Japanese lessons near you: at home, at work, or online
If you have an interest in Japanese culture, and you’ve been dreaming of visiting Japan for years, why don’t you start learning its fascinating language? This will allow you to truly get to know locals and understand different aspects of the Japanese culture that most monolingual Westerners miss out on, like its unique traditions, its values and its rich heritage. On top of this, once you speak Japanese, you’ll be able to communicate with more than 225 million people that speak the language worldwide, so if you’re looking for a way to expand your social life and make interesting new friends in the UK and abroad, starting a language course is a really smart idea.
Another reason why you should consider becoming bilingual is if you want to take your career to the next level. Whether you’re interested in landing a job in the UK or in any other part of the world, having Japanese on your CV is a great way of impressing employers, even if you’re interested in applying for jobs that don’t require you to speak a foreign language. The reason for this is that companies all around the globe see bilingual applicants as assets, as they know they can help them improve their international business relationships and attract more clients, so if you want to stand out in all your job interviews and land the position of your dreams, don’t waste any more and take a look at this short guide that will help you know everything you to know to get started in your journey to fluency.
Tips to Master Japanese
Learning Japanese can be really intimidating for many English speakers for the obvious differences that exist between these two languages. To help make it less daunting for you, here are some tips that will help you learn Japanese more effectively.
• Listen to as much content in Japanese as you can, as this will ensure you develop the necessary skills to differentiate the various sounds of Japanese, which can be hard to tell apart for an English speaker. There are plenty of ways you can do this, like listening to music, podcasts, radio shows, or even your teacher.
• Focus on patterns instead of grammar, especially at the beginning. As you might have heard, it can be tricky to get used to the Japanese sentence pattern, which has a subject-object-verb structure that can make phrases sound pretty strange if you translate them literally ino English. That’s why, when you first start, instead of focusing on learning complex grammar rules, you should take the time to get used to this new way of building sentences until you become familiarised with it.
• If you want to expand your Japanese vocabulary fast, you should start using Flashcards. You can use them to learn characters, words or even full phrases, so if you want to be able to read and write in Japanese quickly, check out some of the amazing decks available at apps like Quizlet, Anki or on websites like Brainscape and start building your vocabulary.
Resources to Learn Japanese Online for Free
Are you looking for ways to study Japanese at home for free? If so, take a look at some resources that will allow you to develop your skills you need to become a fluent Japanese speaker.
• If you don’t have much free time, but you want to improve your language skills, you should start using language apps. Although it might not seem like much, using them for ten to fifteen minutes every day can really make a difference to the speed in which you learn. There are plenty of apps you can try, but some of our top picks include LingoDeer, Memrise and Drops, which have plenty of content you can enjoy for free and are ideal to expand your vocabulary, improve your pronunciation and practise grammar.
• Another fun way of developing your Japanese skills is to read in the language as much as possible. If you’re a beginner, you should start by reading websites written in simple Japanese such as Hirogaru, where you’ll find plenty of interesting articles about different aspects of Japanese culture such as calligraphy, tea ceremonies and martial arts, as well as short videos with English subtitles. On the other hand, if you want to read Japanese newspapers but struggle to understand complex texts, you should check out NHK News, which features news stories in simple Japanese that most beginners can understand.
• Listening to podcasts in Japanese will allow you to improve your listening skills and pick up many useful expressions that native speakers use. If you’re a complete beginner, you can start by listening to Tofugu, one of the most entertaining podcasts for Japanese learners that will allow you to discover many interesting things about Japanese culture. If you prefer to listen to the news in Japanese, you should try Bilingual News, which delves into many fascinating topics while combining English and Japanese.
Survival Japanese Phrases
Are you travelling to Japan soon? If so, there are some essential Japanese phrases you should know to get by more easily and enjoy at least a basic conversation with some of the natives. To help you out, here are some of the most important expressions you should learn.
| English Version | Romanji | Japanese Version |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | ohayō gozaimasu | おはようございます |
| Good afternoon | kon’nichiwa | こんにちは |
| Good night | oyasuminasai | おやすみなさい |
| How are you? | ogenkidesuka | お元気ですか ？ |
| Excuse me | sumimasen | すみません |
| Thank you (informal) | arigatou | ありがとう |
| Thank you (formal) | arigatougozaimasu | ありがとうございます |
| Yes | hai | はい |
| No | iie | いいえ |
| How much is this? | oikura desuka | お幾らですか |
| What time is it? | Nanji desuka? | 何時ですか？ |
| Do you speak English? | Eigo o hanasemasu ka | えいごをはなせますか? |
As helpful as these phrases can be, if you truly want to communicate well in Japan, and connect with the Japanese on a deep level, the best thing you can do is to start a language course at Listen & Learn. We offer language courses that are completely personalised, so regardless of what your goals or interests are, we will have one of our teachers tailor lessons that fit your every requirement. On top of that, you’ll be able to enjoy your Japanese lessons in the comfort of your own home in the UK, or online, so even if you move around a lot, and you don’t have much free time, we’ll find a language course that adapts to your busy schedule. If you’re ready to make your first step in your journey to fluency, all you need to do is send us an enquiry today and one of our language advisors will contact you in just 24 hours to answer all your questions about the course and find out what kind of lessons you’re looking for.