How to Learn Japanese | My Japanese Study Tips! | Sharla in Japan

[@RachelandJun]

Just admit it, Sharla. You're just smarter than the rest of us.

[@heyitssharla]

Hahahaha imagine if I had just made a ten second video saying that xD;;;

[@RachelandJun]

Sharla in Japan I'll still like it.

[@AndreR241]

Sharla in Japan That would have been hilarious ^^

[@AnnaYamada]

and also manga

[@Dojan5]

Sharla's way is definitely the most natural way of learning a language, I mean it's how most of us learned our maternal languages, is it not?

[@aizadlove]

I remember learning Japanese through phone call to random people in Japan. My parents angry with me when they saw the phone bill. Miss the old days lol.

[@heyitssharla]

HAHAHA

[@ikaruseijin01]

Just made the phone play "Mary had a little lamb" until someone answered huh? :-)

[@aizadlove]

ikaruseijin01 I wish I remember the lyrics ;-)

[@ryeofoatmeal]

the what?? haahhaha XD

[@tars_]

Jesus-

[@CreativoErratico]

She's gonna say Gaki... She's gonna say Gaki... She said it. Most of my "non-curricular" English I got from videogames and music, and friends when I got the marvelous gift of the internet. One of my best friends is a Canadian I met online about 12 years ago. It is possible to learn a lot of language and even the phonetics just by repeatedly listening to music, etc. To the point that I once was at a karaoke in Tokyo and this M-Flo and BoA song came up (Love Bug) and I sang the Japanese part and my friend goes "Hey, you can read japanese pretty well" then a korean bit comes along (that I had memorised) and he says "HOLY SITH YOU SPEAK KOREAN TOO!?" It was really fun. I was like, no dude, I've heard this song 20,000 times.

[@heyitssharla]

Haha right!? Music is the best!!!

[@azanawan4176]

zerosonico r

[@trees1128]

At school there is a girl that just moved from Japan so we made a deal that she would help me with my Japanese and I am going to help her with her English!

[@тєнуиѕ1нє]

what country u from?

[@trees1128]

Unites states of America

[@тєнуиѕ1нє]

ok thanks

[@trees1128]

Why you want to know?

[@dielucid465]

Hey same but i haven't had enough courage to say hi lol

[@TexaninTokyo]

I completely agree. I learned basic stuff in classrooms (but the stuff I learned then wasn't practical in real life situations) - but all the stuff that was actually helpful, I learned through talking to Japanese people~

[@FatNinjaWex1]

+Texan in Tokyo i just wanted to write and tell you that yours and Ryouske

[@ethanbeharry9478]

You need to learn the grammar so that you can use context clues to pick up words easier. Though I did learn ても (or is it でも?)、好き、僕 that's about it from learning from using the subs to find words that are used whenever a word is used

[@SchlaygsCS]

What I've caught from this: 1. Learn the basics 2. Immerse yourself

[@philljabonillo8387]

I first came to Japan when I was 9 or 10 andI have no knowledge of Japanese language at all... Ofcourse maybe some "arigato" and "ohayo" like people do. I was transferred into a public school nearby where no one could speak English at all. I was taking class and I don't even understand what's going on 😂 But I wanted to read manga and watch anime and I was desperate since we don't have computer, I've never watched sub animes before so practically I absorbed every knowledge from people around me. I didn't even have a dictionary and I only ask my dad for vocabs sometimes. I kinda wonder how I was able to understand japanese 😂 I think being in an environment where you need, not want, to learn japanese is good.

[@everlastingluv361]

I picked up a lot of Japanese from music and anime

[@17teacmrocks]

+Everlasting Luv it's not very useful compared to tv series, radio, shows, etc. even good ppl listening to music and watching anime, i've never met anyone better than JLPT 3 level. they can't keep up in normal conversation. if you follow normal speech like those used in tv news or shows, there are ppl JLPT 2 who've never taken class. to reach lvl 1, you definitely need to study. it's impossible and basically you're business proficient/fluent at that point.

[@alanaharding2248]

Same

[@mikasayeager430]

Totally

[@AsukaEnergetic]

+almostgaijin i'm late but yeah, i noticed you weren't a native english speaker 'cuz of some phrases like "japanese doesn't determined"(it's determine i think) and "did that surprised you"(it's surprise)... other than that your english is definitely GOOD enough! ;D i also think learning japanese from animes isn't really bad, ya get that kinda feeling to understand a lil japanese in general, no? XD

[@17teacmrocks]

***** i'm sorry but you're wrong on both counts. it's not surprising you're a non-native english speaker. though i write casually on the net, it was entirely grammatically correct. JLPT is a good measurement of japanese speaking fluency - far better than how much anime &/or manga you've watched and absorbed. anyone who believes mimicking their dialogue can pass as colloquial speech is sorely mistaken. at best, ppl will think you're funny. if you're serious about speaking like a native, you need to follow real tv, not dramatized shows. real ppl don't speak like in hollywood movies. source: part japanese and native english speaker w/ 99th percentile all subjects, worked in jp in IT

[@shallowsleep15]

I'm actively studying Japanese (self-studying) through websites, and books, etc, but I've also been listening to Japanese music (about 90% of the music I like is Japanese), and 90% of the movies/shows I like are also Japanese. It's been that way for about 10 years now, and I agree that it definitely helps with learning some vocabulary once you know the basics! :) Great video, Sharla.

