I teach Japanese at a university and have seen many students say, “I am so bad at learning Japanese” or “I cannot memorize all the conjugations and grammar patterns.”  Really? What is the reason for such a thought?  I fully understand what they said to me. Japanese has three different alphabets. Furthermore, Japanese is known to be one of the most difficult languages to acquire for English speakers.

Having said that, I do not agree with what my students said to me. So, today, I’d like to explain three reasons why some of you think you’re bad at learning Japanese.

1. School system

Learning Japanese in college or high school has many benefits, such as making friends from different walks of life and learning from each other. However, there are some factors that could lead you to believe that you are a bad Japanese learner. First, in school, you are constantly under pressure of exams and assignments. Furthermore, according to many  research, being graded increases our anxiety about failure. For example, if you receive C on the Japanese course, it may make you feel less than others. (I like to include “Ungrading” in my college course to avoid that.)  Secondly, Japanese courses at school take a one-size-fits-all approach, which means they are not a personalized program. If you enjoy your teacher’s teaching style and course materials, that’s great. But, otherwise, it might be difficult for you to get used to. 

I do not mean that learning Japanese at school is bad. However, if you believe that you are bad at learning Japanese because of the grades you received, that’s not always the case.

2. Language learning is not linear

Unfortunately, our society’s norm is “learning is linear”, including language exams and the school system. Once you have passed the 100 level course, you will take the 200 level course. We categorize the vocabulary and grammar patterns into elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. These systems are beneficial to solidify the foundation of the Japanese language, but they could make you feel anxious when you forget and could not understand what you have learned in the elementary level course. Regardless of how advanced the person’s Japanese level is, they make basic mistakes and forget 100-level words. To improve Japanese, it is critical to review what you have already learned and solidify the foundation. Everyone is different, so please do not compare your journey with others!

3. Learning style and strategies

It is significant to utilize different learning styles and strategies to improve all four areas of Japanese (listing, reading, speaking and writing). However, they should be effective. As a Neurolanguage coach, I always say that every brain is different, which means you need to find your learning styles and strategies that work for you. To find that, I recommend reading my previous blog posts “how to learn Japanese on your own”. 

You are not bad at learning Japanese. If you still have false beliefs, ask yourself these questions. What is your reason for thinking like that? How do you feel about the current situation? What can you do differently to reach your goal?

I hope this blog encourages you to keep working on your Japanese language goals.