After reading about Irina’s experiences of not learning Japanese, some people wonder how I learned Japanese correctly. While I can relate to a few experiences. Things such as picking up word immersion and some I can agree with, such as a language learning partner.

However, I disagree with some methods. Yep, it’s Duolingo, as it’s very ineffective for a complex language like Japanese. Moreover, she didn’t focus too much on knowing the Kana, which is essential.

Believe it or not, I started self-studying Japanese in college in 2012. Although I slacked off for a few years thanks to my mistake of not focusing on Kanji or the Japanese version of Chinese Characters, I fixed that. So, while I went in-depth on my experiences of studying Japanese, this guide is more of a general starting point for those who are serious about learning it.

Note: I orginally wrote this editorial back in 2022. Since then, I kept it as a draft, until now adding some additional things to the post from my recent experiences.

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