[@blahblahchachaable]

Hands down these are the most realistic and pragmatic advice for learning Japanese (given I did all of these before I saw the vid but for someone new, the points here are very good to follow)

[@ericsurf6]

This is so useful...You are helping so many people with this. 私が感心すると、あなたを尊重

[@大庭孝広-l9m]

シャーラさんの日本語上達ぶりは、「日本の食パンはモチモチしておいしいの」と 言っていた時と比べても劇的に上達していて、最近ではウニの試食の時のしゃべりなど は、まんま日本人です。（以前よりも表情が明るくて、その変化にも驚きです。） 日本を愛してくれる外国人は、ダメな日本人よりも貴重な存在で、ロシアのアシヤさん もそうですが、一生日本に住んでもらい、その間、日本を満喫してもらいたいと切に 思います。 しかし、みんな頭がいいんですよ！ 会話だけではなくて、漢字を含め読む事も達者なのには、英語苦手日本人としては、うらやましい限りです。（日本語字幕も自分でやっているの？） Deep in Japanの二人が帰国したのが、本当に残念です。 「日本に帰ってきてくれー！」

[@heyitssharla]

とても優しい言葉をありがとうございます❤︎ 私もフローリとレオに会いたいです(Ｔ＿Ｔ) 字幕は自分てやってます＼(^o^)／

[@センス抜群]

日本語って文体を勉強するんじゃなくて、実際に会話したり声に出したりした方が上達出来るよね。

[@starhoshibyul_oldaccount]

I personally pick up a lot of vocabs & kanji by reading Japanese raw manga (since they have furigana, it's easier to know the reading & look up the meanings ;p) It's also easier to remember most of the kanji, especially when you see them come up so frequently, depending on the type of manga, like, for example, in any sport manga genre you mostly have the words like 選手, 試合中, 勝負 and in school-life manga you have many teens/school-related kanji, so yeah. I definitely agree, music & TV shows would help a lot in learning ANY language actually. Now IDK if it's because my 12 years old sister is still a kid (they said kids learn faster), but I swear she learned more English just from the English subs & by surfing the internet where English is the default language than at school. I mean my sis overall grades at school were pretty low but somehow she became the top scorer in English without even studying the textbook. Even the teacher was kinda surprised at her level of English vocabs & sentences structure knowledge because as you can probably tell by my messy writing now, we are not native English speakers so, xD. But yeah, she was indeed an avid watcher of English subbed Japanese anime/manga + Korean shows/kpop since like... 5 years ago & by avid, I kid you not, it was not only English that she had learned all this time, because now, she can even translate some Japanese songs (eg: Kiroro's Best Friend, the words might be simple but I found it impressive) & understand a lot of things from anime/Korean variety show without looking at the subs. Sure, learning Japanese from anime is a bad thing to do if you are serious about using the proper sentence structure it in real life but it totally help with your vocabs & you can grasp the gist of some sentences meaning. I mean, whenever I said some sentences in Japanese or Korean at her, she could actually understand and answer me, (who actually took freaking classes) back easily. Now if only she wanted to learn the language seriously lol because she's too lazy to even learn hiragana. :p ETA: Sorry I didn't realized my rants had became too long hahaa.

[@coolwolf2089]

eruaru I want to read Manga to help me learn but I don't want to be labelled a weaboo by others at my school :P

[@iLLuzion1st]

+Grim The Gnoll Whats up Grim, when i was in highschool (im 24 now) i took Japanese class for 3 years and met some of my best friends in that class. During my years in school my peers thought it was cool that i was aspiring to learn another language and only received positive feedback. With that said I am still studying Japanese and picked up my first manga, となりの怪物くん. Has furigana in it so learning Kanji is not to bad if you can read hiragana ok. Anyways, don't get discouraged and follow your passions!

[@coolwolf2089]

Andrew Walsh Thanks man, I can't personally do Japanese classes because it's not a subject my school offers, so I'm currently doing distance education which is kind of shabby, but basically a large majority of my peers are xenophobic and can be quite racist, especially one of my close friends who for no reason hates Japanese people, but thanks for the advice, I'll check it out.

[@japanesealmond]

weeaboo trash

[@iLLuzion1st]

Jennaaayyy xo How is wanting to learn another language a weeaboo? noob confirmed

[@user-gl5uw8ke1n]

私は海外に興味があり、勉強してますが、Sharaさんのチャンネルで英語のリスニングをしたり、日本人じゃ気づかない日本の良いところを紹介してくれていて、たくさん勉強になっています！

[@aonishiyasuki6952]

あなたは12歳の時から働き、日本を目指していたと聞きました。 とても努力して得た物は大きいと思います。 応援しています。がんばれ！！！

[@MyLifeJapanTV]

There are SO many good tips in here. Music is definitely a great way to study. It's also a good way to score points with your Japanese friends.

