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2024年10月31日

Cozy season is in full swing, and it's almost JLPT time. I hope everyone's studies are going very well and that you have seen improvement since last month! As the holiday season and the end of the year (!) approaches, I would like to begin to assess my progress for the year and prepare a path for my studies for next year. Every year at the end of the year I feel like I fell short of my goal, and wish to ramp up for the next year. But I have been trying to be more realistic, so I'm excited to see how my goals and my actual studies line up at the end of the year.

秋と言えば勉強したい季節ですね。もうそろそろ日本語能力試験の時間になりますね。皆さんの勉強が上手く進んでいますように。後少しで年末年始なので、自分の進歩を調べて、そして来年の目的を考え始めようと思います。毎年の年末で目的を越えなかったと気がしますし、来年もっと頑張らないといけないと気分があるんだけど、最近はもっと現実的に目的を作るつもりんですが。今年の目的をどれくらい当たったのを調べるのを楽しみにしています。

October Progress

This month I spent the most time Reading (I read every day!) and the least time on Kanji. I practiced a lot of Vocabulary, focusing on learning and remembering vocabulary rather than just reviewing a large amount. I reviewed Grammar (both N2 and N3) so that I can try to make the usage stick in my mind.

I realized that I really can't do passive Listening, which I tried to do while doing mindless work, because I don't catch a single thing. It isn't like osmosis either, where something entered my brain without having to try. I was listening to native material (child-rearing info) but it really didn't leave any kind of impression. Active is really the best way for me, otherwise I tune it out.

Study Habit Check-In:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

November Goals

As the end of the year approaches, I want to wrap up any goals that seem doable for the end of the year. I tried earlier in the year focusing on one area of study (e.g. vocab, kanji, reading) each day, but since my days are so busy that has kind of fallen apart. I'd like to continue to try to balance my study so that each area receives somewhat equal attention, and then start looking forward to my plans for 2025.

Goals for this month:

I wish I could spend long hours just practicing Japanese whilst wearing a comfy sweater and drinking hot tea, but unfortunately life doesn't allow that, so I will keep trying to fit in my study where I can. Wishing everyone the best of luck during your journey to the JLPT!

何時間連続勉強しながら暖かいお茶を飲みたいんだけど、それはなかなか無理です。そしてできるだけ日本語を勉強しようと思います。皆さん日本語能力試験の勉強頑張ってね！

2024年9月30日

This month was busy but not in that frantic way where I felt overwhelmed. So I spent a lot more time working on Japanese in September. I am embracing the fall atmosphere and enjoying the change of the seasons. I always feel like I am not doing enough to improve my Japanese, but in September I tried to focus on the progress I made. Learning new vocabulary, improving my speaking ability, and even incorporating more writing into my study routine have made me feel like I am improving in a tangible way. Let's take a look at this month's study!

９月も忙しかったけどそんなに必死に動かなくても良かったので、先月と比べると少し落ち着いていた。９月に季節の変わりを楽しもうとして、秋の雰囲気を大切にしようとしている。いつも日本語の勉強は足りないって気がするけど、９月は上達したところを評価してみました。新しい語彙を沢山習って、会話力を上達して、そして文章力も少し成長した。具体的に成長したというのは気づいた。これから９月の勉強についてまとめしようと思う。

September Progress

This month I checked out some textbooks from the Japan Foundation library on the Libby app, and I've been working my way through those. I will try to post some reviews of the texts as I work through them.

I spent a lot of time speaking with the ママ友 (mom friends) at my son's Japanese preschool, and I feel like I am able to understand more and more of their discussions and am able to participate more often. I still always feel like I'm 日本語上手, though, so I will keep working on my conversation skills.

My son and I have started writing hiragana since he knows most of the 46 characters, and he has started writing practice at his Japanese preschool. At school they do a lot of line work (straight lines, curved lines, zig-zag lines, etc.) so at home we are trying out simple hiragana. Learning to teach someone how to learn is interesting, and it makes me realize that hiragana such as つ and し are much easier to write than ほ and お. In the same way that Montessori for English divides up letters to make them less confusing (grouping s, m, a, t for example, and not putting b and d in the same group), I have to think of where to start that is easiest for hiragana.

Study Habit Check-In:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

October Goals

Continuing my motivation from September, in October I'd like to continue with the study materials I have. I am not taking the JLPT exam, but I'd like to continue with a steady schedule to work through the N2 workbooks I have. I also need to finish up the textbooks I checked out in September before they are returned (there's always a waitlist!).

The goals:

I think that these goals are manageable this month, with my schedule being fairly set. I will still be very busy, but I am never not busy ^.^

Looking forward to what this month will bring!

10月は安定だと思うので、この目標はなかなか当たりそうかもしれない。まだまだ忙しいけど、いつも忙しい人ですよ。（^.^）

10月も楽しみにしています！

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2024年8月31日

To be honest, August was really just an exercise in staying afloat. I was able to continue my little habits since I've been doing them so long that they are just something I do in my spare time. But anything else was really hit or miss! I also realized I had forgotten to set goals for August so I guess it worked out since I didn't miss any goals! Sometimes life just happens, so I try not to worry too much about it. Now with September and a new Japanese preschool year beginning (yes they follow the American system at this school), I want to try to focus on making significant improvement again.

実は8月が忙し過ぎて勉強じゃなくて他のところに集中しました。毎日の小さな勉強習慣をいつも通り続きましたが、他の目的は少し雑でした。後、7月に8月の目標を書いてなくて、実は目標を達成しなくても大丈夫でしたね。たまにそういうこともあるから、何とかなるのであんまり気にしないように頑張ります。そして9月になって、息子の幼稚園の新しい学年（そうです、日本風の幼稚園だけどアメリカの学年なんだ）が始まったので、これからまた上達するためにまた動力しようと思います。

August Progress

I spent most of my time in August on Listening and Speaking, and the least time on Vocabulary and Kanji. Listening was primarily listening to (children's) TV shows, podcasts, and conversations, and the Speaking study time I recorded was primarily conversations (with ママ友s and this time I recorded in-depth conversations with my son and husband because my son can participate in actual conversations when did that happen).

I feel like I did a lot of Reading in August but less Grammar and Writing, because I had so much going on and I was just trying to keep on top of all my responsibilities and also trying to get enough sleep.

In July I didn't do a study habit check-in, but let's see how I did in August:

Study Habit Check-In:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

September Goals

I'm super motivated for September, let's gooo!

I want to get back into my study materials such as:

I also got really excited and checked out way too many textbooks on the Japan Foundation (Libby) so I'd like to go through those as well.

And finally, I'd like to take a tip from some of the ママ友s (those are mom friends) and start taking time on weekends to work on hiragana recognition with my son (very mindful). Making it fun helps keep his interest, and we are fortunate to have collected a lot of Japanese children's books in a range of levels to practice with.

How is your studying going? Any new study tips or new classes? Feel free to comment or DM me! Happy studying!

