Japanese for beginners - Speechling Official Blog

Is the Best Way to Study Japanese Symbols on Paper or Online?

I’ve recently been attempting to augment my own knowledge of kanji, or Japanese symbols (the journey never ends when there are 50,000 kanji to learn!). I learned Japanese as a kid and still speak well, but as I never went to school in Japan, my writing skills are

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How to Use Raw Manga Readers to Learn Japanese Characters

Have you ever read a comic book? If so, you know they’re full of action-packed stories and engaging characters. Raw manga, or Japanese comic books written using Japanese characters, have likewise been a prevalent source of convenient entertainment in Japan for decades. And, if you’re here to learn

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Learn Japanese Misconceptions about Americans before You Travel to Japan

You history buffs out there may know that Japan was entirely isolated from other countries until 1846, when the US military forced its way in. As such, in historical terms, it really hasn’t been open to visitors for long. Therefore, it’s understandable that the Japanese people have some

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The Best Way to Learn Japanese From Zero

When you visit Japan, you can’t help but be captivated by its culture and food—I mean, that ramen and those onigiri (rice triangles) are addictive! It’s understandable why you might want to go all in and learn Japanese. So, whether you are an enthusiastic anime watcher or

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Learn Japanese Culture Differences before You Travel to Japan

A hodophile (someone who loves traveling) cruising from New York to Washington D.C would notice some differences between the cities. They’d have to make a smooth transition from the celebrity/entertainment lifestyle to the politician/government atmosphere, from tank tops and miniskirts to suits. The truth is, everything

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Learn Japanese Music Lyrics to Supplement Your Japanese Language Course

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: a great way to learn Japanese outside of a Japanese language course is to listen to Japanese music! No, you can’t replace a regimented Japanese language course or self-study with music (that could give you a skewed idea

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The Best Japanese Karaoke Songs for Learning Japanese

Sometimes you need a brain break from studying. But what if your brain break could be part of studying? That’s where karaoke comes in! Singing along to the best karaoke songs is not only fun, but helps you learn Japanese. Karaoke is a very popular social activity in Japan,

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How To Improve Your Japanese Pronunciation With Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters are a fun and memorable way to challenge your language skills. In English, tongue twisters like, “she sells seashells at the seashore” can provide a laugh-out-loud hilarious challenge for a group of people. But can these wordplays be employed as a language learning tool? In fact, are tongue

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The Best Kids' Shows on YouTube to Help You Learn Japanese

Learning Japanese can be difficult, and sometimes you need a brain break. But instead of zoning out in front of Netflix, why not take advantage of all the available shows on YouTube to help you learn Japanese? With so many shows on YouTube nowadays, you can find Japanese videos at

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The Ultimate Guide to Learning to Speak Formal and Informal Japanese for Beginners

If you are learning to speak Japanese, get ready to start minding your manners! Much like Spanish and French, Japanese requires that you adjust your language based on whether you’re addressing peers, coworkers, strangers, etc. This is called register, and those who are learning to speak Japanese must recognize

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Top 10 Japanese Books for Learning Japanese as Beginners

Reading Japanese books is notoriously difficult, but there’s a simple solution for those learning Japanese as beginners: read children’s books! While you have to learn thousands of kanji before you tackle Japanese books for adult audiences, some Japanese books for the younger crowd don’t use kanji at