Memorization Issues

[SilentKohai]

I'm currently learning Japanese, and understand the basics. SOV instead of SVO. Pronouns are typically left out of conversation if the subject is implied. There's no official plural for japanese words. "No" is possesive, or can be used as an equivalent to the english word "of". I understand the differences between positive and negative words. I know phrases and short sentences, and I am actually beginning to understand basic Japanese without too much translation(I get the jist of things). I just have one problem.

I can't seem to remember any words. I try so hard, but they always slip my mind. I remember them when I hear/see them again, but just trying to remember them has proven itself quite difficult for me. Same for the Katakana/Hirigana characters(I have not started with Kanji at this point). Please, if anyone knows a good way to memorize these words/charcters, I urge you to help me.

I am not impatient, however, and I am trying to learn Japanese for a permanent transition to Japan. I have quite a bit of time, because I'm still young, and I am trying to set myself up well before jumping into something like this. I am visiting Japan this summer, and I would like to be able to have some Japanese memorized by then(even still, not much, seeing as I'll be on an American army base for a majority of the time). Even if I don't, it's no big deal, because I know that learning a new language does not happen overnight.

Thank you in advance for your time for reading this, even if you can not help me. I appreciate any and all help. I do not expect full on lessons, I am going to meet someone soon for that(if all goes well). I really only need a few tricks for memorization. Sorry for the long post(especially since it can be summed into one sentence). And thank you once again.

[ryuhebi13]

Would flash cards help? Leave them in certain places like the fridge door so you can practice recalling them. The repetition should help. I've also heard about association wherby you associate a word with something you'll remember easily enough. I've never tried it so I don't know if it works though.
Hope that was a small help.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by SilentKohai

I'm currently learning Japanese, and understand the basics. SOV instead of SVO. Pronouns are typically left out of conversation if the subject is implied. There's no official plural for japanese words. "No" is possesive, or can be used as an equivalent to the english word "of". I understand the differences between positive and negative words. I know phrases and short sentences, and I am actually beginning to understand basic Japanese without too much translation(I get the jist of things). I just have one problem.

I can't seem to remember any words. I try so hard, but they always slip my mind. I remember them when I hear/see them again, but just trying to remember them has proven itself quite difficult for me. Same for the Katakana/Hirigana characters(I have not started with Kanji at this point). Please, if anyone knows a good way to memorize these words/charcters, I urge you to help me.

I am not impatient, however, and I am trying to learn Japanese for a permanent transition to Japan. I have quite a bit of time, because I'm still young, and I am trying to set myself up well before jumping into something like this. I am visiting Japan this summer, and I would like to be able to have some Japanese memorized by then(even still, not much, seeing as I'll be on an American army base for a majority of the time). Even if I don't, it's no big deal, because I know that learning a new language does not happen overnight.

Thank you in advance for your time for reading this, even if you can not help me. I appreciate any and all help. I do not expect full on lessons, I am going to meet someone soon for that(if all goes well). I really only need a few tricks for memorization. Sorry for the long post(especially since it can be summed into one sentence). And thank you once again.

Learning Japanese is exactly like learning any subject in school. How did you memorize dates for history? Do this for vocabulary.

[SilentKohai]

Originally Posted by ryuhebi13

Would flash cards help? Leave them in certain places like the fridge door so you can practice recalling them. The repetition should help. I've also heard about association wherby you associate a word with something you'll remember easily enough. I've never tried it so I don't know if it works though.
Hope that was a small help.

I have tried using flashcards before, but not putting them around the house. I'll definitely have to try that.

[SilentKohai]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

Learning Japanese is exactly like learning any subject in school. How did you memorize dates for history? Do this for vocabulary.

I haven't ever really done anything. Some things are just easier for me to memorize. I've tried many things for what I can't remember, such as flashcards, practice tests on myself, and just constantly repeated things, but none of it seems to really be of help to me for languages. I suppose it's because there's just so much more to memorize, it's just harder for me.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by SilentKohai

I haven't ever really done anything

There's the problem. You don't know how to learn yet.

You're probably very young, so you should seek out native speakers or a class and take it; you're young enough that this will be a very, very good method to learn Japanese. As you get older, this will cease to be as useful because you can't absorb language like a sponge as you age.

Learning a language the "classroom" way is one of the hardest things you'll ever try in your entire life. I've tried thermodynamics, math, physics, biology, chemistry, literature, poetry, law, history, etc. Japanese is by far the hardest thing I've ever studied.

[steven]

That's impressive Kyle!

As for the OP, there are a lot of different techniques. For me, they all include repetition. Mixing a few techniques together can help if you have a short attention span.

For starters, Japanese has a written language that is somewhat similar to its spoken language (in terms of how written characters represent sounds goes, not really grammar or what words are used). What that means is that you can actually speak what you write. In other words, when you practice vocabulary, one approach is to write them down over and over again while saying them. If you have no idea how to pronounce them that can be dangerous of course, so be careful.

Similarly, characters-- this is particularly a point made about kanji, have a specific stroke order. For whatever reason, paying close attention to the stroke order might help you remember the word. This might be a more advanced technique for a second/third/etc-language learner though.

