I've studied Japanese for half my life

A man spent half his life studying the Japanese language: this is what happened to his brain.
Patreon:
/ catsnest
Read Nekojiru translations by others and myself here, I reccomend the India travelogue as a good place to start:
read-nekojiru....
Readnekojiru on twitter:
/ readnekojiru

[@oooow6861]

I’m Japanese and have never been abroad. I’ve never really needed to use English, but I study it as a hobby. I spend most of my day learning English, even though I don’t really have to. It’s just fun to see how I’m getting better and better at understanding what English-speaking VTubers are saying. It feels strange but exciting at the same time.

[@J-in-Japan]

I’m not sure how long you’ve been learning but this is quite well written in English. You’d probably find it interesting if you do plan to take a trip abroad. 🙂

[@heterodoxagnostic8070]

What you wrote is fluent English, i see no sign in your writing that you are not fluent.

[@genghi5khan]

Learning as self enrichment is a fulfilling goal in itself.

[@belstar1128]

you "need" it to play a lot of western video games and use certain websites Japanese has more support than most languages but most Japanese games get translated into English unless they are bad or not popular. as far as things in real life like work in most stable countries you need 1 language even if its a multilingual country like Belgium you usually have zones that have a main language. but you got certain smaller countries or very multilingual countries like Cameroon or Solomon islands were you probably want to learn English asap because your native language is only spoken in 1 town and there aren't even any books or schools in your native language. but in places like japan or even Iceland that is not a problem if you don't mind not understanding a lot of media .

[@captgooey]

🎉

[@MimisRoom333]

I moved to Japan a couple of weeks ago. I’m half Japanese but grew up in America and Mom spoke fluent English so she never taught us. I had always love Japan and anime, a lot of my motivation of coming here based in. Despite studying all throughout Highschool I never caught on past learning Hiragana and Katakana as well as a few words. I’ve been studying a lot more as I’m actively living with my Grandparents and wanting to talk to them. I’ve felt a lot of pressure to become fluent despite only being here for a couple of weeks. This video has given me a new perspective of what it means to be passionate about something. So far I’m enjoying my time here and I’m trying to see my learning as ways I can connect with others rather than a chore of studying

[@catsnest]

@@MimisRoom333 wow I'm really glad to hear you liked the video! がんばって！

[@thehapagirl92]

Fuck yeah hafu

[@Tachibana_Tsukasa]

Tell yourself to quit. You'll probably say no. Ask yourself why not. That's your motivation.

[@Jonas-gm4my]

I said yes. Am I cooked?

[@N1ghtLEternity]

@@Jonas-gm4my for sure

[@892kao]

frfr

[@KateJPL]

@@Jonas-gm4mythen quit, or at least take a break. If you don’t like it and don’t want to keep learning then you’re just gonna hurt yourself by forcing yourself to continue. If you can’t stay away then you clearly have some motivation and should just go with it, but if you never come back then you have more free time to do something you enjoy. No reason to burn yourself out over something you don’t like.

[@jamesburnett4443]

1:59 when people ask me why i want to learn japanese i dont really have a tangible reason. I have always wanted to learn a language, and i like japanese media. I dont have any grand plans. I just have self satisfaction.

[@MonsterZeroLITE]

this is basically how i am/why i started, i always grew up with japanese media be it anime/music/games/etc and i dont really see it as "motivation" as much as just a simple reason to why exactly i want to: because its kinda already around me and most things i seek in my own time is usually or surrounding japanese, so i just figured one day "why not? its contributing to the culture & language anyways" language learning doesnt *need* a big reason or motivation, just a personal enjoyment and commitment for one reason or another, ill be doing the same with mexican spanish

[@tenchu3770]

just say you're a weeb. and thats okay

[@MonsterZeroLITE]

@@tenchu3770 except im not

[@adish1401]

​@@tenchu3770 That's the thing, the combination of liking Japanese media and wanting to lean Japanese doesn't necesarily make you a weeb. I initially wanted to learn Korean of all things, literally because I liked the writing system and thought it would be a nice change of pace after learning German... But then as I found out more about Japanese I thought it's a better choice for me because it fills the same concept, AND out of all media I like, there is more Japanese than Korean... Still, if I were to pick a language based off media I like it would be Mandarin Chinese.

[@MonsterZeroLITE]

@@adish1401 im tempted to do chinese as well, at least bits of it, i found chinese just a fascinating langue in general, plus it will help with japanese kanji

[@kaitlyn6021]

I’ve been learning Japanese on and off for almost half my life, and I loved this video. My motivation for learning the language has always been the enjoyment of learning it. I’m just a nerd with a hobby-I love memorizing characters and struggling with basic grammar points, especially now that I’m in university where almost all my classes are STEM. The struggle to learn is my reason to learn. If I could press a button and be fluent in Japanese, I wouldn’t. I can’t imagine learning this language, having a terrible time with it, and continuing to learn it to the point of more-or-less fluency… Hope this video blows up!

