Mastering Japanese-Lesson 2-Groundwork

In this lesson I want to focus on implementation. Here I will specifically go into the tools you will need and explain how to go about setting up a systematic program that will allow you to start building an awesome foundation that will only cost you about a half an hour (15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night) a day, five days a week with weekends off as promised.

First, let's just quickly review the underlying principle that I explained in the first lesson. Do you remember what it was? Do you remember how I emphatically stated that your present ability in Japanese is simply an accurate reflection of how much of the language you've absorbed up until now and has little to do with your intelligence or ability? In other words, you cannot output what you haven't inputted. Remember, we call this the "AUDIBLE ABSORPTION PRINCIPLE" for languages.

Hence, we simply need to amp up your absorption rate. However, it can't just be chaotic random absorption akin to what you've been subjected to so far. It needs to be controlled under laboratory-like conditions so that we can not only measure your progress but pinpoint a target where you can direct your energies like a precision-oriented heatseeking missile speeding to its preprogrammed destination.

Okay, enough of this theoretical babble, let's move forward!!!!

The first tool that you need to get your hands on is a textbook accompanied with a CD containing a bunch of conversations. Most textbooks are conveniently divided into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. Make sure that the product you purchase matches your level and make ABSOLUTELY sure that it comes with a CD containing the recorded contents of the conversations. For our purposes, if a textbook does not come with an accompanying audio text, in light of the "Absorption Principle", for obvious reasons, we don't want it.

Now before I assign you your first homework assignment, please have a quick look these FAQs, some of them may already be stirring around inside of your head at the moment.

************************FAQ TIME*****************************
Question:
What about the popular homepage http://www.japanesepod101.com ?

Answer:
I think that homepage is great! In fact, if it was 100% free,
there seem to be a lot of juicy contents of which I also would
love to avail myself. I didn't have a very thorough look at the
site, but it appears to have a variety of contents conveniently
divided into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels. However,
at this juncture, the most important thing for our purposes is
that the site or any other site contains at least 50 conversations
that you can BOTH print-out and download at the pace of five
conversations every two weeks. If you cannot obtain both (a visual
script and an audio recording) then forget it. Personally, I prefer
a textbook with a CD because I just simply find it more handy.
All the conversation lessons are already conveniently printed out
and all I have to do is pay one visit to a computer in order to download
the CD contents into my MP3 player and then I'm set. Further, a
small book and and an MP3 player is also very portable. I've done
my listening sessions on the train, at coffee shops, while sitting
outside on a bench etcetera. This is a lot more convenient than being
tied down to a computer. But whatever suits you is fine as long
as it fulfils the basic condition, which is, I reiterate, contains at
least 50 conversations at your level that you can BOTH printout
and download at the pace of five conversations every two weeks.
For short, "5 every 2"
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Question:
Which textbooks did you use?

Answer:
Up until now, I have used the following three textbooks and their
accompanying CDs. Each one contains between 50 to over 100
conversations. I think they're great! I personally have listened to
the conversational contents of each text 100 times. It took me about
2.5 years but was well worth it and serves as the solid foundation
of fluency I enjoy today. You can get them at most bookstores that sells
foreign books or even order them over Amazon. They cost about
\1,600 each with CD.

実力アップ!日本語能力試験3級聴解問題
(JITSURYOKU-APPU! NIHONGO-NOURYOKUSHIKEN3KYUU-CHOUKAIMONDAI)
(Power Up! Listening Problems for the JPLT Examination Level 3)

実力アップ!日本語能力試験2級聴解問題
(JITSURYOKU-APPU! NIHONGO-NOURYOKUSHIKEN2KYUU-CHOUKAIMONDAI)
(Power Up! Listening Problems for the JPLT Examination Level 2)

実力アップ!日本語能力試験1級聴解問題
(JITSURYOKU-APPU! NIHONGO-NOURYOKUSHIKEN1KYUU-CHOUKAIMONDAI)
(Power Up! Listening Problems for the JPLT Examination Level 1)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Question:
Is it okay if I purchase a phrasebook or book of Japanese idioms that come
with a CD?

Answer:
No! Such books might be convenient later on down the road. But for right
now, I want you to focus on conversations. Dialogue. In other words,
Person A says something and then Person B responds and Person A responds
to Person B and so on. These mini-dialogues can be and actually should be
fairly short. About a minute and a half each. A perfect example is as follows:
=================================================================
Satoo : グレグさんはいつ日本に来ましたか？
(Greg, when did you come to Japan?)
Greg : 先月来ました。(I came last month.)
Satoo : うちはどこですか？(Where is your home (in Japan)?
Greg : 広尾です。(Hiroo.)
Satoo : どうやって会社に行きますか。(How do you get to your company?)
Greg : 地下鉄で行きます。(I go by subway.)
Satoo : うちから会社までどのぐらいかかりますか?
(About how long does it take to get from your home to work?)
Greg : ３０分くらいです。.(About 30 minutes.)
Satoo : 明日どこに行きますか? (Where are you going tomorrow?)
Greg : 明日は友達と買物に行きます。(I'm going shopping..)
佐藤さんは? (How about you, Satoo-san)
Satoo : 私は会社の人とゴルフに行きます。
(I'm going golfing with a work colleague.)
Greg : そうですか。.(Is that so?)

------------------------------------------------------------------
Question:
How can I determine what my level is?

Answer:
Use the 50% rule. In other words, while perusing a textbook or looking
over the contents of a homepage, go over a few of the conversations
and see if you can understand about 50% of the contents. If you can,
then that should be a good place to start. If you find yourself not
being able to understand more than 50%, then you're probably setting
yourself up for a lot of frustration and I would go back and try to find
something easier. To be honest with you, it wouldn't hurt you at all to
actually go back to a level that is below your level. Remember, I am
putting you on a program that is going to make you a master of the basics.
And as I mentioned before, this entails countless repetitions of things you
have already learned. However, just because you've learned something
doesn't mean you have mastered it. It doesn't mean it has become second
nature to you. Hence, if you come across a textbook or some homepage
whose contents you can understand much more than 50% of, let's say 80 or
even a 100% of, in terms of mastering the basics, that textbook or homepage
will work just fine. When I started this dynamic audio absorption program,
I started at a level below my actual level at the time, because I wanted to
make sure that I didn't leave any stone unturned.
*************************************************************

Okay, let me wrap up today's lesson with your first simple homework
assignment, which is to pick up your first textbook of conversations with accompanying audio format (CD or MP3 download). If you decide to use an
internet webpage, make sure it contains at least 50 conversations which can
also be printed out in Japanese script. (NO ROMAJI!) Because with my
program, your reading skills will progress right along with your listening and conversational skills.

So happy shopping or web surfing! I have tried to make everything as
crystal clear as possible in this lesson.

In the next lesson, I am going to specifically outline how to use the
product you've purchased to develop a level of fluency beyond your
dreams! Remember, the actions you take today, determine your
future tomorrow.