Foreword
Congratulations! You've taken your first step towards learning Japanese!
This is Tatsumoto's Guide to Learning Japanese. I'm Tatsumoto Ren, and I'm excited to help you begin your journey to learn Japanese. This guide is designed specifically for individuals who want to master Japanese through self-study, without relying on traditional textbooks and classes. Are you eager to take control of your learning and achieve a high level of fluency faster than with any other method in the world? If so, you're in the right place. This site is dedicated to providing you with the theory, strategies, and tools you need to succeed.
How to use this site
Begin by reading the guide and the FAQ section thoroughly. It's essential to go through the entire guide, as you might overlook crucial information. However, you don't need to complete the guide before starting to apply the concepts discussed. Feel free to start your Japanese learning journey as soon as you grasp the initial steps. Once you've finished the guide, you may have further questions that aren't addressed in the FAQ. If that happens, don't hesitate to ask in our chat. It will help us expand the FAQ page and reduce the number of recurring questions.
Our approach
We divide the process of learning any foreign language into two major steps.
- Learn to understand the language at a high level.
- Use your comprehension to learn to speak the language by mimicking native speakers. This is similar to how kids do it.
We focus on understanding before speaking, or input before output. If you want to learn how to draw, you've got to be able to see before you can draw. You can't have a conversation if you can't understand what the other person says.
This approach makes the journey easy and fun because from day one you are encouraged to learn from compelling content made for native speakers of your target language. Most people who persevered and reached fluency watched their favorite TV shows in Japanese and read lots of books and manga every day. No amount of brute force can get you there, so forget about traditional approaches such as taking classes or hiring a tutor.
All Japanese All the Time
The method explained here is widely known as AJATT, or All Japanese All the Time. It is directed at people who want to get to fluency as fast as possible by spending a lot of time with the language. The key component to succeeding with AJATT is engaging with the language every day, all the time, going as hardcore as you can.
The logic is very simple. The more time each day is spent learning, the faster one arrives at the destination. And of course, the learning process must be efficient. AJATT optimizes learning to achieve the best results. But since studying is boring and exhausting, AJATT strives to make learning fun and interesting. We recommend learning from the language that real native speakers actually use because textbooks, courses, classes and apps don't teach how people really speak.
AJATT has very little formal structure and doesn't try to force any particular workflow. You learn the most common words, study basic grammar, but after that you are taught how to dive into authentic content. You learn new things as they come up in the content.
The emphasis is very strong on input and comprehension in the beginning. You try to get to understand Japanese perfectly before concerning with trying to produce Japanese yourself.
It's free
It is important to be mindful of your finances when learning a foreign language. I learned Japanese without spending any money, and I encourage you to do the same. Everything you need to master Japanese can be found here and online. There is no limit to the amount of media and books you can absorb. With torrents, you can find any anime, drama, or manga ever made. The internet provides an unlimited number of resources for Japanese media. Additionally, you can easily access dictionaries, grammar guides, and software to facilitate your language learning.
On the other hand, if someone tries to sell you language learning courses, books, software, or any other resources, it's best to avoid them. We believe these are simply scams. No one needs to pay money to learn a language.
The AJATT method does not require any payments. However, because the method is based on self-study, you will need to study by yourself and ensure you follow everything the guide says. Everything depends on how well you study.
Technology
You are going to need a desktop computer or a laptop to learn Japanese effectively. This is because it's a lot easier to work with text when you have a physical keyboard. We use a variety of software to help in the learning process. The tools introduced in this guide are free as in freedom. We use what we recommend. We don't endorse proprietary software and services that mistreat their users.
What's next
The following articles we will will provide you with an overview of the method, and the most important steps you need to take. The remaining articles address each step in detail.
Tags: guide