Language learning is difficult in general. Learning a new language is like embarking on a long and arduous trip, full of hardships and challenges that each of us must face and overcome in our own unique ways. This includes learning new vocabulary, new alphabets, and new grammar structures. 

When studying Japanese or any other language, it’s normal to make mistakes; doing so is how we grow as speakers and communicators. However, there are several common traps in the way that most people study that can be avoided.

Here are some typical blunders made by Japanese students.

Importance of Learning Japanese

The many benefits of studying Japanese have led to its meteoric rise in popularity. Learning Japanese allows one to get immersed in a culture with a long and storied history. This timeline includes both ancient customs like tea ceremonies and martial arts and more recent developments like anime and manga.

Business prospects are only one of many doors that can be opened by learning Japanese. Japanese companies dominate several markets, including those related to technology, entertainment, and travel, creating numerous opportunities for Japanese language speakers.

Furthermore, being able to speak Japanese can set job seekers apart from the competition and make them more attractive to companies doing business in Japan. Memory, concentration, and other cognitive abilities honed during this process are invaluable in a wide variety of careers.

Access to Japan’s rich cultural legacy, more career options, and enhanced mental acuity are just a few of the many advantages of learning Japanese.

Don’t have a goal or set it too high

The very fact that a language exists in the first place can be enough to make us desire to study it.

However, many people study Japanese for their own reasons, like the desire to watch their favourite anime without the need for translation. Having no goal at all or selecting an impossible one can hinder your progress in school.

Japanese is not an easy language to learn, and there will likely be times when you want to give up because of how challenging it is or because you aren’t making progress.

Tip: It can be helpful to have something to work towards when studying Japanese. It’s not necessary to set an enormous target like passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level 1. An ideal objective is both interesting and doable.

The ability to speak in a Japanese restaurant may have been the original motivation for some people to study the language.

They were set on making all their own orders for meals, utensils, and payment in Japanese. Once you’ve accomplished your initial goal, you can challenge yourself further by setting new, more difficult ones.

Attempting to Learn Japanese Too Quickly

It’s great when you make up your mind to study Japanese and resolve to become fluent as soon as possible. You devote a lot of time to studying and learning. But going to extremes can backfire, causing stress and a loss of motivation if the desired outcome isn’t achieved.

Tip: To prevent becoming overwhelmed, it’s best to approach learning Japanese gradually. A well-balanced study session begins with a well-thought-out plan. Each day can be dedicated to a different skill set or chapter.

You won’t have to cram as much vocabulary or kanji into your brain in one day, just to forget it the next, and stress yourself out in the process. Some students devote only a short amount of time each day to learning a new grammar rule, vocabulary list, or kanji. They don’t study constantly and schedule in “cheat days” when they need a break to refresh.

Worrying Too Much About How To Write In Japanese

Japanese is written using three different scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Some students of Japanese waste a lot of time trying to master all three aspects at once. You won’t need to put pen to paper very much unless you’re taking an exam or applying to work in a Japanese corporation.

Hiragana and katakana are the best choices if you only want to learn one or two of the written languages. They’re easy to learn and helpful because they’re used in some street signs.

Kanji, the terrifying Chinese characters, are the ones you should not dwell on excessively.

There are thousands of them, and their pronunciation varies depending on the situation, making it feel hopeless to try to memorise them all.

Picking up a few here and there is entertaining, but save the serious study for later. There isn’t enough of a payoff from the current efforts. 

Japanese Grammar Obsession

If you’ve already started learning Japanese, you’ve undoubtedly pulled out a clump of hair trying to figure out what the heck the distinctions are between kanji like “wa” and “ga,” “de” and “ni,” “sareru” and “saseru,” and so on.

You will learn in class and from textbooks that making mistakes in these areas can have serious consequences; however, just as with written languages, making mistakes in grammar isn’t the end of the world unless you’re taking an exam or applying for a job.

There’s no need to worry too much; native Japanese speakers are often understanding of outsiders’ inevitable grammatical slip ups while communicating with them. 

You shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about the intricacies of business Japanese language.

Business Japanese conjugations vary depending on the status of the speaker, whether they are being elevated or degraded, the nature of the question or statement being made, and the context in which it is being made.

Even native Japanese speakers have a hard time picking up on the nuances of business Japanese; in fact, textbooks on how to use business Japanese effectively are among the best-selling books in March and April, when recent college grads are entering the job.

Just focus on everyday Japanese conversational grammar for now and ignore corporate Japanese. It’s simpler to learn, more useful in real life, and provides more opportunity for practice.

Learning Japanese Inconsistently

You don’t have to cram as much as the preceding point suggests, but you also shouldn’t skim as much. If you simply dedicate a few hours each week to studying, you will quickly forget what you have learned because you aren’t reviewing it frequently enough.

If you make an excuse not to study today, you’ll make another one tomorrow, and the next day after that. It’s tough to get back into studying mode when you’ve lost your motivation.