[@Tapirclip]

This was an instant subscribe, I'm blown away by this video. This is exactly why I come to KZbin-genuine thoughts from small creators. Your aesthetic, editing, and delivery were perfectly executed. Thank you for sharing such a genuine message, your perspective and earnestness is so refreshing.

[@kiddmode]

Yah. Small creators are the wave now bro.

[@Adderone]

This video is exactly for me, thank you. N5, failed N4 (didn't get 5 pts to pass) and now struggle learning for N3 at the 4th year of my Japanese school. After watching I felt a little relief and started to learn at home once again, as an old nerd with a hobby ^^

[@laymoona6879]

I really like this video because someone finally says that learning something doesn't have to he a dreadful competition and instead its something fun you could do I'm learning japanese but honestly i dont have a solid reason... but i still have really strong motivation to learn and understand. you may ask why... idk.. maybe im curious about what japanese people are saying 😂 but honestly its such a fun language i just love learning it ps: i also like the style of your video, the music, and the moving background. thanks for this video

[@Tricolore_mejiro3160]

18歳の日本人です。言語の能力を４つ（もしくはそれ以上）に分けて、一つ優れている状態にいると感じるならば他の部分で負い目を感じる必要はないというのが、ユニークながらとても納得できる説明だと感じました。

[@d0xter742]

this is terribly relatable and covers a lot of stuff that surprisingly doesn't get talked about within the community that only has like 5 things to talk about. i was told when I started learning by many people who were already very proficient in the language to "just have fun", and while I understood what they meant it really only sunk in about a year ago when I realized how miserable I was learning this language. I never had really any motivation issues but I was constantly comparing myself to these people doing 11-12 hours of immersion a day and was always jealous that they were progressing faster than I was. I think I was constantly telling myself that I was enjoying the process while in reality I was pretty miserable trying to meet these impossible expectations I had given myself. Fortunately I'm at a place where I can just enjoy content without really "studying" which certainly makes the process of having fun easier but I wish I had really tried to adapt that mindset much sooner. Also nice music choices :)

[@catsnest]

@@d0xter742 nice fefe pic

[@Rrojas117]

amazing video, im currently in a state where i cant read as much as i can listen and speak (fairly high skill level), and you really drove the whole topic on saturation home while arguing its validity at all, it indeed has been a turbulent time in the algorithm as of late and i never really felt like i related to much of the motivational topics, you’re the first person to convince me it really is okay to not be fluent, and from now on i’ll truthfully pursue enjoying what i CAN do with japanese now for context i used to be really afraid to never be perfectly able to translate my personality directly into japanese, I had come incredibly far with the language but i felt like trying to express deep emotions made me really upset at my inability, so thank you for this i think im way more relieved in general and feel like i should reevaluate what i truly want to do when interacting with others in the language

[@kiddmode]

I like the video. I agree. All I want is to play classic survival horror games and JRPGs and a majority of those are expensive in English but cheap in Japanese. I get excited thinking about finally being able to play them one day.

[@Matt-jc2ml]

Emulator?

[@diamondinvr]

The hardest part for me so far has been getting my foot in the door. I came across a radicals Anki deck and that did it. I can infer meaning from most basic kanji now, and even though I'm rarely right, I'm usually in the ballpark of what the word means, which is extremely gratifying

[@Yozora_Jan]

Watching through this whole thing made me realize just how high expectations are from people who don't even know me. It stresses me out when I'm supposed to be learning this simply because I love the language. So often I hear about "How to learn quickly and efficiently" or "How to become fluent in 2,3,4 years" Which all become rigorous programs where you subscribe most of your daily life to trying to force yourself to quickly understand a language that more likely than not isn't even spoken around you if you're a foreigner. It becomes so easy to forget that I'm learning Japanese simply because I love how the language sounds and half the media i consume is in Japanese. Hearing the words "Nobody expects you to be fluent" Felt sorta freeing. I have to remember I'm doing this for me, not for others to suddenly be impressed by how amazing I am at it. Thanks internet cat.

[@zukodude487987]

For me i dont stress about my progress, i just learn as i go and take joy in any progress i make.

[@typ0id]

You're just like me, honestly. Learning Japanese in younger teen years and falling off the productivity and motivation trend. This video helped me a lot with not being so hard on myself and just...take it in and learn as organically as possible without barriers. Thank you dude.

[@Joshua-w5hJ77]

I'm not studying japanese but I can still relate in my language studies

[@WClonn]

okay you make amazing videos, like, really good ones. i'll never try to learn japanese cuz i'm trying to learn english first lol and its funny how u represent yourself in nekojiru's style.

[@catsnest]

thank you so much

[@SuigaRou]

I don't care what anyone says, I will get that #1 Dork trophy.

[@benj4845]

consistency > motivation. I honestly dont really have a good reason to learn japanese rn, i just started one day and stayed consistent with practicing vocab and such

[@radianttakanuva8388]

I've been struggling a lot with consistency in studying the past month or so, and this video helped a lot. Every time I realize that I actually can understand and read and listen something, as simple as it is, it feels amazing. It can be hard to see that bigger picture that you're describing. It'll just come with time. No more forcing or pressuring myself to study when I'm already doing a lot

[@a03k1llm4]

this was actually really encouraging to hear

[@FaFares]

solid video (comment for the algorithm, hoping the video get more recognition)

[@eggytoasty_]

I'm language enthusiastic, and I got the opportunity to study multiple languages at school. Thanks to it, I'm still passionate about learning them even after my school years has ended. I'm honest, I'm "broken" speaker even in languages I'm fluent at. Sometimes I feel like studying for the sake of studying isn't something I wanted to pursue so I gave myself a break, and I haven't tried to learn a new language since then. I studied total of 6 languages, but I'm fluent 3 out 6. No means, my goal was never being "knowing how to speak" rest of 3 (which I only learnt the basics of, and that's it). I'm more curious of the languages because there's something that I can learn from such as the country's history, cuisine, the people and whatever content I consume specially on the internet. It was lovely finding this video, I love watching YT LMAO

[@bruhmoment2electricboogalo951]

youre so real for that i went to uni for japanese(japanology to be precise but god damn was the research part a chore) too for basically the same reason: lack of 'real' progress/motivation for learning on my own but yea, nah, that didnt work for me either(burnout wahoo). so i changed my major and just went back to ' open (un/translated) japanese game/vocaloid song and see how much i understand. if i dont understand anything? so be it, im there for the graphics mainly/its just for fun anyways, ill just look up what catches my interest(like repeated word combinations) ' (thats kinda what im planning to do wirh any language i wanna learn since i decided on that 'method': just find media to try to understand for myself+bonus points: having an incomplete understanding kinda spawns its own ideas, its been a few times where some absentminded incorrect translation in my mind gave me an idea for a story(which i forgot now tho)) i sometimes looked up things like 'how to stay motivated while learning japanese' (before that 1 year of uni japanese) and bruh, the whole notion of 'you need to be really invested into the thing(learning japanese), or else youll never get anything done' is just. . .what?. . .how the hell is that supposed to motivate anyone?? (the professors at uni kinda were like that too. some bs like 'only half of you will make it through the first semester, only 1/4 will continue and like 5 people will get the degree' gee thanks for the motivation :/) i think the asymmetry concept actually applies pretty well to people who grew up with 2(+) languages either through school or home/life situations. cause i use the internet pretty much exclusively in english and occasionally any other language im interested in. so its some weird combination of: speaking: german(i cant/have no in-person reason to speak eng(austria)) , writing/reading: english(i deadass need my mom to read me german texts cause that shit is unreadable) , (i think i generally have troubles with listening when it comes to details, cause im never sure if what im writing in a comment hasnt already been mentioned in the video itself(tho that might be more a second-guessing thing too/constant un-sure-ness if i understand things right)) (holy moly im even writing stream-of-conciousness-textwalls in yt comments now too guh)

[@giuseppeagresta1425]

Having things you're invested in really is essential tho, or else you run a really high risk of ending up seeing studying only as a chore Carving out little spaces of your life purely in Japanese is excellent advice, I think; maybe a YT channel about travel, maybe a show or a short story, or even just some interactions in a social media Nonetheless, you do need content to go on; languages exist to bond one to the other, and if in that language you don't have any media you're fond of or anyone you want to talk to why would you learn it in the first place? These are just my 2 cents on this topic, sorry if I've been rude Now I'll go back to my HxH rewatch :-)

[@bruhmoment2electricboogalo951]

@@giuseppeagresta1425 nah, i didnt read that as rude :0 i think your advice really is the case for some people, just not me. in fact, it would actually make everything worse in my case =w= (something something pathological demand avoidance, or something similar/milder especially when it comes to personal intersts) i havent read my own comment in a hot minute, but i think i remember writing something like 'i do have some interests which are coincidentally in the japanese language, so i sometimes try to understand those when i have the motivation' (if i havent written that then sorry) my general reason for learning any language is always going to be a mix of 'it looks/sounds pretty' and 'i dont wanna rely on scuffed translation software(=wanting to be self reliant or something)' and the classic 'this cool person uses this language, i wanna understand what they do', and im very content with that as thats the only thing that works for me. some people(me) cant live of 'strong interests'(i would rather stare at an ecxel sheet until my eyes dry out for my whole life than do anything creative as a job. the moment its a 'you HAVE/NEED to' its not fun anymore and i hate wasting my creativity on that(source: i was in art/media school and that ruined my passion for anything creative. i still havent recovered from those shitty 5 WHOLE YEARS to a point where im lucky if i had the IDEAS to draw a single thing)) and will get burnout real fast (source: me with literally any interest in things, first its 'yo this is cool(='manic')' then 180 'holy shit if i see this thing one more time im eating sand(='over saturation/chore')' to half a year later 'yea this is pretty cool =w= (=chill, occasional ebb-flow interest)') (sorry if i missed any points or misunderstood anything/tied them incorrectly/messily into other points)

[@rosebudwannabe]

I know it sounds dramatic, but I really needed this thought-piece. Thank you.

[@gravyfan]

This has loooooong needed to be said. Thanks for the video!

