[quote="TokyoAshes":9x4t463a]I am now obsessed with lang-8.com thanks to a suggestion by soudou in one of the threads , I forgot which one, but it really helps to be in touch with native speakers!![/quote:9x4t463a]
Oh awesome. Maybe it was when I posted about how someone on Lang-8 helped me translate a bit of Housei’s old kid’s show work. I was able to help them with their English in return.
I’m not formally studying Japanese myself but I’ve been enjoying helping people in Japan with their English. I like looking at English from a different perspective, words that I use everyday and don’t even think about become fascinating.
Plus people there are super friendly.
[quote="TokyoAshes":9x4t463a]I wasn’t aware that japanese was sometimes thought only in romaji [/quote:9x4t463a]
I think a lot of people wanting to learn Japanese for watching TV shows are primarily focused on the speaking part and romaji is attractive for that. Hiragana does help you in figuring out the pronunciation better though. When I learnt Hiragana I decided to use mnemonics which also utilizes romaji e.g. へ he (an arrow pointing to heaven)
I’ve been able to look up some Kanji using OCR tools with newer TV shows that put them on-screen, but the Kansai is tough to look up, outside of a few sites that tell you what the standard Japanese grammar equivalents are… It’d be easier if there was a Kansai to Kanto convertor haha.
I have been self-learning for around 4 years now during my free time. Started by learning Katakana/Hiragana slowly, then Kanji of course. I have not taken a single course so far, and playing Japanese games/watching Japanese shows has helped me a lot. Met quite a few Japanese people too for work and what not. The previously mentionned "lang-8" is actually a great site too, though I haven’t been using it for a few years now… maybe I should think about using it again!
Though I’ve been self learning all this time, I will be entering a French university (it’s called INALCO, some people might know) this year and learn it more "thoroughly", though I already speak it fluently.
So to people wondering if you can really learn Japanese by yourself: yes, you can! It just takes a lot of willpower and curiosity. And needless to say, time.
My dad is Japanese and I grew up in Japan while my mom is half American and Filipina I think. So when I communicate with my family it’s either I speak Japanese or English. I’m not even confident if my English is good yet so it’s hard doing my job as a pilot.
[quote="TokyoAshes":3ss19xm7][quote="Chiruba":3ss19xm7][b:3ss19xm7] learn both Hiragana and Katakana early on in your studies.[/b:3ss19xm7] Using romaji will make things harder in the long run[/quote:3ss19xm7]
I wasn’t aware that japanese was sometimes thought only in romaji [/quote:3ss19xm7]
Obviously as people progress they will move on to using proper characters. However some self learning sites, text books and even classes will use romaji for an extended time, which just makes it harder to ween off of.
The only exception is if someone is only wanting to learn to speak.
[quote="Chiruba":14l5ca0o]The only exception is if someone is only wanting to learn to speak.[/quote:14l5ca0o]
What advice would you give for someone only wanting to subtitle TV shows?
It’s as good a goal as any but working or living in Japan I guess has a wider spectrum to learn (e.g. writing). Or maybe I just hope that.
Anyway it’s great that you’re aiming to subtitle stuff in the future. Here’s hoping we see you on here someday posting some goodies for us. Best of luck in your studies! I admire your dedication
[quote="soudou":24qkq256]
What advice would you give for someone only wanting to subtitle TV shows?
[/quote:24qkq256]
you already know kana and some kanji, right?
Oh awesome. Maybe it was when I posted about how someone on Lang-8 helped me translate a bit of Housei’s old kid’s show work. .
[/quote:2ibetw29]
Yes! I even met Pino …
[quote="soudou":2ibetw29]
Plus people there are super friendly.
[/quote:2ibetw29]
tell me about it!! and they reply within seconds to correct paragraphs… just amazing!
[quote="TokyoAshes":e002lxbp]Yes! I even met Pino …[/quote:e002lxbp]
They are an amazing person, they’re even reading Shakespeare!! Even as a native English speaker that was a headache for me in school haha.
[quote:e002lxbp]tell me about it!! and they reply within seconds to correct paragraphs… just amazing![/quote:e002lxbp]
Yeah it seems like a very active site. Glad you’re getting use out of it.
EDIT: [quote="TokyoAshes":e002lxbp] you already know kana and some kanji, right?[/quote:e002lxbp]
Oops sorry, didn’t notice this other post.
