had an interesting time.

Yesterday I did this and learned a few thing and today I have an appointment a little after eight o'clock to meet in the bar to taste some famous noodles. They will be specially prepared by one of the guests for me. See what I mean? It is all due the the attitude to play with the language and not be afraid to make a fool out of yourself. You will make a fool out of yourself, but you are just the first one and then others loose their fear of trying to speak English.

When you play with the language you are trying to learn you can take the words you know or just read and put them in a sentence and use it as much as you can. Take the word "honto" in Japanese that means "really" and put it in a sentence. It can turn out that it works like in "This is really delicious" - "honto oyshi katta". Or like when I learned the word "hara-heta" that means "starving" which has the "hara" that means stomach. I earlier learned the word tall, but I do not know the word for big so I would use tall instead and say that my stomach is a little bit "big", "hara chotto takai", but now I checked and I think the word would be "ookii" for "big". For me the play makes the language more fun and a lot more easy to learn. Next time you are out travelling, try it. Another free tip today: Buy a small book where you can write the words you learn. It will make it so much easier to remember.

So to break the ice I have uses the phrase: "watashi wa totemo tõku kara kita no" - "I come from a place very far away" and we all laugh and have fun about it.

PS: Hopefully my Japanese friends will not be ashamed of seeing my Japanese writing, it is bound to have a lot of errors..