[@Malumen]

Gatekeeping and discouragement are part of the business strategy though: create a problem and then sell the solution.

[@Fenyx-24]

I love this video, personally I don't really have a tangible goal with japanese except being able to somewhat function in that language. Say being able to read a random tweet, understand a video or most of a relatively simple piece of media. Hearing you talk about the obsessive and discipline-oriented approach people tend to have is really refreshing, I'm teaching myself the language so Reddit has always been my savior, there's great stuff on those subreddits, but they are also a massive source of imposter syndrome. We have to understand and remember that there's a massive selection bias on there, it's nerds who are obsessed enough that they make spreadsheets with everything they learn and try to be AS optimal as possible in their learning, and they might really make amazing progress in a short amount of time. BUT as you mentioned, it's fine, normal and healthy to try some stuff that doesn't end up working, and the "less optimal" thing might be more fun and less daunting to you, which ends up letting you learn more. Personally I started during the first covid lockdown and for like 5 months i studied intensively like 6 hours a day, a lot of grammar and textbook stuff, because it felt like a controlled environment and i actually enjoyed it. It built a good base, but then as I started having stuff to do again, I just COULDN'T study like that anymore, and nothing seemed to click for me so every few months i ran to reddit in hopes to find a way to not "waste" what I had already done. This lasted for years until a few months ago, because of how much I feared mostly relying on immersion even though it's exactly what I need at this point. And THAT'S what really taught me what works for me, I like some kind of organized learning such as a textbook. Right now for Kanji in my case (my weak point), which I also practice by reading "in the wild". Spaced Repetition is frustrating to me, I prefer just finding the same word organically until I learn it. Sentence mining doesn't let me immerse into the material so I don't do it. I also need to often remind myself that it's FINE if I don't look up everything, in the moment it feels like a waste but as an Italian person I learned English organically so why wouldn't I trust myself the same way with Japanese? Not having that granular approach lets me have so much fun and that's honestly underrated as a whole in the online learning community. Also, I think we have opposite strengths. I have such an easier time listening even if it's really fast native material. Where as reading is scary to me and I'm working on it lol.

[@analuisa9516]

I thought I had written this comment myself, I've been through literally ALL the same things in my Korean learning journey, just now losing the fear of immersing as a way to learn in context and letting goof this crazy online language learning grind mindset.

[@Fenyx-24]

@@analuisa9516 at first it's so hard to lose the constant crutch of using a textbook, but it's also so rewarding! We'll get through it ahahha

[@sweet___pi]

thank you for making and uploading this video recently, learning has become burdensome to my self confidence your perspective reminded me to reconnect with passion and fun. so thank you! let's all be kind and have fun.

[@grumpygamer8458]

this video help give me another push in the right direction, thank you!!

[@brycedoesstuff6540]

Really enjoyed the video. I've also had been learning Japanese for half my life through traditional study (grammar guides, vocabulary, kanji practice) but didn't get far in terms listening/speaking. Met a friend from Japan a year ago and attempted speaking with little success with 12 years which led to my own shift in terms of my language goals which now wanting to be able to communicate. Started using immersion methods like Refold just doing 4 hours a day and been making noticeable progress, understanding a little more as I go. The beauty of learning a language is it's a process you make it your own, goals may change which could motivate you to experiment with it. Some people may just want to be able to read manga but don't care much on speaking or writing which is totally okay. I came to realize that the feeling of pressure is probably what slowed down my learning process and I 100% agree that such a process is made to be taken slowly. It's like a journey with winding roads - If you go too fast, the turns would be hard to make.

[@xetrint]

Good video! I have a couple of friends who started learning the language over the past year, and I think this can be a good resource for them. I've been studying Japanese for 4 years now, and so much of what you talked about rings true in my experience. I got started in the language just because I was curious about both Japan and learning a second language since I was a teen. I didn't have any other motivation outside of "well, learning a second language could be a productive hobby". Once I got into it and kept at it each day, I found more reasons to keep going with it: enjoying Japanese media in a way I couldn't before, having success communicating with native Japanese speakers, and even traveling in Japan. The more I stuck with it, the more reasons I've found to keep pushing forward, and I never would have gotten to this point without jumping into it on a whim. Your point about asymmetric proficiency really resonated with me. For a couple years, I deeply felt that imposter syndrome of not being able to listen or speak the language well, in spite of my reading proficiency being my main focus at the time. I attempted output practice several times to little avail, but after I shifted my focus to improving my conversational Japanese for a trip to Japan, that's when I made meaningful progress. I still struggle with imposter syndrome to this day, usually in needlessly comparing my abilities with other people, but I've taken comfort in knowing that I'm regularly pushing myself to improve and enjoying the process throughout.

[@callimmer]

real quality videos. keep it up!!!