皆さんの勉強はどう？新しい勉強方法や授業を始めたの？コメントやDMをどうぞ！上達できますように！

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2024年7月31日

This month I've been thinking a lot about study habits. I've been looking at "how to study" and thinking about study habits that work for me and those that don't. I have the basics down, and what I mean by that is that I Japanese study daily, no matter what (unless something crazy happens, of course). But I always want to improve my study habits. I want to work smarter, not harder. I want to maximize the small amount of time I have for studying. So this month, I'll take a quick look at my study habits in general.

See this post for study habit tips!

今月よく学習習慣について考えています。徳に一番良い日本語を勉強する方法とか、自分に合うか合わない学習習慣について考えています。毎日少しでも日本語の勉強をしとく。何かが起こったら、たまに勉強しない日もあるだろうが、普通に毎日勉強します。しかしもっといい勉強する方法をずっと探しています。時間があまりないので時間を大事に使って勉強したいと思って、懸命にではなく賢く働きたいと思います。そして今月のまとめは自分の一般的な学習習慣について書こうと思います。

July Progress

I spent a lot of time Reading in July, and less time on Vocabulary and Kanji. However, vocabulary and kanji practice go along with reading, so although I didn't mark it as such, there was more vocabulary and kanji practice than it seems.

In terms of study habits, I continued my small study habits throughout the month. I was able to study at least for 10 minutes every day, and sometimes more than than that. I just want to briefly discuss what study habits I found useful (and maybe some that didn't work for me).

Vocabulary & Kanji

Usually I study vocab & kanji as a set, so I group them together a lot. Writing kanji out is the best way that I learn new kanji, but I don't have a lot of time to sit down with a notebook or workbook and practice kanji. So often I will look at the radicals and try to break down a kanji into its parts in my head. Thinking about the kanji this way also helps me to retain the meaning and how it should be written (though I'd be hard pressed to write most kanji by hand, I can at least identify them on a keyboard). I've also found the Kanji Garden and Ringotan apps to be useful for quick kanji study.

For vocabulary, I try to use the word in a sentence. I look up the meaning, find an example sentence, and try to run through it in my mind. Often I will make a post about a vocab word I come across, so when you see my vocab posts they often come from reading or from conversations or something I've watched.

Grammar

Grammar for me takes a lot of time. I can't use flashcards or anything like that; I have to sit down with a textbook and go through the examples. Often times I don't have time to thoroughly master grammar in one sitting, so I do a lot of review. I use resources separated by JLPT level, so I sometimes pull from my N3 resources and sometimes from my N2 resources.

Listening & Speaking

Often listening and speaking go together, because I have a lot of conversations in Japanese. I also do a lot of listening that involves podcasts, TV, etc. and this involves little speaking, but I'm going to group these together. Listening is best done actively, although sometimes I put something on and tune out. But I never recollect what I heard, so I need to be concentrating to really benefit from listening.

For speaking, I try to mimic other people's speech patterns, especially those I'd like to emulate, such as mom friends from the Japanese preschool. I certainly emulate my husband often, although this is unconscious. In the past I have spoken to my pets and myself for speaking practice, trying to practice making sentences on the fly. This works well as I am usually an avid listener of myself.

Reading

When I read in any language, I prefer to have long chunks of time to dedicate to my reading. However, as that is not usually possible in my daily life, I usually set aside some time just before bed to read. Instead of trying to meet a time or page requirement, I put in the amount of reading that I can, and try to enjoy it rather than having it be a chore.

I also try to pick things to read that I enjoy. I've tried reading many things, but if I don't enjoy reading something I find it a real struggle to get through. So if I don't vibe with something, I skip it. Life is too short, etc. When I don't want to get into anything serious I will just read a manga, and sometimes even that is too much for my brain so I will just not read if I'm not in the mood.

Writing

I always find it difficult to know what to write about. I've tried prompts, stream of consciousness writing, and things like that, but I still struggle for topics. Sometimes just writing works, and sometimes it doesn't. I don't write on any consistent basis, and I don't usually have people correct me, but when I get inspired I go on HelloTalk and write something and check in later for corrections.

So, the TLDR version for July is that you should try to find what works for you and stick with it, and if you don't like doing something, stop doing it immediately ^.^ It will make learning less of a chore and less of a struggle and more of a fun thing. What fun habits do you have for language learning?

つまり、好きな勉強し方をすればいいと思います。そして嫌だったら直ぐ辞めた方がいいと思います。(^.^) そうすれば、勉強はつまらないことじゃなくて、楽しいことになるはずです。皆さんの楽しい勉強の習慣は何でしょうか？

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2024年6月30日

June is already gone, it's official summertime, and here I am still studying Japanese! I wish I were better at old Japanese so that I could compose a haiku or waka about studying Japanese throughout the changing of the seasons... but then I've been watching too much 光る君へ (an NHK taiga drama).

もう6月は過ぎ、夏がやってきて、私はまだこのまま日本語の勉強を続いている。古文がもっと上手だったら、季節が変わりながら自分がまだまだ日本語の勉強を続くについて俳句や和歌を詠めるかもしれないけど…光る君へを観過ぎるかもしれませんね（^.^）

June Progress

The areas of study that I focused on the most in June included Reading (22%), Listening (18%), and Writing (16%). Usually I neglect writing a lot so I am glad it was in my top three study areas. Vocabulary (10%) and Speaking (10%) were the areas I focused on the least, but learning vocab usually goes hand in hand with reading and listening for me so I definitely had more exposure than I recorded. Also, I speak Japanese daily at home with my husband and son so even though I don't record it, I am getting that extra practice. (My husband has even started correcting me since he wants my son to learn correct Japanese, so I'm not getting away with my little bad habits anymore).

My studying in June looked a little bit different than the rest of the year so far because I focused on one area of study each day

For a refresher my schedule was (approximately):

I still continued my previous study habits that have become a part of my routine, but just made a point of focusing on each study area at least one day out of the week.

What did this end up looking like? Most days I would check my schedule, and then pull out a textbook or the renshuu app or something else to take 10 minutes to dedicate to whichever study area was the focus of the day. I will continue this into July because it worked well this month.

Study Habit Check-In:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

July Goals

I hope to continue building on my previous progress (that's what it's all about, after all) and to try at least one new thing in my study routine for July. I have added an app called Kanji Garden (which many of you may already know about) and I want to work it into my study routine.

What do your summer plans look like? Are you going to study more or take a break? Either choice is valid, you do what works best for you!

皆さんの夏の予定はどうですか？勉強を増やすつもり？それとも休みを取るつもり？どれでも応援しています！皆さんは自分なりにした方がいいと思います。

Photo by Leo Okuyama on Unsplash

2024年5月31日

May was an incredibly busy month for me! It always seems to be. The summer will also probably be a bit busy, but as usual I will keep studying.

