Is it possible to master japanese in one year only?!
 

Hey guys,
I opened this thread because of my desire to know whether a human being can master the written and spoken japanese in one year only or not! in other words, it is possible for a normal person or even a genius one to master kanji in one year only?! I am really wondering if sth like this may ever happen. So what do you think? 可能なのですか。
ご返事に待っていますよ！

Well I'm not sure, if you are a true genius, learn 10h a day, revise everything you've learned several times (in other words have a perfect plan how to learn and when to revise) and do not do many other things you have to revise for you may be able to do it. The problem is the amount of kanji I think so 1 year may not be enough for a normal person.

If you study new Kanji for 2.5~3 hours a day and maintain it, then it's possible. "Maintain" being the key word :)

well, i won't try to master it in one yr coz i think i can't since i study other five langs.... but i am askin ya to give me ur opinion since there is a guy who insists he can do that so i wanted to make sure whether his speech was logical or not~~ my problem in kanji is not the way to write them but, it is to memorize the huge number of readings~~ isn't there a relationship between their readings? 4 instance, 源, this kanji can be read as gen in the word 起源and this one 原 can also be read s gen sometimes~~ so isn't there a relationship between their readings??:confused:

Well, 源 means source, origin and 原 can mean primitive, original, primary so there's only a connection between similar kanji, and these ones are written the same way except for the radical of the first one so...

Kanji is only one part of mastering Japanese.

What exactly do you mean by 'master'? Speak like a well-spoken native and be able to read well over 2000 Kanji characters? If so, I reckon that you would need to be a very, very linguistically talented genius to do so.

To be honest, I think that hitting 1000 Kanji (say, 6500 compounds) in the first year of study, retain them, while studying grammar/speaking/writing from scratch to upper intermediate/lower advanced level will strain most mortals.

And that's not even close to 'mastery'.

perhaps if you lived in Japan, know a person who could teach you on a daily basis and you were completely immersed in the language all day, every day? perhaps, just maybe you could pull it off.

but simply studying Japanese at home? never.

I actually know a person who claims to have done so. But if you ask me, she's full of it. She says that after a year of study she passed the highest level of the Japanese language test and actually took the Japanese uni entrance exams, got accepted to her choice university and studied in Japanese.

Well I am not saying that is impossible to learn Japanese in a year but it is hard to learn Kanji. In order to that, there has to be a lot of dedication.

日本語を究めることについての意見
 

その質問を正確に答えるのはとても難しいようだ。人に よって、日本語を究めるのは難しい。それでも、ほかの 人は確かに日本語を正しく学ぶのがとても簡単だと思っ てる。実は日本語に興味がある友達とこの話題について たくさん話してた。これは僕の日本語についての意見だ ：　根気が要る；毎日勉強しなくちゃいけない。ほとん どの人はそれらの仕方が確かに論理的だと思ってる。そ れでも、いろいろな人が心配してることを知ってる。「 頑張ると何でも出来る」と僕はそのような人に言う。そ の話題について質問してくれてありがとう。深くて大切 な話題だ

I have never heard of anybody that could do that. In order to learn a language, aside from practicing continuously, you will also take a lot of time to fully comprehend the use of each part. The idea of learning a complicated language like Japanese as quick as possible is kind of pointless and I won't dare try that.

Well, I guess. I once saw a show about a savant that could learn any language in less than a month. But savantism is incredibly rare, and even if someone was a savant, that doesn't guarentee they would be able to excel in languages. That's because savant abilities are always very narrowly focused, though they can range across tons of applications. Like me. I'm diagnosed as "on the spectrum" (AS in particualar) and so along with some other abilities, I can solve a 15 puzzle in under 22 seconds. But I still can't grasp alot of other things. Like reading vocal cues, determining whether or not someone is employing sarcasm, knowing when it is/isn't my time to speak, etc...

But anyways, if a savant can learn a language in weeks, then I believe it's possible for someone is for all intents and purposes a neurotypical to learn a language in under year. Though they would still have to be pretty "on the ball," and have a good memory to say the least. :cool:

Trying to figure out who you are and how I know you... :P

No, wait, I never took a Japanese university entrance exam and I headed to college years after doing the JLPT. Plus, I went the 専門学校 to university night class route.
But the JLPT1 - did that in a year of "study". Which really means very little in the long run, as the JLPT is a test that doesn`t really show much of real ability. My (hand)writing sucks and probably always will because I use a computer and there is very little necessity for handwriting in daily life.

