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If you’ve already seen Part 1 of this series then you would know that I am learning Japanese in the hope of taking the JLPT N3 in the latter half of this year.
After making good progress during my first month of studying, I have slowly taken longer and longer breaks in between learning sessions with the fatigue from work and the responsibilities of life demotivating me from sticking to my self-imposed schedule.
I am certainly no stranger to the life of procrastination, having experienced plenty of that during my schooling years as I’m sure many of you can relate. But what’s important is how we overcome the temptation to give up when it feels like we’re making no progress.
Here are some simple ways I keep myself motivated while studying for the JLPT even in the middle of a hectic life:
1. Learning Japanese incrementally
One of the main reasons you might find it so difficult to get started on your learning session each time is that you tell yourself you assign yourself a whole chapter, or 50 kanji to learn in one go. Nobody would want to do anything if it feels like a chore or something to get through.
As mentioned in Part 1, you need to do your studying incrementally. What that means is only covering 1 or 2 grammar points each session, only memorising 10-20 kanji words each session, or doing a couple of listening/reading exercises each time so you can build a routine that feels low-commitment but still works. Small steps will lead you onto the path of success.
2. Set yourself realistic short-term goals while learning Japanese
Related to the first point but a broader directive – setting yourself goals while learning Japanese. Not just any goals but short-term step-by-step ones you can add to you to-do list or put in your calendar with notification reminders.
Make them realistic. My goals are things like: Complete Chapter 2 Part 2 of the Try! textbook or familiarise myself with all of the Chapter 1 kanji of the Kanji Shin Kanzen book by the end of this week. The satisfaction of ticking off that item on your list will serve as fuel for you to keep going. You deserve to be celebrating these small accomplishments as a reminder of how much you’ve already done on this long journey. Be very proud of yourself for that.
3. Review at each checkpoint
With the volume of information while learning Japanese for grammar, kanji and vocabulary, you’ll definitely find yourself forgetting things as you go further and further into the nuances of the language.
Make yourself some checkpoints where you can take a break from information cramming. These checkpoints can be after finishing a chapter, after you’ve memorised a certain number of vocabulary or whatever works for you. Spend some time reading back over the content you just finished and really try to understand it. You are significantly more likely to retain a much higher proportion of that information and it can save you some stress later down the track when you’re just before the finish line!
4. Incorporate learning Japanese in your hobbies
Previously, I’ve already mentioned the two extensions I recommend for putting dual subtitles for language learning on Youtube and Netflix. Once you’ve trained your mind to look at the Japanese subtitles, it can be an effective form of learning reinforcement for kanji and familiarising yourself with hiragana and katakana.
I’ve also downloaded a bunch of anime episodes on my phone which I watch on the commute to and from work every day. Although I can’t place dual subtitles on these, they are still great for training my listening and my vocabulary. Apart from anime, watching Japanese reality TV is also a great way I have found of learning Japanese phrases which can be used in everyday life.
Otherwise, you can think about listening to Japanese music if you don’t already. Listening to music in other languages and memorising the lyrics is a sure way of retaining vocabulary and improving your listening. Whether it’s anime openings, idol music or bands, there’s a lot of quality Japanese music out there just waiting for you to discover.
5. Make fun and easy ways to learn
Cultivate methods that make it fun and easy! I mentioned AnkiApp last time as a helpful flashcard app for learning Japanese or any language but since then, I have discovered some of its shortcomings. While still great, especially as a free app, sometimes I find myself limited in how many revisions I can do or the same cards from the deck just keep popping up over and over.
As a result, I have just started trying omnisets.com which so far I have found to be a pleasant alternative and works in much the same way. Other apps I have been trying are JAREADS which is a mobile app with Japanese news articles and reading passages. These are helpful because they are separated by JLPT level and have a quiz at the end to check your understanding. They also allow you to click on words where they will give you a definition and furigana reading if it’s kanji. The only thing to note though is that the free version does limit the amount of articles you can read each day to two, but personally I find two just enough to review on the commute each day in between my downloaded Netflix episodes.
Another resource which I use constantly is YouTube! Watching Japanese learning channels such as NihongoDekita is immensely useful for native-sounding vocabulary and phrases. I also sometimes click onto JLPT listening tests to have a go and see how many I can get right. I’ve also heard of people using HiNative but I have personally not tried this app yet. If I do, I will be sure to leave a review in one of my posts.
6. Talk about it or get a buddy!
Lastly, tell the people around you about the fact you are learning Japanese! Not only is it something they’ll be excited for but it’s also a way to keep yourself accountable. My friends from time to time will check up on my progress and it becomes ingrained as part of my person. Oh this person? She’s learning Japanese.
If you also have a friend who wants to learn, you guys can study together and check up on each other’s progress. Having someone next to you will definitely stimulate your motivation all the way until that JLPT test at the end of the year.
Those were just some of my quick tips for keeping up your motivation! Even while writing this article, I found new methods and inspiration for learning Japanese. I wish all of you the best of luck and if you have any further recommendations, please leave them in the comments below!
Check out this list of resources for learning Japanese or read my previous installment of this series here.
JLPT N3 Resources:
- Try! Japanese Language Proficiency Test N3 Revised Edition
- New Kanzen Master Kanji N3
- (Full set) JLPT New Kanzen Master N3 for Learning Japanese
- Shirabe Jisho
- AnkiApp/Omnisets.com
JLPT N5 Resources:
JLPT N4 Resources:
- Try! Japanese Language Proficiency Test N4 Revised Edition
- NEW KANZEN MASTER N4 KANJI
- (Kanzen Set) Shin Kanzen Master JLPT N4 and Hiragana Katakana Useful Words Chart 6 Books Set Textbook Binding
JLPT N4 + N5 Resources: