I often see people say they struggle with learning Japanese because of ADHD. Some even think there’s no point to even try because of it.
I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until recently, but I am living proof that you can learn Japanese to fluency despite learning difficulties like ADHD and dyslexia.
Here are some tips and tricks for learning Japanese with ADHD.
Find What Works for YOU
The other day I watched a video from someone studying Japanese giving advice on how she learns kanji. She said she initially bounced off Japanese because kanji was too difficult for her. She didn’t like writing it and struggled to remember any of it.
A few years later she tried again and instead of learning kanji by writing and memorizing the readings, she immersed herself in visual novels and looked up ALL the kanji words that came up. She began to learn kanji based on how they looked and how they were used in context.
She then found an app that facilitated this method of learning (called MochiKanji App.) Now she was both using the language (visual novels) and supplementing it with studying (a kanji learning app.)
When I was a beginner, learning kanji through immersion in novels or games did NOT work for me. I couldn’t remember kanji nor vocabulary if I didn’t also know the reading. I still can’t! Words I can’t read just slip away like water off a duck’s back. (Thanks, double combo of ADHD and dyslexia.)
BUT this person found a way to learn kanji in a way that kept HER interested and motivated. And then found a study resource to learn in a way that worked for HER.
It’s fine to research how other people learn Japanese, but you shouldn’t take what they say as gospel.
Find what works for YOU.
How To Study Japanese with ADHD
Everyone is different, including people with ADHD. No two people with ADHD will display the same symptoms, and as such there’s no guarantee the same study techniques will work for the both of them.
I find it helps to identify exactly WHAT you’re struggling with. This will help you work out the study techniques that allow you to WHAT you want to do.
Here are some things you might struggle with, and some suggestions for what you can do to keep you on the Japanese learning path.
Difficulty Focusing
I often hear the joke that I have “ADH—ooh shiny!”
One stereotype about ADHD is that people with it can’t focus. But that’s not entirely true. The issue isn’t a lack of focus it’s the inability to control what we focus on.
People with ADHD can focus. They can focus really well…on things they’re interested in.
So you need to find study methods that work with your brain and how it likes to focus.
Solution: Find What Interests You
When you’re studying Japanese, find what interests you the most.
Do you love studying kanji? Or speaking the language? Maybe reading manga? Playing visual novels? Or perhaps interacting with a specific fandom?
Find your obsession and make your hyper focus work for you. Study or practice Japanese through whatever medium you want (unless it’s Duolingo*).
Side note: *Duolingo is a bad choice for people with ADHD. It does a great job of making you think you’re learning the language without actually teaching you the language because it doesn’t engage your active memory. But makes you feel like you’re learning through bells and whistles and dopamine releasing gamification tactics.
Solution: Bounce
Another method of study I like to use is “bouncing”. (I don’t know if this is a real term, I just made it up.)
Bouncing is jumping between study methods depending on current interest.
So I might study kanji or vocabulary for 5-10 minutes, begin to feel my focus fading, then bounce to reading for 15-20 minutes, and then back to kanji.
This is similar to the popular pomodoro technique—where you study for 20 minutes, have a 10 minute break, study for 20 minutes, etc. Only with bouncing, there’s no strict timeframe!
I find this to be a great technique for me because it keeps me studying for longer, even when my brain isn’t really in the mood for it.
But the study methods I bounce between need to be in the same physical space. If my next bounce target means I have to get up and leave my desk I instantly lose focus. So I make sure I have all the study materials I need close to me before I start.
Solution: Lofi Music / Fidget Toys etc.
There are times when I’m in the mood to study. I’ve finally prepared myself for a study session (normally after an hour or so of faffing about with something else) aaaand I can feel myself losing focus as soon as I sit down. Augh!
In times like these I like to keep my focus through lofi music or background noise generators. Things that don’t have voices or familiar tunes that might distract me. White noise, rock music, or classical music can also work, there’s nothing special about lofi. It just needs to be any type of background sound that keeps you focused on what you’re doing.
Knitting or playing with fidget toys are also great if you like a tactile distraction. These are items which you can play with while you read or write. Giving your hands something to distract them so your brain can stay focused.
Decision Paralysis
It can be really fricking hard to decide what to do when there are too many options. And there are soooo many options for learning Japanese. Especially if you’re just starting out.
How do you decide what to study or even what resources to study with?
Solution: The Pros and Cons
If you’re struggling to pick a study technique or resource for learning Japanese, make a pros and cons list.
As you research the different ways to learn—and I know you’re researching, I see you on Reddit/YouTube looking up all the ways to study Japanese instead of actually studying—write down a short pros and cons list for each method/resource.
As you write out the pros and cons, you’ll begin to get a feel for which one you want to use. Making the decision easier.
Solution: Write Down 1-3 Things to Do
If you have too many things you want to/feel you need to do, write them ALL out on a piece of paper or an app. Then just pick ONE to THREE things to get done that day.
Even doing just ONE thing is better than nothing.
Do the same thing the next day, and the next (or whenever you’re in the mood), and you’ll eventually start working through your list.
