Learning a language by yourself

[Archangel Tyrael]

Have any of you succesfully done this?
If so, what language did you learn? How did you do it?

I should mention I don't mean simply picking up how to say ''hello my name is X'', I mean actually being able to use that language proficiently.

I've always wanted to learn Japanese but I just don't have the money to pay for a language school, and I don't really think it's the best option for me anyway (for many reasons).

Do you have tips for me? If you learned Japanese by yourself, what resources did you use?
I'd greatly appreciate any advice you have.

I suppose this thread could also be used for general language learning tips.

Thanks for reading!

[belfpala]

Immersion. It's really the only way.

I can currently rattle off the foulest insults in Spanish because of my job. Oh, that's not what you want.

Are you in school? Any Japanese folk around? They might also want to learn more English.

[Gurluas]

I am also studying Japanese.
I recommend Textfugu, it's really good for self-learning.

I also recommend watching a lot of Japanese material to get a feel for the language.
And finally, look for Japanese humans whom you can talk to and learn about both language and culture.

[Arkenaw]

Impossible or nearly impossible. Language is learned by practicing using it with others. Even your native language can get rusty if you aren't social enough.

[Ariselea]

Immersion. It's really the only way.

100x this.

I spent a year working in Amsterdam and a year in Tokyo, without knowing the languages.
While I was never fluent, I could understand a vast majority of what was being said by the end of my time.

[Independent voter]

Learn 2-3000 of the most used words. Get a flashcard program, there are a few on the web. After you have those words memorized start watching movies and TV shows, radio shows, podcasts in that language to pick up some grammar. If you can travel to the country where it's spoken, that will help too. It's a really long row to hoe so be prepared.

[belfpala]

I'm currently learning Italian. I'm using an app called 'Duolingo'.

Picking Italian guys?

Is there one called TvåSpråk?

[Archangel Tyrael]

Immersion. It's really the only way.

I can currently rattle off the foulest insults in Spanish because of my job. Oh, that's not what you want.

Are you in school? Any Japanese folk around? They might also want to learn more English.

Sadly, no.
The only contact I have with the Japanese language right now is through movies/anime/news.

I actually haven't started yet, simply because I'm not really sure how to... Hiragana/Katagana or Romaji?
It seems confusing, some people say it's better to start with romaji, some say you should start learning Kanji...

Impossible or nearly impossible. Language is learned by practicing using it with others. Even your native language can get rusty if you aren't social enough.

I believe my English is ''fair'' to say the least, and I don't use it on a daily basis.
I also have never really invested a greal deal of effort to learn it.

But then again it could just be that English is ''easier'' than most languages (I don't actually believe that myself).

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Learn 2-3000 of the most used words. Get a flashcard program, there are a few on the web. After you have those words memorized start watching movies and TV shows, radio shows, podcasts in that language to pick up some grammar. If you can travel to the country where it's spoken, that will help too. It's a really long row to hoe so be prepared.

By words do you mean Kanji?

[Tragedia]

I would go with Duolingo as well. Even though it would be best not to learn by yourself, you should meet other people who speak Japanese and practice with them.

Husband is Italian and he begged me to pick it over French.

Italian is a beautiful language.

[belfpala]

Husband is Italian and he begged me to pick it over French.

Does he speak Italian? I see date nights in the future.

[vindicatorx]

Also learning Japanese I use Rosetta Stone mainly but also have a few apps for when I have downtime during a break at work or whatnot I know there is a language exchange thing for every hour you spend speaking with someone wanting to learn your language you get a free hour to converse with someone in a language you want to learn. I don't recall the name of it though.

[Nyoken]

Yea I learned English from the TV. I would basically mimic the words they were saying/using in the TV and connect them with the subtitles, and remember it. Since I hated my English teachers in school that was a different way to do it.

[DEATHETERNAL]

I kinda need to do this too. I need to learn Mandarin, and immersion isn't an option.

[belfpala]

A little. He's much better at reading it and understanding it when he hears it.

Then go learn it together. Drinks and food after a class you take together. :P

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

You can't learn a language by yourself.
Some one has to teach it to you, unless you are creating your own.
It may not always be a paid professional, or even an instructional series.
It may even be simply hearing other people speak.

There is no reason to even consider learning it alone, as you always will learn something from others. Its best just to embrace that. Languages aren't meant to be kept to yourself.

This guy does a great job of teaching you the basics for free though
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyt...xaJvxuqGP0FMEQ

[Independent voter]

By words do you mean Kanji?

I wouldn't learn Kanji at first, I'd stick with Romanji until you at least have 2-3000 words memorized and some grammar. Japanese is harder to learn than a lot of Western languages, Kanji just makes it even harder.

[imabanana]

Japanese is definitely not the easiest language to learn by yourself. The language itself isn't really complicated, but very different from "western" languages in terms of structure. It's very easy to make tons of hard to notice small mistakes if no one is there to point them out for you.

Learning kanjis first is recommended by quite a lot of teachers. Might be a good way to test how motivated you are. Learn the first basic thousand by yourself (much easier than learning to speak), you can even just learn the meaning without caring about how to say them (I'd even argue you should). Then see if you really want to go forward and start learning how to speak.

Also, hiragana/katakana are a must, and really easy to learn by yourself.

[belfpala]

We totally should. I'll nag him till he submits.

Some of the best dates with my GF went that way. She's Korean, speaks the language fluently. She shadowed my classes, and then taught me phrases like, "You speak like a baby" and so on. <3

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you can even just learn the meaning without caring about how to say them (I'd even argue you should). Then see if you really want to go forward and start learning how to speak.

In the opposite direction, Katakana is syllabic. You can easily learn to say things without knowing what they mean.

[Derah]

Its entirely possible.

I learned english without taking any special course or anything like that. I just watched A LOT of movies in english as a kid with subtitles in my language (Spanish) and did the same for TV shows, and videogames. Over time this created a vocabulary. I'd learn new words, how Silla was Chair, how Manzana was Apple, and so on and so forth.

By the time I was 12, I knew hundreds of words in english, but of course, I didn't know how to put together a sentence. That came when I met others who spoke the language. I began playing wow in 2007, and originally I spoke a very broken english (Like tarzan, but worse) but in my own clumsy way, I encouraged everyone I ever met in all the guilds I've been to, to correct me every time I make a mistake. And over time, I just polished my language. It took me seven years, countless hours in ventrilo, and even more hours just typing and typing in-game, but little by little I learned the do's and don'ts of english, just by exposing myself to the language. Today, I'm 100% fluent, and even have a job as an english teacher, and serve as a volunteer localizer on another website as a hobbie (and to keep the language fresh)

Being able to learn a new language without taking a special course or class is entirely possible. How do you think babies learn how to speak? by getting the info imprinted on their brains matrix-style? nope, they learn words by hearing their closest relatives talking, and little by little how to put together sentences with those words.

If you want to learn japanese, you simply have to surround yourself with the language. Of course, moving from English to Japanese is a way bigger leap than Spanish to English. Since their alphabet is way different. But its not unheard of.

[alexkeren]

It is. It's also quite easy to pick up for some reason.

All the Romance languages are, especially if you've taken any of the others.

As to the OP, Rosetta Stone if you can afford a few hundred dollars. Otherwise I'm gonna investigate the suggestion of others to check out Duolingo. I have Russian RS, but would like to work on other languages at some point.

Combined with Belfpala's suggestion, if you're near a college just contact the English department and see if they have any Japanese students needing tutoring help. Or if Japanese is taught there try and see if you can audit the class/meet some students to practice with.