I can recognise Hiragana, as in what the symbols sound out. Katakana not really in writing but on TV at least they’re sounding out the Engrish e.g. タオル - towel.
I’ve got a basic understanding of sentence structure and the different です endings but don’t know much grammar, e.g. I think した is past tense, して is present but then in Kansai shows you get stuff like しくて and んどき
I know a few random vocabulary picked up from anime, Gaki, etc. I don’t know much Kanji though I did know the two Chiruba mentioned (私 and 今).
[quote="soudou":3nmudx4k]Kansai shows you get stuff like しくて and んどき
I know a few random vocabulary picked up from anime, Gaki, etc. I don’t know much Kanji though I did know the two Chiruba mentioned (私 and 今).[/quote:3nmudx4k]
oh cool, I have never seen しくて and んどき…I just know something is kensai when the "r" is really rolled . i think that animes like one piece have furigana to tell you the reading of most kanji. since people of all ages watch it. I wish that furigana was used all the time for all kanji, but i think its just used for ambiguous kanji?
[quote="azerot49":3cw7kzxz]My dad is Japanese and I grew up in Japan while my mom is half American and Filipina I think. So when I communicate with my family it’s either I speak Japanese or English. I’m not even confident if my English is good yet so it’s hard doing my job as a pilot.[/quote:3cw7kzxz]
Nice to see a flying comrade here, I wouldn’t expect that you have the ATPL ?
I noticed Humble Bundle has a Japanese weekly sale going on, and one of the games is In-fluent which you can get with the Japanese pack, to learn the Japanese words for items, like isu for chair, neko for cat, beedo for bed, hon for book etc
It gives some verbs and adjactive examples also. And you don’t need the full bundle to get it, just $1.
[quote="DABhand":3jswt1h6]I noticed Humble Bundle has a Japanese weekly sale going on, and one of the games is In-fluent which you can get with the Japanese pack, to learn the Japanese words for items, like isu for chair, neko for cat, beedo for bed, hon for book etc
It gives some verbs and adjactive examples also. And you don’t need the full bundle to get it, just $1.
[quote="eikichi90":q2giasc2][quote="azerot49":q2giasc2]My dad is Japanese and I grew up in Japan while my mom is half American and Filipina I think. So when I communicate with my family it’s either I speak Japanese or English. I’m not even confident if my English is good yet so it’s hard doing my job as a pilot.[/quote:q2giasc2]
Nice to see a flying comrade here, I wouldn’t expect that you have the ATPL ?[/quote:q2giasc2]
Nice so i’m not the only one here . I just received my ATPL last december
[quote="soudou":1anptqzv][quote="Chiruba":1anptqzv]The only exception is if someone is only wanting to learn to speak.[/quote:1anptqzv]
What advice would you give for someone only wanting to subtitle TV shows?
It’s as good a goal as any but working or living in Japan I guess has a wider spectrum to learn (e.g. writing). Or maybe I just hope that.
Anyway it’s great that you’re aiming to subtitle stuff in the future. Here’s hoping we see you on here someday posting some goodies for us. Best of luck in your studies! I admire your dedication [/quote:1anptqzv]
Thanks for your kind words. I also hope to be contributing here some day.
It’s hard to say the best way to attack learning how to sub. It’s a struggle I obviously face at the moment. My Japanese teacher gives us YouTube videos to translate, and she always gives us ones with difficult accents and dialects so we can develop our listening skills. It’s hard and can be disheartening at times, but is probably going to be the best way to learn.
The good thing about Japanese TV is that a lot of the time they will throw up their own subtitles (I’m guessing due to accents and dialects? Or perhaps to add emphasis?), so learning your reading and writing will help in this situation also. However if you want to go from zero knowledge just to subbing, there’s no real need to know how to read and write (except that its one of the most fun parts IMO).
Thanks for the advice Chiruba, greatly appreciated.
Yeah the on-screen subtitles are a big help. I think it is for emphasis or for disambiguation e.g. words that sound the same in Hiragana and are made clearer by Kanji.
Of course that ambiguous aspect is the root of a lot of wordplay jokes! Funnily enough I helped someone in Japan understand an English wordplay joke recently:
"I have an idea, I come in, bear with me…"
(long pause)
"…Well!?"
"That’s it, I come in and there’s a bear with me."
Best of luck with your studies Chiruba, keep at it!