[@ran0023]

私はシャーラさんの動画で英語の勉強してます！やっぱり好きなものの方がたくさん頭に入ってきますよね^_^

[@Noob_Enjoy1]

ran0023 それな

[@オヤジハカール]

(･ω･｀*)ﾈｰ

[@sweetmatcha]

I'm so happy that music is on here, I've been listening to Japanese music for a year now and am trying to learn Japanese. Listening to music really does help and especially if you read lyrics with it because if you do it enough you just learn how to read romanji and pronounce words and I know how to do that now.

[@rosyflora]

Total agree! That's how I learned Japanese and English! My advice is: If you wish to learn a language, put yourself into the language, kindly pretend yourself as a "native" - to try to fill all the blanks and phrases in life, that's way more fun than textbooks. Perhaps I am not a big fan of tired learning, I am enjoying learning with Song with Lyrics, Movie with Subtitles and Show with laughters! LOL, thanks for the tips! Cheers!

[@w3bcor3]

That's basically the way I learned English! A few years ago, I didn't understand a word of it but as I learned some of the basics and (most importantly) immersed myself, I pretty much became fluent! I mean, I still make mistakes but now I can carry on a conversation with someone in English, so that's great ☺️

[@w3bcor3]

+Mister Robot Exactly, I completely agree with you! Learning a new language isn't that difficult, it just takes lots of time and dedication! And your English is very good as well :D

[@runningriot7963]

I'm learning Japanese so I can watch anime without subtitles😂 ...and I want to go to Japan sometime. plus it's a good way to speak privately with friends in public, as hardly hardly anyone outside of Japan speaks Japanese

[@Geck0GC]

Same reason as me!!!

[@runningriot7963]

+GeckoGC lol

[@souplover947]

i've been studying japanese for almost 3 years now and i'm just getting to the point of being able to understand 90%+ of most simple slice of life & shoujo animes, totally raw! its a GREAT feeling.

[@runningriot7963]

+souplover94 awesome, I'm waaaaay behind you.. lol but I'm trying, I hope to someday get where you are

[@souplover947]

good luck!! がんばって！

[@Kay-ip8mi]

I actually just bought the Genki books! I haven't studied using them yet, but I have skimmed through the pages and it looks like a good book! I definitely recommend getting the second edition of the book which is the newest one. The workbook is also really nice!

[@naomiw2545]

I'm gonna try these ways ... For learning english ... ☺

[@bellaabroad286]

GOOD LUCK! 幸運！ファイト！

[@naomiw2545]

Isabelle Smith thanks ... ありがとう♪... (^-^)

[@hermangonzalez9654]

I'm totally with this! I've only been learning for a few weeks but all I've been doing is immersing myself with music, anime/manga, and reading remembering the kanji and using online flashcards and stuff. Ganbatte, self!!

[@KaiMarcad]

I learned my english from music and tv series (Bold and the Beautiful had really simple english) :) It's always a good way to learn a foreign language. Greetings from Finland :)

[@tiggerie345]

I will definitely try out these more active learning methods put to normally "passive" activities while I leave the grammar to my classes since they can get messy. Thanks.

[@SkaiSharku]

Long post upcoming! But for those that like some extra tips on learning Japanese, feel free to read. Some methods do involve *shivers* actual studying. I think anime did help me build a subconscious foundation for learning Japanese, but I never saw TV shows as learning tools. They do help to keep up your listening skills, and here and there with vocabulary (if you actually look it up). The reason why it helped me was because I watched way too many anime before studying Japanese, I watched over a hundred series. But I wasn't really able to introduce myself in Japanese yet nor did I learn any kana or kanji. When I started studying Japanese from the textbooks, I saw a lot of words that I quickly recognized. So like Sharla said, do the research if you are not using a textbook. Textbooks are great for drilling if used properly. And drilling is a very important method when trying to properly learn it. But if you make your own vocabulary list, that works too I guess. The only thing anime, music and so on doesn't really help you with is grammar. Unless you are really talented at languages, you won't be able to speak proper Japanese by just using pop culture. You need some proper foundations, too. When you are at a higher level of Japanese (proficiency level of at least N2) novels start to be good study materials as well. Seeing as there is more proper grammar and vocabulary used there than pop culture. Manga are nice if you want to learn onomatopoeia. Also, for anyone wanting to study Japanese seriously and achieve a high level of Japanese. Then when starting out with kanji, even with the most simple kanji, make yourself a schedule and learn all the extra vocabulary. It feels like a lot, but in my case I have to review so many kanji I already know, because in my university there was not a great system for it. I use Kanji in Context, and I also got the workbooks (a lot of people skip these, and I skipped them in university). Take a (rather big) notebook, make 4 columns on only the right side (so that your notebook won't be over cluttered when taking a glance and also so that the letters don't show through the paper) with: word in kanji / reading in kana / translation / word in kanji. Write any word you don't know instantaneously or you can't read or write instantaneously. After three chapters or so make review pages with only the words in kanji of everything you wrote down. And repeat. It seems like a lot of work, but if you can do one cycle once every 2 weeks, you are pretty much done within 2-3 years with all the kanji. Which is a lot longer than other methods, but the sheer amount of vocabulary you get extra with this is insane. There are people that say they learned all the kanji in 3-6 months, but when you even ask them to read the kanji, they fail. So whatever way that is, it's not effective. And the above method, if you are super active about it, do one cycle every week (which is an insane load) or when you think that it is too much, do 1 cycle every 3 weeks and you're done in 3-4 years (normal university time, but most universities don't get you up to 2000 kanji). For beginners 1 cycle every three weeks may be the best. Because there is a lot of vocabulary in there, and you can take more time to reviewing each chapter before moving on to the next. I am close to or possibly already at N1 (haven't taken a test since N2, 2-3 years ago) and recently started studying kanji again, seeing as that is my biggest weakness, and I am going for 1 cycle a week. And I can say, at my level 1 cycle a week is already quite a bit, including proper reviewing with my notebook and the workbooks. Even kanji I know, but I couldn't have written if not looked at the kanji, I write them down. But even at the start I am learning vocabulary which I have been using. That's how important it is to learn vocabulary. And even though a lot you can get by researching lyrics and subtitles, if you don't watch political drama for example, you will never learn what "left/right wing" is in Japanese. Or if you never watch any cooking drama, you won't know what "mixing ingredients" is in Japanese. Studying from a book will give you a bigger range of vocabulary to prepare you for the times ahead.

