So Icon made the jump and as part of her new year resolutions, went back to learning Japanese. I started from the very beginning -college was a long, long time ago- what is called in Taiwan as 50 “sounds” -hiragana and katakana, though don’t describe them as such, most people know them as 50 sounds only.
Let’s just say that when the professor started explaining the sounds in Japanese using examples from Taiwanese (Hoklo) I knew I was in trouble… They do have a funny way to explain pronunciation here.
This place was also recommended to me by the Japanese colleagues -but I am not going there as I am trying a place closer to work. They seem to have a bookstore with plenty of Japanese materials, too. I am most familiar with Kinokuniya Bookstore, at Breeze Center, but they are not very helpful, though they do carry the official test books.
The only extra stuff I have bought so far is a book that shows you how to write kanji -as they may be a bit different from the ones we use here and anyways, as a foreigner, characters are always a hassle, which is not the case with locals- and a “cheat chart” with hiragana and katakana that saves a lot of time.
The place I am going to is the official test site too, so I hope that helps. I’ll give them more time and let you guys know how it works.
I am not using any website -my home computer is down- but I have some writing apps -how to write the characters- , basic phase stuff and vocabulary/verb lists. And yes, it is amazing how many materials are available. I would even say learning Japanese can become environmental. I often hear Japanese spoken on the MRT, plenty of magazines on the shops and several TV channels. That should help a bit… when I reach the level to understand them.
Well, I took Taiwanese at that same place, and I know their teaching is a bit old fashioned but sincerely a lot better -and a lot less annoying- than at Shida’s MTC. The instructors at this place are far more professional and helpful, and I do not feel singled out or anything. The youngsters at the class are struggling in different places, too, and for once actually I occasionally have a foot up because I studied before. Yet our course is super intensive, and Taiwanese style there is a lot of homework.
I wish I could study on my own but I am not that disciplined.
Taiwan used to be a japanese colony, therefore I assume many taiwaneses have knowledge in the language. I would like to improve my japanese in Taiwan, but I never found places to practise it.
