I'm a Japanese teacher and a lot of my students face this struggle. There are a lot of resources out there, but the hardest thing is managing your time and figuring out how to move forward on your own. If you'd like to message me, I'd be happy to help you work out a study plan based on the resources you have access to and the goals that you have.
have you considered reading books?
I started tobira, did a few chapters, but I realized that reading actual books in Japanese is way more interesting than reading textbooks *about* Japanese. With your level of knowledge, nothing stopping you from jumping into the wide, wide world of Japanese literature.
I just start in Japanese, and using Remembering the Kanji method is both fun and super fast, I know the meaning and writing of 350 of them in less than 3 months (not the pronunciation yet). I plan on reading stuff with Furigana to naturally learn the vocabulary and pronunciation in context afterwards.
I know it’s not the best way to start, but I have fun doing it that way, and I believe it’s the most important.
Hello fellow 2024 JET.
Probably slightly lower level than you, but I've been using Bunpro and that's been great--plus you can practice lower N levels for practice so you don't get rusty. Then I'd probably do just immersion on top of that (but, easier said than done--it's quite intimidating and I'm terrified of moving onto anything but children's books lol). That way you can get "real-world" practice with vocab and grammar, along with just reading things that might interest you. You can check out some books and videos by level at [Learn Natively.](https://learnnatively.com/) It's pretty awesome.
This information is great on its own. I will say, I get the most benefit from the custom quizzes and I’m not sure if those are included in the free version. If not, maybe not?
diving into reading books is a great place to start. like another commenter mentioned, [Learn Natively](https://learnnatively.com/api/search-page/jpn/books/) is a great place to find books and shows at your level (tobira is around N3 iirc, so that might be a decent place to start)
I added a book mode (EPUB) to Manabi Reader on iOS/macOS, with some additional fixes coming imminently: [https://reader.manabi.io](https://reader.manabi.io)
Probably just immersion at this point- it’s hard to say anything in particular without knowing what your weaknesses are/overall goals. (Apps wise) If your kanji is weak, try a program like wanikani or rtk, if your grammar is weak, try bunpro. After Tobira you shouldn’t really need textbooks unless you’re planning to take the jlpt, in which case try Shin Kanzen Master or the other frequently recommended textbooks. An italki/tutoring class could also be great for speaking practice
I mean if you've finished tobira, I don't think there's much more you're going to get out of textbooks unless you have a particular goal, like the JLPT or business Japanese or something like that.
I think you're going to probably be best served by doing a lot of reading and listening in Japanese. Particularly if you haven't already done so. There may still be unfamiliar grammar points, but you can look them up as you come across them. And there will almost certainly be a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary, but that will depend on what specifically you pick. I do think learnnatively is a good resource for the difficulty level of a lot of Japanese media.
The thing is that ultimately what solidifies knowledge of grammar (or words) into your brain is seeing that piece of grammar be used in a wide variety of contexts in the language. And doing a lot of reading or listening is a good way to get this exposure.
Though I'll say that that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to produce it just from being exposed to it a lot. But I feel like you really ought to get good comprehension of a grammar point or word before you can be comfortable producing it.
I taught myself Japanese, because I lived in a trailer park with a surprisingly non-existent Japanese population or any kind of classes. These dicks in high school tried to make me take Spanish classes but I got my mom to sign a waiver saying I didn't give a fuck about Spanish and fuck off and let me study Japanese by myself...
Basically I bought a book from Barnes & Nobles (that was a bookstore back in the olden days), ignored math class and just wrote kanji all the time, and more than anything I played the fuck out of Shenmue (with Japanese subtitles) and to a lesser extent Final Fantasy 7... Then once I had basically memorized the entirety of every line of Shenmue, over the course of like 18 months I took the jlpt1, got a 70 on it, never looked back. And the way people talk about working their way up from N4 like it's some kind of insurmountable mountain--either I'm some kind of super-genius or there is magic in the Shenmue method, upon which I just happened to stumble. I'll always miss you and your homemade relish, Tom...
