AWESOME BLOG for learners of Japanese!

すごい！I just discovered an awesome blog called チョコチョコ written to encourage other Japanese language learners out there to gang together and study as hard as they can! 

The blogger originally started the blog to write about his journey learning Japanese, but after he realised there were lots of people out there learning just like he was, he began writing to help others learn more effectively. 

Screenshot of the チョコチョコ site.

On his blog you will find study tips, book reviews of Japanese (and Korean) textbooks, kanji study tips, posts about Japanese culture, as well as some other learning resources and grammar notes. You may also be lucky enough to discover a new creature called a チョコチョコ (which may in fact be the encouraging, friendly form of Deva). I am eager to find out exactly what they are and how they can help me learn Japanese!

The main reason why I am mentioning this blog is in fact because of the reading resources offered on the "Great Library" page! I know this may seem simple, but I am going to start reading from the very first story. I need to practice my reading so bad...

In the Great Library, you can select your level of Japanese and then you are presented with some stories  for you to read. I am really impressed, and hope one day to be able to read the stories from the advanced level. (OMG, 漢字がたくさん！）

Well, I'm gonna go and have an even closer look at that blog! 

Happy studying, guys!

今晩の映画

(For the English version, go down)

昨日は、トフグのサイトの日本映画のおすすめを読んだ後で、「SurviveStyle+5」をネットで探す事にした。今晩、パンプキンスープを食べながら、映画を見た。昨日少しスニークプレビューをして、映画の色がとてもつよいので、良い映画だろうと思ったね！　あ、映画はすっごく良かった！

「SurviveStyle+5」は関口現に監督した。それはとても面白くて、すばらしい映画だ。物語は奇妙で、でもとてもおかしい。ミザンセーヌは色がたくさん！　次のビデオを見てください。

ところで、すみませんね。今晩、僕の日本語はちょっと。。。


単語を勉強してみて、でも疲れてるので、本当に出来ない。：（　

I won't translate all of what I wrote above, but I will say that I recommend this film to all those who love colour, love quirky stories, and love Japanese films!

I was wandering around on the internet and stumbled across a blog entry on Tofugu called the "Top 10 Strange Japanese Films You Need TO Watch". I couldn't resist having a look and there, under No.7 was Survive Style +5.

This film, directed by Sekiguchi Gen and starring Asano Tadanobu, Hashimoto Reika and Vinnie Jones, tells five different, distantly entwined stories, each with its own quirks and touching message.

The editing is sharp and does well to enhance the comic feel of certain scenes, and the mise-en-scène is choc-a-block with vivid colours and textures. The scene above is what got me in in the first place. I was blown away by the colour!

I didn't like the hitman's character so much. I thought his scenes were a little awkward and didn't quite work. Apart from his character, I loved all the other characters so much. They were all very well developed and I felt for each and every one of them. Especially one in particular, but I must not mention it in case you go and watch it! You'll know which one I mean. (ポっ、ポっ、ポっ）

Well, I really recommend you see this film. It is on par with タんポポ (Tampopo), and I will be re-watching it very soon!  Oh hell, here's a clip from Tampopo. (I have watched this film numerous times and never ever get bored with it!

A BIG THANK YOU!

Hello all, 

Before I continue blogging, I would like to send a special thank you to Katney & Mishka for helping me fix up my blog. I am so happy it is all back to normal now. 

☆ENGLISH UPDATE☆

This week I decided to take a different approach in regards to the way I study Japanese. 


I was reading a few blogs about study techniques, and one of the blogs asked me to question what is hindering my studies. I came to the conclusion that my lack of vocabulary is my biggest issue and it is really interfering with my Japanese language study. In fact, I am a little upset I didn't come to this realisation much earlier. I had thought about my lack of vocabulary and tried to build it up a little, but I didn't realise how serious an issue it really was, and therefore I tended to move on to other areas of study.


So, how exactly does a lack of vocabulary hinder ones learning? Well, a lack of vocabulary means:

• when you are trying to write, you have to look up lots of words,
• when you are trying to read, you have to look up lots of words,
• when you are trying to speak, you stumble and can't express yourself,
• and when you are listening, you are absolutely LOST. (oh, and depressed...)

You get the picture. 

Well, I kinda knew this ages ago, but you tend to forget the seriousness of having a weak vocabulary. It has now clicked just how important it is, and also how vital it is in order to actually be able to practice listening, reading, writing and speaking. To practice these, you need to know as many words as possible, because otherwise you feel like you don't know anything, and then the whole process of study becomes incredibly boring, daunting and depressing. (Hey, Deva! You mightn't be around for much longer! Muoahahaha!)

All the times I felt depressed about study was really due to my lack of vocabulary. All the times I opened my reading practice book, tried to read a passage and then closed it in frustration was ALL because I didn't have enough vocabulary to keep me going. 

Now, of course, for those who are learning Japanese out there, I'm not saying that you should stop focussing on reading, writing, listening or speaking practice. Not at all! After all, it is through this that you learn new vocabulary and set into concrete the words you have studied that you happen to come across while practicing your reading etc. By practicing your reading, writing and listening, you are seeing the words you have studied in use and in their correct environment (ie. with a certain verb combination etc).

So, what I plan to focus on is expanding my vocabulary as much as I can, so that when I do try and read or listen to Japanese, I don't get so overwhelmed by the words I don't know. By doing this, perhaps the 4 or 5 words of the sentence that I don't understand will turn into a 2 or 3. That could mean a big difference from having no idea whatsoever about the meaning of the sentence, to having an idea of the context and being able to fill in the blanks! 

Ah I feel much better now, so on that note, I will leave and study vocab! 皆、がんばってね！