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+-- Forum: Learning Japanese (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-4.html)
+--- Forum: The Japanese language (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-10.html)
+--- Thread: Need Speaking Practice (/thread-11281.html)
Need Speaking Practice - Andufallah - 2013-11-18
Hello RTK community, I've been studying Japanese for almost one year and 3 months. I'm eager to learn how to develop speaking skills in Japanese. I can read and write at easy level (meaning I can enjoy manga, dramas, movies, and anime) but there's still some stuff I won’t understand. I'm also in a community on Steam (a gaming program) where I joined a Japanese gaming group. We all use team speak (it is a program like Skype). Usually I would just be in the chat room and listen to all the other Japanese people talk, but one day, I had the courage to come in and actually ended up speaking a few lines. I greeted them and they greeted back and asked me a few questions (where you from etc). From which I immediately got nervous and mind went blank, and due to being nervous my pronunciation made me sound like Darth Vader (Normally I don't sound bad, I record myself daily). Here's my question: am I still too "young" to practice speaking? Meaning do I need more years of studying before doing so? If that is not the case, can anyone share me their experience with Japanese speaking and what kind of ways that I can get more practice and maybe be less nervous. I'll be waiting eagerly for your replies thank you.
Need Speaking Practice - tashippy - 2013-11-18
You're not too 'young' to start speaking. There could be a lot of debate about input/output Stephen Krashen vs. Merril Swain but it's important to get feedback and it gives a new dimension to the language to use it; it forces you to synthesize all that information in your brain on the fly--probably why you got nervous on Steam. You might find that people are much more willing to engage in person if you are excited to talk to them, because they can read your body language (like if you need rephrasing or repetition). It goes both ways, too, understanding people is easier in person than just over voice chat of some kind.
Also, the humility or anxiety you experience could be a motivation to revisit your drawing board after you see that, for example, you really need to work on particles, etc.
It's great that you're recording yourself daily, I wish I did that. What kind of things do you record?
Need Speaking Practice - Andufallah - 2013-11-18
Thank you for your reply. I usually record myself speaking in Japanese on a variety of topics(usually scattered, what I did today, What kind of games I played, school etc). Usually just me mumbling about this and that. I also speak with my cousin who also studies Japanese, from time to time in Japanese.
Need Speaking Practice - Andufallah - 2013-11-18
Update: I just went on and just spoke a few lines on team chat; wasn't so bad after all.
Need Speaking Practice - jordan3311 - 2013-11-18
This is something I feel I need to work on as well. I can understand and read just fine but my speaking is very poor. I am trying to get better a speaking before I go to japan in the June. Any tips that can help me? I have tried a shadowing book but after a while it just gets boring.
Need Speaking Practice - tashippy - 2013-11-18
tangent:
I have been feeling like I always neglect writing. I wanted to start a thread about writing resources other than Lang-8 or generally just advice about practicing it and what to do, but I found a few threads in a search that I want to check out first. Not to hijack the thread, just been wanting to get that out there. ;P
Need Speaking Practice - Andufallah - 2013-11-18
I feel you, I stopped writing all together, I used to use Lang 8 as well but it didn't feel too satisfying. Maybe I'll start back on Lang 8.
Need Speaking Practice - Andufallah - 2013-11-19
also if anyone knows any programs that put you in a position where you can speak japanese, please let me know(for those who are 'older' in experience ,some stories about speaking will be appreciated)
Need Speaking Practice - Andufallah - 2013-11-23
Just went on and spat some real shiznickz. I feel good.