とても忙しかった5月があっという間に終わりました。いつも5月はなぜか忙しい。夏も忙しいだろうが相変わらず勉強続きます。

May Progress

My goals in May included continuing to focus on Reading, Writing, Grammar, and Listening and also adding in more focus on JLPT N2-specific study. Here is how my progress in May went:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

I think that my focus was spread evenly enough that I accomplished most of the goals I set for myself, but of course I always have that thought that I could do more. My plan for next month will be to continue with the habits that I have made, try to find a few more things to add to my routine, and to reprioritize anything that doesn't work for me.

June Goals

For June I am going to try something a little bit different. I would like to focus on one of each of the study areas daily. I think this will work as long as I don't become too overwhelmed with trying to do too much.

The plan is to focus on one of the 7 areas of study (Vocabulary, Kanji, Grammar, Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing) each day. For starters, I plan to focus on each area on the same day every week. For example, on Monday I will do Vocabulary, on Tuesday I will do Kanji, etc. Of course, I will still be trying to read daily, write more than one day a week, and include speaking and listening with my family daily. But I think if I can get into a habit like this then I will have more balance in my studies and stop neglecting certain things (sorry, Grammar, I promise I do want to get better).

If you have anything in particular that you do to study that you'd like to share, let me know! I always like to know how others study.

もし好きな勉強する方法が有れば是非教えてください！皆さんの勉強し方について興味があります。

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2024年4月30日

April is the month of new beginnings in Japan. The school year ends in March, the fiscal year ends in March, and then there is the transition to the new beginnings in April. The cherry blossoms are the biggest symbol of this transition from one school year to the next, and the beginning of work for many of those just entering the workforce.

It makes sense that April can be a new beginning for Japanese studies as well. So, for April, I wanted to rededicate myself to my studies. Honestly, I rededicate myself at least every month, and every year, because my priorities and abilities are constantly changing. I do, however, like to have certain periods of time to mark out major changes.

So what does this look like for me? I have been spending a lot of time with Japanese mom friends from my son's Japanese preschool, my son has been growing ever proficient in Japanese (thanks to his time at school, his immersion at home, and his rapidly-developing brain), which has begun to show me in detail where I am doing well and where I am deficient. I'd like to keep pace with my son's proficiency and to challenge myself (because I really love studying Japanese).

So, in general terms, I am rededicating myself to my goals from the beginning of 2024 and to studying for the JLPT N2 exam.

3月と言えば終わり、4月と言えば始まりですね。入学式もあって、入社もあって、年度初めでもあって、日本で色々が始まります。

そして、4月から日本語の勉強についてリフレッシュもしようと思います。4月にまた気合を入れて日本語の勉強に集中したいと思います。実は自分が毎年や毎リフレッシュしますが、それは日本語の目的も能力もいつも変化しているからです。しかし、4月にもう一回リフレッシュするのを決めました。

リフレッシュと言えば、何ですか？最近息子の幼稚園で会ったママ友とよく話したりしていて、息子の日本語の能力をレベルアップを認めていて、自分の足りない部分が見えるようになりました。息子の役に立つになりたくて、自分も日本語を勉強するのが好きで、これからもっとチャレンジしようと思っています。

それで、自分の年初の目的と日本語能力試験のN2の勉強に集中するつもりです。

April Progress

I think that April was the most balanced my study has ever been amongst all the areas of study that I focus on. My goals in April included continuing my focus on Reading, Writing, Grammar, and Listening.

Here is how my goals went:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

I am proud of sticking to the things that I wanted to do, and also incorporating more study for the N2 into my routine. Other things I did included:

May Goals

For May, I'd like to keep my momentum and excitement for studying going, and to try to focus on JLPT N2 textbooks more. I'll also try to continue reviewing N3 information. I'll keep my goals the same as in March, and just add in additional study materials where I feel necessary.

Additional Study Materials:

If you've read this far, thank you! These updates are mostly motivation for me, but I hope at least the pictures are pretty and maybe you find a new resource when you read these ^.^

See you next month!

ここまで読んでいただいてありがとうございました。毎月のアップデートはほぼ自分のためだけど、面白い写真を見れるかもしれないし、それとも使えるリソースを見つかれるかもしれまない ^.^

また来月！

Photo by Kumiko SHIMIZU on Unsplash

2024年3月31日

Spring is in the air, the cherry blossoms are blooming, and every year around this time I get energized to study more. In March, I spent a lot of time focusing on the things I want to improve upon in Japanese, so I am proud of my achievements.

また春が来てて、桜が咲いてて、毎年この季節に勉強のやる気が出ます。3月に日本語の成長したかったところに集中して、結構上手くいったと思います。

March Progress

My goals in March included Reading, Writing, and Grammar, with a focus on Kanji and Vocabulary taking a back seat.

Here is how my goals went:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

I made good progress with the areas I was focused on! I completely neglected Kanji and Vocabulary, but since Reading and Writing use both of those, I think I'll be okay. I'd like to practice Grammar more often, and I'd like to practice writing more sentences with the grammar I learn.

My son is going to be 4 soon, and so at both Japanese preschool and English preschool they are beginning to work on writing lines. So I have downloaded some print out pages to help him trace and recognize the first five hiragana (あ～お). He is interested in it, and we draw pictures and I try to make it fun for him. He can already recognise these first characters, so I'll try to keep adding to them (か～こ next!).

April Goals

For April, I'm going to try to harness my momentum and continue with Reading, Writing, and Grammar. I'd also like to fit in more podcasts to work on Listening. Not too many changes with my goals between March and April, but I'll adjust as needed (for time constraints, interests, etc.)

Wishing everyone a lovely spring!

皆さん、素敵な春を過ごせますように！

Photo by pepe nero on Unsplash

2024年2月29日

I'm pretty proud of my February Japanese studies. I was able to stick to a fairly steady routine and to focus on the areas I wanted to focus on (like Reading and Writing). Spring is on its way and I am looking forward to pushing myself a little more.

2月の日本語の勉強はなかなか上手くいったと思う。安定的なルーチンを進んでて、集中したかったところを目的にした（読書や文章など）。春がすぐに訪れて、これからもっと勉強を努力しようとする。

February Progress

My goals in February included focusing on Kanji, Grammar, and Writing whilst maintaining my dedication to Reading in Japanese. I continued listening to podcasts, which means that I did a lot of Listening practice, while Speaking and Grammar were my areas of least attention. However, my goals included learning and reviewing 1-2 new grammar points weekly and I was able to maintain this.

Other goals included reading daily, which I managed to do thanks to my Japanese book club, and writing sentences once a week, which I did on HelloTalk. I wasn't great about reviewing kanji flashcards once a day, but I did spend some time with kanji.

March Goals

I did a lot better in February with the areas that I tend to neglect (like Grammar and Writing) so I'd like to continue that in March! It would be great if I had time to do something from every study area every day, but that's just not my reality. Since February went so well, I'll just tweak those goals a bit for March and keep going!

How have your studies been progressing? Wishing you success in your March endeavours!