[@LouiseIsabelle]

When I was studying Japanese at University, I found watching Chii's sweet home to really help, its on KZbin and the Japanese is basic so its easy to understand and there is loads of episodes. Plus its a cute cat.

[@TheSpanishzombie]

Battle royal is one of my favourite movie all time, cant get more crazy then that

[@heyitssharla]

Yessssssssss

[@Freddie7010]

A fun thing I've found is similar to what you do with movies, but with anime instead. With an anime you really like, watch it with english subs first (for episodes you've not seen) and then watch it raw immediately after. I find that since each episode is only quite short, it's not too hard to recall what happens in each scene and so you can concentrate on what the characters are saying, which really helps with listening. I mean, how often would you be excited for a ~20 minute listening exercise at school or university compared to watching an episode of your favourite show?

[@scoshi6592]

I know a lot of methods to learn Japanese but I'm just so lazy :(

[@edwardmwangi6703]

the greatest results that i've had was with the Japanese Magic Method (just google it) without a doubt the no.1 resource i've tried.

[@haniahabdullah4334]

Please tell me

[@scoshi6592]

haniah abdullah You can use apps, like memrise which has thousands of courses, text books, flashcards, youtube videos and many other obvious methods

[@wingedxmoogle]

日本語の勉強する方のビデオ本当にありがとう！むかしから探していますね、あのビデオはすごく便利とおもう。

[@legitlyspelunking]

Sharla, you forgot the best way: watching your videos!

[@koheitomita6058]

それだわ

[@heyitssharla]

Awww❤︎

[@kookiesfriend]

I've been learning Japanese at school for about 4 years but the things that you are discussing in the video are actually the ways I've been picking up Korean. I've been into Korean culture for about 5-6 years now and I can probably speak better korean than japanese but read more japanese than korean because I cbb to learn hangul atm.

[@alyogagames]

Im learning Hangul and have to agree instagram is really good to try to read what people type in korean.

[@sapphic_seraphim]

Aly Bebop I'm learning Hangul as well and I agree wholeheartedly.

[@chloeray2041]

To be honest, this is the best how I learned Japanese videos I have seen because most of these types of videos always say that you should buy these text books and do this and that. So thanks for making this video, I'm not much of a textbook learning person either:)

[@nihongonomori2013]

私たちは無料で日本語を教えている団体です！ ぜひいつかコラボしたいものです！！

[@porandogo]

それはすごく面白いチャネルです！

[@EddyUsagi]

my dawg trynna smash

[@MrRand0mGamer]

Thank you! You have helped a ton! ^^

[@sayuri3936]

This video encourages all people who learning foreign languages. I'm doing exactly the same way to learn English, thank you Sharla!

[@shreyashiv.4420]

what about anime, can you use anime? i mean may be not all anime, but some anime must use like the more formal japanese, right? or the japanese you use to talk to most people?

[@shreyashiv.4420]

aww thanks for taking your time! ***** i generally watch slice of life's anyway- my fave genre!! I was thinking they are pretty accurate in terms of the Japanese culture, i mean yh some have an underlying fantasy genre but all in all they must be fine, right? i'll check it out for sure! but for now i don't know very much hiragana and katakana :)

[@shreyashiv.4420]

Thank you! ***** :)

[@KeriInOkinawa]

I think whether or not to keep the English subtitles while learning is dependent on ones learning style. For example, I learn better by reading so I keep English subtitles and I start, along the way, to notice trends when I hear a certain word a lot and see it repeated a lot in subtitles (in English). I like to pick up words and phrases by watching Japanese dramas (I like your music suggestion too). "Orange Days" is an awesome one if anyone hasn't seen it yet but wants to try. :)

[@ハッリーポター]

How is the ONE OK ROCK?

