Study in the morning
Your brain is very receptive to information first thing in the morning. Studies
have proven that kids do better in their 1st hour classes. If you wake up and look
over your list, you've just set yourself off on the right foot. Now the rest of the
day you can't be scared of Japanese, because your list (what Japanese is to you)
is already familiar to you. A few months of this and you won't be afraid of
Japanese at all.
Study often
You don't have to spend more than a few minutes, but look at your list around 10
times a day. You should be able to make a big dent in a 20 word list in a 24-hour
period. If you're still in high school, you should have plenty of time, either
between classes or even during class if the teacher gives you some free time or
there's a lull in the action. Of course, in college, there are long periods of
"downtime" so you should have no trouble finding a moment to glance at a list,
but more and more colleges are offering Japanese as a foreign language, so if
you have the chance, take it.
Put old lists somewhere AWAY FROM your current list!
You don't want to feel like you have to study all 10 or 20 pieces of paper! That
will scare you away from your list (which you DO need to use). I keep my old
lists in a binder. When I'm going on a trip or I have to wait in line somewhere, I
grab around 10 lists and look them over.
Reviewing is important
Don't be concerned if you can't remember half of the words after a week or two.
You may be thinking, "but I knew them a week ago!". That is because they were
only in your short-term memory. However, when you learn them a second time,
it will be easier. The third time will be even easier yet. Keep learning the word,
and your brain will get the message. Eventually, your brain says, "Ok Ok...have
some storage space in long term memory if the word is so important to you!".
Study with siblings or friends if at all possible
When you can make sentences and practice with others, the words become
cemented in your brain. When I first started, I practiced a lot with my younger
sister and brother, and that really helped me learn the words I was using at the
time.
NEVER try to learn two words at the same time that sound or look alike!
That is, tf they look or sound alike to YOU. It's way too challenging to learn 2
similar words at the same time. You will only be confused about the two words,
and will remain that way for months. You are better off picking one of the words
for now, and totally forgetting about the other at least for a couple weeks. Then
you should go back and put both of them on the same list at a later time, to make
sure that you know the difference. There are plenty of words to learn!
Get your words from the right sources
Good sources for words include: Anime, songs, manga, video games, video
game manuals, internet sites and lesson books that use the words in example
sentences (provided you read the sentences.) It's not all that wise to just grab a
word out of the dictionary because you'll never be able to connect it to anything.
The best thing is to have a context sentence that will connect it to a spot in your
brain. You need to remember where you heard the word as you studied it. That
makes it more real to you, and you will have an easier time learning it.
Below each word, write the sentence you heard it in
This isn't critical, but it will help you get a feel for what Japanese sentences
sound like, and you will also learn the word MUCH more easily. This isn't
required, but it allows you to "learn the word" fewer times.