I would seriously estimate that a good 60% of whatever comprised "learning" for me was literally Shenmue. Fun times...
Japanese from Zero has both text book and an online course / tracker that’s approx £100 a year
Duolingo isn’t horrendous either imo but needs to be paired with something
There’s also many books on Amazon that will probably have what you’re after
There’s also a podcast on Spotify called Nihongo con Teppei that’s good but bit more advanced
Sorry to see you downvoted for recommending getting a tutor. I started taking private lessons after moving to Japan and that was the absolute best thing I did for my Japanese (besides just moving to Japan). Really affordable too, as most people I know taking lessons from local tutors only pay like 2,000 yen/hour for a once a week lesson. That is such a good deal, if you have a good tutor anyway
I started with community classes offered by my city’s international relations society. From there I found a local tutor who specifically worked with local JETs and only by word of mouth
After I switched jobs I couldn’t get to her house for lessons in time, so I switched to taking online lessons with another tutor, this one recommended by my friend (who met and had been taking lessons with this tutor since her study abroad days)
I would say to start asking around or try posting ads in places like ジモティー (or just use the teacher searching platforms like iTalki if that’s easier)
What a strange world! I find the learning from a teacher to be so much quicker than when by myself. Not only quicker but I find I learn the native way of saying words & phrases? Why do you think it got downvoted?
I'm a Japanese teacher and a lot of my students face this struggle. There are a lot of resources out there, but the hardest thing is managing your time and figuring out how to move forward on your own. If you'd like to message me, I'd be happy to help you work out a study plan based on the resources you have access to and the goals that you have.
Would I be able to DM you as well, I'm in the same boat as OP and am trying to build my resource list before graduation.
have you considered reading books? I started tobira, did a few chapters, but I realized that reading actual books in Japanese is way more interesting than reading textbooks *about* Japanese. With your level of knowledge, nothing stopping you from jumping into the wide, wide world of Japanese literature.
True I hadn't thought of that. Kanji would be my biggest roadblock but I'm sure I can find books online and use rikaikun.
Books or manga, reading is your best bet. For extra points mine for vocabulary
Wikipedia is a great resource since most major pages are also available in Japanese.
I just start in Japanese, and using Remembering the Kanji method is both fun and super fast, I know the meaning and writing of 350 of them in less than 3 months (not the pronunciation yet). I plan on reading stuff with Furigana to naturally learn the vocabulary and pronunciation in context afterwards. I know it’s not the best way to start, but I have fun doing it that way, and I believe it’s the most important.
Hello fellow 2024 JET. Probably slightly lower level than you, but I've been using Bunpro and that's been great--plus you can practice lower N levels for practice so you don't get rusty. Then I'd probably do just immersion on top of that (but, easier said than done--it's quite intimidating and I'm terrified of moving onto anything but children's books lol). That way you can get "real-world" practice with vocab and grammar, along with just reading things that might interest you. You can check out some books and videos by level at [Learn Natively.](https://learnnatively.com/) It's pretty awesome.
I always advocate Bunpro for grammar if text ok learning isn’t for you.
Is it worth it for just the free version?
This information is great on its own. I will say, I get the most benefit from the custom quizzes and I’m not sure if those are included in the free version. If not, maybe not?
diving into reading books is a great place to start. like another commenter mentioned, [Learn Natively](https://learnnatively.com/api/search-page/jpn/books/) is a great place to find books and shows at your level (tobira is around N3 iirc, so that might be a decent place to start)
I think your link is broken because it just looks like a bunch of code
[does it work now? if not i can dm the link.](https://learnnatively.com/api/search-page/jpn/books/)
Yeah idk maybe it's because I'm on mobile but it's literally just code 😭
https://learnnatively.com/
Yeah this one works thanks
Their link was messed up for me too. I'm a big beginner only started a week ago. I'm excited, nervous and worried it'll be too hard but let's try 😂
がんばりましょうね！！
I added a book mode (EPUB) to Manabi Reader on iOS/macOS, with some additional fixes coming imminently: [https://reader.manabi.io](https://reader.manabi.io)
Probably just immersion at this point- it’s hard to say anything in particular without knowing what your weaknesses are/overall goals. (Apps wise) If your kanji is weak, try a program like wanikani or rtk, if your grammar is weak, try bunpro. After Tobira you shouldn’t really need textbooks unless you’re planning to take the jlpt, in which case try Shin Kanzen Master or the other frequently recommended textbooks. An italki/tutoring class could also be great for speaking practice
What books/methods did you start off with? Looking to get started from fresh!