[@jazzygrayy]

ONE OK ROCK YES!!

[@Dani_1012]

I love One OK Rock!

[@nia_dreamer]

+sabanna OOR are awesome, especially the older songs when there were more japanese lyrics but that's just me)

[@deloressnyder5481]

Oh my god yes, I love One Ok Rock, they're the best!

[@Therockbrothersmc]

I'm alright, thank you.

[@ET_Videos]

FYI: One of 19's lead singers (Okahira Kenji) still tours. I got to check out his show in Fukuoka. He sang both 19 and his own new songs. "Punk Folk" is a great CD or DVD.

[@heyitssharla]

Yes!! I went to his show in Morioka and met him, it was amazing (Ｔ＿Ｔ)❤︎

[@k.whaley9484]

You mentioned horror movies: I really liked "Infection", & "Premonition". (:

[@heyitssharla]

Premonition is one of my faves!!!

[@olubunmiadeoti7876]

Can you. Come. To. My. House. Is. 5205Happy have a noon

[@insidewest]

In Japan, there are many dialects. Japanese will have a 200 dialects. So, you will see frequently slang and dialect if you use only the TV and SNS. The first is best to learn the standard language by looking at the news of the Japanese. 日本には方言がたくさんあります。日本語は２００の方言を持っています。 だから、テレビやSNSだけであれば俗語や方言が頻繁に登場します。 最初は日本語のニュースを見て標準語を覚えるのが最良です。

[@KellyMorita]

Hey Sharla! How do you sub your videos with Japanese? Do you do it on your own or do you ask others for help sometimes if you are unsure? Any good websites for translations or to check phrases? I'm subbing my videos now but my Japanese isn't as AMAZING as yours. It has proven to be a tedious task. I also do not want to embarrass myself if I accidentally say something wrong in Japanese on KZbin haha. Any tips? I too love Japanese music! Lets talk about it sometime! ^^

[@heyitssharla]

I sub them myself! If I'm unsure of something i google what I think it is, and if posts come up using that phrase I assume it's correct and use it :)

[@KellyMorita]

Ok! thanks a ton! I'm new on KZbin and the jvlogging community so check out my channel if you can. :) keep up the awesome videos!

[@sarasarapowdersnow]

lang-8がおすすめですよ。

[@juandenz2008]

Good advice Sharla ! When I was younger I worked in Japan, but I spent most of my time teaching english. I tried to study Japanese, but mainly from textbooks. I was getting better at Japanese, but my progress was really slow, and eventually I left Japan without being able to have a proper conversation in Japanese. Some people I knew who never opened a textbook got quite fluent in the same amount of time ! I think there are a lot of good textbooks, but I think textbooks shouldn't comprise too much of your study time. Most important is to always be listening and speaking. Genki is a good book, but there are a great many excellent Japanese textbooks ! In fact Japanese is probably the language with the best resources for learners.

[@276KittyGirl]

I really want to learn Japanese ;-; but, living in Canada the main languages are English and French. So right now I'm almost fluent in French but I'm still learning. I'm thinking once I am, I'll start Japanese when I'm around 18/20 or so. Do you think that's too late? Any advice anyone on learning a third language?

[@woodlandcritterpunch]

Even if you don't learn the actual grammar and vocab right away, I don't think it could hurt to study the Kanas and some basic words. How old are you now if you're thinking ofsstarting around 18 or 20? Because the earlier you start learning the better.

[@DarksStars]

Kitty Ham Language don't have to be learned one at a time, if you find the time for it.

[@ayemelo6178]

Kitty Ham Hey! I'm going to start learning Japanese as a third language and I'm 18 years old... I don't think it's already too late. Better now than never, huh?

[@iLLuzion1st]

+Kitty Ham I am 24 and studying Japanese. Though it is only my second language, learning is not to difficult, just takes time and patience. Learned hiragana in 2 days. and Katakana in 2 days. (read/write). now on to Kanji XD.

[@catchick1249]

I am 13 and I am Greek, so it's a given that I know Greek. Now I am almost fluent in English (my mom' san English teacher), I'm pretty okay at German because I take classes and I'm studying Japanise. So don't worry at all! ^^ like I'll probably be your age until I have been fluent in both German and Japanise, and then I would probably want to learn another language! C:

[@user-xk6eu2qb4g]

私も歌詞の意味を調べたり、分からないことがあったらすぐ調べたり、インスタやツイッターでアメリカ人とかが使ってる言葉の使い回しを真似したり、アプリで言語交換のできる友達を探したりしました！だから、きっと日本語を勉強したい人にも役立つと思う！ I learned English exactly same way she does to learn Japanese. Those tips are all useful!

[@r43rae]

I like Perfume, Girls Generation, and Morning Musume. ^.^ J-Pop

[@getoffmylawn1572]

+Karasu But...but Girls Generation is Korean. ;-;

[@r43rae]

MeloDeath I know. I forgot to put K-Pop

[@getoffmylawn1572]

+Karasu Oh, I understand now. ^^"

[@11YoPEEPS]

+-- Karasu yay another morning musume fan!