[@HappyKoalaBear]

Even though I am not learning Japanese (I'm learning Spanish), I watch these kinds of videos for my best friend who is. However, this video was really encouraging to me as someone who has no "good" reason to be learning Spanish. I honestly just think it's really cool language and it's fun to learn. I've never thought of myself as a hobbiest in the language, but in all actuality, that's what I am and it feels good to say that. It takes the pressure off of me needing to be properly "fluent" and allowing me to just have fun which is really my whole purpose in learning. Thanks for the awesome video. 😊

[@SennuS_2904]

If been learning japanese for a solid 3-4 months now… and the only reason i have for learning it is that i want to visit japanese more then once in my life… and if u could get a good paying job in the engineering industry that i could also work and live there… this video made me look at the learning differently so it really helps… Also proud to be your 846th subcriber from now on… Keep it going m8

[@meijiishin5650]

I've never felt so seen lol. I'm a little older so it's not half my life, but I've been studying for about 12 years as well. I was a hardcore AJATT guy, so you already know how insufferable I was. I started as a hobby as well and my goal was if I could play Paper Mario in the original text I've succeeded. To this day I've never finished the game lol. I did end up developing a massive complex and jealous attitude towards other learners and OCD about always needing to spend every waking second immersing though. I wasn't able to really let it go until about 2 or 3 years ago, and it's funny because my Japanese has improved 10x since I took the pressure off myself. Nowdays I use Japanese to hang out with some drinking buddies and read Manga, and it turns out that was all I ever needed. I was supposed to move to Japan but then the pandemic happened and my career took another direction. Thank god. I'm a lot happier with my life the way things are right now. I see people in the community falling into the same trap as me all the time. It's sad to see, especially because many people told me this along my journey and I didn't listen.

[@emilia1304]

Oh my god, you're the one who translated the Nekojiru manga?! I loved Nekojiru Udon, especially volume 1!! But back then I couldn't find translations for anything past vol. 2 or any of her other works... Anyway, can 100% confirm that learning Japanese works the best when you don't have a big goal or great aspirations. I just know that I'll probably keep loving Japanese media no matter how old I get, so no matter how long it takes, I won't be in a hurry and can always enjoy the results :)

[@catsnest]

Yes that's me :) I didn't translate Udon 1 or 2 but I'm about to start translating udon 3 very soon

[@lonelyisland7023]

This deserves more attention. Keep it up

[@DHaworth100]

I'm in my fifties and started learning Japanese three months ago. I have my study and my teacher, but I treat it as something that I will be learning for the rest of my life and treat it as something that is part of my life and will be with me until the end so I am not rushed or feel pressured. I seem to be doing well in regards to remembering what I learn.

[@kitty123-o6o]

thank you so much!! i really resonate with your thoughts and i needed to hear that

[@princemikoto]

From someone who has also spent a similar amount of time studying the language to varying degrees of intensity, thank for making this video!! A lot of people around these discussions of learning Japanese kinda have a all or nothing mentality. It's either JLPT N1 and consuming Japanese media literally 24/7 or nothing basically, while not even enjoying the learning road to get there tbh. You have a really insightful perspective I think a lot of people can take notes from!

[@Kaptime]

It certainly seems like you could spend years chasing improvements. I'd never really considered learning Japanese until my cousin started recently and I looked into it; probably why I got this video recommended. I haven't bothered to try myself yet because I'm likely never going to live in Japan, or work there, or even take the JLPT... But I can't lie, purely from a curiosity standpoint, it would be interesting to see if I could read it in 5-6 years provided I really did commit to learning x words a day etc. Years ago I had a couple weeks at my high-school with Japanese classes for a languages event (I still remember 0-10 and the kana from then) and it was actually a lot of fun.

[@warionumber2]

Thank you for this great video man, I wish you have a great day. You've got to the point that you can actually teach through your experience

[@Bulbadane]

I agree with this so much, I've been studying for 6 years now, and when I started I told myself aslong as a I never quit I will learn it eventually. I see looking back that the times I treated it as a job I felt miserable and guilty about it, and the times I treated it like a hobby I enjoyed the process. At this point the thought of quitting doesn't even come up cause I have done it so long that it is just a habit and a part of my life. That is something a lot of new language learners have a problem with, they want to finish and beat the language. I believe now that, that shouldn't even be the goal. You should just keep walking with it, enjoying each day.

[@J-in-Japan]

My motivation is everything and nothing at the same time. I just simply like being in Japan and like knowing what’s going on around me. It’s a really nice country with so many things to see and do, so much stimuli. I want to understand the conversation among fringe groups like fans of trains or those of fashion/makeup. Afterall the Japanese young people speak is actually quite different than that in a textbook. If you been studying for this long I highly recommend you travel there to experience it firsthand even if for a two week trip. Who knows, you may find something amazing.

[@rimenahi]

I've been studying for 5 years and you are damn right. 👍

[@enjii]

how does this have so little views!!!

[@mudpill7509]

it came out 1 day ago?

[@venandr]

Your videos are so good, I'm glad you're seeing such success!

[@coolbrotherf127]

I've been learning consistently for the last 4 years but started almost 13 years ago. Like you, I've never been to Japan so my reading and listening are much more trained than my output ability. I stuck with it because I specially loved listening to Japanese music and wanted to understand the lyrics. To do that, I didn't need to be "fluent" so I didn't try to be.

