How to Write in Japanese: 10 Tips for Students
June 8 2022
Learning the Japanese language is an exciting and challenging experience for those college students who decide to accept this challenge and master new competencies. However, professional handwriting requires years of consistent practice, and this language is entirely different from English since it has a complex script system intended for distinct purposes. We offer you some valuable tips for achieving the best results in writing, and they further contribute to your skills and the quality of your papers.
How to learn to write in Japanese
The fundamental aspects of the learning process include the writing of Japanese characters, and this process further involves numerous exercises and lessons to master Japanese writing. Many learners try to skip or simplify these methods, and they explore unorthodox ways to achieve these goals. However, writing in Japanese is probably different from your familiar languages, and it is a big mistake to use any kind of universal guide for it. Trying to translate Japanese letters to English is not a decent start and one of the possible things that can trip you up in your mission. In turn, it necessitates a comprehensive and professional treatment that will require an investment of time in addition to effort. We will try to break down the foundations of this learning routine by listing the following recommendations.
Copy books specifically for writing Japanese help you develop consistent handwriting.
1. Don't rush the process
There are many impressive web articles that share statistics about the total hours required to speak Japanese fluently. Many of them offer ambitious advice that will allow you to communicate with Japanese people and write letters in less than a week. Unfortunately, Google Translate is a lousy idea for learning the writing system and using it for your practice, and combining katakana and hiragana in a letter or message with romaji can simply confuse your Japanese friends.
So, you have to start from the beginning and do everything appropriately by following scholarly recommendations. You will make a lot of mistakes, and that is just part of learning this complex writing system. Rushing the process will just make it harder to learn from your mistakes, and make it even more challenging to learn.
2. Don't overcomplicate the learning routine
Another extreme is trying to overcomplicate your learning by adding strenuous exercises for advanced levels. It is essential to create a set of activities and practices which you can do consistently without interruption. You must start with the basics and simple assignments, and you will gradually increase the difficulty as you make progress. For instance, we recommend you emphasize quality over quantity, and this applies to all aspects of writing. Memorizing hundreds of kanji (eventually) is a good idea, though it's better to start with just a few of them, and to learn how to write them.
3. Use textbooks and courses
We highly recommend you buy licensed textbooks approved by educational organizations to get the best learning experience. Also, a good criterion for choosing the necessary textbooks is to follow the recommendations and reviews of scholars or experts, and they further can suggest a company or publisher from the USA with decent products. Customer feedback is another critical factor in choosing the relevant textbooks or courses for writing in Japanese.
4. Read books and articles
You should read academic literature and essays, and you can find relevant articles by searching for them online. It is possible to find a well-written paper and research the writer's style and use of sentences. Reading will also help you to memorize the complicated writing system of the Japanese language.
The Japanese language has several distinct writing systems or alphabets.
5. Use the help of writing services
Online writing services can be helpful in finishing or revising your drafts, and it is a valuable experience for mastering new skills. Top writers can comment and offer their assistance in writing your order from scratch.
6. Don't skip the practice
It is easy to lose what progress you've made by abandoning your practice for a month, and it will take more effort to get back to where you were. It's important to avoid burnout or longer pauses in a course, and skipping periods can simply ruin your achievements. If you can't spend two hours on writing today, it need not be a problem, since even half an hour is enough to maintain your momentum.
7. Cheating doesn't work
Different companies offer impressive and fancy 'facts' stating that it is possible to master the Japanese writing system within a week, and they provide other advice that inevitably leads to the worst outcomes. For instance, they might propose that you learn romaji script, which is actually a transliteration of spoken Japanese, and it doesn't work as many naive readers expect. The same sort of problem occurs in the absence of structured and systematic learning of the characters, especially Kanji.
Cheap tricks only complicate the learning process, and usually end up just confusing learners. Eventually, we recommend you invest in real skills and research your information from credible sources or services regarding the considerations above.
8. Use your creativity
You should think of an original topic for drafting your essay or shape a personalized approach to writing. We suggest you spend your free time watching video clips and blogs by native speakers, and media resources can be a source of inspiration in practicing handwriting.
9. Practice handwriting every day
You have to follow an exercise routine and write specific characters on a daily basis to get the best results in your writing. It further has to be a separate obligatory activity, in addition to composing small essays or papers.
10. Learn the history and culture of Japanese writing
It's a fascinating journey to review the history of Japanese writing, and shared experiences will allow you to become a better writer. It is essential to understand the cultural aspects of this practice and the reasoning behind the foundation of this system. It is possible to consider Japanese writing as a unique custom and part of the cultural identity of the people of Japan.
Final thoughts
Mastering the Japanese language, especially writing, is a challenging and rewarding process, and we have to admit that it requires a different approach to learning the basics. We further suggest that you should consider using a specialized service or course that will nurture your professional skills, and you should avoid easy but ineffective ways of learning Japanese writing. Also, the routine of learning to write in Japanese necessitates more substantial effort in comparison to most other languages due to the complexity of its writing systems.
The cultural journey and research of the language's history can support and even simplify your understanding of the spirit of this exceptional language.
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