皆さんきっとうまくいくよ！

Photo by Samuel Berner on Unsplash

2024年1月31日

It's been a while since I've done a goals update, but here I am! I'd like to do a quick comparison between how last year ended up and how things are going this year. Then, I'd like to preview what I'd like to do in February.

お久しぶりです！最近日記を書いてなくて、今月は去年と今年目的をまとめてアップデートしようと思います。それから、2月の目的の話をするつもりです。

2023 Wrap Up

In 2023, I spent the most time with Vocabulary, Kanji, and Listening and the least time in Grammar and Writing. I started off strong with Reading in January, but gradually that fell by the wayside over the course of the year as I got busier with life things. I focused on Listening the most in the last few months of the year, and August was the month I spent my time mostly evenly divided amongst the 7 main areas of study. I tried a lot of new things, like new apps and daily reading goals, but as usual I didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted to do.

I most wish that I could have kept up with the daily history reading (日本の歴史366) but I am glad that I stopped trying to vocabulary mine with novels (I just don't have the time for that, and reading is easier without doing that).

2023 Successes

2023 Challenges

So with that said... let's move on to 2024!

January 2024

Now January is over and 2024 is in full swing, but let's take a quick look at what I did in January.

In January, I spent the most time Reading! Starting the year off strong with novels, I made a point to read each day before bed, even if it was only a few pages. I also spent a lot of time Listening to podcasts, dramas, and shows.

I did very little Grammar or Writing practice, but the year is still young. I also focused a lot less on Kanji than I would have liked to in January.

February Goals

For February, I'd like to continue with Reading but also focus more on Kanji, Grammar, and Writing. I get lots of practice with Speaking and Listening thanks to the moms at my son's Japanese preschool, and I continue to pick up Vocabulary when I research words or read novels.

So, my February goals will be:

How are your goals for 2024 going?

Is there anything in particular that you want to focus on this year?

Best of luck with your studies!

皆さんを応援しています！

新年あけましておめでとうございます！

Happy New Year!

It's 2024 and a whole new year lies before us. I hope that this new year will bring you closer to all of your goals! Here are my 2024 Japanese Language Learning Goals!

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) every day in 2024.

This book introduces an interesting or important Japanese historical fact for elementary school students every day of the year (including February 29th for leap year). I started this book in 2023 but didn't have enough time to read it ever day. I'd like to try again in 2024 (wish me luck!).

2. Review and learn grades 4, 5, and 6 of the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) - elementary school kanji.

In 2023 I mastered grades 1, 2, and 3 of the 教育漢字, and so in 2024 I'd like to finish up elementary school with the rest of the grades! That's a total of 566 kanji in 4, 5, and 6, which I think is a manageable goal for one year (the first three grades have 440 kanji total). When I say master, I mean that I'd like to be able to remember the definition and pronunciation, and be able to read the kanji, but I'll skip writing from memory because that would just take too much time with this many kanji.

3. Read at least one book every three months.

I have found that time constraints and life in general make it difficult for me to read a lot of long books in Japanese, but I think reading a book once a quarter might be manageable. I'll have to be very picky about the books I choose and keep them at or under my level for this to work.

4. Write at least one sentence in Japanese every day.

I think that one of my weakest areas is writing in Japanese. Written Japanese is different than spoken Japanese, and I'd like to be able to consistently write coherent sentences and learn where I could improve. Nothing helps you improve like consistent practice! I'd also like to try to post the sentences on HelloTalk for revisions and comments, and to push myself out of my comfort zone.

5. Practice Japanese at least 10 minutes every day.

Speaking of practice, this habit is one that I have kept up consistently for years. I try to spend at least 10 minutes of even my busiest days doing mindful review or learning, whether it be flash cards, looking up vocabulary words, looking up a kanji in the dictionary, or having an intentional conversation. Despite not having studied formally for almost 10 years, I attribute my continued growth to consistent and purposeful study.

今年もよろしくお願いします！

I look forward to your support this year, too!

I enjoy posting my successes as well as my trials and tribulations on this langblr, and I look forward to see how everyone else takes on their goals in the new year!

I wish everyone a wonderful New Year full of language learning success!

2023年11月30日

The end of the year is approaching quickly, and the JLPT is just a few days away! Good luck to those taking the exam: you will do great!

I'm still trying to balance my chaotic life with my Japanese study, but I have really slowed down on the Japanese study this month. And that's ok! I am not taking the JLPT but I am still immersing in Japanese in everyday life, so I am happy with that. For some reason, the end of the year always seems to hold a lot of difficult things for me and my family, so I will keep pushing through and hope for a better start next year!

もうすぐ年末年始ですね。後数日間に日本語能力試験もありますね。試験を受ける皆さんを応援しています！

めちゃくちゃな生活と日本語の勉強のバランスをまだまだ探しているんだから、今月の勉強はなかなか進んでいないな。でも、大丈夫ですね。今年は日本語能力試験を受けられないのに、日常生活に日本語をずっと使っているので充分ですね。なぜか毎年の年末はうちの家族にあんまりいいことがないんだけど、まだ頑張って、来年をポジティブに向かって、続きます。

Study Methods I Used in September & October

This month I again used conversation and Japanese media as my primary sources for Speaking and Listening practice. I didn't have as much time to listen to podcasts, but I did watch more dramas than usual. I used renshuu.org for Kanji flashcard practice, and specifically for joyo kanji (kanji separated by grade levels). I also collected a lot of Vocabulary from daily encounters in the wild.

My 2023 Goals Progress

I laid out some broad goals for my Japanese study back in January of 2023 in my 2023 Japanese Language Goals post, so here is an update with my progress towards these goals.

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) everyday in 2023.

How is it going? Terrible! I really thought November would be my month to read a page almost every day, but I haven't been able to fit in the time. I suppose I could push back my bed time, but in the winter months I feel extra tired and prefer to catch up on my sleep. That's ok, though, I will try again next year.

2. Finish 日本語総まとめ N3 (にほんごそうまとめ N3) workbooks.

How is it going? Pretty good! I had hoped to finish these workbooks in November, but I am still working through the last week of exercises. I think I can still finish them by the end of the year, though!

3. Review and learn the first 6 levels of the 常用漢字 (じょうようかんじ), specifically the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) up to grade 6.

How is it going? Not awful! I spent November reviewing Grade 4, so while I probably won't finish Grade 6 by the end of the year, I have made good progress. I usually do flashcards by grade level on renshuu.org, and I am satisfied with my scores for the first three grade levels. Hopefully I can get Grade 4 down by the end of December.

4. Read at least one book every two months.

How is it going? Terrible! Books are a big commitment that I really just don't have time for, between life and my son and everything else I have to do. Maybe next year I can aim for one book...

5. Improve my speaking and writing by finding a tutor.

How is it going? Terrible! I am satisfied with my ママ友 (mom friends) for now to help with my speaking and listening. Plus, there's the added bonus of my son getting lots of Japanese input. I hope that I will be able to someday get a tutor, but the time is not now.

6. Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes every day.

How is it going? Great! This is the one goal that I have always been able to keep up with because it is simple and can be done anywhere. No workbooks required! At least I will achieve 100% in one goal at the end of the year ^.^

Going Forward in December

It's almost the end of the year and my goals are far from being achieved. I've had to reshuffle my goals and to put most of them aside to keep up with everything else I've had going on. But! I have been mindful about the study time I do have, and I have made what I feel is significant progress in my Japanese language learning journey.

I am optimistic about next year and continuing to push myself forward and improve my Japanese skills. In December I will reevaluate the goals I had and what worked or didn't work, and come back with some new goals for 2024!

For December, my focus will be:

For those of you taking the JLPT this weekend, GOOD LUCK!

日本語能力試験を受けるみんなを応援しています！

2023年10月31日

Well, it's *checks calendar* November already, and I haven't done a study update since August, but I am still here studying away, despite life throwing a lot of obstacles in my way. Autumn has come and that means cosy time and increased motivation to study. It also means the JLPT is on its way (although I am not taking it) so I hope the motivation is there for all of you who are going to take it!

もう11月になって、今回も勉強のアップデートはちょっと遅れてすみません。大変忙しくてもまだまだ勉強が進んでいます。秋になって、おうちの中で勉強したくなりましたね。自分の勉強のモチベーションもたっぷりあふれています。秋は日本語能力試験の勉強の季節ですよね。自分は試験を受けないのに、受けるつもり皆さん頑張ってください！応援しています！

Study Methods I Used in September & October

September and October were a bit c r a z y for me so my primary form of Japanese study was conversation and media (TV/movies), thus, the study area which I focused most on was Listening (33%). I did a lot of speaking too, speaking with my husband and son, but also with ママ友 (mom friends). Podcasts again made up a lot of my listening hours, including Let's Talk in Japanese and 日本語の会話のpodcast -ことのは-. I also managed to keep going strong with Vocabulary and Kanji, mostly in researching posts for this blog.

Writing was only really done in messages to ママ友 (mom friends) and so that suffered quite a bit. I also neglected Grammar, which puts me back in a little in terms of where I wanted to be by the end of the year. I had very little time for Reading which is very sad for me, but I was too overloaded so I had to cut back somewhere.

My 2023 Goals Progress

I laid out some broad goals for my Japanese study in my 2023 Japanese Language Goals post, so here is an update with my progress towards these goals.

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) everyday in 2023.

How is it going? Terrible! It's been very difficult to keep up with this. And once you miss an entry, you feel like you can't continue on until you've read the entries you've missed. Which accumulate. And on and on. This is definitely an endeavour for someone who has a lot more time. So, my current strategy is to read the entry of the day as often as possible. Which is not often for me! Current Goal: Read as many entries as possible by the end of the year and try again next year!

2. Finish 日本語総まとめ N3 (にほんごそうまとめ N3) workbooks.

How is it going? Not great! I had planned to do more of these workbooks in September and October, but due to unforeseen circumstances I really haven't gotten to them. I had hoped to be done by now, but at least I am on the sixth week of the exercises (there are 4 books). I think I can still finish up the workbooks by the end of the year, so that gives me hope.

3. Review and learn the first 6 levels of the 常用漢字 (じょうようかんじ), specifically the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) up to grade 6.

How is it going? Terrible! I have been focusing on learning new kanji along with vocabulary rather than reviewing 常用漢字. Current Goal: Review through at least Grade 4 by the end of the year.

4. Read at least one book every two months.

How is it going? Terrible! I still haven't had the time (nor the motivation) to pick back up the books I stopped in March, and I'm trying to be okay with that ^^; Books are a big commitment, and I have to prioritize my study materials, so unfortunately books tend to be the first thing I drop. I don't think I will end up accomplishing this goal, and that's ok. I will try again when things settle down.

5. Improve my speaking and writing by finding a tutor.

How is it going? Terrible! I think at this point I am not able to invest the time and money in a tutor, even an iTalki tutor. I think that trying to write sentences and get them corrected is the best I can hope for. And at least I have ママ友 (mom friends) to help with my speaking. I'm going to drop this goal for now, and that's all I can do!

6. Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes every day.

How is it going? Good! Making Japanese a part of my daily life has helped me to push through the hard times and keep up my language practice.

I cannot emphasize enough that the most important thing about learning a language is to keep going. Even if all you have time for is 10 minutes per day, just being continuous will help you improve, even just a little bit. You will start to remember the things you read or listen to or practice, and little by little you will understand more.

Of course, if you don't have a strong foundation or a lot of time to study it can be very frustrating, and difficult to really start to grasp things in only 10 minutes a day. And I've watched a lot of people give up because they didn't have time to focus on Japanese, or a class to help them get the basics, or others to communicate with about Japanese. But I've seen other people who have persevered through a lot of ups and downs and have been able to successfully attain their language goals.

I've also gone through a year at a time where I didn't actively study Japanese, and I still was able to retain my understanding at essentially the same level (although there were some things I forgot, and still forget lol). So you can take breaks and come back to Japanese, and it will still be here waiting for you. Which is really the lovely thing about Japanese and other languages. So don't be too hard on yourself, and I hope that you find 10 minutes to study today. Remember that watching anime totally counts as studying!

Going Forward in November

To be honest, I've felt pretty disappointed with what feels like a lack of progress in my Japanese studies this year. I still feel optimistic, however, about the last two months of the year. I hope to be able to finish up my N3 workbooks and to review kanji and grammar, as well as try to write more often. Let's see how that goes ^.^

For those of you taking the JLPT, I wish you the best in your studies!

日本語能力試験を受けるみんなを応援しています！

2023年8月31日

お久しぶりですね！Hello, I'm still here! My study log has been on a hiatus since the end of May, but I am here to regale you with tales of my Japanese studies. Why the hiatus? The usual suspects: Work, real life (including vacation!) and family had to take some precedence, but I am still here studying behind the scenes.

I feel refreshed from having had to put down my pencil and focus on other things for a while during the month of August, and so I feel rested and refreshed and I don't feel overwhelmed to come back to my studies. I don't feel like I have to catch up or like I haven't been doing enough during my time off. Rather, I feel very excited to get back into my regular study routine.

お久しぶりですね！まだここにいますよ！日本語の勉強日記が五月の終わりからお久しぶりですね！まだここにいますよ！日本語の勉強日記が五月の終わりから休暇中でしたが、只今戻りました！休暇の理由は？いつも通りでしょうね。仕事や生活や家族ーバカンスも入れてー色々で忙しくて休まなければなれませんでした。しかし勉強の休みはなかった。

8月に色々に集中しないといけなかったので、その間リフレッシュができて今は勉強を続くのは楽しみにしています。バカンスが楽しくても、勉強についてがっかりしているわけじゃなくて、むしろまた勉強ができてわくわくしています。バカンスも大事だし、自分の時間を過ごすのも大事だし、これからまた頑張れると気がします。

Study Methods I Used in June, July, & August

In June through August I mostly studied Vocabulary, Kanji, and Listening. The areas I focused on the least were Writing and Grammar. The study tools I used most were mobile tools so I could bring them with me on my phone anywhere I went.

