June Recap: Learning Comes in Waves 🌊

A reflection of a typical month spent learning Japanese

Looking at my progress this month and comparing it to last year’s, one would think that I have become much less productive and serious about studying. Here is what the charts don’t show:

1. After reading Dr. Matthew Walker’s book, “Why We Sleep,” I reduced my study hours in order to prioritize deep rest to help my work and study performance. Currently, I toggle between seven to nine hours a night, which is quite the upgrade from the measly four to six.

2. I try my best to no longer dodge invitations out from Japanese natives in order to focus on reading or studying. Instead, I see these meetings as the best way to improve my communication skills and get me through social awkwardness.

3. I’ve been consistently landing jokes in class. My students are my safe space. Whenever I utilize nuances, wordplay, and cultural references to make them laugh, I feel like it shows a growing understanding of the language.

4. I’ve adjusted my study routine with a schedule that balances activities I enjoy and need rather than trying to optimize everything and push myself to learn large amounts of information because I must already be at a certain level of proficiency. I realize that I tend to forget what I learn quickly, so I should focus on a more enjoyable process for continuous growth and sustainability.

5. I no longer berate myself for taking some time off each week to unwind. Instead, I even make it a point to try to do other things so that my life is more than just teaching and studying.

All this said, it still doesn’t stop me from feeling slightly frustrated about not progressing at a more notable pace. The more that I think about it, I’ve realized that a lot of aspects of my language learning seem to come in waves.

🌊Motivation: Some days I feel highly motivated and enthusiastic, while other days just allow me to do the bare minimum or even none at all. Understanding that the determination to study can rise and fall can help one navigate through periods of lower motivation. For instance, I set different study goals depending on my energy levels and what I have on my plate at work.

🌊Confidence: My confidence in using the language also fluctuates. Sometimes I feel more comfortable expressing myself and understanding others, while at other times, I encounter difficulties and feel less competent. I try to remind myself that confidence grows with practice, and each low point can be reframed as an opportunity to improve.

🌊Retention: I experience periods of forgetfulness where what I’ve studied just seems to vanish. I realize that this is common in language learning, so I should just develop better techniques and be more intentional about what my brain doesn’t absorb as easily.

💡🤔 What are the areas in language learning that comes in waves for you? Are there specific strategies or adjustments that help you navigate through it?

New Resources I Tried 📱💻

App: 読めないと恥ずかしい漢字

Targeted towards adult Japanese native speakers, it can be quite challenging for non-kanji otaku folk like me. This app tests you with a time limit on tricky kanji, obscure kanji, and everyday kanji that you’re probably reading wrong. I’m making several mistakes everyday in its easy stage.

App: 漢字検定・漢検漢字トレーニング

This is a kinder alternative to 読めないと恥ずかしい漢字. It tests you on the kanji kentei levels 6級 (fifth-grade kanji) to 2級 (high school graduate level). I like to use this after I give up on the other app. I like how you can mark what wrong so I can easily review and add them into an anki deck.

Site: Challenge JLPT

A website with seven different drills that you can choose from for the upper-intermediate level. I enjoy doing the grammar and word order exercises during my downtimes at work.

💡🤔 Do you prefer using apps or textbooks when you study languages? What have been the best ones you have come across?

Books I Read 📚

Manga: Hakumei and Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods (ハクメイとミコチ)

Hakumei and Mikochi live on a small hill deep in the forest. They go on adventures as a team to explore their surroundings, head to the nearby town for shopping, and encounter a plethora of characters - including an odd scientist, a friendly beetle, and a talented minstrel.

Children’s Novel: Witch’s Express Home Delivery Service 2: Kiki and her New Magic (魔女の宅急便 2キキと新しい魔法)

Kiki comes from a long line of witches from her mother’s side. At 13, she left home in search of a town without other witches, to prove that she can make a living. With her black cat, Jiji, she started a delivery service. Book 2, like the one before it, is a series of short stories about her adventures.

Novel: Confessions (告白)

The murder of a science teacher’s four-year-old daughter by some of her own 13-year-old students sets in motion a revenge plot. This story, which is narrated in different voices, has so many plot twists, resulting in unexpected and shocking collateral damage.

Future Study Plans 📈

Since I want to focus on accuracy rather than fluency, I’ve decided to look for a Japanese teacher who will hound me with the mistakes I keep repeating ad nauseum. I’m not sure how one-on-one classes will go and how effective they will be, but my fingers are crossed! Other than that, I’ll be doing the usual — anki, extensive reading and random drills. Also, I’ll be back next week to talk about fossilization, something I’m trying hard to overcome.