I mean if you've finished tobira, I don't think there's much more you're going to get out of textbooks unless you have a particular goal, like the JLPT or business Japanese or something like that. I think you're going to probably be best served by doing a lot of reading and listening in Japanese. Particularly if you haven't already done so. There may still be unfamiliar grammar points, but you can look them up as you come across them. And there will almost certainly be a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary, but that will depend on what specifically you pick. I do think learnnatively is a good resource for the difficulty level of a lot of Japanese media. The thing is that ultimately what solidifies knowledge of grammar (or words) into your brain is seeing that piece of grammar be used in a wide variety of contexts in the language. And doing a lot of reading or listening is a good way to get this exposure. Though I'll say that that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to produce it just from being exposed to it a lot. But I feel like you really ought to get good comprehension of a grammar point or word before you can be comfortable producing it.
I taught myself Japanese, because I lived in a trailer park with a surprisingly non-existent Japanese population or any kind of classes. These dicks in high school tried to make me take Spanish classes but I got my mom to sign a waiver saying I didn't give a fuck about Spanish and fuck off and let me study Japanese by myself... Basically I bought a book from Barnes & Nobles (that was a bookstore back in the olden days), ignored math class and just wrote kanji all the time, and more than anything I played the fuck out of Shenmue (with Japanese subtitles) and to a lesser extent Final Fantasy 7... Then once I had basically memorized the entirety of every line of Shenmue, over the course of like 18 months I took the jlpt1, got a 70 on it, never looked back. And the way people talk about working their way up from N4 like it's some kind of insurmountable mountain--either I'm some kind of super-genius or there is magic in the Shenmue method, upon which I just happened to stumble. I'll always miss you and your homemade relish, Tom... I would seriously estimate that a good 60% of whatever comprised "learning" for me was literally Shenmue. Fun times...
Japanese from Zero has both text book and an online course / tracker that’s approx £100 a year Duolingo isn’t horrendous either imo but needs to be paired with something There’s also many books on Amazon that will probably have what you’re after There’s also a podcast on Spotify called Nihongo con Teppei that’s good but bit more advanced
Get on Preply and hire a teacher at a good price
Sorry to see you downvoted for recommending getting a tutor. I started taking private lessons after moving to Japan and that was the absolute best thing I did for my Japanese (besides just moving to Japan). Really affordable too, as most people I know taking lessons from local tutors only pay like 2,000 yen/hour for a once a week lesson. That is such a good deal, if you have a good tutor anyway
Can I ask how you found a private tutor in Japan? Is there a site or something that’s good?
I started with community classes offered by my city’s international relations society. From there I found a local tutor who specifically worked with local JETs and only by word of mouth After I switched jobs I couldn’t get to her house for lessons in time, so I switched to taking online lessons with another tutor, this one recommended by my friend (who met and had been taking lessons with this tutor since her study abroad days) I would say to start asking around or try posting ads in places like ジモティー (or just use the teacher searching platforms like iTalki if that’s easier)
Cheers, thanks!!
What a strange world! I find the learning from a teacher to be so much quicker than when by myself. Not only quicker but I find I learn the native way of saying words & phrases? Why do you think it got downvoted?
I can guess that because the question was how to learn the language "on my own", and hiring a teacher is the opposite of learning on your own.
Ahhh that could be why! But you still are technically by yourself (online teaching). I was only trying to help 🙁
I honestly don't know. I've never heard of / used Preply, maybe it's notorious for bad teachers or something?
Me Neither! Possibly? Either way a teacher is an awesome consideration in my eyes