Help Learning vocabulary
 

Hi, I actually started to self teach myself japanese in the beginning of 2007. But school and projects got in the way and I was only able to memorize hiragana and katakana and a little bit about sentence structure. But I recently just got back into learning it. Right now I'm learning kanji, I only know like 11 since I started last week(I know, I could do more, but I have school too T.T) But the real problem that I'm having isn't memorizing, retaining the new words that I learn. This happens every time I try to practice writing sentences, I come up with a blank. Its like I only know them when I see them. Words like pencil, magazine, library, newspaper, food, etc, I don't know what they are called in japanese off the top of my head, but if I was to read and sound it out in hiragana and katakana, i know what it is. weird, i know. Does anyone know any books and tip that focuses purely on japanese vocabulary? If so, This will help me greatly.
Onegaishimasu!!!

The best way to learn vocabulary is to put it to use. That's how people learn so quickly when they're put in a Japanese speaking environment.

You can't just memorize basics and expect to recall them 2 months down the road. Instead of cramming, try thinking about the item in your head. When you say newspaper, think to yourself, "What was the word for newspaper? Shinbun." Doing this over and over will make you memorize it. If you ever do goto Japan, you'll already have a pretty good sized vocabulary down that you will be able to utilize.

Thanks for the advice. I tried that today at work,(I work in a book store), It was pretty fun, though i still had trouble recalling most of the words from off top of my head, but I remembered more than I usually do. (My boss didn't find me funny when I answered the phones with moshi moshi though (^_^); So caught up lol)

As Harold said, you've got to use the words in context. You've got to "play" with your vocabulary like toddlers would. It's not really the sheer size of your vocabulary that matters the most. It's how many phrases and sentences you can form using the words that you know. So be imaginative and let the process be spontaneous. Do not try to learn too many new words until you are comfortable using the ones you already know in context.

Looking back, I actually "played" more than I "studied"　in my process of learning English (I'm Japanese, by the way). I talked to myself in English while walking down the street, describing what I was seeing or how I was feeling. Importantly, I did all that OUT LOUD. This will not be easy, I know. I could hardly say anything for the first few weeks. But it will become easier if you try. Who cares what people think of you? You're learning a language that isn't even remotely related to your own!

So go and have fun! Write '玉子（たまご）' with a marker on the outer shells of the eggs in your fridge while chanting たまごたまごたまご... Write 'パソコン' on a post-it and stick it up on your PC. Do the same with everything in your house. Sing songs in Japanese. Try to make puns (puns are far more common in Japan than in North America at least). Create your own ways to learn as well. Learning doesn't have to occur solely on your desk.

これからもがんばってください。おうえんしています。 なにかあればれんらくください。