What 20 Years of Learning Japanese Has Taught Me
This week marks twenty years since I first started learning Japanese. Twenty years!!! I started this journey the week before my 17th birthday by learning from a private teacher. I…
Tips & Tricks
A Simple Trick to Improve Speaking Japanese as a Beginner
I started learning Korean recently—okay, that’s a lie, I actually started learning Korean about three years ago but was struggling to get beyond beginner level. I even went to Korea…
Japanese Study Techniques to Achieve Your Goals
Having a goal is key to long-term language study. Progressing towards that goal keeps you motivated and gives you something to strive for and measure your progress. Common goals amongst…
How To Study Japanese with ADHD
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…
Japanese Study Apps That DON’T Use AI
Language is inherently human. It’s made, evolved, and used by humans to communicate—to convey ideas and emotions. Generative AI is antithetical to this. Generative AI, which uses stolen data scraped…
How to Have a Conversation in Japanese
I struggle to have conversations with Japanese people in Japanese. Not because of a lack of Japanese ability, but because of a lack of conversational ability. I can converse (somewhat)…
How to Study for the JLPT
How difficult or easy the JLPT is varies widely from person to person. Some people pass without effort, whereas others (like myself) need lots of preparation. This article covers what…
How to Get Back into Studying Japanese
One often overlooked pitfall of language learning is falling off the wagon. For whatever reason you stop studying and then don’t start again for a week, a month, a few…