[@alfieball1963]

Perfume and Capsule :D

[@OMGdimi]

Your video was awesome! It's probably the first "how to learn Japanese" video that wasn't discouraging. Thank you also genki is a great series!

[@gentyva6848]

I learned both Katakana and Hiragana in about 2 weeks. Kanji is going to take a while.......

[@gentyva6848]

I hope to be able to at least speak and understand a decent amount of Japanese by the time I'm out of college.

[@user-yn7eo5gz8l]

any study tips to learn katakana and hiragana??

[@gentyva6848]

Jael Chan Flash card flash cards flash cards flash cards. Just make your own flash cards to start out so that you get used to writing the kana. Then make sure you know how to identify each character. Then practice writing them once you've memorized how they look. Also, a ln incredibly helpful app that is free and that I would recommend to absolutely anyone is KanjiStudy. You can study all of your kana with automated tests that grade you on your performance and show you your accuracy. The app also has tons of kanji and radicals that you can quiz yourself on in the same way. I'd seriously recommend this for anyone learning the language. Also, the app Jisho is an incredibly useful japanese dictionary that is also free.

[@user-yn7eo5gz8l]

+歌うハナ thank you so much!

[@gentyva6848]

Jael Chan いいえ。I hope you stick with it! It's super fun and rewarding.

[@mnlesnieski]

This video couldn't have come at a better time, I just started learning Japanese! One program I found that helped too is TextFugu. It's a website that lets you try a lesson before you commit to buying it. It's also on sale right now (I think 59% off!) Also there are a few Japanese subreddits, if anyone here is on reddit. Love your videos Sharla!

[@meganphillipps154]

You're methods are almost exactly like how my grandfather (祖父) learned Japanese when he was a boy; he had some Japanese friends that spoke it natively, and he would listen to them and write down words and all that shit. He was as fluent as any native speaker in under six months. It's embarrassing, actually, 'cause my dad told him I was trying to learn Japanese, in my beginning stages, and he just started speaking to me in mad-fast Japanese, and I only caught like a word or two. I was just like “Ah! Why is this happening!? I only know like ごめなさい and こんいちわ and 有難う.” Great post though! (*^_^*)

[@MeiFail]

I've never thought about printing out lyrics and searching for words! I'll definitely try this

[@magurokatsuo7114]

They are exactly the same ways how I learnt English except that horror movies aren't my things :) TBH I've met many (Japanese) people who said I must have been raised in an English speaking country but I actually haven't. I had a bit larger curiocity than others maybe. ;)

[@heyitssharla]

Having a genuine interest in the language is definitely important :D Or else you'll get bored with it I guess... Your English always impresses me!!

[@magurokatsuo7114]

Sharla in Japan Totally agreed, and thank you! Your Japanese is perfect, especially pronouciation and collocation are native level!!

[@the_echoYT]

I can corroborate that Genki is indeed a really good textbook to use! Additionally, Anki is a MUST. It's a flashcard app you can use on your computer or your phone, with tons of premade decks from other users, but you can also make your own! Incredibly helpful and perfect for memorizing new words.

[@Sugoi-NotchInc]

I know this is a bit off topic, but what full time jobs are available for English people in Japan?

[@yeahso6969]

+Sugoi-Notch.Inc You can be a CEO, a lawyer, a professor or anything else really. Tell us what qualifications and experience you have, whether or not you speak Japanese and how well; you will get a better answer for sure. Most people teach English but it's not much of a career and they're not even real teachers. There are lots of opportunities for foreigners in engineering, computer science, those areas, for these jobs you will usually need not only conversational proficiency but also language related to your field - technical Japanese. My wife works at a hotel where the concierge is an English guy, but his Japanese is almost flawless.

[@RaperKass]

This advices are so useful, not only for japanese learners, but also for people who are learning another language as English as well. In my case, I used the same methods that she said for English, and they totally works (My mother tongue is Spanish), and I feel so comfortable talking to English-speakers and listening to them. Regards from Venezuela. :)

[@toys41]

日本の諺に「好きこそものの上手なれ」(What one likes, one will do well)というのがあります　♡(o￫ܫ￩o)♬

[@heyitssharla]

その通りですよね！

[@lepo8861]

You can learn basic languages from free language apps/online, you can get dictionaries from second hand stores, and you can download language exchange apps where you talk to native speakers trying to learn you native language.

[@kon0126-n6v]

Japanese is difficult for us, too.

[@mssavannah1167]

笑

[@breeishly]

I'm in Australia and at my school Japanese is an optional language to take in Year 7. I'm going into Year 10 now and still learning it. :) Luckily they give you the option to go to Japan as well (I'm going again this year!) so I have Japanese friends I can practice with. I also HIGHLY recommend "Lang-8", where you can blog in a language you are learning and native speakers correct you! A lot of things I did learn from class but I also do extra extension work - I did the JLPT N5 last year, and I just bought my textbooks for N4 this year! The results still aren't in - it's killing me. :P Love your videos Sharla, your fluency in Japanese is a goal for me personally! :D

[@тєнуиѕ1нє]

ANY ARMY HERE EXO-L ELF INNER CIRCLE HOTTEST STARLIGHT VIP SONE SHAWOL YG STAN JYP STAN SM STAN no ok

[@olagamal1379]

V !!!!

