How To Speak Japanese 2 - How To Choose The Best Materials For Learning To Speak Japanese

How many textbooks and apps have you used to try to learn Japanese? 

Did any of them actually help you to have a smooth, anxiety-free conversation with a native Japanese speaker?

If not, don’t feel bad - it’s not your fault.

See, most textbooks and apps aren’t made to help you actually  speak Japanese. Sure, they cover lots of reading, grammar points, maybe even some writing. But speaking? That’s another matter entirely.

If you truly want to communicate in Japanese, you need to use materials that focus on speaking. 

Whether you’re traveling, sightseeing, working at a Japanese company or just trying to order food at a local Japanese restaurant, speaking is the most important Japanese skill you can possibly develop.

If you can master speaking Japanese, all the grammar, vocabulary and kanji will become so much easier. Your progress will be faster, you’ll see real results, you’ll gain confidence, and your language journey will be a lot more fun!

Here are 5 tips for choosing the best materials for learning to speak Japanese:

1. Make sure the materials are in a question and answer, or conversational format rather than in a monologue
2. Choose materials that help you speak about yourself and your own life rather than an imaginary person
3. Use materials with crystal clear explanations of grammar and vocabulary
4. Find materials that let you learn new expressions by speaking (rather than just reading or writing)
5. Make sure the materials include Japanese for practical, real-life situations

Let’s get into the details.

1. Make sure the materials are in a Q&A or a conversational format

When was the last time you made a speech? Personally, I can’t remember the last time I made one.

We don’t make speeches or give presentations on a daily basis, so why would we learn to speak Japanese in a speech or presentation format?

Most of your time spent speaking is in a conversational format, which means lots of questions and answers.

This means that finding materials that teach you how to speak Japanese in a conversational style is crucial!

It’s no good only being able to recite your self-introduction or a presentation about what you did on the weekend if your conversation partner asks you a question.

You need to understand common questions and responses in different situations. You need to be able to express yourself freely and confidently. And the materials you choose need to teach you how to do this.

If you learn from the right materials, you won’t hesitate to speak Japanese whenever you get the chance because you’ll have the knowledge, practice and confidence to have smooth conversations.

You’ll never miss another opportunity because you’ll be ready for anything!

2. Choose materials that help you speak about yourself and your own life

There is almost zero practical benefit to learning the following phrase:

たなかさんはにほんじんです。 

Mr. Tanaka is Japanese.

Why? Because you’ll almost never say it. 

When you speak, you want to express yourself. You talk to the person in front of you. You talk about your family and friends.

This is how real conversations work.

We rarely talk about people we don’t know, so why should your Japanese study focus on made-up characters from a textbook?

If you find materials that help you learn and use expressions about yourself and your life, you’ll enjoy studying Japanese a lot more. You’ll be able to have real conversations sooner. They’ll go more smoothly. You’ll feel more comfortable and confident.

You’ll start thinking about how to use them in your area, in an online community, or when you visit Japan. 

How exciting!

3. Use materials with crystal clear explanations of grammar and vocabulary

If you’re learning by yourself, it’s crucial to be able to understand grammar points and the differences between similar expressions.

Whatever materials you choose, they should help you to learn the use cases, cultural meaning, and nuances behind the grammar, vocabulary and phrases you’re learning.

It sounds obvious, but the materials you choose should also build up your speaking skills by moving from easier expressions to more challenging ones.

This will help you avoid common mistakes.

It’ll also help you with another key point:

In Japanese, the same grammar point can be used to show different things in different situations.

Take the ‘ni’ particle, for example.

If you learn it in the context of a holiday, a typical sentence might look like this:

(わたしは)きょうとにいきます。

I’m going to Kyoto.

But if you learn the same particle in the context of a convenience store, a sentence could look like this:

おにぎりはあそこにあります。

The onigiri/rice balls are over there.

The ‘ni’ particle is the same, but one sentence is talking about a travel destination and the other is talking about where you can find a tasty snack! 

If you don’t learn by taking small steps with meaningful practice, you might never understand how to use ‘ni’ in both cases. You might also never learn other important points, like that in Japanese culture it’s natural (and even preferred) to omit repetitive words and phrases. I talk more about that specific point in my article on How To Learn Japanese.

Good materials will give you specific patterns that look something like this:

[Destination + ni] + movement.

（わたしは) きょうとにいきます。

I’m going to Kyoto.

[Location + ni] + exist.

(おにぎりは) あそこにあります。

The onigiri/rice balls are over there.

When you learn the formulas from clear explanations, you’ll be able to express yourself more easily. You’ll constantly add to your toolbox of phrases and you’ll be able to distinguish between similar grammar points and avoid common errors.

If your materials throw you straight into the difficult stuff, you might start to feel frustrated and give up. So, take small, steady steps and you’ll be speaking like a native in no time!

(A quick learning note: never learn the ‘ni’ particle as [place + ni]. Learning it this way can cause a lot of errors down the line.)

4. Find materials that let you learn expressions by speaking

What’s the point of memorising grammar points and vocabulary if you can’t use them in a conversation?

Learning Japanese is like learning a musical instrument - having theoretical knowledge isn’t enough. You need regular practice.

Learning new information by speaking is the best possible way to make it stick.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re choosing Japanese materials:

• Example sentences should have audio for you to mirror and repeat
• Good instructions should give you the chance to make your own practical questions and answers using the new expressions
• Good materials should provide you with model conversations for you to check your usage against

If the materials you use encourage you to speak, repeat and experiment, your brain and mouth will get used to cooperating. It’s a widely-studied phenomenon, but using more of your physical body and senses (like speaking) also helps activate your long-term memory. Speaking is the first step to fluency!

5. Make sure the materials include Japanese for practical, real-life situations

If you want to become a fluent Japanese speaker, you should learn expressions for practical, real-life situations. Learn Japanese you’ll use on a daily basis.

For example, if you’re planning to visit Japan for a holiday or a business trip, it would make sense to learn expressions related to sightseeing or business. While learning hiragana and lists of random vocabulary can help you indirectly, it shouldn’t be the main focus of your study.

Make sure the materials you choose cover Japanese expressions for the situations you’re likely to encounter.

That way you’ll be able to navigate your interactions with native speakers smoothly and easily.

The science behind these 5 points

These 5 points are very important for language learning. Here’s why:

According to world-famous American linguist, educational researcher and activist Stephen Krashen (inventor of Krashen’s Input Theory), the most important factors in language learning are:

1. You should acquire expressions from your life setting and your goals
2. You should study from something you can understand
3. It should be a bit challenging, but not too hard

If you stick to the points covered in this article, you’ll be well equipped to choose the best materials for learning to speak Japanese.

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Mineko Arai

Hello! I'm Mineko Arai. I’ve been teaching Japanese for about 20 years. I was a lecturer at top UK universities like the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, the University of Sheffield, and King's College London.

I was also employed by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to prepare diplomats for postings to the British embassy in Tokyo.

I'm now the director of the Arai Academy of Japanese Studies. The academy has provided corporate training to the British Museum,  as well as executives and business leaders at companies like Deloitte, Sony, Dentsu and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank.

I was also voted #1 online tutor at Vidalingua.

I have an MA in applied Japanese linguistics from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and an MBA in Education Management from King's College.

Most textbooks and courses lock you in to stock examples and phrases, which are unusable, and sound stiff and unnatural. However, the Master Speaking Japanese course empowers you to say exactly what you want naturally and fluently from the very beginning! Get started for free!