Learning to Read Japanese

Learning to read Japanese is probably the most challenging, frustrating and time consuming aspect of learning Japanese. Most student choose only to learn how to speak Japanese as learning to read at a proficient level can take several years of study. The main problem is that current teaching and learning methods make it more difficult than it needs to be.

Let me explain…

On a basic level you can break written Japanese into three "alphabets"; Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji

Students usually go about learning written Japanese in that order. First, they learn Hiragana, then Katakana, then they get into memorizing hundreds of kanji. After this grammar points and vocabulary is then learnt and memorised.

Although this is a logical way to approach written Japanese it is not the most effective. The word you should be thinking in your brain right is WHY?

The reason is simple… there is no focus on learning to read Japanese. Everything is broken and learnt as if they are independent of each other. Breaking up Japanese and learning it in parts is pointless. It is a formula for slow progress and frustration. The best way is to start with Hiragana, but it is important to try to tie in learning Katakana and Kanji as quickly as possible.

Why?

The reason is, in order to read Japanese you need to do just that…..practice reading Japanese. You must place more emphasis on learning to read Kanji in context rather than memorizing hundreds of kanji in no context at all. Start learning Hiragana then kanji. Leave Katakana as it is not as important as kanji. Once you have learned a few hundred kanji start learning "Kanji vocabulary" – common everyday words. Then you start practicing to read.

You can make very progress by doing this. Now the only problem is you can’t read, right?

So how can you read?

Well you need help from a real person – a native Japanese or someone who understands Japanese very well. There is one very important aspect of Japanese that text books or software can never explain – cultural understanding. It is also grossly neglected by teachers and schools. I recommend you take a look at Read Japanese Fast.

It is the only program on the web that teaches how to read Kanji in context with Hiragana and Katakana. It can do wonders for your understanding of Japanese as well as your reading ability.

You need someone who understands Japanese at a academic and cultural level to read to you and explain how the Japanese language reads. The way Japanese communicate is greatly influenced by Japanese culture. This is something that you need to appreciate. Without having someone to coach and guide you through not only the fundamentals of reading, but also the cultural elements I can guarantee you will never be able to read or speak Japanese a proficient level.

Tags: hiragana, kanji, katakana, read Japanese