7 tips for learning to speak Japanese fluently
1. Don’t rush the basics
For some learners, the three Japanese writing systems can be intimidating. But, if you focus on learning to speak and skip reading and writing, you’ll be missing out on a big piece of learning the language! Besides, getting started with hiragana, katakana, and kanji is really quite doable.
2. Learn Kanji and vocabulary
If you want to make the most of your Japanese language learning, yes, do learn kanji as soon as you can. A problem of learning Kanji is that people can’t remember how to pronounce and write Kanji because of the complicated stroke orders and Onyomi & Kunyomi readings. A great resource to learn and remember Kanji is using the MochiMochi app, which is based on the Spaced-repetition system (SRS). The app will remind you to revise the words after learning at “Golden Time” - that helps you memorize Kanji well. Also, I love the cute and pretty interface so learning Kanji in MochiMochi is very fun tbh. Besides Kanji, you also can study vocabulary, phrases about many topics such as JLPT, IT vocabulary, as well as common topics in daily life. The thing I love most about MochiMochi best is that when learning a word or Kanji, you can learn how to pronounce, how to use it in context and the meaning, everything I need ^^. Highly recommend this app. Some apps I also use: jisho, mazii, itaki,...
2. Find media you love
Find Japanese-language movies, TV shows, music, books, manga, or radio you love, and then return to them again and again. Doing this will help you learn how the language is used and spoken. Plus, going over the same material will give you a great marker of your progress as you understand more over time!
3. Practice with native speakers
If you want to master how to speak in Japanese, accent and all, nothing beats communicating with native speakers. There are native Japanese speakers all over the world, so it’s worth trying to find friendly native speakers near you who are willing to chat! And, of course, you can get feedback from native speakers directly when you learn Japanese with Busuu.
4. Record yourself speaking
If you want to learn spoken Japanese, you’ll likely listen to native speakers, but how about listening to yourself? Our experts recommend recording yourself and listening back – once you have an ear for the language, you’ll be able to start making adjustments to make your Japanese sound increasingly natural.
Follow those four tips and you’ll have an easier time if you want to learn to speak Japanese fluently, but these next three are the icing on the cake...
5. Set goals
Studies show that clear goals and timelines make a huge difference in how far language learners get toward reaching their goals. Create a Study Plan and stick to it.
6. Use mnemonics
The use of mnemonics like rhymes, imagery, and associations is particularly helpful when learning Japanese. (That’s why we use them throughout our free and Premium Japanese courses!)
7. Stay positive
Last but certainly not least, don’t forget to celebrate your successes! Learning any language has its challenges, but if you stick with it, you’ll be saying nihongo ga hanasemasu in no time!
Whether you’re a beginner or have already started working towards speaking fluent Japanese, hope these things above make learning a little easier and faster for yourself.
Now let’s learn some Japanese vocab and phrases!