Another technique is to do a lot of listening. When you listen, listen specifically for new words that you have studied. When you hear them and recognize them, this may cause better retention. The more you hear words in use, the easier it is to remember them. This technique also gives you context, which is for me at least a very important part of studying vocabulary. I think that when the brain hears a word that you've studied within the context of natural conversation, it subconsciously decides "that's important" and retains that word... even if to the slightest degree, on a native level.

Something else you can do is make up absurd stories behind the words. Obviously if you do this for every word your head will explode with too much pointless information-- but it can be helpful for words that are hard for you to retain. For example, when I was in high school doing my first year of Japanese, we had to learn the word 地下鉄 (chikatetsu/subway)... for whatever reason. It was one of those words that I knew I wouldn't have to use in everyday conversation but studied it anyways because I would be tested on it. Luckily for me, a loud-mouthed guy (who was a senior on the baseball team, just taking the class to mess around and get an easy A in) kept repeating "chicken sandwich". The idea behind this is that they have "chicken sandwiches" at an American "healthy" fast food chain called "Subway". After I figured out what that guy was doing and I got what it meant, I never forgot it. I don't think I ever had any trouble whatsoever remembering that word. This is in spite of the fact that I didn't use it in conversation for years to come. So if you can come up with stupid little things like this for "hard words" then you can use that as a device to help you retain them. Every time you see or hear the word you'll think of your stupid device and you'll know what it is. Of course that does cause a slight delay (as in word-device-meaning vs word-meaning) it can be useful to get by with during your beginner years.

Which brings the conversation back to what Kyle said-- a lot of this depends on you and your learning style. I think a lot of people have to employ certain study techniques that work for them and their personality/habits rather than just doing "standard studying". The thing is though, repetition is key. Combining repetitive study with hearing or seeing what you've studied in real life can solidify what you've learned.

And for a bit of a warning- I think that you'll notice if you continue to study Japanese that there might be months that go by when you don't feel any improvement. A LOT of people give up during those kinds of times. This seems to happen particularly with classroom Japanese. For me, it happened basically years 2-4 of high school and my second year of college. I noticed that after the second year of Japanese in high school, most people quit. I also noticed that after the second year of Japanese in college, most people quit. I wouldn't be surprised if there are patterns for that kind of thing.

[Realism]

Originally Posted by SilentKohai

I can't seem to remember any words. I try so hard, but they always slip my mind. I remember them when I hear/see them again, but just trying to remember them has proven itself quite difficult for me. Same for the Katakana/Hirigana characters(I have not started with Kanji at this point). Please, if anyone knows a good way to memorize these words/charcters, I urge you to help me.

That's because you're not learning from things that are interesting to you.

If you're reading a Japanese article about something you're interested in....like...I don't know....knitting ....football...basketball....

Then TRUST me...you'll remember every word.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by steven

Something else you can do is make up absurd stories behind the words. Obviously if you do this for every word your head will explode with too much pointless information-- but it can be helpful for words that are hard for you to retain. For example, when I was in high school doing my first year of Japanese, we had to learn the word 地下鉄 (chikatetsu/subway)... for whatever reason. It was one of those words that I knew I wouldn't have to use in everyday conversation but studied it anyways because I would be tested on it. Luckily for me, a loud-mouthed guy (who was a senior on the baseball team, just taking the class to mess around and get an easy A in) kept repeating "chicken sandwich". The idea behind this is that they have "chicken sandwiches" at an American "healthy" fast food chain called "Subway". After I figured out what that guy was doing and I got what it meant, I never forgot it. I don't think I ever had any trouble whatsoever remembering that word. This is in spite of the fact that I didn't use it in conversation for years to come. So if you can come up with stupid little things like this for "hard words" then you can use that as a device to help you retain them. Every time you see or hear the word you'll think of your stupid device and you'll know what it is. Of course that does cause a slight delay (as in word-device-meaning vs word-meaning) it can be useful to get by with during your beginner years.

1. IIRC from my high school days, this is called the "square peg round hole" method. Weird imagery enhances recall. It's a way to remember grocery lists, too. Suppose you need "fish, milk, printer paper."

Imagine your front door made out of a giant fish. Then you milk a fish's udders. Then milk spills out of the teets.

Then go to the grocery store and think of your front door (your front door should always be the first thing). You'll remember "oh yeah, made out of a big fish, then on and on."

2. This in particular is why I advocate intense kanji emphasis early on. 地下鉄 is trivial to remember if you already know the kanji for "earth" "under" and "iron." Sort of how learning a word like "hydrophobia" is easy if you know "hydro" is "water" and "phobia" is "fear" and if you know the symptoms of rabies.

[SilentKohai]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

There's the problem. You don't know how to learn yet.

You're probably very young, so you should seek out native speakers or a class and take it; you're young enough that this will be a very, very good method to learn Japanese. As you get older, this will cease to be as useful because you can't absorb language like a sponge as you age.

Learning a language the "classroom" way is one of the hardest things you'll ever try in your entire life. I've tried thermodynamics, math, physics, biology, chemistry, literature, poetry, law, history, etc. Japanese is by far the hardest thing I've ever studied.

Ah, yeah... I guess I don't. I just never had the motivation. I need to change that, but I don't know where to start, so I guess that's why I'm sort of stuck.

As for learning, a family friend of mine is going to tutor me. I'm actually going to start meeting with him next week after my trip. And I guess I am young. I'm still in school if that's what you mean.