Tip: You should make an effort to learn even a little bit even if you don’t have much time to study. You can study Japanese on your phone while commuting, doing housework, or driving. Even if you can only study for five minutes a day, that’s better than doing nothing.

Putting All of Your Eggs in a Single Basket

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the wealth of Japanese language learning materials available online.

When deciding on a book series to read or an app to download, it’s helpful to check out some reviews first. It may not be in your best interest to rely solely on one source or the opinions of others. Some materials are great for learning one specific ability but aren’t very helpful for learning others.

Apps like WaniKani can help you learn new words and kanji, but they won’t improve your pronunciation or comprehension. You may be a podcast listener and an auditory learner, but that won’t help you if you can’t read the material.

Knowing a large number of kanji but being unable to communicate effectively can be discouraging. However, you may lose interest in a resource if it is written in a style that isn’t conducive to your own learning style, such as if the text appears tedious or difficult.

Tip: Choose your own resources wisely; they will serve you well. To find out how well books and applications perform, reviews are usually helpful. However, you should verify this information for yourself.

You can check them out in person in a bookshop, online, or through an app to see whether they fit your taste. Giving up on a book after only a few pages because you can’t bear it is quite discouraging.

Learning From Anime

Enjoying anime can be a great motivator to study the Japanese language. Many fascinating new phrases await you here that you won’t discover in any book. Why? Simply said, you would never employ such jargon in everyday conversation! It may not be appropriate to use as a sole resource, especially for beginners, because much Japanese in anime is fairly casual and full of slang.

Tip: Using your favourite anime as a resource to learn Japanese is perfectly acceptable. Enjoyable, but don’t put all your faith in it to learn Japanese. viewing an episode with subtitles can help you learn new kanji, and then viewing it again without subtitles can help you practise listening to and writing down the unfamiliar language.

To be on the safe side, it’s smart to see if the terms and phrases used in the anime are appropriate for everyday use or how real people employ them.

How to Avoid Mistakes in Learning Japanese?

It’s important to be aware of typical blunders made by Japanese students if you want to have a successful learning experience. You can learn Japanese more effectively and quickly if you are aware of and take steps to avoid these common traps. Some suggestions for avoiding the most frequent pitfalls in Japanese study are as follows.

Seek Proper Guidance

It’s important to get started learning Japanese the proper way, with the help of quality materials and instruction. Take a class at a respected language school, look for a private instructor or language exchange partner, or utilise quality online materials. Having a solid groundwork laid by knowledgeable instructors or native speakers will assist you avoid developing poor habits in the first place.

Focus on Pronunciation

Due to its distinctive sounds and phonetics, Japanese pronunciation can be difficult for novice speakers to master. Listen carefully for the right way to pronounce vowels, consonants, and sounds like “r” and “tsu.”

Maintain frequent practise by listening to and imitating native speakers utilising tools like audio recordings and mobile apps.

Understand Grammar and Sentence Structure

The study of grammar is essential for mastering any language. Avoid literal translations, as Japanese sentence structure differs from that of English. Master the most common constructions, paying special attention to how to properly use particles like “wa,” “ga,” and “no.”

If you want to improve your grammar, it is important to practise sentence construction and to get feedback from native speakers or teachers.

Embrace Kanji and Vocabulary

Kanji, the Japanese version of Chinese characters, are notoriously difficult to learn. Correct stroke order and knowledge of kanji readings and meanings might help you avoid common errors.

Use methods like flashcards, mnemonics, and context-based learning to methodically expand your vocabulary. Reading and writing the kanji characters on a regular basis will help you remember them.

Respect Politeness and Honorifics

Keigo, the Japanese term for politeness and honorifics, is highly valued in Japanese culture. Learn when and how to properly utilise honorific verbs and suffixes by being familiar with the many levels of politeness. Your ability to communicate in Japanese will improve if you show consideration for Japanese customs and values in the way you use the language.

Cultivate Cultural Awareness

The language and culture of Japan are inextricably linked. Learning about Japanese customs, etiquette, and social standards might help you avoid offending locals and making other people feel uncomfortable. Learn the subtleties of Japanese by immersing yourself in Japanese culture, literature, and art.

Your ability to learn a language and communicate effectively will increase as your cultural awareness grows.

Too often, students prioritise reading and writing above other critical abilities, such as speaking and listening. Conquer this blunder by carrying in meaningful conversations with native speakers or language exchange partners.

Listen to podcasts, music, and TV shows in Japanese to hone your listening skills. If you want to improve your fluency and understanding, it’s important to get as much practise as you can speaking and listening in the target language.

It takes time, effort, and patience to master a new language. Don’t make the mistake of anticipating instant success. Adopt a growth attitude, where failure is seen as an opportunity for improvement. Study hard, take advice into account, and grow as a student when you make mistakes.

The consistent effort combined with an optimistic outlook will lead to success.

Conclusion

The most crucial information in this article is the typical blunders made by Japanese students of Japanese.

Not setting a goal or setting an impossible one is one example of these errors. Access to Japan’s rich cultural legacy, additional career options, and enhanced mental acuity are just some of the benefits of learning Japanese.

Learning Japanese also provides business prospects, improved memory, concentration, and cognitive abilities, and increased business prospects.

Keep in mind that Japanese is not an easy language to learn, and you will probably feel like giving up at some point. The most critical information in this article is that it’s preferable to approach learning Japanese gradually and that it’s vital to create an exciting and doable goal when studying Japanese.

You should also learn the hiragana and katakana scripts if you simply wish to learn one or two of the written languages.

Some road signs may be written in hiragana, katakana, or kanji, thus familiarity with these writing systems is also helpful. When studying Japanese, it’s essential to keep in mind the significance of Kanji, Japanese grammar, and sporadic study. Learning Kanji is challenging, and blunders in the syntax of the language can have dire implications.

The standing of the speaker, the topic of the question or remark, and the overall tone of the conversation all influence the appropriate conjugation in business Japanese.

The subtleties of business Japanese might be difficult to understand even for native Japanese speakers.

Reading reviews before committing to a book series or app can help you learn Japanese even if you don’t have much time to study, and these are the two most crucial points from this article.

Further, pick your own tools carefully, as they will be useful in the long run. Finally, anime can serve as a fantastic inspiration to learn Japanese, but it may not be sufficient on its own, especially for novices. The text’s most crucial information is a road map for avoiding common pitfalls while studying Japanese.

Some of these are getting the help you need, working on your pronunciation, learning the language and sentence structure, accepting kanji and expanding your vocabulary, being courteous and respectful, and learning about the culture.

Mastery of pronunciation is as important as mastery of grammar in learning any language. Learn some kanji and some Japanese, be polite and use honorifics, and broaden your horizons. You may learn Japanese more quickly and efficiently by following these methods.

Content Summary

• Language learning is difficult in general.
• When studying Japanese or any other language, it’s normal to make mistakes; doing so is how we grow as speakers and communicators.
• The many benefits of studying Japanese have led to its meteoric rise in popularity.
• Business prospects are only one of many doors that can be opened by learning Japanese.
• Access to Japan’s rich cultural legacy, more career options, and enhanced mental acuity are just a few of the many advantages of learning Japanese.
• The very fact that a language exists in the first place can be enough to make us desire to study it.
• Having no goal at all or selecting an impossible one can hinder your progress in school.
• Japanese is not an easy language to learn, and there will likely be times when you want to give up because of how challenging it is or because you aren’t making progress.
• It can be helpful to have something to work towards when studying Japanese.
• It’s not necessary to set an enormous target like passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level 1.
• The ability to speak in a Japanese restaurant may have been the original motivation for some people to study the language.
• It’s great when you make up your mind to study Japanese and resolve to become fluent as soon as possible.
• You devote a lot of time to studying and learning.
• To prevent becoming overwhelmed, it’s best to approach learning Japanese gradually.
• A well-balanced study session begins with a well-thought-out plan.
• Japanese is written using three different scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji.
• Hiragana and katakana are the best choices if you only want to learn one or two of the written languages.
• Kanji, the terrifying Chinese characters, are the ones you should not dwell on excessively.
• If you’ve already started learning Japanese, you’ve undoubtedly pulled out a clump of hair trying to figure out what the heck the distinctions are between kanji like “wa” and “ga,” “de” and “ni,” “sareru” and “saseru,” and so on.
• You will learn in class and from textbooks that making mistakes in these areas can have serious consequences; however, just as with written languages, making mistakes in grammar isn’t the end of the world unless you’re taking an exam or applying for a job.
• You shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about the intricacies of business Japanese language.
• Just focus on everyday Japanese conversational grammar for now and ignore corporate Japanese.
• It’s simpler to learn, more useful in real life, and provides more opportunity for practice.
• You don’t have to cram as much as the preceding point suggests, but you also shouldn’t skim as much.
• You should make an effort to learn even a little bit even if you don’t have much time to study.
• You can study Japanese on your phone while commuting, doing housework, or driving.
• It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the wealth of Japanese language learning materials available online.
• When deciding on a book series to read or an app to download, it’s helpful to check out some reviews first.
• Apps like WaniKani can help you learn new words and kanji, but they won’t improve your pronunciation or comprehension.
• Choose your own resources wisely; they will serve you well.
• To find out how well books and applications perform, reviews are usually helpful.
• Enjoying anime can be a great motivator to study the Japanese language.
• Using your favourite anime as a resource to learn Japanese is perfectly acceptable.
• It’s important to be aware of typical blunders made by Japanese students if you want to have a successful learning experience.
• It’s important to get started learning Japanese the proper way, with the help of quality materials and instruction.
• The study of grammar is essential for mastering any language.
• If you want to improve your grammar, it is important to practise sentence construction and to get feedback from native speakers or teachers.
• Kanji, the Japanese version of Chinese characters, are notoriously difficult to learn.
• Correct stroke order and knowledge of kanji readings and meanings might help you avoid common errors.