I Taught Myself Japanese For A Year. This is What I’ve Learned.
How it has helped me overcome my self-doubt
As a teenager, there was one life goal that I promised myself I would achieve before I died. I was going to be trilingual. As a native English speaker, I was interested in two other languages: Spanish and Japanese. The former because it was taught during my childhood years and I kept learning it through high school due to its practicality. The latter was my passion language. Japanese was the language of my favorite TV shows, movies, and comics as a kid. I deeply desired to learn the language because I found it beautiful. As I went through college, I decided to stop learning Spanish and start learning Japanese instead. Practicality is good and all, but I wanted to follow my heart on this one.
After my BA in English reached its end, I had no other way to continue learning the language in a structured manner. I could continue by commuting to a class somewhere in the city, but those were expensive and it would be hard to find the time due to other commitments. I decided that if I was to be bilingual (and eventually trilingual), then I would have to strap in and do it all on my own. A year has passed since then, and I have learned a lot about this experience.
What I learned About Myself
For at least two hours a day for 365 days, I have spent time learning Kanji, memorizing the definitions for different Japanese words, and understanding the various nuances of Japanese grammar. While I wouldn’t yet call myself an expert, I can say with confidence that I have made progress in comprehending written and spoken Japanese.
Seemingly unrelated, I joined Medium last week, and I am buried under the weight of how to be successful on this website. I’ve read article after article, and most of them swear by the idea that writing more is the key to success. Nobody knows what will go viral, so you give the machine more chances.
How will I come up with ideas to write every day?
I put “seemingly” as the first word of the previous paragraph because, in actuality, my Japanese practice has soothed my concerns about becoming a prolific writer on this site. Much like learning a language outside the classroom, freelance writing on Medium is wild and unpredictable. You never know when something will work and when something won’t. There is no base for a writer to stand on.
Through it all, I’ve realized something important. If I can commit hours per day to learn a language, then I can do the same for finding success here. Self-doubt is possibly the most crippling factor for any writer. I could have started my career years ago, but I was too scared to sign up. Even now, with my foot in the door, it’s still hard to generate an idea without impostor syndrome screaming at me.
The cure to my ailment has been found. I have proof that I am a person who can run the marathon, and that I can achieve success by simply putting the time in. Nobody is talented at learning languages, per se. The same can be said for writing. It is a skill that one gets better at over the long haul. I have not yet mastered Japanese. I know I have more work to do, but my previous successes have allowed me to keep going. I am excited to learn each day. If I can do that for language learning, then I can do it for writing.
The Takeaway
Parts of your life that are seemingly unrelated can provide resounding emotional stability. If you feel like there is something you can’t do, more than likely there is something you’ve already done that is similar in execution. Find your emotional base and use it to soar higher than you’ve ever gone before.
