Erubey
Member
From: Escondido California
Registered: 2008-01-14
Posts: 162
Has studying japanese or using your current study methods, and I'm guessing they work well, motivated you to feel like "...after learning Japanese, everything else is just so easy!".
I've been cranking out the Italian/French books I have and using the SRS program and all around tactics, and its just insane. My first language is Spanish, so the jump isn't that big, but after Japenese it's just an eye opener at how streamlined learning a related language. It actually makes me feel good, the same feeling I get when I did some big physical exertion(Biked to the beach and back, hiked, etc). I'm tired but I could take on the world.
Also this is the second part I wanted to address. Does Japanese have better learning materials on the internet than any other language(English being the exception), or is it just me? Rikaichan, tons of flash card sites, review sites, grammar compilations. Where is the Tae Kim guide to Italian damnit. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough? Anybody have any resources for these two languages that are innovative and well built?
Tobberoth
Member
From: Sweden
Registered: 2008-08-25
Posts: 3364
The reason why there's such an abnormal amount of Japanese learning resources online, I "blame" on two things:
1. EDICT. Basically the first open source really good dictionary between two languages. Even those here who are affraid of J-E dictionaries have to give it credit for what it has done to Japanese studies.
2. Nerdlove for Japanese, though this is a pretty new concept. Still, if you're a nerd, chances are you like video games or anime, both having strong connections with Japanese. If you're a nerd, there's also a good chance you like using the internet. Put the two together and you have millions of Japanese learning sources online.
Jarvik7
Member
From: 名古屋
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 3946
kerosan41 wrote:
Please elaborate. I'm interested to see your thought process on that one.
Most internet users still access the internet through their keitai. Owning a computer is nowhere near as common as it is in the west. Most stores and businesses have a minimal online presence, usually limited to information on their location. Internet access to television programming is extremely limited (unless you count all of the unlicensed streaming services). For example, TBS still only sells copies of their content on expensive VHS tapes. Streaming movie rental services are more or less non-existent or useless (mail-order rentals are much more useful, thanks to Japan's amazing postal system). Almost all of the major content sites are western services that have branched into the Japanese market. Official websites for tourist locations are almost all extremely old, out of date, and full of broken links. This is part of a greater trend of official sites being created and then never updated. I can't count the number of times I've read something on an official site only to show up and find out that the information is incorrect, incomplete, or out of date. I always call on the phone now. Things are of course improving, but Japan is very much behind the west in terms of the quality&quantity of content.
Pretty much all of the Japanese media that we can get on the internet as foreigners is provided by other foreigners in pursuit of their "nerdlove". As an aside, this also leads to people having incorrect impressions about Japan since what gets passed around the most is stuff nerds like, such as anime, weird porn, really bad music (momusu), etc. Little do they know that other than child friendly stuff like doraemon, anime is pretty much only on in the middle of the night or on satellite.
Last edited by Jarvik7 (2008 November 05, 12:03 am)
Jarvik7 wrote:
Lots of words
I have to agree with you there.
Japan built an amazing internet infrastructure, but from what I've seen the actual content lags far behind the US (my main comparison). There are some aspects that I really like, such as being able to buy something online then paying for it with cash at a conbini, but overall it's quite lacking.
If there's any detractors to those remarks, actually try and utilize Japanese sites for day-to-day living and you'll see what I mean. You'd have to live in the country to get for full experience though, as much of it revolves around trying to get local information, online shopping, etc.
Jarvik7
Member
From: 名古屋
Registered: 2007-03-05
Posts: 3946
spoonsman wrote:
Japan built an amazing internet infrastructure, but from what I've seen the actual content lags far behind the US (my main comparison). There are some aspects that I really like, such as being able to buy something online then paying for it with cash at a conbini, but overall it's quite lacking.
That kind of service actually exists just because most sites don't offer direct payment by creditcard, and most Japanese people are very afraid of using creditcards anywhere, let alone on the scary internet anyways. The other option is usually just furikomu from an atm or a postal money order. 
Which brings me to the topic of the genkin society. So damn fuben.. A mugger's paradise though. 
Also, Japan's amazing internet structure is starting to crumble. Many of the service providers for NTT's fiber are starting to implement bandwidth caps. Asahi-net's are so low as to make the service unusable for anything other than web browsing and occasional downloads. What a waste of 100mbit.
Last edited by Jarvik7 (2008 November 06, 12:55 am)