[@BernieLow]

I needed formal lessons to properly learn grammar but everything you mentioned is exactly how I started learning and familiarizing myself with Japanese! Translating lyrics is totally a super fun way to learn new vocab, and Japanese music also helped me make so many new friends at concerts! I also learn new vocab from KZbin channels, readings subs vloggers write, or just picking up on the terms they use. That's really helpful too xD

[@KajiKingStarzky]

Not the best person to take language advice from.

[@tbmcnation]

+KajiKingStarzky lol :)

[@SHINSHINDESU]

I find flash cards help with the basic stuff with hiragana and katakana. One thing I picked up with university classes is write repeatedly with kanji. Music and tv helps me with how fast Japanese speak. I have a lot of Japanese friends who help me with Japanese.

[@Kamapixel]

I just started playing the game "Learn Japanese To Survive: Hiragana Battle". It's on Steam for only 7 bucks and it seems like it gets down to the details pretty well in terms of trying to teach the characters, how to write them, how they are pronounced, etc. I'm not being consistent enough with it, but I also kickstarted their Katakana game so that hopefully after spending enough time in this game, I can go to that one and keep learning.

[@DD-cj6px]

I listen to Morning Musume to help me learn Japanese and I watch many TV shows on KZbin such as Utaban (unfortunately no longer around) and SMAPxSMAP (on Fuji TV ((ふふふ、フジテレビ！) I also have an app on my phone which helped me learn hiragana and katakana and is currently helping me learn kanji. I feel like Japanese is the only thing worth studying. It's actually really fun.

[@88KeysMan]

I do all these things! There are a lot of videos on KZbin that help, Meguro Language School has a lot of free lessons, and basically doing it every day or as often as you can helps.

[@SuperDraco123]

Sharla confirmed for having great taste. GnT is the funniest thing I have ever come across, ever, and I can't wait until there are subs for this year's new year special.

[@DarksStars]

Thank you for that video! I've been learning Japanese more seriously recently, but I'm still at low beginner level, so it's hard for me to find medias that I can enjoy where I can pick up enough to have a rough idea of what is going on without being totally lost and this video just made me realize that I can totally watch Ponyo in Japanese, it's one of my fav movie and I'll definitely try to watch it in the original track and without subtitle next time

[@georgeromero13]

The RADWIMPS are awesome. I love their sound! Thanks for the advice!

[@bcgrote]

If your cable tv has stations with foreign languages, that is a GREAT way to learn a new language! Just turn it on in the background, and soon you'll hear a phrase or word that you recognize from class, and you can get context as well as learn something in the culture. I remember a friend had a Japanese dubbed version of Rocky. The ONLY word that was in English was "ADRIENNNNNE!!!" LOL! So watching a movie you KNOW already might be good as well. Your tips are great, for any language!

[@perdomot]

I'm nowhere near fluent but movies, especially anime have really helped me learn a little useful Japanese. I learned Hiragana and Katakana which made it easier to understand signs and labels during my trips to Japan but I think it was the time I spent in Japan during my vacations that helped out the most. Nothing like immersion to help you learn. I love Japanese horror movies to and use to see the old Zato-Ichi movies.

[@datrandomguy128]

THANK YOU Sharla! I'm so happy you made this video! 😘

[@RafMoh]

Awesome video! Really love the subtitles on your videos!

[@lauralewis6958]

Hi Sharla, I am studying Japanese and your videos are an inspiration to me. ありがとうございます!

[@TheDewaker]

I'm finishing learning my hiragana and just starting my katakana ! I read the subs and I see a lot that a know that awesome ! Personally my favorite Japanese movie is Funky forest the first contact , I've watch it over 20 time in 2 months.

[@QHPeng]

I'm a Chinese. I do the same things as you to learn English!! Watching mostly American TV shows and movies, listening to English music from Britain, Canada and America, and chatting on social networks is great too! I'd like to learn Japanese because I watch Japanese anime as well and it's similar to Chinese in some ways. Thanks for your advice!

[@madesoninjapan5996]

I'm currently learning japanese and memrise is a great app! its teaches you how to read hiragana, kanji and katakana there is only many different other languages as well! its a very good app and i recommend it!!

[@SebastienFortin07]

I use the the second edition of the textbook ``Minna no Nihongo`` in Japanese. I do what they ask in a seperate notebook and translate it afterwards. Then, I copy down the new kanji I just learned in another notebook. By transcribing averything it's easier for me to remember.

[@meccha_matcha]

Your video came at a good time. I've been trying to get myself back into studying Japanese because my goal is to attempt the N2 this year. When I was at uni, watching J-drama and listening to my fave JE bands really helped, I don't think I would've passed my courses if I hadn't been so into that stuff.

