|
|
Post by Justin on Aug 23, 2008 18:32:21 GMT -5
I have decided to go back to Japanese school, to finally learn the damn language. I took 2 years before, although I was kind of young, and never fully appreciated what I learned. This is big for me, and I am nervous as hell, because I have not been in school for over 7 years. I always went with friends before, and no I am going alone, but I really need to take this step. I watch Anime all the time, have tons of Japanese games, and have always enjoyed what their culture has to offer. Don't ask me why I'm posting this, I just felt a need to tell someone. This is where I am planning to go: ca.geocities.com/cjlsinfo/ |
|
rocket
Lyus
well its time to pack it in again. Where do you want to go today?
Posts: 145
|
Post by rocket on Aug 23, 2008 22:40:32 GMT -5
Congrats and good luck with the schooling.
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Hairdo on Aug 24, 2008 2:51:43 GMT -5
Learning languages, especially japanese, is really cool.  I'm planning to study japanese after 6 or so years, but until then I'll be trying to learn it alone, which is of course much, much less effective, and harder. Anyway, good luck. Make the best out of your classes. |
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Aug 24, 2008 11:07:45 GMT -5
Thanks, and I am pretty excited. They have a 4 year program, and it runs every Friday night. I am really looking forward to finally being able to work through some of my Japanese games ie Romancing Saga 2.
|
|
|
|
Post by Falcom Director of Fanservice on Aug 24, 2008 17:26:17 GMT -5
Good luck, Dance Commander!
|
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Aug 24, 2008 23:27:14 GMT -5
Dance Commander??
|
|
|
|
Post by Falcom Director of Fanservice on Aug 25, 2008 17:00:30 GMT -5
You heard me.
|
|
|
|
Post by MonoTekETeA on Aug 25, 2008 22:37:16 GMT -5
Cool, learning Japanese and underground B-Boy dancing? You also make Gundam models and have a kick ass collection. Justinzero is my hero! (Yeah it rhymes)
Good luck holmes.
-Jeremy
|
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Aug 25, 2008 23:40:41 GMT -5
Just the Japanese, I can't even do a cart wheel anymore, let alone dance at all. Its in 2 weeks, and I am counting down the days.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kimimi on Aug 26, 2008 0:35:19 GMT -5
Sorry to put a downer on this (and I really do admire you for going back to school), but from my experience of formal Japanese lessons and textbooks it's all "John and Satoshi went on a ski trip"; I found very little of it really useful for games at all.
Looking at a few RPGs on my shelf genuinely useful words are things like "Sword", "Ancient Cave", "Magic Defense" and "Poison" - I have never come across those words in a proper lesson.
I must admit though I always learn everything better from real-world examples over being taught, so your milage may vary.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kimimi on Aug 26, 2008 1:14:46 GMT -5
As I said I don't wish to be discouraging, but from my own experiences I'd do really well at a textbook exercise then when I went to apply that to a book or game I hadn't really learnt anything I could use.
I do hope Justinzero has a very different experience, because it must be so much faster learning properly!
|
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Aug 26, 2008 17:50:24 GMT -5
When I went before, the teachers there are very helpful with teaching you anything extra at the end of class. We would always have random Kanji that we needed help with. Without some of those teachers I don't think I would have been able to get through Seiken Densetsu 3. I will pick that game up for sure ASAP, and I do know the classes are just basic language lessons, but to an extent. I seen black boards for people in level 3 and 4 and it was stuff you are supposed to be alble to use to do business with. Needless to say it looked damn hard. I loved it the first time, and I am kicking myself for not keeping up with it. I fell into bad times, and just could not devote myself to learning another language.
|
|
|
|
Post by Nalacakes on Aug 27, 2008 5:48:15 GMT -5
Umm...my Japanese isn't so good. I'm mostly self-taught, with only about a year of funny little weekly community classes under my belt. I'm sitting the JLPT nikyuu this Christmas, but I'm not sure I seriously expect to pass, so... ^^; Yes, I can't claim to have the same amount of expertise as quite a few people here. That being said, I've had so much fun studying the language, from my early days of muddling through Japanese Final Fantasy VII ('Ku...ra...u...do... IT SAYS 'CLOUD'! I TOTALLY KNOW JAPANESE! =O') to the first time I put on a Japanese movie and realised that I could understand most of what was said without much trouble. Learning new languages is something that I've found deeply rewarding, and quite apart from my desire to master Japanese and French, I also find myself now wanting to pursue about six or seven other languages too. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but... Yes, if you get even half as much fun out of it as I have, I'm sure it'll be wonderful for you. ^^; Good luck~!
