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Useful Website

0505-2020-2009200920092009 12:48:24

Useful Website

Hi everybody smile This is my first post, and, as I'm not sure how often people visit this forum, I want to apologize ahead of time if this is stupid.

I'll spare you my life story, but, suffice it to say, I grew up in a Christian home and became interested in Japan through friends who like Manga and Anime. From there, I even took a Japanese class and went on trip to Japan, which is when I became aware of the problems that missionaries and the Church experiences there.

Yeah, so now I'm in college. I have 3 years left, and I've been studying Japanese in hopes of serving the Lord there when I graduate. I just wanted to let you guys know about the website/blog: alljapaneseallthetime.com. It sounds tacky and fake, but I've actually looked up some of the research behind it. Let me tell you, the guy knows what he's talking about, and, as a college student with little money and plenty of time, this is just right for me. I really hope you guys find it useful. I see you already found out about iKnow/smart.fm, so you seem like you would appreciate it. It would be really cool to see missionaries take advantage of this; they could do an awesome work for the LORD!

Edited By: gfletcher
0505-2222-2009200920092009 03:07:47

Guest: Guest

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0505-2020-2009200920092009 13:10:50

Re: Useful Website

HAha, I forgot to activate my account before posting, so the "guest" who posted this was me big_smile I'm having trouble actually viewing the thread. In fact, I'm having trouble figuring out how to view any of the forum threads. What is the obvious mistake that I'm making?

igor

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0505-2222-2009200920092009 03:15:45

Re: Useful Website

Hello Igor, I just updated the script that runs the Forum and it seems to be working better now. Try it and see if you can find your way around now.

BTW, what university are you attending? Any plans for how you will get to Japan yet? Would love to hear more.

Let me know if you still have trouble with the Forums, OK?

Greg
Admin, missionjapan.com

gfletcher: Site Admin

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0505-2727-2009200920092009 14:41:55

Re: Useful Website

Hey igor,

I have seen this site. What is odd is that his method does work. This does not mean that you don't have to study, but taking the time to bombard yourself with a lot of listening practice helps in being able to separate words from the sentence. You can hear the "ha", "de", "no", etc. Keep at it! Pray that my wife and I can learn quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately for us, we have no school, but only resources that we can dig up.

In Christ,

Travis

flagofsurrender

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0505-2727-2009200920092009 18:31:36

Re: Useful Website

Hey Igor, Travis,

I agree Travis. The oddity is that it does work. What you miss out on, though is that you will learn "sub-sets" of language pertinent to the topics of interest that you choose to listen to in your quest for mastery. That is why you still need to work with textbooks and classes if you want to get a well-rounded sense to your Japanese.

One pitfall (and I don't know the situation the guy at AJATK, but when you are in Japan, if you can say "Konnichiwa" and "Arigato" they will say, "OH MY!! This person is a native speaker! How long have you lived in Japan?!" It is very nice to hear, but a BAD idea to take any of it to heart. They don't really think you are that great. What is great is that you have bothered to learn their language at all. They are showing their appreciation by flattering you, but you will not progress if you begin to believe the "press reports".

I have met missionaries who "preach" well in Japanese, but struggle to understand a conversation on the street. I have met short-term missionaries who learn all their langauge in clubs and bars and it would make "proper" Japanese blush in mixed company. They go along thinking they are "fluent" (and what does that mean anyway? grin) in the language and never realize that they sound like a member of the mafia, and "proper" people won't want to spend time with them.

Language learning is hard work. It has to be attacked from a variety of angles. It can be fun, but if it is effortless, you are probably missing something.

Having said all that, I think you need to find opportunities to listen as much as you can. Language usage takes place in several arenas in varying degrees. In Japan, you will LISTEN most, Speak some and write little. I am not saying don't study writing. But I am saying, "LEARN TO LISTEN!" TV, Radio, Conversations, Sermons....whatever you can listen to...LISTEN! :-)

Glad to have you guys in here to interact with. Tell your friends. :-)

Greg

gfletcher: Site Admin

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0505-2727-2009200920092009 18:48:00

Re: Useful Website

I have been trying to tackle Japanese at many angles. It's fun and frustrating at the same time. For listening practice, I have been listening to Yomiuri podcasts for news, J-Rock for music, a few Japanese shows for some culture, and even some Anime. However, the task at hand is daunting, but very rewarding. I would say that I have a few minute grasp on the language, but there is growth even when I don't think there is. I agree with you Greg, listening is a high priority. Just as we English speaking people do, so does the Japanese speaker. What am I talking about? Speaking at a normal speed, which is actually quite fast for us beginners. So, I will keep listening, learning words and sentences, and I do practice grammar to help me establish the proper way to communicate. It will come together one day. Last, but what should be first is that we should be praying for one another. We all have a heart for Japan and its people. Pray that we are strengthened spiritually, that our mates will join in, and that we as Christians can learn to love as Christ. I will pray that we all learn quickly and efficiently, not forsaking those we have been entrusted with. God bless each of you!

Travis

flagofsurrender

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0101-0909-2010201020102010 18:12:41

Re: Useful Website

I try to listen to podcasts, and smart.fm is good because when you learn words you can also hear them in sentences. Which is awesome!

knownasilya

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0101-1313-2010201020102010 00:35:45

Re: Useful Website

Hi there! I'm new around here and found your site through google. God has recently called me into missions, specifically to Japan. I've been trying to learn the language for years, but I have given up every time. I want to make a serious effort now though.

So my question is... where do I go to get listening material? Like podcasts and stuff? I have some Japanese music, but I'd like to listen to news and things like that.
Thanks and God bless!

Angeldust

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0101-3030-2010201020102010 22:58:13

Re: Useful Website

Hi Angeldust,

Try this site for links to streaming FM radio stations.
http://www.simulradio.jp/
I'd suggest the morning radio programs - a mix of news, community info, weather and traffic reports. If you're fine following these conversations, then you may want to move up to the Yomiuri News podcast mentioned earlier in this thread. The Yomiuri News podcasts carry market information, political commentary, etc.