[@JessNWang]

I think my friends used the Genki series for their Japanese classes here at my university. I haven't looked at it myself, but I heard it has good exercises and teaching methods along with pictures that can help describe scenarioes for certain exercises

[@emilyrose5282]

I've heard of it too but I hear that it takes a lot of discipline for those who are studying it independently. I use JapanesePod101.com and really like it. There are hundreds of audio (and video) lessons recorded by English professors in Japan. They break up the lessons into short 10-20 minutes sessions which I can listen to both on the go and when I'm at home. There's also flashcards to study the words from each lesson.

[@dasfinalgaming]

I learned today that Ginger-hair Sharla hits different and I love it! I kinda wanna see a Black-hair Sharla, a Neon-hair Sharla, a Rainbow-hair Sharla, or the Legendary-tier rarity form: Short-hair Sharla!

[@kazuzzz7671]

I just finished my hiragana course and so happy, found characters i knew in the subtitles. Now to katakana!

[@katmcdowellmusic]

Such great advice Sharla!!

[@jonssister92]

My university uses the Genki series. I really like the textbook. I think it's easy to follow. There were a couple of different books I looked at when I was trying to teach myself, but I think Genki is the best out of the books I've looked at..

[@Dainari3993]

you give awesome advices! I do that exacto same thing but with Hangul(Korean) is way more fun and easy to study. I watch a lot of anime and I try not to read the subtitles to see if I really understand it and them go back and check if I did pick up if I was rigth. most of the time I'm. personally I found writing it and reading it difficult but if I listened to it I understand it a bit. Asian languages are pretty hard but amazing and addictive.

[@MrDetrimont]

I'll suggest another thing that's kind of like text book work, and that would be manga, most manga come with full furigana, so it's easy to look up words, or just to learn new kanji. There's also bilingual manga, which have English in the speech bubbles, and the Japanese on the side of the page, for those who aren't yet that comfortable with Japanese, they're also made from quite popular series as well, for example, Attack of Titan, I think now has the first two volumes in bilingual format, and also Ghost in the Shell, and quite a few other series are available as well. But yeah... that's my two-cents worth, but like Sharla, I agree that speaking to people who speak the language, will probably help the most, there's quite a few Japanese people out there who also want to learn English, and lot's of other languages, meaning you could help them out, while they help you, and so on.

[@Odoqx]

Congrats on 200K subscribers! On your way to 500K and then the World!!!!!!!!

[@hollyaintjolly]

Music, most definitely! I love BoA (even though she's Korean, I love her Japanese music!), Ayumi Hamasaki, AAA, music from animes... Japanese music is how I first started learning some Japanese words. I'm so jealous! You have my dream job! But I'm going to work hard and become a great translator. I'm really glad I found your channel because it's nice to see all of these cool places and foods in Japan!

[@MikiGo88]

Good to know I've been trying to find interesting ways to pick up Japanese. I already listen to Japanese music, watch Japanese movies and shows. I'm going to try and find more Japanese people to talk to.

[@nish7x]

Wow Sharla! This is exactly how I learn. All the methods. Especially Instagram! I'm so glad someone finally mentioned about it along with ways of using hash tags to find Japanese posts. Great video! :)

[@GengoNoTabi]

I love all the "Zatoichi" and "Lone wolf and Cub". A couple of the Japanese movies I could watch over and over again though would be "The taste of Tea" and "Fish Story"

[@GiyuMashirito]

なるほどです。abcやcnnなどで勉強してるのですが、頭に入らなくて困ってました。 凄く参考になりました、ありがとうございます。

[@JayLeeMonogatari]

Totally second that music is one of the best ways to learn! It's how I got the pronunciation and reading down! I tell people who wanna learn Japanese the exact same thing! Even Japanese who wanna learn English, I ask what music they like and find English speaking bands and singers to listen to of the genre they like! Seriously just surrounding yourself with Japanese and Japanese media and so on! It's how I learned! Of course I took classes, but if you don't use what you learn you lose it!

[@山ポシ]

Sharla made an awesome video right here! I'm Japanese and this is the way I learnt English! There's one thing if I were you mentioned about. If you try to do these methods Sharla recommends by watching anime, that is not the best way. You will pick up Japanese words, phrases and be good at speaking Japanese. You can do that by watching anime too. But you will end up sounding so weird to Japanese people. You will speak anime Japanese if you only watch anime to learn. You can be really mean sometimes to say certain things you learnt from anime that Japanese people don't really use in real life. Anyway I'm just saying. Watching anime is fun and nice! You can do that! But do not learn Japanese from only anime. Thank you for reading.

[@tylersmith7914]

One thing I found is in my city we have 2 meetups a week with 20+ japanese and 20+ english and we sit and talk in english for the first hour and japanese in the second hour. I like it because it forces you to speak even if you have trouble forming sentences. They can also help correct your sentences etc.

[@MrMrG3AR]

These are some REALLY great tips. Thanks a lot Sharla!

[@amandahoney2697]

I have a talent. It is when I listen/ watch something in another language for a long period of time either with/without subtitles, my brian translates so I could understand what they are talking about without understanding wbat they are saying. That's how I kinda learned German,Irish, French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean. Still working on learning those mpre and learn Japanese. Lucky there is a group that subs one of the japanese groups I listen to.