And I'd agree with Kimimi that it can be hard to make the jump from textbook Japanese to RPG Japanese. Quite apart from the fact that the vocabulary being used will generally be very different (Even in English, there's going to be words that you'll almost never come across outside of fantasy, swords-and-sorcery type settings), you're jumping from something meant for learners of Japanese to something meant for Japanese natives. Even with gentler games like Popolocrois and Marl Kingdom, it's quite a big step up.
Still, I think regardless of whether you're learning in a classroom, or via games and manga, you're learning what is basically the same language at its core. Everything you learn, regardless of where you learn it from, will be helping you toward the same goal, whether a lot or just a little bit. And though at first it might feel like you're having to look up every second word in a game, and that the Japanese you learned from your books is a completely different language to the one in front of you, once you push past that things start to get much easier, I think. For me, there was a very definite point where everything just clicked, and things suddenly fell into place. ^^; Just don't get too disheartened if a lot of things don't make perfect sense to you immediately, even after you've been studying the language for quite a while. It can be a little humiliating at first, but if you can push past that you'll start to improve really quickly, as learning via something you really enjoy is just about the easiest way to learn anything. ^^;
Oh, and I'll go ahead and second Wyrdwad's recommendation of Mojipittan. I think it's maybe more useful to an intermediate level student than it is to an absolute beginner, but... It's a really, really good vocabulary builder~ And the soundtrack is terribly cute too. ^^;
|
|
|
|
Post by Musa-Revived on Aug 27, 2008 23:02:29 GMT -5
I also teach myself Japanese. Mostly from watching anime and playing visual novels. Visual novels are best because you hear and read the text.
Unfortunately doing just that is not helping much, just make you more familiar with colloquial Japanese dialogue. In the end you still need to go for classes or at least drill yourself with self help textbooks and dialogue cds.
For me, it helps that I know Chinese already, so recognizing kanji is a piece of cake for me. Writing kanji on the other hand, is still difficult.
Hmm, I was about to try the Mojipittan until I learned it's a console game. Boo.
Guess I'll have to go "underground" to "acquire" it and plug it to my pc.
|
|
|
|
Post by Musa-Revived on Aug 28, 2008 0:40:05 GMT -5
Mwahaha. Yes! I do not own ANY console or handheld. At least currently.
The one and only console I had in my entire life was the Sega Mega Drive which broke down after 2 years of playing. Then my dad bought a 486 computer and ever since then I was all PC.
|
|
|
|
Post by kashiyukachan on Aug 28, 2008 13:27:40 GMT -5
Japanese is somewhat easy .. my parents are from japan and moved to the states so i can help some also..do you know the basics like...
ogenki desu ka?
watashi wa sugoi
ame no orchestra
dozou yoroshiku
ganbatte
hai
iie
and so on.... have fun learning the language
|
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Aug 28, 2008 19:10:53 GMT -5
Japanese is somewhat easy .. my parents are from japan and moved to the states so i can help some also..do you know the basics like... ogenki desu ka? watashi wa sugoi ame no orchestra dozou yoroshiku ganbatte hai iie and so on.... have fun learning the language don't know the first, but its very familiar I am awesome Sounds very familiar good luck yes no 97% of what I have learned is gone, but I am sure it will come back with time. |
|
|
|
Post by Musa-Revived on Aug 28, 2008 19:18:01 GMT -5
Japanese is somewhat easy .. my parents are from japan and moved to the states so i can help some also..do you know the basics like... ogenki desu ka? watashi wa sugoi ame no orchestra dozou yoroshiku ganbatte hai iie and so on.... have fun learning the language Gasp! Does that mean you're a Japanese Chick!? That's hot!... cough* I mean that's awesome! Anyway the first is "How are you?" and the third is "Orchestra of Rain"... though I have no idea what that means... |
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Aug 28, 2008 19:34:11 GMT -5
How are you... I knew I have heard that before, its pretty common. I will have to remember that ame can mean rain or candy. Orchestra of Candy, sounds like something from a keropi cartoon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Musa-Revived on Aug 28, 2008 19:40:46 GMT -5
Hmm a quick google of "ame no orchestra" came up with some kind of song from a Japanese band that I've never heard of.
|
|
