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What Should I Expect To Learn In Japanese 101? Also, what are the best ways to practice speaking without anyone to speak to?

mikeplusplus
Asked 7 years ago
Starting next fall I will be attending West Virginia University, and my first semester is too full to fit a Japanese 101 class in. I'm fairly confident that I would score well enough on the placement exam to be able to go straight to 102 (which I do have room for in my second semester), and possibly 203 (which comes after 102). I was wondering what I should know coming out of Japanese 101 so I can decide whether or not to take a placement exam before applying to my first semester of classes or wait until the second semester is closer and my Japanese skills have improved more. And while I'm asking questions, how do you practice writing and speaking when you have nobody to speak to? I'm finding that my writing and speaking abilities are a good ways behind my reading abilities (and my listening abilities too, but I know how I'm going to improve that), and I was hoping to get them caught up over the summer while I'm not bogged down with college classes. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

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2 Answers

0
Votes

I never followed a Japanese class, so I wouldn't know what you should expect. I usually practice my Japanese in the chat here on Nihongomaster or I talk to a Japanese woman I met on http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/
FalconKrunch
Answered 7 years ago

0
Votes

I'm not really sure what you should be looking to expect. But I've found that trying to say words to myself can help me to improve my speaking skills. I usually listen to some Japanese and find a word that I know off by heart. For example I might listen to a weather report and choose the word ame (rain) and then listen to how the native pronounces the word and then record myself saying it. I then keep repeating that untill it sounds some-what like the native. After a while you get used to some of the different sound and it gets easier.

Just a word of warning, if your going to do that method I would try to make sure that all the people that you are listening to are all from the same area of Japan. My girlfriend is from osaka and so I tend to listen to speakers who are from osaka so that i can develop an accent from osaka, if theres a region you'd like to try and copy the accent for then listen to people mainly from that area. Just one more point is that people from different areas of Japan will have different words. For example hona, which means "well then" is used in osaka whilst it isn't used a lot in other areas of Japan. Just be wary of words like that and you should be fine.

Good luck :)

Bossdra
Answered 7 years ago