Tips for Japanese Study Outside the Classroom
If you have your own goal for studying Japanese and are working toward it, you can study even more effectively by being aware of certain points. Here I will introduce these points. First, consider the following three suggestions.
1. Clarify your purpose and goals
How much do you want to improve? Do you have a fixed deadline for improvement?
2. Objectively evaluate your own Japanese ability
- How good do you think your Japanese is right now? Are you aware of your own strengths and weaknesses?
- Are you using the appropriate materials to further enhance your Japanese ability?
- The results of exams or proficiency tests may help you evaluate yourself objectively.
3. Make a realistic plan suited to your goal
- Is your plan suited to your Japanese study purpose and goals?
- Is your time management suitable?
- Can your plan be adjusted and changed?
With a clear goal, an objective evaluation of your ability, and a plan, you can move on to methods.
- Find a study method that you enjoy
- Try various study methods
- Look for study partners
- Use non-textbook materials to study
- Take part in language-related events and workshops
- Use a language study portfolio
- Undergo Japanese study advising
- 1. Study enjoyment
- When you use Japanese, what study materials or methods do you find enjoyable? Do all you can to find a method you enjoy.
- 2. Methods
- What methods of language study have you been taught so far? There may be helpful ways to learn which are not limited to reading, writing, listening, and speaking. (For example, traveling, watching, touching, eating...).
- 3. Finding partners
- Finding study partners will help sustain your motivation and enable information sharing.
- 4. Non-textbook study materials
- You may find wonderful study materials among those not intended for Japanese study, such as videos, films, social media, books, manga, and so on.
- 5. Events and workshops
- Various events and workshops are available both at Osaka University and elsewhere. Don’t hesitate to take part. --> Find event information here
- 6. Language study portfolio
- Using a portfolio, you can record the language study content introduced here and look back at your learning history.
- 7. Japanese study advising
- The OU Multilingual Plaza provides advisors for Japanese language study. Feel free to consult us any time.