Tag Archives: language

Expressions for giving and receiving in Japanese (objects and actions) [intermediate]

One of the convenient and frequently used set of expressions in Japanese is those for giving and receiving, which can be used for both objects and actions. These are discussed in many basic Japanese textbooks, but since their usage is a little tricky I thought I would review them here so it might help others.… Read More »

Self introspection and correction: critical skills for learning a foreign language [Intermediate/Advanced]

In my time studying Japanese I’ve been fortunate enough to have several pen pals and conversation partners who have corrected my grammar mistakes, and in some cases pointed out more natural phrasing. Unfortunately, experiences like that are few and far between, not only because it can be tedious and time consuming to correct someone’s language… Read More »

We learn language best from our peers

During my study of the Japanese language, oftentimes I cannot help but think fundamentally about how humans learn a foreign language, or any language for that matter. Some years back when I was more actively studying linguistics, I read a very interesting book called “The Language Instinct” by Steven Pinker (see wikipedia page here). As… Read More »

Get a pen pal to help your foreign language learning [Beginner/Intermediate]

For those who are serious about learning a foreign language, reading online sites and blogs only gets you so far. To really understand how the language is used by native speakers, you have to have two-way conversations with them. Of course its great to travel to Japan, and some of us are fortunate enough to… Read More »

Age-related expressions in Japanese [Beginner / Intermediate]

This time we’ll learn some age-related expressions in Japanese. Age is dealt with a little differently compared to English so it’s good to make sure you have the basics down. The simplest way to say “age” is とし(年)which also means “year”. Here are two common expressions when asking age (remember いくつ means “how many”): お年、いくつですか?… Read More »

Set your focus for effective foreign language learning

When taking a formal foreign language class, your main goal is simple – pass the class, and maybe even aim for a A. With self-study you have much more freedom to focus your energies into one or more areas. Sure, everybody wants to ‘become fluent’, but true fluency comes from a variety of interrelated skills.… Read More »

A new blog is born: *Self Taught Japanese* 「日本語学習ブログ登場」

The year is almost over, but I just couldn’t quite wait the few remaining weeks to 2014. Writing a blog about learning Japanese is something I have mulled over in my head for some time, but it’s recently reached a critical mass where I have so many ideas that I just have to get started.… Read More »