How to Start Learning Japanese: 3-Month Plan for Beginners

Hey, Japanese learners 💙 In this vid, I'm sharing a simple, step-by-step 3-month Japanese learning plan to help you build a solid foundation in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This is not a foolproof method to learning Japanese to fluency, but rather a guideline and blueprint to get you started as a beginner Japanese language learner.

Chapters: 00:00 Intro
00:53 What to do in Month One
03:16 Making sentences in Japanese
04:59 What to do in Month Two
07:15 What to do in Month Three (Should you be speaking yet?)
08:47 Should you get a Japanese tutor?
11:33 Managing your time
12:41 Let me help you learn Japanese!
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[coolbrotherf]

For anyone interested, here's the basics of my routine that worked for me. Some of this stuff won't be useful until years down the road, but it might help some that have been studying for a while already.
Personally, I looked at the language in 6 parts. My passive and active words, my passive and active grammar knowledge, pronunciation, and cultural knowledge. I would watch YouTube and TV or later (once I could read a few hundred kanji) read manga and novels to find words and grammar I didn't know yet, add them to Anki as an entire sentence to learn the words and/or grammar in context. For grammar specifically, I would try to find sentences I knew the words in to make sure I really understood the sentence. After feeling like I had cemented a group of new words into my passive recall, I would start using them actively by writing original sentences in short stories and recording short videos of me trying to tell a short story unscripted using as many of the words as I could. I would also hire an italki tutor about once a week to correct any errors I made in my output practice and to practice having a real conversation with a native speaker.

The main thing to remember is that our passive knowledge of language will always be bigger than our active knowledge so it's sometimes worth it to spend some extra time not learning anything new for a while and just practicing the stuff you've already learned to increase you're knowledge of what you can output.

Once my output level felt pretty solid, I started to interact with just random strangers online in Discord channels and online chat rooms like VR chat to make some Japanese friends and really test my Japanese abilities. I learned a lot of cultural lessons from these interactions as well.

That's pretty much the routine I followed for a few years to get fairly fluent in the language, enough to pass N1. I spent about 4 hours of studying each day, 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, and some casual passive listening throughout the day later on when I could understand casual spoken Japanese without subtitles. But, like she mentioned in the video, adjust to your schedule. I'm just obsessive about learning things so most people won't want to spend like 6+ hours a day like I did learning a language.

As I improved to a more advanced learner, I had to make sure to seek out material specifically to be difficult like Japanese college textbooks to learn words for technical terms for literary vocabulary, math, and science, as well as their history. I also made an Anki deck with famous Japanese people, and another for cities, regions, and prefectures in Japan. That really helped as well because the kanji for Japanese names, especially cities, are not always pronounced according to the onyomi or kunyomi.

The only thing still I'm pretty bad at is writing Japanese kanji by hand because I didn't really do that at all in my learning routine. So, for those inclined, you can learn that as well if you think you'll need to do that.

[evancanoy]

Do it for Chinese, Korean and other languages please. I will be working in a remote area for 9 months so gotta spend on something useful and take the proficiency test after 9 months.

[teengodees]

As someone going through graduate school I try to study a little bit every day, even if it's just through Duolingo to keep myself from forgetting words or sentences structure. I also watch programs in the language to keep my hearing active. Progress is slow, but I'm glad to keep a consistency at least during these busy times. Thank you for your tips, Lindie, will try to apply.

[HoneysVlog]

For me writing Hiragana and Katakana over and over again did not work at all. My ADHD brain found it soooo boring. I right away startet reading and listening at the same time. So I had a text and listened to the audio files at the same time. Very slowly at the beginning and then faster. I could remember the Kana so much better and faster in context. For learning I used the From Zero books plus some Langenscheidt and Pons books (I am from Germany). BUT I am really glad you recommend a whole month for learning the Kana. I watched so many videos about starting with Japanese and got really frustrated when I heard I could learn all Kana within a week and failed badly.
I also startet listening to music right from the beginning. I could not understand a single word, but got a feeling for the pitch accent and the pronounciation. After learning some basic Japanese through reading and listening I startet watching vlogs on Youtube with subtitles (in English, German and Japanese). That was around the middle of the 2nd month.
I started speaking by mimicing in the first month and speakind freely in my third month learning Japanese. Same with writing. I found a tandem partner in my fourth month. We meet at least once a week online. Because she is in Fukuoka and I am in Germany. Sometimes our daily scedules just don't go together.
Now I am in month 6 and learning with Genki and Mina No Nihongo mainly but use other books as well. I watch Anime on Amazon (I don't have Netflix) and on Youtube.
I work full time and am I day carer for my dad. I have limited time but I always have at least an hour per day. I think that's possible for everyone. Just think about all the wasted time we watch tv or pointless videos on Instagram, Youtube and co.
Oh... by the way... I am in my mid fourties. Learning is harder and slower than it was in m twenties. Don't give up or even avoid starting. Learning something new is challenging for eveybody and perhaps you just need a little longer.

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Sunny greetings
Anni

[pterodactylman]

Im learning Japanese from Lingq and the newbie japanese lessons are making so much sense.

I really like it.

[ninamariawolk]

You've truly inspired me to start learning Japanese. I'm deeply fascinated by Japan and its beautiful language! 🇯🇵❤

[KayJaee]

This video came out at the most perfect time for me 😊 Thankyou so much for all of the advice!

[tidyjii]

been a fan for a long time. Love you Lindie! ❤

[journeywithshine]

Thank you so much for this video Lindie! It truly came at the perfect time. And I just wanted to add, you look amazing! Beautiful as always 😊

[RiaS]

My N4 exam is coming up and you’re one of the motivations I have for studying Japanese so thanks for helping me!

[MsSlightlySarcastic]

Hi! Is there any way you could do this for Korean as well? It would be so appreciated <3

[learnwithCI]

Wow, I literally just started learning Korean after not being able to decide between Korean and Japanese... luckily I'm sure this can easily be applied to Korean as well!

[kuhween]

what great timing! I was actually thinking of learning Japanese hehe

[Ruby-xqhg]

This video is amazing! If you made it into a series for all the languages you've learned I would be so grateful! Ty for your amazing content Lindie!

[PaulinaKarolina]

I need something like this for upper intermediate korean. Cause girl… I AM LOST 😭

[Mixedtrini]

Love this! I actually use Lingopoie for Brazilian Portuguese! Right now I’m studying hiragana and katakana. I’m also learning words too. I got my anki deck ready too!

[gyulapege]

Such a great and informative video! Thank you, Lindie! ❤️

[endouerick]

❤️❤️ I'm so pumped up about this video

[emilylove]

In taking this as the universe's sign to brush off my rusty beginner's Japanese again. Thanks for the video, Lindie ❤️

[PainReaverX]

Neat video Lindie! I am trying to learn a bit of Japanese every day. It kind of dawned on me that unlike European languages where there are familiar patterns and I can go back to it Japanese requires more effort. Also, I actually do a mix between reading, writing, and speaking. I know everyone has their own style but I found one reinforces the other. And I told my cousin the same thing but with Ukrainian. I learn Ukrainian as one of my secondary languages. But if all you have is 15 minutes as long as you are mostly consistent your vocabulary will build up and be reinforced over time.