I`ll believe your friend on the JLPT bit, but not the university entrance exam as that`s a whole different world. It is quite possible to pull off the language test in a year (if in Japan, immersed, determined, and very good with languages)... "mastery" on the other hand is not quite so simple.

Although I consider myself fluent, have absolutely no problems in life, can read, etc, with no difficulty... I would be VERY hard pressed to say I have "mastered" Japanese. I`ll *never* be at the same level in Japanese as in English, no matter how much time passes.

Nyororin,
and what's even funnier the lady I know apparently learned all this Japanese in Europe BEFORE ever coming to Japan. Go figure...
;)

Hey guys,
i really appreciate ur replies and viewpoints but what utsu san said was really incredible! that shows that anyone who is 'infatuated' with japanese and consider it as their goal can fulfil their dream of mastering it in such a short time! and that really requires effort, i know..... But it is still hard 4 me to believe the guy whom i told ya about of being able to reach the proficiency level in a couple of months~~
In fact, i've been learnin japanese 4 about half a yr and i could master 'writing kanji' in one week only! in other words, i have the potentia to write ANY kanji symbol with the correct stroke order 筆・書き順. But wut i really wish to do is to become able to read'em the way any other japanese person does~~ However, my main problem is time, i am a 16 yr old high school student and the school is becoming gradually more stressful! so it is very hard to adapt. Furthermore, i study 5 languages out of japanese and yesterday i decided to start avoiding to study any other languages and concentrating on japanese.

As 4 the way i study japanese, it is actually a self study via internet since we don't have here (in Nazareth,Israel) neither japanese teachers nor textbooks and that really makes me feel nervous! i am sure that if i had someone to teach me, i would master it even in less than a yr! u have no idea how much i love the japanese accent, grammar, kanji etc.... i am ready to dedicate the 24 hrs of my day 4 the most language i've ever loved, japanese.... So how do u think i can improve it now??? i am not planning to go to japan currently since my parents do not allow me to~~ but i may go to either England or the US this yr. do u guys have some good learning sources there?

PS:(to Utsu): can ya plz do me a favor and PM me some contact information in relation to that woman (4 instance, her e-mail address) i really need to talk to her~~ maybe she can inspire me or sth.....

But i still cannot explain the noticeable similarity between the readings of the parallel kanji!
I always face such characters! is it only an accident? or it is based on facts related to the kanji reading regulations?!

Why does your location say New York when you live in Israel?

Because the OP is a phony right from the beginning.

Posted April 26, 2009.

Posted May 5, 2009.

He was 16 when he joined JF and he got younger later on. I wish I didn't get old, too!

Are ya kidding? when I joined the forum first, i was 15 yrs old as i mentioned in the post u quoted. And i am now 16 yrs old, so wut's ur prob??
I can c u have a lack of knowledge in math and calculation~~ otherwise, u r getting blind lol, namely, losing ur ability to c. BTW, u don't need to intervence and involve ur self in questions which r directed to me, buddy, right?! plus, ur comments r kinda disturbin me; u r acting as though u were an investigator of sth....

As for the former question concerning my location, I only wrote that i live in NY in my prof, which is not besed on a fact! but i honestly hope to go there, maybe sooooon~~

How about keeping to the topic of the thread?! so wut ya think? u haven't convinced me yet! go on~~ try to post more arguments....:)

アメリカのニューヨーク出身です。

Did you not write this, too?

It doesn't matter, really. But as you said, it is not based in fact. That was Nagoyankee's point in the first place.

If the posts he listed are the dates he stated, then you first said you were sixteen 十六歳 and then at a later time said you were fifteen 十五歳.

Nagoyankeeさん、うそつきを気に入らないね。さあ、きっ� �記憶力じゃ。

That's really odd! is that an investigation lol?! what an interesting topic, my age!
First of all, the purpose of the post which that guy left (nagoya....) wasn't at all related to my hometown, it was dealing with my age!
Secondly, i think it is really easy to infer that i was 15 yrs old when i joined the club and i am now 16, wut's ur prob with that? i don't really understand! Is it sth abnormal that a person's age is 16?? wut's so weird about that?

As for the word syussin (/shusshin) which i used, i only wanted to cover my real identity saying that i am an american, but the truth is that i am not! idk why u cannot believe that! i think it is quite clear from my English that i am a foreigner and not an English speaker, isn't it? All what i wanted is to save my privacy, is that a crime? why r ya suspecting me?!
If ya want, i'll open another thread dedicated to my biography and we'll discuss it there! if u r really interested in debating my 'issue', then why don't ya open a special thread 4 that?? it'll ne nice!

People that aren't truthful are not trusted. So you saying "So I am liar, so what?" You are a liar, that's what. There's nothing to debate. You just have lost any credibility, that's all.

That's really interesting and funny at the same time! i congradulate ya on ur performance! There is sth which ya should BEAR IN MIND lol, the one who tries to same their privacy is NOT A LIAR. Furthermore, i NEVER EVER care about ur viewpoint of me since i don't even know who u r. Also i do NOT need ur WELCOMing since u r not the boss here lol, r ya?!

Another thing is that it is RUDE to use such terminology which belongs to the taboooooo vulgarism in a forum related to Japan, where RESPECT is an indespinsible thing, isn't it?!

But i honestly appreciate ur efforts! that was a nice job, ur show was quite entertaining. If i saw u face to face, i would clap to u! u really deserve an ovation!

I forgotta tell ya sth,
The personal opinion should be delivered by a PM and not in public, dude.... so keeeeeeeeeeeeep it in mind ok?!

HugZ and kisseZ!!!!!!;)

If you don't want to hear the answer then don't ask the question.

Hatsuto, you have decided to start a lost battle LOL. I am sure 99% of the forum will agree that both Nagoyankee and MMM have more and more times proved to be trustful people with a high credibility.
I suggest you change tone and show that you can have a humble behavior.

It's possible the other users may be mistaken, and you're an honest and truthful person, however if that is the case maybe you should consider how you reply and speak to people? If you calmly expressed your view and explained your actions I'm sure not many would object, and then they would respond to your original post. When you become somewhat childish, argumentative and criticise - quite logical - arguments from your seniors on the forum, then you leave yourself looking immature and like someone whose not serious about their original post, or even respectful of the people on the forum. I understand your frustration, but try to keep in mind to be civil, yes?

Also if you lack resources to study Japanese in Israel, try online shopping, Amazon should deliver to you, both the UK and US sites, and Ebay *possibly* might ship to you. Shipping will cost you a little bit extra of course as it's internatinal delivery, but that way you can get books/cd's etc. to help you.

I'm just surprised that people can actually 'read' his posts and not immediately perform a face-palm.

To be perfectly honest, whenever someone 'startz 2 type lik dis', I skip it.

That's what I did. >_> ESL typing is one thing. I'm perfectly fine with that as there are people on here who are learning English just as much as some of us are learning Japanese...and anyone who has visited the JPChat thread knows mine probably resembles JSL, hehe. However, when you just sound like a kid who thinks "talkin' lyk dis" is cool, I tend to look the other way. I mostly popped in because I was curious as to other people's responses to the question. :)

eeegadz.... yet another teen hissy fit...
I have enough of it at work.
OP, if you can't behave like an adult (and that includes using English the way grownups do), then you won't be treated like one. It's that simple.

The answer is 'no.'

Look the other way and vomit.

Lol hopefully I never encounter a situation where someone's speech is enough to make me vomit. :P

Wow, that's really disgusting! some of your comments make me feel really bad!
I thought that most people in forums commit and respect the topic of the thread! you guys went too far~~
I didn't pass by to learn an English typing lesson! Believe me my English teacher is satisfied by my spelling!
Anyway, I have no problem to type English 'properly' although that takes a lot of time, doesn't it?
I really appreciate what Robinmask said in their thread, he/she was the only one who stood by my side somehow~~
I don't really understand the source of all that fuss! all what i wanted from my thread is persuading arguments regarding the main theme, that's all!
i only wanted to convinve my friend he was wrong without all of that extension!
As always, when nagoyakee intervenced, the topic was completely transformed into negative! You started a senseless debate in which you discussed my age, my location, my personal identification among other things which have no relationship to the main topic!
If you go and reread the first post i left, the language there was really polite; I didn't use neither offensive nor abusing terms! But you really started that which was the main motivation of driving me nervous! That's all what i have to say really~~