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Your Roadmap to Japanese Fluency: How to Optimize Classes, Textbooks, and Flash Cards
Nothing is more motivating and exciting than the process of graduating from a “language learner” to a “language user”
A few weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast about learning Japanese, and the host divided learners into two camps: those who use textbooks and those who don’t. I immediately thought, “Wait a second… What’s wrong with something in the middle — occasional textbook use?”
The thought lingered with me long after the podcast was over, and I reflected on my Japanese learning experience and how I used a variety of tools and techniques to reach my current level.
That led me to creating this article, a roadmap that reflects my learning journey. There are countless ways to learn Japanese and an equal number of learning styles to combine them with. What follows is what has worked for me after a decade of experimentation filled with linguistic hills, valleys, and plateaus in between. Use this guide to launch your own language- learning journey, but don’t hesitate to blaze your own trail to fluency.
