Fluent Japanese in 6 Months: Complete Guide

Hey guys, I'm Shin!

In this video, I'll share my strategy to become fluent in Japanese in just 6 months. As a native Japanese speaker, I've spent a lot of time researching and trying out different ways to learn Japanese to create this COMPLETE GUIDE. I'm going to share with you what I think is the BEST STRATEGY to learn Japanese in 6 months and ALL of the tools and resources that can help you reach this goal. This won't be an easy journey, but you'll surely be impressed by how fluent your Japanese has become if you follow this 6-month detailed plan.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:34 - The Essential 5 Pillars
2:03 - Month 1 Strategy
3:42 - Month 2 Strategy
5:23 - Month 3 Strategy
5:57 - Month 4 - 6 Strategy
7:36 - The 6-Months Learning Strategies (Summary)

Resources:
10. Miku Real Japanese: @mikurealjapanese
11. NihongoDekita with Sayaka: @NihongoDekita

Extra Resources:
2. YuYuの日本語Podcast: @yuyunihongopodcast

If you found this video is helpful, PLZ give a like and subscribe, so I'll be creating more video like this!

Follow me on social and ask me any questions!
Instagram: shinmc914

[RazielBR]

Man, I know this is a guide to do it in 6 months, but this feels like a pretty solid roadmap to study in general. So much useful material!

[Brettin]

Even if you can't do it 6 months or do not wish to grind hard, these are incredible resources to use! Thank you!

[NihonDiary]

I've actually been in full-time Japanese language school for the past 8 months (my job is sending me to work in Japan for a year) I study 40 hours a week, in-person, in-classroom, plus homework, listening to native material outside of class etc etc. The bad news is I'm not fluent yet. The good news is that I am getting somewhat competent.

In my experience, my skills develop at different rates, my reading and writing skills are better than my listening skills, and my listening skills are better than my speaking skills. It does take time and it's important to remember that you don't have to be "fluent" to do all the things you might want to do with your Japanese like making friends.

I think the recommendations in the video are really useful! Just wanted to share my experience.

[lisa__]

Are we just going to ignore the fact that he said that he is a native Japanese speaker? When are we going to stop listening to natives and start listening to people who have actually learned the language we desire to learn?

[taitojpsuki]

This is the best video I have ever seen 😍ありがとうございます先生

[johnhanley]

I strongly disagree with six months. I studied Japanese as a work requirement. I already spoke French fluently so I knew how to study for a language. To be fluent in French required two years of living in France plus a French girlfriend. I took Japanese immersion courses, worked in Japan, and was very motivated both financially and personally to learn Japanese. For example, instead of going out at night after work with other workers, I had two teachers work with me until Midnight at my hotel - everyday. After six months, I could read and write enough to understand signs, read a simple menu, travel around Tokyo, etc. Regarding conversation, I could chit-chat with my friends. However, when I attended serious meetings at work, I often misunderstood what was actually said. Fluent, no way. Could I get a date and order dinner and drinks, sure.

After more than a decade of not using Japanese, I am relearning everything. This time around, I find Japanese much easier as I still remember the grammar, hiragana, most katakana and kanji rapidly returns. I still would not be fluent in six months of intensive study.

How long to become fluent in Japanese? At least two years of living in Japan. You cannot develop fluent conversation by reading books or watching TV/anime. You need to be around people. Language is more than just words - body language and environment play a major part in understanding and fluency.

[Sass_King]

i have a trip to Japan in 8 months will try this and let you know before i leave on how i go

[ConiJae]

This is exactly what I've been looking for! There are so many resources out there I just needed someone to tell me what to do lol. I will definitely try this method and give my feedback in 6 months! Thank you Shin!

[_PM__]

6 months? I really doubt it. He says you'll need to learn 3, 000 words in that time. That's around 16 words every day, 7 days a week. During those days you're also memorizing the kanas, kanji, grammar, and all the other things he mentioned. That's a lot to commit to memory every day. Try learning 16 new words every day in your native language. It's not easy.

[sarahmcdowell]

What a great list of resources. Thank you so much for this video!

[fastenedcarrot]

I've been using WaniKani and I really like it, totally worth the fee for the way it guides you and gives immediate feedback. It's really my only source of Vocab atm that isn't just picking stuff up from shows and what not but I am always learning at least 15 items a day although some days will only be new radicals or kanji. I recently bought Genki and have gotten started in that and I watch videos often (including NinhongoDekita, one recently made me realise I didn't know pronunciation as well as I thought). The new recommendations are great though.

[InvincibleUnderHeaven]

The resources that you have mentioned are really amazing, i am already using a few of them for a while and i also got to know about a few new things. Thanks a lot for the video.🤝

[ssreeananya]

Finally...! A practical guide along with abundant resources gets me pumped up to learn Japanese! Hontoni Arigatou gozaimasu!
Can you do a similar video for learning Chinese as well...

[hoosierdaddy]

This is a very insightful video. And after having a quick look into the resources, I have to say that these learning platforms are really good. Thank you so much. I hope I can follow along the learning plan:)

[StailagSon]

One of the best if not the best guides ive ever seen, man really gave us everything we ever needed. Keep it up !

[cry]

I'm too weak to do a 6-month grind, but I'll definitely try all of these. I've passed N4 and registered to take N3 in July, I am currenly overwhelmed by the amount of vocabs and kanji that I have to learn, tripled the size of combined N5 & N4.

[megaprime]

I needed this video, its fully aligns with my ambitious (maybe even delusional) goals, I've been regretful since I feel as though I wasted a lot of time and procrastinated my Japanese journey, this roadmap gives me a concise gameplan thanks!

[Hmanshu-愛]

Damn brother, I wonder why this video is underrated.

I really appreciate your efforts and the time you put in making this video, just to help us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 💖💖

[vinylated]

This IS a goldmine!! I've used Busuu, Italki, Hellotalk, and so many other tutorials and this is perfect. What I was missing was a structure and THIS is it. I just want to be able to communicate with Japanese people and be able to watch Japanese movies and dramas without the subtitles. Thank you for this Shin, you're an utter legend! 👊 😎

[shakenbacon-vmeu]

What do you think about textbooks? I’m almost done Genki 1, and gonna power through Genki 2 soon. I’m supplementing with a lot of shows/movies, and bite sized Japanese podcast. I’m also subjecting my little kids to my broken Japanese lol, but at least I get to practice speaking and conjugating/form grammar!

Also, sorry for all the negative comments. It’s hilarious how snobby and toxic Japanese learners can be, especially those from the west. It’s like this weird superiority complex they need to flex to feel special. Anyway, always appreciate your tips, man!