My pro study tool this summer was the mobile app for renshuu.org because I was able to use vocabulary and kanji flashcards to get in some practice even during busy work days and holidays.

Podcasts were my second pro study tool, especially the Let's Talk in Japanese podcast. I could listen during my work commute, on the plane, while the baby takes a nap, and just before bed.

ママ友 or mom friends are a great way to practice listening & speaking. My son just enrolled in a Japanese preschool and I've already made a few new friends for playdates. Playdates are useful for improving his Japanese and mine!

My 2023 Goals Progress

I laid out some broad goals for my Japanese study in my 2023 Japanese Language Goals post, so here is an update with my progress towards these goals.

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) everyday in 2023.

How is it going? Terrible! I did not bring this book on my vacation, so I have not kept up. But I will get back into reading the daily pages as often as possible. I am not going to finish the entire book this year, but that's ok. I still learn something new every time I pick it up, and even retain some of the information! Goal: Read as many entries as possible by the end of the year.

2. Finish 日本語総まとめ N3 (にほんごそうまとめ N3) workbooks.

How is it going? Good! I plan on returning to these workbooks now that things have settled down after my holiday, but I will only be able to do extensive practice on the weekends. I still have two weeks left of exercises in the books, so I think I am on track to finish it by the end of the year.

3. Review and learn the first 6 levels of the 常用漢字 (じょうようかんじ), specifically the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) up to grade 6.

How is it going? Okay! Although I didn't have much time in August to review kanji during my holiday, I was able to get through reviewing Grade 3 of the Kyoiku Kanji during June and July. Goal: Review through at least Grade 4 during the month of September.

4. Read at least one book every two months.

How is it going? Terrible! I still haven't had the time (nor the motivation) to pick back up the books I stopped in March, and I'm trying to be okay with that ^^; I would like to pick back up one book in September and try to finish it by the end of the year. Books are a big commitment, and I have to prioritize my studies, so unfortunately books tend to be the first thing I drop.

5. Improve my speaking and writing by finding a tutor.

How is it going? Terrible! I have not begun to even look for a tutor, despite telling myself I would for the entire month of June. I am not sure if I am going to try to find a tutor at this point or if I will just continue with self-study, writing sentences on HelloTalk, and getting some help from my husband. I would like to try to write more and get my sentences corrected by native speakers. I'd also like to interact with native speakers, but finding the time is really tough.

6. Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes every day.

How is it going? Good! Although the rest of my goals have suffered greatly this summer, my goal of continuing to practice a little bit everyday has allowed me to persevere and to feel like I've accomplished something.

Going Forward in September

I am a bit sad to see the summer go as it's my favourite season, but the changing of seasons is always exciting and motivates me to try new things and continue moving forward.

What does everyone else have planned for Japanese study in the fall?

皆さんの秋の勉強予定は何でしょうね？

2023年5月31日

TL;DR: Don't feel inadequate if your language learning journey is not the same as that of others. Your path is valid and you are doing great!

May seemed to just speed on by! And now it's time for my monthly Japanese study log. I think this month I felt a lot of shame for not having time to do the big goals that I have set for myself, and seeing people on langblr or studyblr accomplishing a lot of big goals makes me feel inadequate. It's important to remember that your language journey is your own, not someone else's, and there is no shame in going at your own pace. I try to focus on the things that I accomplish and not make the journeys that other people are on into some kind of impossible standard to hold myself to. Look at your own learning through the lens of how far you have come, and you will feel less like you are lacking.

つまり、自分なりに言語の勉強を続いてね。周りの人の道は自分とは違っても、自分でも成長していますね。これからも続きましょう！

5月はあっという間に終了です！今からは日本語の勉強日記を書こうと思います。今月は大きいな目標をなかなか進まなくて辛かったです。それに、タンブラーやインスタグラムの勉強垢をよく見てて、なんか自分が足りないって感じていました。日本語や言語の勉強は自分のやり方で自分のペースで進んだ方がいいと覚えた方がいいと思いますから、それを頑張って思い出そうとしています。他人の成長を見ながら自分の成長が足りないなと思うことはよくやりますが、それを辞めるように努力します。一か月や一年前の自分を見たら、今まですごく成長してきたと気づいたら、足りなくないとわかるかもしれません。

My 2023 Goals Progress

I laid out some broad goals for my Japanese study in my 2023 Japanese Language Goals post, so, as always, I start off my update with my progress towards these goals.

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) everyday in 2023.

How is it going? Good! I am finally getting back on track after setbacks from late work nights, illness, and vacation time. Since this is a page-a-day study book, I would have preferred to keep reading in order and to catch up on the days I missed reading, but that was physically impossible due to a lack of time in general. So I am continuing on even though I skipped some days because it's good reading practice and I still learn vocabulary and kanji daily.

2. Finish 日本語総まとめ N3 (にほんごそうまとめ N3) workbooks.

How is it going? Good! I have been doing one workbook daily entry per day for at least 2 days a week. There are 4 workbooks (Vocabulary, Kanji, Grammar, Listening) with 6 weeks and 6-7 daily entries per week. I am still on Week 5 out of 6 weeks, but I am progressing much more than I did last year (or the year before that lol).

I take my time with each lesson, reviewing the vocab/kanji/grammar points meticulously, so that I absorb the information rather than just rush through it. Sometimes I already know most of the vocab or kanji or grammar, but other days require more focus. I feel like I am retaining more information by doing it little-by-little, rather than just trying to get as much done as possible in one sitting. In May, I didn't review the lessons afterwards and throughout the week, so I might take some extra time to do that once I finish the series.

3. Review and learn the first 6 levels of the 常用漢字 (じょうようかんじ), specifically the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) up to grade 6.

How is it going? Okay. I have been trying to focus on Joyo Kanji in my kanji reviews, so I went back to Grade 1 kanji to start my review. It helps me to figure out which ones I know well and where I am struggling. Goal: Review through at least grade 3 during the month of June.

4. Read at least one book every two months.

How is it going? Not great. I haven't had the time (nor the motivation) to pick back up the books I stopped in March, and I'm trying to be okay with that ^^; I would like to pick back up one book in June and try to finish it by July. One thing that I am continuing to read is the Gekkan Shojo Nozaki-kun manga series (in small chunks, usually before bed).

5. Improve my speaking and writing by finding a tutor.

How is it going? It could be better. I am going to set a deadline for finally finding a tutor. I just worry that if I find a tutor I won't be able to commit to a regular schedule and I'll just drop off like I have before. I keep thinking if I had more time to search for a tutor it'd be more permanent, but I think I am just procrastinating (shocked gasps from all). There's also a small worry about the financial commitment, but I am going to try to be frugal in other areas to allow for this luxury. Goal: I will find a tutor by June 30th (or at least start making regular appointments with tutors).