[@wizardinstaller]

the part about asymmetric proficiency is so well put, this is a great video. also love the nekojiru graphics

[@themanwiththepan]

I dont know why youtube reccomends videos like this to me since I dont do japanese, but i feel like it really applies to my last year of russian. Most of my conversations nowadays end up being in it for hours, and the act of doing it in the first place is so fun and rewarding that I cant explain it

[@MochiFam]

I love the new insight to see in language learning

[@TehFlashBang_]

I think it’s really nice to have some more opinions on the language learning process. There’s no “wrong” way to learn something in my opinion, as everyone learns differently. What works for one person won’t work for everyone, so having someone speak against the normal flow of “hyper efficient, learn japanese as fast as possible” is really refreshing. I’ve been learning for about 2 years now, and my “motivation” is really just enjoying stuff that comes out of Japan and wanting to read/play/watch it in its authentic form. I do find that just kinda letting stuff wash over me feels way better than obsessing over every word, grammatical structure, etc., as it tends to just wear me out. Great video, and I wish all my fellow learners good luck in their efforts!

[@ELMATITV]

So this is what Nyatta from Nekojiru it’s doing right now!

[@eddieflores3545]

I just spent 4 years on Japanese and 2 years on it academically. I can say that the most I enjoyed was reading and writing was fun but the kanji itself was rewarding enough. Though speaking is limited and I often struggled with it, though limited because I have little exposures to it. Like listening and speaking are separate for a reason and anybody can listen well but to speak is a different story. Especially in a social environment. Though I’m not demotivated or anything as I feel encouraged to dream big and do my graduate studies on STEM in Osaka university and possibly Tohoku University if they open up PhD programs for my field. Going to learn Mandarin with Traditional Chinese afterwards for TSMC and build international relationships with the US, Japan, and Taiwan along with possibly Korea for the industry.

[@oopserschloe4511]

Thank you for this video. I was interested in Japanese since middle school, and have been learning it since then, but I have always been so anxious to prove myself to others in fear that they will see me as a wannabe. I'm a tad slow when it comes to verbalizing my thoughts and listening to other people's, so I was always very scared that people would belittle me for that when I spoke Japanese. I like your takes on language learning a lot, and thank you for making this video

[@derpauleglot9772]

I think embracing "asymmetric proficiency" is pretty solid advice. For the last few years, I've been focusing mostly on listening/vocabulary, because it's the only skill I need atm (my girlfriend talks to me and our son in Japanese) and it helps with the other skills to some extent. Kids do full-time listening and speaking for like 6 years, so I guess when I'm learning a language as different as Japanese, I can't expect to get good at everything at the same time by investing "only" a few hours per day.

[@starpeep5769]

SAMEEE. IM STUCK IN ASYMMETRIC PROFICIENCY

[@史安达]

And putting off reading helps your pronunciation

[@kitty123-o6o]

love the footage honestly

[@tinywest]

I love the Chubbyemu type description heh

[@jplang192]

This was a fun little descent into your brainspsce. I enjoyed it a lot. Kinda reasurring. I think I do *want* to be fluent in japanese, and kind of as an excercise in discipline, but more in the meditating every day kind of practice in displine rather than a inhaling tear gas in bootcamp kind of way. There's stuff I want to do with the language and I want to enjoy that stuff but to do that stuff I have to enjoy learning the language before or alongside it, and in enjoying the learning I both have fun and become better (in some nebulous sense) both in the language itself and in other ways. I couldn't endure japanese if it was a grind. The first month or two I was anxious every time I opened anki but once I realized that I did retain at least a few things even when I didn't practice for a while I stopped worrying over the practice. I am on the ride for basically forever but I like the ride so I hope I stay on it for the rest of my life (or not, who knows lol) thanks for making this video. Now I have a cat manga to add to my to-read list.

[@lynn103]

Great video. I’ve been studying Japanese on and off since high school. Now, I’m 30. I still want to move to Japan. I love Japan’s culture and jirai kei fashion. But recently I’ve decided that I’ll let apple’s and papago’s translation apps get me through basic shopping in Japan and whatnot. I have reached a beginner intermediate level so far so I understand some things. But I still can’t express my thoughts and lack a lot of vocabulary. I will attend a Japanese language school when I first go to Japan because I want to improve in Japanese. But I’ve decided to just use translation apps during my Tokyo vacation and while learning there. I know that the translations won’t be perfectly accurate but I’m ok with that until I get to a level where I can converse without translators. I figure that I will improve my Japanese level with language school and get a job in Japan while also continuing my clothing resell business. I also hope to make a youtube channel about life in Japan, whether that’s making vlog style content or making jirai kei fashion content. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. TLDR: A closet jirai kei fangirl found out that translators are ok after 30 years. XD

[@attachou]

