What are the main challenges in learning Japanese as a beginner

The main challenges in learning Japanese as a beginner include:

1. Learning and memorizing the three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and especially kanji, which has thousands of complex characters and is quite different from Latin alphabets. Kanji is often considered the biggest barrier for new learners. ^{1, 2, 3, 4}

2. Understanding and using the grammar and sentence structures properly, which can be quite different and less intuitive for learners from non-Japanese language backgrounds. ^{5, 6}

3. Pronunciation and accent, including the pitch accent system, which can be difficult due to lack of exposure and instruction focused on these aspects. ⁷

4. Maintaining motivation and overcoming the cognitive load of learning a complex language, including a large vocabulary and characters, sometimes aided by interactive tools and gamification. ^{8, 9}

5. Limited opportunities for immersive practice and conversation that sustain motivation and language output skills, especially for international learners. ^{10, 11}

6. Challenges in applying direct teaching methods in classes, as such methods can impose a high cognitive burden on beginners and verifying comprehension can be difficult. ¹²

In summary, beginners often struggle most with kanji memorization, unfamiliar grammar, pronunciation nuances, motivation, and finding effective practice environments. ^{2, 3, 4, 11, 1, 7, 8, 12}

References

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• Sustanaible Methods of Improving Kanji Learning Skills for Japanese Language Learners at Basic Level at FPT University

• Strategi dalam Meminimalisir Kesulitan Pembelajaran Kanji

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• Interlanguage Pragmatic Competence of University Students: An Error Analysis of Apology Speech Act Strategies in Japanese Learners

• Direct and Indirect Language Learning Strategies in Japanese Language Acquisition

• Japanese Accent Pronunciation Error by Japanese Learners in Elementary and Intermediate Level

• Sustaining motivation for Japanese kanji learning: Can digital games help?

• Gamification Assisted Language Learning for Japanese Language Using Expert Point Cloud Recognizer

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• Development of a motivational regulatory strategy scale for Indonesian learners of Japanese

• The direct method and multilingual turn in teaching Japanese as a foreign language

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• A Study on the Recognition Patterns of Hangul Letterforms by Japanese Native Speakers: Focusing on Non-learners

• Difficulties in Comprehending Japanese Fukugoudoushi of the Japanese Language Learners from Indonesia

• TGT (Teams Games Tournament) Cooperative Learning Model in Kanji Courses to Improve Japanese Vocabulary Mastery

• Errors in Learning Japanese through Listening-Misheard Cases-

• The “News Web Easy” news service as a resource for teaching and learning Japanese: An assessment of the comprehension difficulty of Japanese sentence-end expressions

• Anxiety in Speaking Japanese Experienced by the Department of Japanese Language Education Students of Unnes

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• Japanese Language Teaching and Learning in the New Media Era

• Reflection on Learning to Read Japanese Language Through Contextual Approach for Indonesian Students