how to learn japanese by watching anime

by Dr. Kendra Klein III 6 min read
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  • Practise active listening. When you’re enjoying watching anime, learning might naturally come second.
  • Use re-watching to your advantage.
  • Choose your content wisely.
  • Keep an eye out for Japanese writing.
  • Take notes.
  • Practise shadowing (wisely)
  • Read the manga.

7 tips on how to learn Japanese whilst watching anime
  1. Practise active listening. When you're enjoying watching anime, learning might naturally come second. ...
  2. Use re-watching to your advantage. ...
  3. Choose your content wisely. ...
  4. Keep an eye out for Japanese writing. ...
  5. Take notes. ...
  6. Practise shadowing (wisely) ...
  7. Read the manga.
Aug 26, 2021

Full Answer

Is anime more enjoyable after learning Japanese?

Yes. Well, no. Or... probably rather "neither": * "Yes" because as soon as you are no longer slavishly dependent on the subtitles, your eyes can spend a lot more time on the characters faces, enjoying the art and action more fully, spotting add...

Is it possible to learn Japanese through anime?

Yes, it is possible. But let’s not be too quick to confuse “possible” with “easy.” Rather than try to convince you of whether or not you are actually capable of learning Japanese through anime, I’ll just lay out the detailed process of doing so, and you can decide for yourself whether you’re down for some anime study goodness or not.

How to actually learn Japanese from Anime?

You’re aiming for a sweet spot between a few different factors:

  • Entertainment value
  • Content topic (if you want to get good at conversation, watch conversational shows. If you want to learn medical terms, watch a medical drama)
  • Accessibility

How long would it take to learn Japanese for anime?

Some estimate that it takes English-language students (or non-Asian, without prior kanji knowledge) about 4800 hours to reach true Japanese fluency and pass the JLPT N1 exam. On a Reddit thread about how long it take to learn Japanese, users shared that it took about 800 hours of study time to be able to watch anime with full comprehension.

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Can you learn Japanese from watching Japanese shows?

0:3813:20Learn Japanese by Binge-Watching Shows - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou aren't learning the culture and the gestures along with the language you will never truly beMoreYou aren't learning the culture and the gestures along with the language you will never truly be fluent. So that's why watching Japanese dramas is actually a great use of your time to study Japanese.

Can you learn Japanese from watching anime without subs?

The context and visuals convey so much nuance that the actual spoken dialogue become periphery to one's understanding of the story. In other words, it's very easy to understand the gist of anime without subtitles even if you possess very limited Japanese.

How long does it take to learn Japanese through anime?

What is this? On a Reddit thread about how long it take to learn Japanese, users shared that it took about 800 hours of study time to be able to watch anime with full comprehension. Others said it takes 2-5 years of effort to reach mastery, adding that you could survive in the language after one year.

Is it worth learning Japanese to watch anime?

The bottom line here is that you need to be aware of the kind of Japanese you'll absorb in anime-world. As long as you don't lose sight of your ultimate Japanese language goal—to speak fluently and properly in any situation—anime Japanese definitely has a place in your language learning progress.

How much anime do I need to watch to learn Japanese?

According to US Department of State, you need 2,200 classroom time to learn the language. Assuming you only need half of that time to understand the show well enough, that's 1,100 hours, or 66000 minutes. An episode is around 20 minutes, after removing opening and ending. 66000/20 = 3300 episodes.

Can you pick up Japanese from watching anime?

Japanese language Yes, people can learn at least a bit watching anime! Although it may be tricky at times, it is possible to enjoy and learn Japanese at the same time.

What language is most anime in?

Japanese as it appears in anime and Japanese as it appears in real life are quite different. It might technically be the same language, but polite Japanese is essentially a separate dialect.

What is the hardest language to learn?

Mandarin Chinese1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

How long does it take to watch anime twice?

Since most anime episodes are about 20 minutes long, watching it twice in a row will take about 40 minutes in total. Make sure you pick a good one, since you don’t want to get board on that “Japanese only” replay. Also, all of this is going to be harder if you’re just starting out with Japanese.

How long does it take for a baby to learn a language?

Babies literally take years to learn a language this way. And a lot of times people talk to them in short, simple sentences. Plus, babies tend to participate with the language more than most people who passively listen to it.

Can you watch anime while studying?

You first study them in isolation, that is, not while watching anime. And then you watch the anime afterwords to hear the words that you studied in action. (1) Get a list of the most common words used in the specific anime that you watch to watch.

Is it hard to read and listen at the same time?

First of all, it’s really hard for humans to take in more than one set of sensory information at a time. That is, it’s hard to listen and to read at the exact same time. You’re probably pretty good at it with English because you’ve been doing it for years and they align with each other perfectly.

Can Japanese listen to anime?

They are able to fully hear the different sounds of each language and there is very little crossover. How this applies to Japanese with anime is that when you are watching it, your brain is going to ignore the Japanese sounds that you’re not used to hearing.

How to learn Japanese?

In this “learning Japanese through anime” guide, we’re going to look at a detailed process for putting all that crazy Japanese deep into your brain. Specifically, we’ll go over: 1 Learning every word of every episode (including how to do so). 2 Systematically toggling subtitles. 3 Listening to your chosen anime. 4 Drilling each anime episode into your brain.

What is anki flashcard?

For those that don’t know, Anki is a spaced repetition system (SRS). In other words, they’re smart flashcards. You can download Anki for free here, and you can learn more about how to use Anki in our free guide to learning Japanese, which you can get by signing up for our (pitifully infrequent) newsletter on awesome tips, tools and lessons for students of Japanese.

1. ( The Scariest Tip!) Remove English Subtitles

This is by far the most daunting thing you can do whilst watching anime, especially if you’ve never tried to properly study the Japanese language before. However, just as with many new hobbies and activities, throwing yourself into the deep end may just do the trick!

2. Language Shadowing

Language shadowing is a learning technique that people use to practice how to pronounce words better. It involves listening to the audio, in this case. of the anime, and attempting to simultaneously verbally echo what they hear.

3. Write Down New Words

Another way to learn through anime is pausing and writing down new words that stand out to you. Whilst there may be no rhyme or rhythm to this method, if you listen carefully to dialogue over time, you might be able to pick out what words are used for conversation flow and what words have specific meaning.

4. Create Flashcards & Make A Game Of It

If you’re the type to learn things through fun and games, take the previous tip and bring it a step further. Create flashcards and make a game out of trying to learn how to read the word, how to say the word, and what it means.

5. Be Selective With Your Anime Genre

This might not be an obvious one, but it is an important one! If you’re setting out to try and learn Japanese with anime, it will definitely help you in the long run to be selective about the genre.

6. Read the accompanying manga to the anime (if possible!)

Many anime series will have an accompanying manga. Take your language skills to the next level by purchasing the manga and reading it out loud.

What is the best anime for Japanese learners?

Live. •. Shirokuma Cafe (しろくまカフェ), a.k.a. Polar Bear Cafe, is one of the best anime for Japanese learners. The comedy anime, which was originally made as a manga, was made into an anime adaption with 50 episodes in 2012-2013.

What is the anime Shirokuma Cafe about?

The anime represents Japanese everyday lives and how Japanese people talk. Shirokuma Cafe itself is a less known anime to foreign people but strongly recommended to learn practical Japanese. 4.

Is it fun to learn Japanese?

It is wonderful to feel familiar and learn Japanese in a joyful manner, isn’t it? Watching Japanese anime is one of the most enjoyable methods to learn Japanese, and there are not a few non-native Japanese speakers who learn Japanese through Japanese anime or are inspired to study Japanese by the Japanese pop culture.

Is anime popular in Japan?

Anime itself has got more and more popular recently all over the world. Today, I’d like to introduce 7 best anime to learn Japanese from the famous series to new trendy titles. Popular anime are not necessarily listed here since some of them use the Japanese words that are not used in the real world today.

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The (Wrong) Way That People Use Anime to Learn Japanese

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I am not bashing people who want to use anime to learn Japanese. Personally I think it’s a pretty awesome idea! And there are quite a few people who have done it successfully in such a way that lead them to fluency. But the ones who were successful used some of the strategies that I’ll talk about later on in this post. Ho…
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The Two Things That Hold You Back

  • Now that you know how most people go about it and the general reasons why it doesn’t work, let’s take a look at the “behind the scenes science” of why it doesn’t work. Afterwords we will get to some ways of approaching it that actually do work! First off, you have to understand two things about the human brain: (1) – Babies can hear every sound, but adults can’t. (2) –You brain is des…
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How to (Actually) Learn Japanese Using Anime

  • Make certain Japanese words importantto your brain. How do you do that? You first study them in isolation, that is, not while watching anime. And then you watch the anime afterwords to hear the words that you studied in action. Here are the steps: (1) Get a listof the most common words used in the specific anime that you watch to watch. This part m...
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Anime Makes Learning Japanese Fun

  • Perhaps the best part about using anime to learn Japanese is that it makes it a lot of fun! You get to learn a language and be entertained at the same time. Watching a fun show and then recognizing certain words that the characters say is a very rewarding experience that keeps you coming back for more. And when you see learning Japanese as a fun game, rather than as a cho…
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