Get better at Japanese

I have basics down, but I have a long way to go. It’s a beautiful language and a beautiful culture. I understand basic sentence structure and most day to day things such as “Hello, Goodbye, Thank you, your welcome, I’m sorry, what time is it”. I have a lot of Kanji to memorize and my hiragana needs work.

I’ve been lucky enough to have been taking Japanese for two years at an excellent university, but I haven’t been taking it seriously.

I finally went to Japan this summer.

I HAVE to finish learning this language, if it takes my entire life.

One of the things I think will definitely help me is buying a Nintendo DS with a kanji dictionary or just a kanji dictionary. I plan on buying one before I start classes this fall. Ganbarimashou!

haven’t been very pro-active in this area as yet.
i haven’t had a lesson since the start of the term and we’re almost at the end of it.
wish i had more time.
no, that’s an excuse.
wish i could figure out how to use my time better.

i am super lucky. the school i teach at has japanese as it’s LOTE and one of the teachers there teaches me for free.
so that means i feel guilty when i don’t study. and i should study because it’s the only way i’m going to get any better.
i have learnt to count to 99,999 and all the hiragana and then forgotten most of the hiragana because i don’t practice it anymore. plus i’m super slow on the numbers. i need to keep practicing the things i already know and make an effort to learn the new things i’ve been taught.

I’m all registered to take the Nihongo no Nouryokushiken in Chicago this December…and I am really gonna have to hit it to learn enough kanji. ^{^; Only level 3 though. My goal is to live in Japan again for a while and stomp level 2 into the ground. Anyone with me? ^o}