thermal Wrote:There are generally 4 stages to learning JapaneseHmm, I'd been wondering about this. As a beginner, I tend to feel that if I can only somehow get to the stage where I can struggle through a book, even if I have to look up a lot of words, I know I'll be Ok, that I will be able to learn the language. Then I see the more advanced learners also feeling like they need to progress more, so I don't know.
1. learn the basics
2. learn the intermediate stuff and start speaking at an ok level
3. learn advanced stuff that you don't hear often and start attempting to speak at a similar level to a native speaker.
4. with a core ability to use Japanese at a native level, fill in all the blanks in your knowledge such as idioms, dialects, highly specialised words and so forth.
Virtually any method will get you through 1 and 2. Once you reach 3 though you will be faced with many difficult questions. Many times people won't understand you. This is when you learn just how well you have used your study time until now. So what I am saying is think to the future. What do you need for your long term goals. Steps 1 and 2 will fall no matter what, but what can you do now to race through 3.
I haven't really been sure what I should do lately, I guess continuing with Tae Kim's guide and then trying to learn more vocab might be good, but I'm never sure if I'm really making progress. I'm not worried about speaking, just want to be able to understand.
The guy keeps talking about the same thing over and over and how wonderful he is that I couldn't take it anymore. Heh.
