In this series of articles, I will give tips and recommendations to learn Nihongo effectively. 

In today's post, I will focus on tips that are helpful particularly to those who are planning to start or have just started learning the language.

1) Learning must be purpose-driven

You must have a purpose in learning Japanese.  It would be great if it as meaningful as aiming to get a good job in Japan, or entering a Japanese university, or spreading the Good News to the Japanese people.  But even if your purpose is as simple as to just understand the Voltes 5 theme, or sing AKB48's "aitakatta" song, it still helps to have a goal.  There will be times when you will feel like you want to quit. In such situations, keeping your purpose in mind can be good encouragement and motivation.

2) Don't expect too much.

Don't get discouraged if even after 2 or 3 months of studying you still cannot converse with native Japanese.  Remember, it takes time to learn a new language.  Expect about 3 years to become conversant.  Ok, I'm just kidding.  It really depends on many things so stop comparing yourself with others.  The good news is that you will learn Japanese sooner than you think so long as you do not stop studying.

3) Have fun

Learning a new language is perhaps one of the most enjoyable studies that you can engage yourself in.  It doesn't have to be focused on textbooks and school materials.  In fact, it shouldn't be.  Try to be creative and always think of ways to make learning fun.

4) Don't be afraid to make mistakes.

Just talk in Japanese! People will forgive you even if you commit mistakes.  Ok, honestly, some people will laugh at you and you may even get humiliated.  But people learn most when humiliated! So if you want to learn quickly, get yourself humiliated as often as you can. Besides, what's there to lose, other than your pride?

5) Follow a schedule.

Create a schedule and stick to it.  Try to be specific and write the actual topics or lessons that you are going to study per session.  The important thing is to make progress every session, however small it may be.

6) Study in short but frequent sessions.

It is better to study 1 hour per day for 7 days than to study 7 straight hours once a week.  Studies show that our memories retain information more permanently when we study more frequently.

7) Make use of hidden moments

Hidden moments, not to be mistaken with stolen moments or "nakaw na sandali", are moments in our daily lives where we do nothing except to wait for some event to happen or finish.  These include waiting inside the train or car on your way to work or home, waiting in line at the grocery store, and waiting for the TV commercial to finish.  These moments when combined can sum up to more than an hour so if you use them to do a bit of studying (e.g. drill through a few vocabulary flash cards), you might not even have to set a separate study schedule for the rest of the day.

8) Take short breaks.

Make sure that you also take off some time from studying.  Taking a break refreshes the mind and enables you to actually look forward to studying later.  But remember to just take a short break, not a long vacation.