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Japanese Talk

@japanesetalk.bsky.social

3.8K followers 84 following 3.4K posts

Tips and tricks for learning Japanese language through novels, manga, anime, podcasts, etc. (JLPT N1. Translator. Live in Osaka, Japan.) Don't just study Japanese, use it! 勉強だけでなく日本語は、使えば使うほど上手になるんです。 🇯🇵 jtalkonline.com ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/G2G5AEBW

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · Sep 24

The famous green owl app Duolingo is going even harder into AI made by stolen content. It's not curated by native speakers so you have no idea if what you're learning is correct. Their algorithm overall tries to hit the happy brain juices instead of helping you learn. So here are some alternatives!

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 45m

One important thing to remember, is you have to find what works for you. Experiment with different apps, YouTube channels, podcasts, and books to find methods that work for you.

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 45m

TLDR - start with hiragana and katakana, and learn through vocabulary. Practice reading and writing different words using characters.

Then start building your vocab and basic grammar.

You can easily find free resources online, or cheap books if you need more structure.

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 45m

This article is a little long, but it lists a lot of information about where to start and what you can use to study and how to study different parts of the language.
jtalkonline.com/how-to-learn...

How to Learn Japanese: The Ultimate Beginners Guide

A guide to what you should know when you start learning Japanese, how to learn it, and some resources you can use to learn them!

jtalkonline.com

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 51m

Tadoku graded readers are free and good for beginner's reading practice.
whiterabbitpress.com/japanese-gra...

And a list of podcasts for listening practice:
jtalkonline.com/recommended-...

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 54m

For general dictionary, jisho.org is great.

This site is good for practicing verb sand adjective conjugations.
baileysnyder.com/jconj/

If you don't know anything about grammar, though, there's this free guide:
guidetojapanese.org/learn/

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 59m

That's the one in Jaguar Town! 😲

If you're in Osaka now, you should check out the 古本市場, they're scattered all across town.

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 4d

If you're really interested in Japan try Renshuu instead. It's free and designed for learning Japanese, unlike Duo which is designed to get you addicted to their gameplay loop.
www.renshuu.org

renshuu.org - cute Japanese studying that's built around you

www.renshuu.org

Reposted by Japanese Talk

MarionetteCreep @marionettecreep.bsky.social · 5d

Following a recommendation from an article by @japanesetalk.bsky.social, I've started reading 「ずっと前から好きでした」and 20+ pages in, this is definitely looking like a fantastic text to bridge between manga and novels, and a good example of comprehensible input for anime/manga fans.

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 5d

Bonus tip, if you're studying for the JLPT, get a grammar exercise drill book and go through it two to three times.
jtalkonline.com/the-best-way...

The Best Way to Study Grammar for the JLPT - Japanese Talk Online

I have found this to be the Best Way to Study Grammar for the JLPT! I've studied grammar a lot and couldn't remember complex grammar until now

jtalkonline.com

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 5d

Three exercises to improve your Japanese grammar:

1. Write sentences based on the grammar you're studying.

2. Make up sentences and say them out loud.

3. Practice conjugations with flashcards and/or practice sites like this one: baileysnyder.com/jconj/

Japanese Conjugation Practice

Learn how to conjugate Japanese verbs and adjectives!

baileysnyder.com

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Reposted by Japanese Talk

Geoff Thew @mothersbasement.bsky.social · 5d

It's time to talk about the enshittification of Crunchyroll
youtu.be/B-DX0Zolr6g

The Enshittification of Crunchyroll

YouTube video by Mother's Basement

youtu.be

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 6d

Oh no. What happened to Preply?

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 8d

Books like "Ikigai" that fantasize Japan and the Japanese language drive me up the wall. This is going to be a good lecture.

Dr. Wes Robertson @scriptingjapan.bsky.social · 8d

[X] the Ancient Japanese Art of [Y]: The Mobilization of #Japanese Metalinguistic Fantasies in Self-Help Literature

Recording of a lecture I gave at JSAA2025

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TElW...

X the Ancient Japanese Art of Y: The Mobilization of Linguistic Fantasies in Self-Help Books

YouTube video by Scripting Japan

www.youtube.com

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 9d

Here's a list of apps and websites that don't use AI.
jtalkonline.com/japanese-stu...

Japanese Study Apps That DON'T Use AI - Japanese Talk

The plagiarism machine seems to be worming its way into everything. Here's a list of Japanese Study apps That DON'T Use AI!

jtalkonline.com

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 9d

Renshuu is free and doesn't use AI.
www.renshuu.org

LingoDeer is paid for but AI free, too.
www.lingodeer.com

renshuu.org - cute Japanese studying that's built around you

www.renshuu.org

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 9d

But also finding a teacher to practice with helps with listening and confidence. You can find a speaking partner but a teacher is better equipped to go at your place and help teach you things you don't understand.

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 9d

You can do a couple of solo exercises to get used to speaking like,
- reading sentences and paragraphs out loud
- coming up with your own sentences based on words you're learning
- describing what you are looking at in your everyday life

Reposted by Japanese Talk

Shujinkou (JRPG) @shujinkou.com · 10d

Shujinkou is Out Now on Nintendo Switch!

Rice Games Inc announces the release of Shujinkou on Nintendo Switch, a dungeon-crawler featuring Japanese language learning alongside an engaging RPG adventure.

Shujinkou is Out Now on Nintendo Switch!

Rice Games Inc announces the release of Shujinkou on Nintendo Switch, a dungeon-crawler featuring Japanese language learning alongside an engaging RPG adventure.

ricegames.net

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 10d

If you're looking for an alternative to Japanese I suggest LingoDeer or Renshuu (or both as Renshuu is free and focuses only on Japanese!)

Either way, it's good to try a few different apps or books and see what works best for you.

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 10d

Exactly!

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 10d

ところ means "place" but also in the the abstract form. It's like saying "we've reached the point where..."

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 11d

Here are some more recommendations for free Japanese study resources.
bsky.app/profile/japa...

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · Oct 15

FREE Resources for Beginner Japanese 🧵

1. Irodori textbooks aimed at people living in Japan. You can also find audio exercises, vocab lists, worksheets, and more.
www.irodori.jpf.go.jp/en/index.html

2. Yomujp graded readers split into N6 (beginner beginner) to N1 (advanced) levels.
yomujp.com

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 11d

If you want a free course for Japanese then Renshuu is good. As well as Kanji Study (beginner level) for hiragana/katakana and kanji. If you're okay with spending a little money then it's worth investing in a textbook.

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Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 11d

Rosetta Stone is fine but not great for Japanese. It's designed after a method of teaching European languages which focuses on learning words and grammar through context. Which works for European languages because of their similarities with English. But Japanese grammar is completely different.

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Reposted by Japanese Talk

red 🎃 @prettypinkpansy.bsky.social · 11d

I keep thinking about this post. the fucked up thing is that it's not like "ACTUALLY learning a language takes AGONIZING WORK, so PUT YOUR NOSE TO THE GRIND!". there are still fun and exciting ways to learn that gamify it!! like Wanikani for Japanese. They just, yknow, take slightly more investment!

Japanese Talk @japanesetalk.bsky.social · 12d

This. Duolingo's designed to make you feel good about getting answers right but not good at actually teaching you a language so it stays in your long-term memory and are able to use the language. This is why you have people with year-long streaks who still can't string sentences together.

Bo Thompson @gaudipern.bsky.social · 14d

In the wake of Duolingo's popularity, an uncomfortable truth that we don't discuss enough is how the platform's gamification masked that there were two different audiences but only one was a priority: People who wanted to learn a language and people who wanted to feel good about learning a language.

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