I have been learning Korean for half of my life and I'm finally back to it, I'm doing an immersion approach but since being so attached to the refold communities, it's halted my progress to an all time low and ive decided a few days ago to leave it all behind so i can finally focus on my progress and not be so caught up in everyone elses! And i feel relieved because i think being in there kinda made me put weird expectations on how i should be progressing. As if i should be fluent in a year or less, and i snapped out of it finally. And i feel motivated again because when i realized that ive been into this language for over half of my life, its kinda felt like a second language lmao, as if i grew up with it as my heritage (sounds so koreaboo but wtv)! So rn im just going my own pace and with the way i like to learn languages, i prioritize listening. Oh ya i just love learning languages! C:

[@mool487]

i started only a few months ago and am currently learning it consistently, but i never really had a reason. i just like languages, and if my first self taught language can be something so different to english then that would be cool

[@skeet_joystick422]

I'm glad I had the opportunity to find this channel! May the KZbin algorithm bless you with ever-growing exposure!

[@juice_management]

• Nichijou background music • subscribes

[@smittens888]

This video is brilliant. I have seen this idea that you need a good reason to learn Japanese all over online communities. It's usually said with so much conviction that it sent me into a panic. And ultimately made the experience worse for me. It's been such a fun hobby that has enriched my life in so many ways - for literally no reason other than because I thought it sounded like fun. Thanks for putting words to a feeling I've been struggling with.

[@texttext6065]

ねこぢるで日本語学んだの面白すぎる

[@catsnest]

ねこぢる最高！！！

[@ddsmywrists]

this is an amazing video

[@cassc7669]

What do you mean I'll never become fluent?!?!! 🥺🥺🥺 No but really, maybe you have a stricter view than I do when it comes to fluency? I hope I'll be able to eventually be capable of comprehension and forming my own thoughts in the language eventually 😂. Overall great video, and pretty relatable. And I agree the intrinsic desire/interest to learn Japanese is enough for the motivation question.

[@catsnest]

I have thoughts in Japanese all the time- doesn't mean I can carry a conversation fluently

[@cassc7669]

@@catsnest that part can definitely be disconnected... Would we say someone who is illiterate isn't fluent? I don't think most would but I could be wrong 🤷‍♀️. I wonder if what you're experiencing with speaking is the reverse of illiteracy? Guess this also goes with the question of what it means to be fluent, and is definitely being above my academic scope 😂, but is interesting to explore nonetheless.

[@chesnk998]

Finally someone made a video like this. Such a relief. I’m so tired of useless Japanese-learning videos basically talking about the same. My "learning" consists of 90% fun and 10% "I don’t care if I don’t get it now". And still, I don’t have such a goal like learning something, it’s pure curiosity and passion. Instead of thinking "Japanese is so kakkoii, being able to understand what I read would be nice" I just go ahead and translate shii and gradually I start remembering it. Some people might say it's boring and tedious, but it's the only way that works for me.

[@InterludeSpiral]

one of the best videos about learning Japanese especially how this community is

[@Deletedvirus404]

Came for the story stayed for the art

[@hench6109]

I been getting into learning Japanese because I randomly got placed there by my job 😭 they told me I was going to North Carolina and then two weeks before leaving told me I’m going to Japan, I have no idea how I’m going to learn but hopefully I’ll eventually know enough to order my food

[@neight227]

Damn this is great

[@msmith155]

Nice video. Admittedly I thought this video would talk about how try-hard "Learning Japanese" communities have become (rather a specific part of them), but I guess not. Though I like the conclusions of this video. It's not a race, but an endurance marathon, and also it's not a life or death scenario (as these try-hards would make you assume it is). Anyways, I also want to learn Japanese since I like the media a lot. But honestly for me, my issue was just ADHD/not actually doing it. Like, I kept putting it over for years, only to realize I ultimately didn't do much. In reality, you have to work on a goal everyday in order to realize it. Studying Japanese as a native English speaker is obviously a bit difficult, but so long as you keep on working on it dear reader, you too can learn it. Anyways, thank you for reading internet stranger. Goodbye.

[@jumperdeer3440]

Never thought id the nekojiru guy on KZbin love that site

[@5002seven]

Also, as a Cat Soup enjoyer I must say thank you for your service.

[@ashemon2]

Nice video! I'm learning korean, but the video is true of all languages.

[@jackkarol5718]

My thoughts exactly, great video dude! Verry based. I have been on and off learning and interacting with this language for like 7 years with zero intention to visit there. Just a nerd with a hobby. Until our family vacation this moth. and man i got way better at reading than i expected, when moms hungry and cant read the menu. This almost primal 'LEARN TO READ OR FAMLY STARVE' was kind of exhilarating in retrospect. I think I might go back alone and actually try to study some kanji. That and the unfortunate reality, Tokyo is 30% cheaper than my home town.

[@АртурКрета]

thank you

[@譜代本秋理]

airy got yo go say yeah i must youuuuuu

[@catsnest]

Ok

[@譜代本秋理]

@@catsnest

[@GT7Takumi]

I love the lucky star music in the backround

[@JE-nr6xw]

your OC is so cute!

