I first wanted to study Japanese because of a wanting to explore a new language, preferably one that is relevant to my life. As a Korean, I have found Japan to be one of the more accessible and fascinating countries to visit. Often have I traveled to Japan, knowing somewhat the cultural backgrounds and some words that will get me through each trip, but never with a full understanding nor a formal training in the language. Now I am eager to make a return trip in the near future.
I did find the writing and reading components more challenging than the listening or the speaking. Because we started off memorizing vocab and useful phrases while we studied Hiragana, I often could say the appropriate phrases but not read them, let alone write them. Now having a better grasp of Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji seems to be the next challenges to tackle.
I did find the writing and reading components more challenging than the listening or the speaking. Because we started off memorizing vocab and useful phrases while we studied Hiragana, I often could say the appropriate phrases but not read them, let alone write them. Now having a better grasp of Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji seems to be the next challenges to tackle.
Japan is also one of my favorite countries to visit. I completely agree with you that knowing the language would lead to a more meaningful trip. I found writing and reading very challenging as well and I hope both of us can improve!
ReplyDeleteYes! I sometimes imagine myself using some of the sentence patterns and vocab that we learned in class in a hypothetical trip to Japan. I think I can manage somewhat at this point :)
DeleteThank you for your comment.
I've not been to Japan but almost all my friends who visited Japan think it's fascinating too. I really hope I can travel there in the near future. For me it's listening and speaking more difficult, because I react to listen more slowly than to read!
ReplyDeleteYes listening is also another aspect that troubles me. I always end up having to listen more than once to a model dialogue or question to fully understand.
DeleteThank you for your comment.
Thanks for sharing your reasons of studying Japanese. Indeed, Japan is a fascinating country, so does its culture and its art. I like how you clearly listed your strengths and weaknesses in learning this language. Given this, I can foresee that you will be able to overcome the upcoming challenges and achieve greater success in Japanese learning. がんばってください！
ReplyDeleteLooking back at this blog post, I now find myself having more trouble with listening and speaking. Having memorized the Hiragana and Katakana, Kanji seems almost easier than the previous two.
DeleteThank you for your encouragement.