Tips for Japanese Speaking Practice

Almost all my students who contacted me for private lessons want to focus on their Japanese speaking practice.

They love self-study with their perfect planning. They are absolutely dedicated and high achievers. So, they can read hiragana, katakana and some kanji and know lots of vocabulary and grammar.

However, they find speaking is very hard. My answer is obvious. They haven't practised speaking in real conversation settings. 

'INPUT' is important but 'OUTPUT' is more important than input in terms of speaking.

According to my recent research about the top issues of Japanese speaking practice are;

1. I don't have a language partner.

2. I don't know how to practise speaking Japanese.

3. Private lessons are out of my budget.

I strongly wanted to help those people who are struggling with their Japanese speaking skills. I realised this is my mission and passion.

Here are my tips.

1. I don't have a language partner.

It is important to find a good community where you can meet highly motivated learners. You can inspire each other and learn from each other. Be well-prepared with your focus and target of your current expressions and speak a lot with the native speakers.

If you cannot find a community in your area and also it is too far to attend the nearest language group, you can always use online community. I am going to create one on my www.masterspeakingjapanese.com in the future as well. I have my students all over the world and it is fair to create one for them and others.

2. I don't know how to practise speaking Japanese.

I would recommend you to select a course or materials which has a step by step structure. My favourite linguist in second language acquisition, Stephen Krashen says adding a bit more challenge is effective. It is actually quicker if you focus on mastering one target grammar or a few expressions first, then add more like building a tall but stable pyramid. So, please select phrases of the week and use them in your speaking.

3. Private lessons are out of my budget.

Private lessons are not available option for everyone, and I recommend  a self-study course or materials which cover these three points.  A) You can understand new expressions clearly. B) You will have a plenty of speaking practice by using the new expressions. C) You can have a short conversation practice in real life settings and express your own situations.

It is even better if you have this opportunity with a professional teacher and receive feedback. If a course allows you to have these practices, the price is more reasonable for the best speaking outcome.

Simply, I really hope you can feel confident in your speaking Japanese by practising in an effective approach.