Your list of things you want to/need to do might change every day or every week. It might include non-study tasks like homework and cleaning. Or you might want to make it only about Japanese. It’s fine to be flexible!
When it comes to studying languages, I like to give myself three things to do over a week and then tick them off whenever I complete them.
But I know some people can struggle with longer deadlines like a week and need stricter guidance, in which case start with daily goals.
Solution: Plan Your Study in Advance
If you’re overwhelmed with decision paralysis, then spend that time planning what you’ll do next time.
Plan what you want to study tomorrow, or next week, or over the next month. (Depending on how you work best with deadlines.)
You can be as detailed as you want. I prefer a vague goal of “study kanji tomorrow” or “work on this book over this month”, but others might prefer a stricter study regimen with specific daily goals.
I also keep a physical diary in which I write down what I want to study over a week as well as what I’ll study on specific days (such as vocabulary on Tuesdays, reading on Wednesdays, etc.) It’s also useful for keeping track of when I have lessons. But you might prefer a digital diary or a wall calendar.
Again, find what works for you.
Solution: Randomize
If you struggle with deciding what you want to do, what study material to try out, what book to read, etc. then write down all the options you’re struggling with and pick one at random.
You could flip a coin, roll a die, use a digital number generator, or pick them out of a hat.
If you struggle to decide yourself, then let leave the choice to chance.
Sometimes you might pick something and think, “actually I want to do this instead.” In which case, you’ve still made a decision!
Unable to Keep the Habit
One complaint I often see from Japanese learners with ADHD is they struggle to keep it going long-term. They might hyper focus on learning Japanese for a week, a month, a few months, then put it down and struggle to pick it up again.
I started learning Japanese 19 years ago, but I have not been studying Japanese for 19 years. There were times I stopped learning for anywhere from three to six months, sometimes even longer, but I always came back to it until I eventually became fluent.
Learning Japanese isn’t a race, it’s a marathon, and dropping it temporarily doesn’t mean you can’t come back to it later.
But even still, it’s frustrating when you want to study, but you just can’t.
I have a whole post about making studying Japanese a habit, but here are some methods that I find works best for ADHD brains.
Solution: Calendars and Clocks
One thing many people with ADHD struggle with is time blindness. The inability to calculate how long something takes or when they last did something was.
Time is such a vague concept it can be hard to visualize it.
Which is why clocks and calendars (both digital and physical) can help a lot.
I like using physical calendars to keep track of when I have obligations like language lessons. It helps me see when I haven’t had a lesson in a while, and reminds me to prepare for upcoming classes.
Here’s a great video with a list of resources of calendars and clocks for people with ADHD: 5 Must-Have Tools to Help You “See” Time [YouTube]
Solution: Habit and Time Trackers
Similarly to calendars and clocks, habit trackers and time trackers are great for building and maintaining habits. They effectively gamify hobbies.
I use Toggl to track how much time I spend studying and reading Japanese and Korean. This helps me persevere because I can see the numbers going up and it feels good to hit certain targets.
Because I was struggling to keep up the habit of studying Japanese, Korean, and piano everyday I downloaded HabitNow (Android). This is a nifty app that lets me to tick off when I’ve done a task. Do I do them every day? No. But does it help motivate me to do them more often than if I didn’t have it? Yes.
There are lots of Japanese study apps which offer streaks and trackers. Similar to the clocks and calendars, the visual representation of how much you’re studying can be a good motivator.
Solution: The Ten Minute Rule
Sometimes the hardest thing about building the habit is just starting to do the thing. When it comes to studying Japanese I suggest the ten minute rule.
Give yourself permission to quit after ten minutes.
It’s as simple as that. “I need to study kanji, but am not in the mood. I’ll practice for ten minutes and then stop.”
Sometimes you stop after the ten minutes are up, but sometimes that’s enough of a kickstart to spur a long study session.
Solution: Productive Procrastination
I used this method for many years before I realized it was probably an ADHD coping mechanism.
This is when you find something you “have” to do and feel that urge to avoid it so much, you do some studying instead.
In other words, procrastinate on something productive, like Japanese study!
Learning Japanese with ADHD
I won’t lie and say that learning Japanese with ADHD is easy. It’s not. It feels like you always need to work harder, and longer, than everyone else. And you do.
But I found that despite that I’ve been able to keep it up longer than many neurotypical people I know. I love Japanese so much I’ve been able to use the power of hyperfocus to stick with it long enough to become fluent.
Did I stick with it all the time? No. There were times I burned out, was too busy, or just didn’t want to. But I always came back to it, even if I had to trick myself to do it.
References
How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) by Jessica McCabe
5 Must-Have Tools to Help You “See” Time [YouTube]
Kanji Made Me Quit Learning Japanese (Here’s How I Finally Beat It) [YouTube]
myNoise: Background Noise Generator
Other Articles You Might Find Interesting
How to Teach Yourself Japanese
Studying Japanese with Dyslexia
How to Make Studying Japanese a Habit
How to Get Back into Studying Japanese