I want to thank all of you for your help. By filling out my questionnaire I (might) be able to finish my thesis on time! I will be getting to all of your thank you cards eventually, though I wouldn’t expect them right away. I still have to finish my thesis first, and then I’ll get cracking on them, I promise. I’ve read through all of them and I’m incredibly impressed. They were full of things I never expected. For example, who knew that almost everybody hates pair work? I certainly didn’t. Also, did you know that people who are self taught have the tendency to be more comfortable with speaking, whereas those who are taught in a formal setting (like school) tend to be more comfortable with reading and writing?
Anyways, the best part about the survey was when famous bloggers who blog on Japan helped me out. I have to say I was startled when I got submissions from some of the big names. Although they are really just normal people like you and I, I thought you might want to see what they had to say, since they are “professionals” on the subject, and all.
Ken Y-N from WhatJapanThinks:
Q: What is your methodology to learning Japanese?
A: The best strategy I’ve found for myself usually involves me putting all the kanji I’d like to learn into an Excel spreadsheet. From there I poll myself to figure out what kanji is most likely to cause me future problems. After exporting it onto a grassy-colored graph, I know exactly what I need to work on. I really wish I could get a bigger poll base than myself, due to scientific reliability and such, but so far I’ve memorized the kanjis 世 and 論 down pretty good.
Claytonian from “The Hopeless Romantic”
Q: What textbooks do you use?
A: I use “How to Score in Japanese.” You see, I always seem to be having these girl problems, and I never know why, so I feel like this book is probably very effective.
Q: If you don’t use a textbook, then what do you use?
A: My kitten. Whenever some nasty Japanese grammar gets me down, I just pick my kitten up and show it to everybody. When cats aren’t working I try making love to a pillow, which is just a fall back…really, I swear.
Chris from GaijinTonic: “drinking adventures in Japan”
Q: How do you best learn Japanese?
A: Definitely sitting in a bar.
Q: Do you find pair work to be effective?
A: Yes, bars are very social places.
Q: Why?
A: Because I’m sooooo drunk right now. In Japanese, that’s “yotteiru.”
Nick from LongCountdown
Q: How do you best learn Japanese?
A: I like to put all my grammar points up on JapanSoc and ask people to vote them up. Once a grammar point gets three votes, it appears on the front page. From there, I can see all of the most popular Japanese grammar points in one, convenient place!
MagiBon from Youtube
Q: What textbook do you use to learn Japanese?
A: *smile*
Q: How do you best learn Japanese?
A: *Strange turtle smile*
Q: Do you find pair work to be effective?
A: *Waves hysterically, instantly becomes famous*
So there you have it. The best of the best coming to help out little old me. I’ll be publishing more information on all the data you’ve given to me in the next couple of weeks…possibly in the form of an e-book. I’m thinking of writing two versions of my thesis:
1) Boring, not entertaining, and given to my professor.
2) Exciting, full of pictures, very sarcastic, and given to you for your enjoyment.
I’ll probably be asking more questions / putting up voting polls for a few things I am still wondering about, but that will come later tonight or earlier tomorrow. They won’t be nearly as complicated as the last one, so I hope you can help me out a little bit more when they come out. I’m learning all sorts of really interesting things, and I’m excited to be able to compile everything and eventually regurgitate them at you, like a mother bird and her children (yuck!).
Finally, I promise normal content will resume shortly! It’s been a while since I’ve really been able to sit down and write for Tofugu on a very consistent basis.
Also, if you’re interested in seeing the statistics I’ve gathered up so far, you can click here.