The Japanese Language

Katchem_ash

As most of you know, or may have heard that I am learning Japanese.

Its going very well, I can read Hirigana without problems and am trying to smooth my way through Katakana. Thanks to the teacher I have, he is giving me good lessons. For the vocabulary, I know all of the particles and object markers in Hirigana and have a vocab of about 50 to 70 words which is increasing daily thanks to my text book.

The question I have is, is there a way to learn Kanji? The teacher showed me various dictonaries of grade school kids Kanji characters and a Japanese Tourist Information Center's Kanji dictonary. I also have learnt the Doroman and Pastel the manga have fungari beside the Kanji to help kids learn. I have no problem learning this way. Is this a good way?

Also I am planning to move to Japan when I find a job there and have decided to take whatever tests they might have for me. However if this doesn't work out (knock on wood) I would still like to presure Japanese as a sort of Degree or PhD program. What would be my work options for this? I currently am workign full time as a business analyst and going back to school isn't a problem since I am only 23 and willing to learn.

I would appriciate any help on this.

Vincent Grayson

If you've got a 4 year degree (BA/BS), you can do one of those teaching English programs, like the JET program. Assuming things worked out from there, you could pursue permanent residence and a more permanent position afterwards (I think the max you can do with JET is 5 years)

poshniallo

I've seen a lot of different 'methods' for learning Kanji, but I don't think they work well, because they all start to fall down when they contradict the actual origins of the characters.

For example, a lot of approaches have you analysing the different parts of the Kanji, looking at the meaning, and making up a story/image to put that together.

For example bright, 明 (akarui, mei) is like a sun and moon together - so you can say it's 'as bright as the sun and the moon together in the sky', which is the approach Kanji Pictographix takes, as well as many other textbooks.

But if you look at the etymology (which I can't do because my wife is asleep in the room with my reference books in) you might find that it's what's called a 'phonetic compound' kanji, where actually one of the parts has nothing to do with the meaning, but only the pronunciation.

I just thought of a better example, using the net rather than my books: 時 (ji, toki) which means time, is made from the kanji for day or sun plus the kanji for temple. The 'temple' means nothing, though - it just makes the pronunciation ji or shi or something similar.

I spent hours racking my brains for why sun+temple=time.... until I found this book:

The Complete Guide to Everyday Kanji

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0870117939/howardfastwebsit

which is very dry, but incredibly accurate and useful. It's amazing how much rubbish there is in many textbooks.

And make sure you write them out as well - it's a massive aid to memory, a basic skill of course, but many 'methods' skip it (since ease is such an easy thing to sell).

Anyway, that's my two yen.

Oh, and practice. Read comics, videogames, magazines, books once you can. Remember, it's not just your knowledge of kanji (mine is still fairly crappy), but your reading skill, familiarity and speed (mine is pretty good nowadays), which makes you able to read effectively.

Also work visas for most white-collar jobs in Japan require a college degree (four years in Japan, but it depends on your country - e.g. in the UK 3 years is standard, so that's fine).

Gabriel_Pitt

Repetition is really the only way to get reading and writing kanji down pat (the writing mostly). Write the character multiple times. Write common words it's in multiple times. Write uncommon words it's in multiple times.

Also, if you're going to get any sort of decent job in Japan that involves Japanese language skills, you're going to want to pass the 2nd level of the National Proficiency Test. Contact your local Japanese embassy for more information on when/where to take it, and how to study for it (you can skip straight to the 2nd level. You don't need to pass the 3rd and 4th levels beforehand).

Katchem_ash

What exactly is the National Proficience Test and what does it entail? I assume it would be reading, writing and speaking correct?

Reiten

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (http://www.sljfaq.org/w/JLPT) is all reading/writing (vocab, grammar, etc.) and listening. Multiple levels of it. JETRO also offers a business Japanese exam.

Some people really like the James W. Heisig books on kanji. That and a lot of repetition.