There are 3 writing systems in Japanese Hiragana, Katakana , Kanji.
Hiragana has 46 basic characters and these characters make up the Japanese phonetic alphabet. It is used for anything written for children .
Katakana can be recognized from its short, straight strokes and sharp corners. It is mostly used to indicate loan words from foreign languages for example English words such as your name or it is used for emphasis on signs or company names
Kanji This is the writing system adopted from Chinese characters. Kanji represents entire words and makes reading easier
Step 1
Learn how to read hiragana and Katakana. This can be done by using so with apps such as duolingo memories etc or a simple youtube video should take at least 48 hrs . The Key is to use mnemonics.
What are mnemonics?
Simple memory tool that aids you in remembering. They can stem from songs, acronyms, images, rhyme etc. Here is an example of mnemonics to remember this hiragana character avoid romaji except for when typing. Let face it romaji makes us dependent
Step 2
Learn some vocabulary and grammar. Here you can learn the 500 most common ones from this book . Or use free online resources such as the Tae Kim Grammar guide you can go the textbook route and purchase books like Genki etc .
Step 3
Listen, Read,Write, Speak
Listen -to Japanese every day whether it’s music, movies, or podcasts train your ears to recognize the language.
List of podcast and youtube channels
2.Learn Japanese with JapanesePod101.com
Read– Start small and read Japanese children’s books and stories that you are already familiar with. This will expose you to more sentences and help you to be more comfortable with the grammar rules and vocabulary. A bonus is if you can find stories with added audio. A great tool to use is NHK easy Japanese. If just reading page by page is not your thing try adding Japanese subtitles to movies or videos you watch Netflix has a chrome extension to help with this.
Language Learning with Netflix https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/language-learning-with-ne/hoombieeljmmljlkjmnheibnpciblicm?hl=en.Just
Write– Writing has many advantages and is an important exercise for learning Japanese. This way you can turn passive vocabulary into active and sharpen grammar skills. Purchases a notebook or journal and makes an entry every day. Write down grammar points and create your own sentences,. Find online communities such as forums or, Twitter on any platform that allows you to get corrected. Having someone check and correct you lessen the chance of you repeating the same mistake. Write and rewrite so that it becomes cemented into your memory. If you are able to write it in no time you will be able to speak it.
Speaking– can be a little tricky because you are just beginning and might be a little shy but just start off by talking to yourself. I know crazy right. But hear me out just start recording yourself using your phone or some recording software like audacity and you will see improvement in no time. Download hello talk and meet a language partner. This is a great app to meet others who would want to do a language exchange. A paid option could be italki and you can pay for a tutor.
Step 4
Find a dictionary you love and use it everyday. As soon as you encounter a word you don’t understand which will happen a lot look it up and write down the meaning and save it as a flashcard.
Some mobile dictionaries I like to use are Imiwa for IOS and Jisho.
Step 5
Don’t give up. Consistency is the most important aspect. Practice everyday or every other day, it doesn’t have to be for hours upon hours. As little as 15 mins should be enough. If you learn even just one thing a new grammar point or new vocabulary word or reinforcing something you’ve already learned. Repetition is your best friend when it comes on to remembering.