Fitting Japanese into a busy schedule 忙しいスケジュールに合わせる日本語

[Jembru]

Here is another great discussion idea from Jacob-kun via our Line group. 

Jacob is a busy student juggling classes, extra curricular activities and a family life. While we may not all be in high school, I think the struggles of juggling a busy schedule with our passion for Japanese is something that resonates with most of us at some time or another. 

So we were wondering, what do you do to keep your Japanese fresh when so many other things are demanding your attention? Have you found a way to cram a little study into even your tightest of schedules? 

Our own LittleGaijin produced a great article in which she lists her top 5 tips for fitting Japanese into a busy schedule. I definitely recommend that you check this out. In the same vein, maybe we could all come up with our own top 5 list (or fewer if you don't have 5). I think this would be a great way to inspire one another and help us to strengthen our language bubbles!  

(Incidentally, a language bubble is in itself a great way to fit Japanese into your daily life, and most of our tips will probably be ways of strengthening your own bubble!). 

[Bokusenou]

Great topic Jembru . Some tips I would recommend would be turning your computer, phone, and other devices to Japanese if possible once you've learned a decent amount of kanji. You can always turn them back to English often to start with, if someone reading this is unsure about taking the plunge.

Also, try to think in Japanese as much as possible. I used to carry around a dictionary when I started this, and I would look words up when I needed to, rethinking the sentence with the correct Japanese word added. With today's smartphones this is easier than ever to do. Just don't think in Japanese while talking to someone in English, as it will probably make your English sound weird.

[Jembru]

This is my 3rd attempt to post in this thread. The first was waaaay too long and detailed, so I decided to re-write my response using links to the very videos and articles that inspired me to implement the techniques covered. So I spent an hour or more digging up old videos and chasing articles and you know what? The battery died on the laptop and I lost it all!! So, you'll just have to settle for this even more concise version instead..

It feels as though my development is snowballing these days, and I'm very excited and motivated by that. However, it hasn't always been this way. I used to think I had some kind of handicap when it came to learning languages. Last February though, the penny finally dropped and I realised that it wasn't my cognitive ability that was at fault, but rather the way I was using my limited study time. 

Since then I have changed how I study so that I get the very best out of what little time I have. From how I review to how I organise my study, I've streamlined everything. Of everything though, the most revolutionary discovery I made was...

The less time you spend studying, the better!

Estimates of the maximum vary between around 20-40 mins, but studies have shown again and again that less is more when it comes to remembering what you've studied. Great news for those of us short on time! I tried a few different timings, but found that the best for me is to study for 20 minutes, do something else for a few minutes, then record myself reviewing the session in my own words in Japanese. Then I add anything I recalled/got right in my review, to anki (so around 30 mins in total). 

I'm sure some of you won't believe me that studying for longer is actually BAD for you, so don't take my word for it... 

Marty Lobdell on study strategies = This lecture starts with why short bursts are better, but actually goes on to cover other great tips, so it's worth watching the whole thing when you have time.

shorter video = This contains some of the same ideas Marty describes, but in less detail.

Focus and concentration are also very important, not only in order to max out those 20 short minutes, but to ensure you get through all your other daily tasks so you don't end up skipping your study altogether. So you might want to take a look at this next video, if this is something you struggle with...
youtu.be/WhbYBb0huMs