Real tips for studying Japanese
Thinking of studying Japanese? A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in Japanese Language and Literature
has some suggestions for you.
“I don’t care how many anime tapes you’ve watched, how many Japanese girlfriends you’ve had, or books you’ve read, you don’t know Japanese. Not only that, majoring in the godforsaken language is NOT fun or even remotely sensible. Iraqi war prisoners are often forced to major in Japanese. The term ‘Holocaust’ comes from the Latin roots ‘Holi’ and ‘Causm’, meaning ‘to major in Japanese’. You get the idea.”
I studied Japanese, and enjoyed it, but I understand quite well what he means when he says “You should just be ready for a whole lot of pain.”
I loved it… the article.. and I hardly remember much of what I learned. Though today I said good morning, thank you and good bye to a japanese regular who loves to laugh at me as I repeat his order in japense. (banana and coffee) every day. Sometimes he gets beer which is another easy japanese word. Most of them though I just explain that I can ask him, “Where is the bathroom?” and thats gets the tip money flowing.