Japanese Talk Online Don't just study Japanese, use it!　勉強のみではなく、日本語を使えば使うほど上手になるんです。

Indefinite Hiatus

Too long didn’t read: Japanese Talk Online will be going on an indefinite hiatus. I may come back but not anytime soon. The website, Twitter, Facebook and Memrise will not shut down. Patreon will shut down. Why the Indefinite

Quality Japanese Self Study Techniques

The majority of Japanese Talk articles focus on “Tips & Tricks” to study Japanese. These focus on study methods for improving speaking or reading, or studying in general if you’re busy, etc. Memrise is normally my go-to learning app for

Why You MUST Read in Japanese

When I started learning Japanese I drilled vocabulary, grammar and kanji. In my young mind language = words. For many years that was all I focused on, figuring that listening and reading was only achievable from learning this core information.

Reading Japanese Intensified – Review of Tango Risto

If you’re anything like me and you struggle to improve your reading then you want to get Tango Risto. I have always struggled with reading comprehension. It is the hardest part of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and a must

How to Use Manga to Study Japanese

A lot of us study Japanese because we want to be able to understand anime without subtitles or read manga in Japanese. Being able to do either of these is incredibly rewarding, but many beginners think you need to be

Japanese Talk Online Hiatus [Until April 9th]

You may not know this but Japanese Talk Online is a website I run in my spare time. It was always a hobby to share my knowledge and experience of learning Japanese. This was doable when I was in University

Cheap Japanese – You Don’t Need to Break the Bank to Learn Japanese

I was at a convention the other day talking about how beginners can learn Japanese for anime and manga. At the end one person asked me. “I was thinking of starting Japanese with Rosetta Stone, but is it worth the

Presentation and Resources – Japanese With Anime and Manga ECCC 2018

This last weekend I gave a presentation at Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC); “How to Learn Japanese Using Anime and Manga”. The idea behind the presentation was tips, tricks and resources that anyone can use to learn Japanese with anime

Lose Yourself in Japanese: “I Want to Eat Your Pancreas” 「君の膵臓を食べたい」

Last year I picked up a book from Kinokuniya called 「君の膵臓を食べたい」(Kimi no Suizou wo Tabetai). I didn’t realize at the time was a great book it was. To the point where I would become so enthralled that I forgot I was

How to Be Productive When Studying Japanese

It’s incredibly easy to constantly think “I’ll do this later” and then not. Then the day ends and you haven’t studied. Then the week, then, if you’re not careful, the month! It’s incredibly easy to do. Sometimes you don’t even

Learning Japanese Through Audio Dramas and Games – Kylie’s Story

Could you tell us a little about yourself and what got you into studying Japanese? What are your goals? My name is Kylie. I’m half-Japanese but I grew up solely speaking English. I wanted to learn Japanese so I could

Japanese Language Articles [Link Roundup Jan 2018]

Studying Japanese Language 8 Proven Methods to Amplify Your Japanese Speaking Skills – “There are far too many people who have passed the JLPT N1 and yet can’t carry on a simple conversation with a native Japanese speaker. This is

Getting the Most out of Personal Japanese Lessons

From February 1st italki will be holding a New Year Language Challenge. This is simply just a matter of getting badges for completing a certain number of hours of lessons in the month. It’s a great way to motivate yourself

Improve Japanese Reading [2 Week Challenge]

Learning vocabulary, kanji and (to a point) grammar, can be easy to do by yourself. But reading, speaking, listening and writing can be more of a challenge. I recently asked Patreon supporters what kind of challenges they would like to try

[JTalk Podcast] Do You Need to Know Japanese to Visit Japan?

My partner and I recently went to Japan for a short trip. We decided to start off the Japanese Talk Online Podcast talking about the Japanese you need to know in Japan. The English you find in Japan is very

Winter 2018 Anime – Good Anime for Studying Japanese

The new is upon us and with the new year comes a new season of anime! Winter 2018 to be exact. I’ve watched a lot of the first episodes for the new seasons to find some shows that are good

How to Acquire Japanese Naturally

I have always been a firm believer of the importance of combining study and using Japanese. Actually, that’s a lie. I used to be very lazy when it came to using Japanese but enjoyed studying immensely. It’s only in recent

The JLPT is Over, What Now?

The JLPT is finally over! You’ve slogged for months and months (or at least weeks and weeks?) studying vocabulary, kanji, grammar. You challenged yourself and whether you pass or failed you did it! Now it’s the winter holidays, your life

[NEWS] Japanese Talk Online 2018

It’s been an interesting year! We’ve have so many more people use Japanese Talk Online articles and Memrise. I also started the Patreon and it’s been going great (so glad I didn’t have to resort to ads)! The best part’s

Techniques to Improve Japanese Pronunciation

Pronouncing is a huge part of speaking Japanese. You can speak Japanese but if you can’t say it with a clear accent then native people are going to have trouble understanding you. They can still understand you most of the

JLPT Practice Questions with JPDrills

With less than a month before the December JLPT it’s time to start doing some JLPT practice questions! Many people will go to the JLPT website and try their tiny quantity of sample questions. But these are often easier than

Using Twitter for Japanese

Social media can be a great tool for learning and practicing Japanese. Not just the language, but the culture and current affairs too. Actually it has so many benefits for learning and practicing Japanese that I don’t know why people

Learning About Japanese Values

Growing up in America, I always felt like I was missing something. I would never know how to describe myself. I would have adults describe my character but I would always question why they thought of me in that way.

Techniques to Improve Speaking Fluently [For ALL Levels]

Speaking Japanese can be particularly frustrating for all levels if you don’t practice it. But it often feels like a catch 22. You don’t feel good enough to speak it, so you never practice, which means you don’t feel good

Get The Most Out of Language Exchange

A while ago I set the first 3 month challenge for Speaking Japanese in 1 Year. A lot of it involves booking a speaking partner or teacher at least once a week (ideally twice) and practicing Japanese with them. Even

Japanese Flashcards: Dealing With Backlogs

As many readers of Japanese Talk Online know, I LOVE using Memrise. I use it practically every day for Japanese flashcards when I’m studying for a test. But there are often times when I won’t use it for a week,

How to Avoid Study Burnout

It can be really exciting when you get started on a study binge. You’re feeling motivated. You have the time to study for a few hours a day. You’re storming through level after level on your flashcard program. Then you

Reading Japanese Texts in an Innovative Way

One of the most difficult aspects of learning Japanese for any level of ability, is reading Japanese texts. In particular Japanese that’s written for native Japanese people. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at vocabulary, kanji, and grammar that you

Understanding Formalities in Complex Japanese Sentences

This article was requested by a Patron on Patreon! ありがとうございます！ One tricky part of Japanese is the different formalities. Then how and when those formalities are used with different people, or even the same people! This article goes over the

UPDATES to Anime Japanese Vocabulary and Grammar

Just a simple announcement that Anime Japanese for Beginners and Anime Grammar for Beginners on Memrise have been updated! Anime Japanese for Beginners One of the very first Memrise courses I made was Anime Japanese for Beginners. It was a