I've also added on to this goal that I would like to start writing sentences on HelloTalk so that I can get feedback without needing a tutor. This might help me to get motivated to improve instead of being terrified of making mistakes. Goal: Write one sentence a day on HelloTalk in June.

6. Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes every day.

How is it going? Good! Thank goodness I have been studying Japanese every day for so long that it's not even something I have to think about trying to fit into my schedule anymore.

May Study Log

This month my top study areas were Vocabulary, Kanji, and Speaking. I spent the least time studying Grammar and practicing Writing.

Study Methods I Used in May

Social Media

Not only did I use apps like renshuu.org (flash cards) and Easy Japanese (articles in Japanese) to study in May, I also used Instagram and started back up on HelloTalk. The idea is to interact with social media in a meaningful way by reading and writing in Japanese. I commented on other user's posts and reached out to some of them as well to start a conversation. The only drawback to this method is that you can get lost in endless doom scrolling if you don't focus on what you are there for (i.e. interaction) and just get lost in the algorithm.

Conversation

I speak Japanese daily (with my husband and son) and since my son is starting to speak in 3-4 word sentences and to copy our speech patterns, I am more mindful of what I am saying to him and how I am saying it (for example, using 大変 instead of やばい ^^;). However, when speaking with my husband it is easier to fall into a Japanglish routine with him, to drop formality and be lazy with sentence construction, and to speak in a more masculine way (because I tend to mimic the speech patterns of those I am speaking with). I have recently made a few Japanese mom friends with whom I can practice Japanese conversation. So I try to utilize our play dates by speaking both formal and casual Japanese, being mindful of my interactions, and trying to utilize new words or grammar points. Using Japanese is the best way to improve it, after all. The only drawback is that the conversation practices can be spaced few and far between, so spending time mindfully speaking at home is also important.

Reading

I have been doing far less reading than I was at the beginning of the year, but I still try to read something for just a few minutes a day to practice reading. Either an article, manga, or even just social media, just to keep myself practicing. Like conversation practice, the best way to improve my reading skills is to keep reading. The drawback is that if I try to read a book but then I have to put it down for a while, I forget what was happening or I lose my motivation to keep reading it because I feel like I am not making progress. If reading books is just not feasible due to a time crunch, I find it much better to read something shorter (articles or part of a manga), and I try not to be hard on myself for not reading a whole book when it seems like everyone else is reading tons of books every month.

Going Forward in June

I've been studying Japanese for a long time and I still feel inadequate a lot of the time. If you have studied Japanese for any amount of time, please be proud of yourself. You've done something that a lot of people only wish they could do. As always, I wish you much success in your language endeavors, and I hope we can continue on this journey together (no matter where our paths take us)!

長い間日本語を勉強しててもまだまだ足りないと思てます。今までちょっとでも長い間でも日本語を勉強している人に伝いたいことは、よく頑張ったね！日本語を勉強したくても勉強したことない人もたくさんいますので、勉強している人はすごいと思います。そして、自分なりにつづいてください。これからも、皆さん勉強の成功と成長を願っています。どんな道でも、一緒に勉強を続きましょう！

2023年4月30日

This month was again very busy! Do I ever have not-busy months? Probably not! I still accomplished quite a bit, but I didn't do everything I had planned to do. One thing that I noticed though was that my reading skill and my listening skill have progressed because of incorporating reading and listening into my daily practice routine. I picked back up a manga I had started a year ago and found that it was easier to read this time. I also realized I am able to pick up more from news and other TV programmes now. The key is really just practicing consistently! It feels good to see tangible progress, and that motivates me even more.

今月はまた忙しかったです！忙しくない時はあるのかな？多分ない！今月は結構勉強が進めて良かったです。すべての目的には成功できなくても、まだまだ進んでいます。今月気づいたのは読解力と聴解力が結構上がったと思います。毎日ちょっとだけでも読んだり聞いたりするので、日課に入っていることになりました。そして去年読み始めようとした漫画を今月また読み続いたら、去年より楽になったって気づきました。最近ニュースや色んなテレビ番組を見ると、前より全然簡単に理解ができるって気づきました。毎日ちょっとずつ勉強するのはポイントです。具体的に成長を感じるのもモチベーションになります！

My 2023 Goals Progress

I laid out some broad goals for my Japanese study in my 2023 Japanese Language Goals post, so again I will update my progress towards these goals.

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) everyday in 2023.

How is it going? Good! In March my reading fell behind due to work and illness, and I didn't exactly catch up in April, but I am trying to continue even though I missed quite a few days and have not yet been able to read them. The goal is reading everyday, and although I really wanted to stay in order and to stay on top of it, sometimes things happen! I'll keep reading a page a day and catch up where I can.

2. Finish 日本語総まとめ N3 (にほんごそうまとめ N3) workbooks.

How is it going? Good! I have been working one of the four workbooks (Vocabulary, Kanji, Grammar, Listening) into my schedule several nights a week (mostly weekend nights!). I have worked through Week 4 out of 6, so I am close to the end of these workbooks! I am also taking more time to review them, so I can do fewer pages at a time but I feel like I am getting more out of them. I read each day's lesson carefully before I tackle the questions, and then I pick up each workbook again throughout the week and just read through the questions again.

3. Review and learn the first 6 levels of the 常用漢字 (じょうようかんじ), specifically the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) up to grade 6.

How is it going? Not great. I definitely did not pick back up specifically the 常用漢字 in April, so I will try it again in May! Tbh, I just forgot to focus on these during my kanji studies and was more focused on vocabulary words ^^;

4. Read at least one book every two months.

How is it going? Not great. I am very behind on the books that I wanted to complete by the first half of this year. I lost motivation in March or so and haven't been able to pick them back up. I was reading them slowly and mining for vocabulary/kanji, which takes a lot of time that I don't have. I have been reading other books sporadically (although I haven't finished any) and I have been reading manga and articles semi-regularly. I thought this goal would be easier than trying to read a book each month, but it's still a lot for me. It's ok to change your goals, and next month I'll try to reformulate this goal to make it work for me.

5. Improve my speaking and writing by finding a tutor.

How is it going? It could be better. April was busier than I thought! I hope to find a tutor in May, but I find it difficult to find someone who suits my needs (and my time constraints). I hope to have better news on this next month! Wish me luck!

6. Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes a day.

How is it going? Good! Variation in my study schedule is the key to keeping up a daily Japanese study goal. If I'm tired, manga or an article, or a quick flashcard session, are quick ways to practice. If I have extra time I squeeze in a workbook lesson. Finding lots of little ways to practice helps me to stay interested and to stay motivated.

April Study Log

April was another busy month, so let's see how I did!

Vocabulary - This month I spent a lot more time practicing vocabulary. Not only did I write down words and look up words I didn't know, I also tried to conscientiously incorporate new words into my daily conversation. This helped me to remember them as well as to figure out what situations I would use them in.

