Top 4 methods to learn Japanese at home

Learning a new language like Japanese can be a daunting experience, especially when you are self-studying at home without an instructor. The advantage is that nowadays there are many self-study methods that are both economical and effective. With the right methods and tools, you can learn Japanese from the comfort of your own home. Follow the following article of HeyJapan to know what methods are available!

What do I need to know before learning Japanese?

Before deciding to learn Japanese, you need to consider a few things:

Goals: Determine your goals when learning Japanese. Do you want to use it to study abroad, work in Japan, or just a new skill? Each goal will lead you to a different plan. So, clearly define your goals before proceeding to choose a method

Time and Cost: Assess the time and cost required to accomplish your Japanese learning goals. If you do not have much time, you will need to prioritize online learning methods, learn quickly instead of going to the center.

Learning Platforms: Consider learning platforms, including online classes, instructor-led centers, book-based learning, app-based learning, and more.

Your language skills: Before you want to become fluent in Japanese, you need to assess your current level of Japanese and consider the skills that you need to improve. If you are a beginner, consider and read the experiences of previous people to know which skills you should invest your time in. This also needs to be aligned with your goals. If your goal is to study or work in a Japanese-speaking environment, you may need to practice listening and speaking harder.

Hobbies and passions: Consider hobbies and passions as essential requirements. This helps determine if learning Japanese is the right choice for you.

Community: Finding a Japanese learning community to share experiences and support each other in the self-study process is advisable. Nowadays you can find many similar communities on social networks.

Is learning Japanese difficult?

Learning Japanese can be considered a challenge for beginners, but the difficulty of learning Japanese depends on the level of concentration and effort of the learner. Compared to English, Japanese has a relatively different linguistic structure. At the same time, there are some typical vocabulary and sentence structures found only in Japanese. This can create many barriers for beginners to learn basic Japanese. However, with effort and hard work, anyone can learn Japanese.

Benefits of self-studying Japanese

Save time and costs: Learning Japanese at home will save you time and money, no need to go to the center to learn.

Freedom in the choice of materials and textbooks: When learning Japanese at home, you have the freedom to choose the materials or textbooks that are right for you.

Set your own learning pace: When learning Japanese at home, you can set your own learning speed and decide for yourself if you want to learn faster or slower.

Create a good learning environment: When studying Japanese at home, you can create a good learning environment by turning off your phone, playing your favorite music, staying away from distractions, ..

Methods of learning Japanese at home

There are many ways to self-study Japanese at home, here are 4 methods we sugggest:

Use materials and textbooks

There are many good materials and textbooks for learning Japanese, which you can search online or buy at bookstores. It is recommended to buy flashcards of vocabulary to study together in the process of self-study through textbooks. This will help you very well in memorization.

Learn through online websites

There are many websites that offer free or paid Japanese courses, you can search and choose a course that is right for you. For example, Mazii Japanese dictionary, HeyJapan website, ..

There are also some very interesting support sites, like Hiragana Megane. This is a website that displays the Hiragana readings of all the kanji found on popular news and shopping sites in Japan. Usage is very simple, you just need to type the website's address into the search box and then press "Go" to finish. The downside of this website is that when displaying hiragana characters above the kanji, the website becomes a bit confusing and it is only suitable for desktop or laptop computers.

Learning through mobile apps

There are many Japanese learning apps on your phone, you can search and download some that are right for you. Duolingo, HeyJapan, Lingodeer are some excellent choices. 

Exchange with Japanese

The best way to learn Japanese is through face-to-face conversation with Japanese, you can find a Japanese friend or join online Japanese exchange groups.

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