[@GreenEmerald65]

People asking randoms on the Internet for the secret to motivation. I'll give you the only answer you need. Do it even if you aren't motivated because you will never be towards anything that requires hard work. Just finished my first month of studying Japanese and I can tell you I wasn't motivated to jump on Anki for my daily 2-4 hour Anki session along side doing immersion for an hour or more etc. Just do it.

[@twofacedmiku]

10:21 as a vocaloid dork I agree

[@mohamedkamara8225]

Thank you so much

[@borosouros]

yokoso, watashi no dork society

[@iceman8075]

bro thinks he's dorkaizen

[@Dr.PicklePh.D.]

I've been studying Japanese for 5 years through a mixture of reading, self-study, college classes, and just goofing around on my own time. I was a Japanese peer tutor for a year in college. With all my own experience and my experience with other learners, I endorse this message. Don't stress, just have fun. Incorporate Japanese into your hobbies. It's not a contest, it's not a race. There have been times where I've had to grind and study for classes, and times where I haven't really done anything besides listen to music and watch anime with English subtitles. But you know what? Those little things will at minimum keep you from backsliding and reinforce what you already know. And if the language structure on its own is enough to keep you interested, great! Your reason doesn't have to be complicated or strong or huge. It just has to keep you coming back.

[@Ikgeloofhetniet]

I have been learning German for half my life. 20 years!! :O

[@alguien908]

I tried learning japanese as a teenager but i couldnt sit thorugh and failed so miserably lmao, but i still have all of the materials I am doing Chinese instead though and I honestly was struggling with some of these things, there are a lot of Hanzi and I want to read but it is difficult to read when there are a lot of Hanzi I don't even know how to pronounce. And that stresses me, its a similar feeling to not knowing a kanji. But I guess I should just keep going and don't stop reading something just because I don't know how it is pronounce, have a look at the unknown word and look it up later if it comes up often but dont beat myself over everything. I actually kind of came to this realization recently but I should apply it myself. Once I'm comfortable reading Chinese (both modern and classical) to the level I want to I'll learn Japanese again. I started Chinese because I have some interests that make me make sense to want to learn it but I am neglecting my Japanese-based interests so I should do that as well. I did figure out that if I manage to learn Chinese, a language which also has Kanji but with which I have no previous experience nor baggage with, Japanese should be easy. And I'll be honest I don't care about fluency in either I just want to be able to read and listen to music.

[@wellhellothereurlbar]

I swear, the *worse* the reason to learn, the better. I started learning Russian because of a furry youtuber which I found from a post on STEAM COMMUNITY. A year and a half later and I am now at the B1 level. My main reason was to understand a foreign perspective on the furry community, and see just how many Russian speaking furs there were. Now though, my progress has seemingly stagnated. I forgot how you even study a language. Finding this video has helped me remember the ridiculous reason I started, rekindling my passion for learning. Who knows, after reaching C1 or B2 might switch to (Mexican) Spanish or Ukrainian. That's for the future, though. Great vid

[@VexDeePhilosophs]

I love your videos ❤ that make me motivated and happy 😊 thanks for doing this one, as someone studying japanese, it's a nice reminder to have that motivation! (Mine is mainly that i'll get to understand hypmic media better 😅 but it evolved to many other reasons like maybe living there!)

[@Cabesandia]

you rock

[@catsnest]

:3

[@5002seven]

I am learning to help achieve Abe's dream. Not for pleasure, but for duty.

[@ryoki_PH]

When learning japanese by being born and living in japan, the way you learn the language is mostly through social interaction (with parents, friends, peers, media, etc.), with an overall smaller amount being structured language study in school (at least in mandatory schooling). Because of this, I really don’t think it’s surprising that people can struggle so much with learning the language if it’s ALL just that structured hardcore language study. I agree with this video, I think learning a language should more be about just enjoying learning it, rather than seeing it as just a goal to be fulfilled. Not even the native speakers of a language learnt it that way.

[@NinjaTylerBlevins]

2:09 I thought there was some kinda tomato sauce on my monitor, i even tried to wipe it off with my finger lol

[@catsnest]

And I thought you were crazy until I saw it

[@technopriest8686]

Great video

[@potetoenthusiast]

I don't have a real reason either. I just liked the country, was interested in the language and that's it. I thought japanese was unique and difficult to learn, and "yeah, let's do this." I said. I've been learning foreign languages since I was in elementary school. I was also born bilingual, so I just... have been dealing with multiple languages since birth. I thought that japanese would be just an interesting addition to my other languages, and so I started learning it. And then I decided to also learn chinese, because.... why shouldn't I? All this to say, can't my biggest motivation be that I just wanna learn the language? Do I really need any other deep reasons? Nobody questioned me when I started learning german about what my motivation was, and no one rushed me to go live in Germany JUST because I learned and spoke the language. Yet, in this japanese learning fandom, there seems to also be competitiveness about "motivation." I really dislike this competitive learning we have going on here, that's why I chose to dissociate from it all and just... do my own thing.

[@Dt23hr5]

The video saturation has reached new heights.. bro’s doing a meta-analysis of the content in the community.. we’re cooked😭

[@catsnest]

next i will do an analysis of my own analysis