Listening - I spent a lot of time with podcasts (during my commute) and TV/movies (with my son!) so I got a lot of listening practice in. I did realize the other day that I find it easier to listen to even more fast-paced or advanced TV shows, etc. That was a nice realization!

Kanji - I slacked off on kanji and definitely did not focus on school-age kanji. I honestly just forgot, and didn't have much time to commit new kanji to memory. I'll try again next month!

Speaking - We had a lot of play dates and so I got in a lot of speaking practice. The more I speak the more comfortable I am and the more information I can convey. This is definitely something I'd like to work on with a tutor!

Grammar, Reading, & Writing - I would like to incorporate these more into my daily studies, but they have really dropped off my radar recently. I have been quite busy and very tired as a result, so I am not going to be too hard on myself.

Going Forward in May

Next month I will really try to stick to the goals I have set and I hope to have a better report. But I still think that any progress is good progress, so let's keep working towards our goals! See you next month!

来月はもうちょっと目的に集中したいと思いますが、目的を超えなくても成功ができると思っています。そしてまだまだ勉強を進んで頑張りましょう！また来月！

2023年3月31日

TL;DR - Much busy, no time, some study!

March was my busiest month so far this year. Between rushing to finish work projects and getting sick, I am surprised I found time to do anything else! The reality of not having a lot of time but still wanting to fit in Japanese study is that I just have to use the time that I do have wisely.

When I worked late I had very little time to fit in Japanese study before bed, so I switched it up and did a bit of study right before work started. When I wasn't working late and had put the baby to bed I was usually exhausted, and I had to choose between watching something easy and letting my brain relax (sometimes you just need to do that!) and putting in some study time.

Life is about balance, and so is studying Japanese. You have to be consistent in your studying to make real progress, but you also have to make time for rest and self care. When I was sick I prioritized rest and myself so that I could get better, and let everything else go. When I was exhausted after work I prioritized rest and sometimes just studied for 5-10 minutes or even not at all.

The moral of this story is to take care of yourself. Studying is important for progress, but if you just don't feel like it or you need rest more than you need to drill 50 kanji, just take a break! I see people who feel guilty for taking a day or two or even a year off, but Japanese is more forgiving than that. Take some time to rest and refresh, and come back whenever you're ready!

Now, on to my study habits!

3月ってすごく忙しかった。仕事がめちゃ忙しくて、風邪も何回引いてて、休む時間も少なかったです！時間が無くてもどうしても日本語の勉強を進みたいと思って、頑張って少ない暇の時間で勉強する動力しました。

仕事の残業があった日は寝る前に勉強時間が無くなって、朝早く仕事始まる前にちょっと勉強しました。残業が無くても、息子の面倒を見て、寝かしつけの後でもめちゃ疲れてやる気ない日もありました。そして空っぽでテレビを見るか勉強するか、どっちか選べないといけませんでしたね。

人生というのはバランスが大事だから、日本語の勉強も、それともどんな勉強でもバランスが必要ですね。風邪を引いてたときはゆっくり休んで、勉強なんか諦めました。風邪が治るまでに休むしかやらなかったです。仕事の後めちゃ疲れたときも休みました。

つまり、自分のことを大事にしてください！勉強も大事だけど、無理してはダメですね。休みたいと思ったり、元気がなかったりしているとき休んでいいよ。一日、一週間、そして一年間でも大丈夫ですね。勉強がいつまでも待っているので、ごゆっくりどうぞ！

じゃ、まとめをはじめよう！

My 2023 Goals Progress

I laid out some broad goals for my Japanese study in my 2023 Japanese Language Goals post, so here I will update my progress towards these goals.

1. Read one page a day of 日本の歴史366 (にほんのれきし366) everyday in 2023.

In March, my routine schedule of reading one page (one entry) a day fell apart because of work and illness. I am still behind, but I am not (too) stressed out about it. I am back to reading one or two pages a day, and while part of me is frustrated that I am not caught up, I am trying to be calm about it and to enjoy the history readings, rather than have it be a chore I have to catch up on.

2. Finish 日本語総まとめ N3 (にほんごそうまとめ N3) workbooks.

I still haven't had as much time as I would like to go through these workbooks in detail, but I have made some time recently to work through some of them. I prefer to go through the four books I have (Vocabulary, Kanji, Grammar, Listening) at the same time, but I am trying to be satisfied with doing one "day" of one workbook at a time, since that is the best way to work it into my schedule.

3. Review and learn the first 6 levels of the 常用漢字 (じょうようかんじ), specifically the 教育漢字 (きょういくかんじ) up to grade 6.

This has definitely suffered in March, but I hope to get back into these kanji with flash cards in April.

4. Read at least one book every two months.

Do you see me laughing and crying at the same time? I did read a book club book from the Seitokai Bookclub but only because it was very short! But I read none of the books I wanted to read and hoped to have finished by April. Oh well!

5. Improve my speaking and writing by finding a tutor.

April is my month! I will find someone who will help me with speaking and writing (italki?) and I will finally achieve my writing goal in Japanese! (I hope!)

6. Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes a day.

Despite my hectic schedule, massive amounts of time dedicated to family, work, and illness, I managed to keep this going most of the time. Studying Japanese for AT LEAST 10 minutes a day has been a habit I have been keeping up since at least 2021. It also helps that I communicate with my family in Japanese daily. I spoke with someone the other day about learning Japanese, and my best advice, no matter how you choose to start learning Japanese, is to make it a habit to work on your Japanese every day. This is the one habit that all successful language students have (this one cool trick!).

March Study Log

March's study distribution graph and percentages reflects the lack of time I had to study and the ways I tried to fit in studying anyways.

Listening - This was the biggest area of study because I was not only spending more time trying to fit in Japanese study with podcasts, but I was also watching a lot of educational shows with my son. I don't count passive listening in my study log, but I also did quite a bit of that (other TV shows that I had on whilst doing other things, or Japanese shows with English subtitles).

Vocabulary & Kanji - I usually study most of my vocabulary and kanji with reading or with renshuu flash cards, but I also learned a lot of new words through conversation and through educational children's shows this month.

Speaking & Reading - I had to basically cut out reading for the month of March, except for the page-a-day history book (日本の歴史366) and the Seitokai Bookclub manga that I read. I still have 3 books I'd like to finish!

Writing & Grammar - These subjects really suffered. I prefer to spend a bit more time learning grammar, and writing really fell by the wayside as soon as I got busy. There's always April, though!

Going Forward in March

I try to make my goals reasonable, but it always seems like there is something that comes along and forces me to reduce them even more ^^;; I guess this month's lesson is to be flexible, take care of yourself, and stay 元気! I hope that everyone fulfills their study goals in April!

毎月、達成可能な目標を作ろうとしても、毎月、なんかあって、また目標を減らさないといけません。仕方ないね…　今月の一言は：頭が柔らかくして、自分を大事にして、そして元気でね！4月にみんなの日本語の夢が叶えるように！