I'm having trouble deciphering Japanese spoken at native speed...?

Question

Hi, I have been studying Japanese for 3 years (going on 4) in high school and I have been working on vocabulary and grammar everyday so I may someday become fluent.

My biggest problem is listening to Japanese spoken very fast and interpreting what they said. My sensei (teacher) speaks to us mostly in English, so one of the problems may just be that I have little exposure to it.

Sometimes I try to listen for joshi and then try to remember what word came before it and then try to put the whole sentence together, but I often just get completely behind and lost. Do you have some strategies about how to simultaneously listen to and translate spoken Japanese in your head?

I have rented out some audio lessons on Japanese so I get more used to the speed of native Japanese conversation, but is that the best way to practice? Any other suggestions on how to practice listening to spoken Japanese? I have a Japanese host sister I am very close with, should I maybe try calling her?

Answer 1

"Practice makes perfect" I feel this is true.

Joshi is annoyed me too.

The best way is to repeat .

And you had better try to call host sister as possible as you can.

I'm still watching DVD such as 24, prison brake, x-files, repeatedly.

With best wishes !!

Answer 2

Just keep working on the listening skills. Language develops in 3 parts, reading, writing and listening skills. It appears you've taken well to reading and writing, but you have not integrated the listening. That's the hardest and last step before mastering a language.

As long as your not around native speakers, you don't have a lot of chances to develop the listening skills. Watching anime helps a bit too, but nothing beats having a conversation with someone.

In my case, my listening skills are strongest out of the 3, while I can BARELY speak, and I read/write at kinder level, I seem to understand some conversations. But this is because I've been to Japan so many times and for extended stays that I've picked up on listening. I listen every chance I get to shopkeepers, friends, and my boyfriend's family. The best way to go is speak to a native.

My boyfriend is the same with English. He's got native reading/writing skills but hasn't been exposed to foreigners much so his listening skills are really bad. He has your exact same problem.  So again it's all a matter of speaking with native Japanese.

Answer 3

Having a Japanese teacher speak to you in English is a tremendous handicap.

This causes exactly what you are doing. Translating in your head.

What you are really doing is hearing individual Japanese words that you know and thinking of what you think is a close approximation of that word in English. Then, grouping those words and trying to make sense of that English. This takes a lot of time and "computing power". Not only is it inaccurate it trains you to only listen/hear words you think you know (in English).

When you try to reverse that process and speak Japanese you find that you don't know how to construct sentences because you have only been listening to those words that you already "know". You become not fluent but fairly good at guessing meaning and a rather poor speaker (like delita above).

You need to be able to speak and listen to conversation that is appropriate for your level. Maybe your host sister would be willing to help you out.

Answer 4

As a English learner, I can understand what you feel.

How about speaking actual Japanese with ordinalry Japanese people using SKYPE?

Not every Japanese is kind and polite, but I bet will be able to find some Japanese who will glad to teach you Japanese.

(because sometimes I also teach foreigner Japanese on Skype)

Answer 5

I studied Japanese for 3 years, it makes me kind of sad every time I watch a Japanese TV show (and there aren't a lot to watch) and can catch only a small portion of the dialog.  Now I am learning Hawaiian, there is nobody to talk to so I talk to myself.  Quietly, when I am alone.  It helps to actually speak whatever language you are learning, it helps your brain find the words and form the phrases and thoughts so even if you have nobody to talk to but yourself it can only help.  Good luck.

Answer 6

I found when training my ear to Japanese that you must first of all "DO NOT translate in your head while listening" that just messes everything up. Do you try and register what someone says to you in English? Most cases no. So try to do the same with Japanese.

I suggest listening to Japanese music, as that is probably the best media for Americans to get ahold of. Television shows, movies etc I watch on Crunchyroll. It also helps if you can find television shows on Youtube that HAVE NOT been english subtitled. If you can get Japanese movies, don't turn on the subtitles just watch it!

[Edit]: If you can eventually go on a study abroad. I suggest you do so, what you learn in the states is sort of like a foundation to Japanese. If you learn Japanese in Japan its totally different, and you're immersed in it, so its a good experience if you want to go further in your language studies.