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Post by LittleGaijin on Oct 7, 2013 7:09:25 GMT
If you have any ideas/suggestions for improvement, or problems within the forums ― please go ahead and post it all here! Don't worry, we don't bite! Staff are frequently monitoring this thread in particular, so don't be afraid to ask us questions. If you are unsure about how to use a feature on the forum, please feel free to ask us those questions here as well!
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Dizzy
New Member
Posts: 37 
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Post by Dizzy on Oct 10, 2013 1:44:34 GMT
So, I have a suggestion...
Once there are more people, would it be a possibility to set up a thread specifically for finding study partners/tutors/groups? Perhaps there could be a form or small quiz to tell exactly where the person is to pair them with someone who is close to where they are.
In the past, I've posted around the internet in need of a study partner, and it's usually someone way more advanced than me or someone just starting out. It's hard to really work with someone when either you or they don't know what's going on. So, I think it'd be neat to have a way to actually find people who are closer in current ability. It might also motivate people to stay and keep studying regularly.
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Post by LittleGaijin on Oct 10, 2013 2:08:26 GMT
So, I have a suggestion... Once there are more people, would it be a possibility to set up a thread specifically for finding study partners/tutors/groups? Perhaps there could be a form or small quiz to tell exactly where the person is to pair them with someone who is close to where they are. In the past, I've posted around the internet in need of a study partner, and it's usually someone way more advanced than me or someone just starting out. It's hard to really work with someone when either you or they don't know what's going on. So, I think it'd be neat to have a way to actually find people who are closer in current ability. It might also motivate people to stay and keep studying regularly. That's a really great idea Dizzy! I'll go ahead and make a sticky-thread for finding study partners/tutors/groups in the Study Assistance forum right now! Also, if you have any specific ideas for the form/small quiz to add to the thread, please let me know! ...I'm a little bit shocked that we didn't have anything like this in the old forums! |
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Dizzy
New Member
Posts: 37
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Post by Dizzy on Oct 10, 2013 4:30:45 GMT
Perhaps as far as a short form, something like: Name/Nickname: Age: Native language: If you are studying for the JLPT, what level are you studying for: How long have you been studying Japanese? Have you ever had any formal classes? What resources do you use or would like to use while studying? I couldn't find any quizzes that are not geared towards people who either know next to nothing or next to everything...BUT! I did find this. It's from the official JLPT people. It has different things that people who passed the different levels feel they could do. Perhaps the form could include something like... "Look at this site and put what number you are comfortable at for each item. Listening: Reading: Speaking: Writing:" Or something like that. |
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Post by LittleGaijin on Oct 10, 2013 6:21:45 GMT
Gosh, this really helps a bunch! Thanks so much Dizzy!  I just posted the thread, and I credited you for the idea! Hopefully this will help people looking for study partners, conversations groups, and online tutors! Me and Jade do online tutoring together through Facebook, so maybe this will help us reach out to more people! A few of our staff members are a part of local conversation groups as well! I cannot believe that we never started a thread like this before...! Could of helped out so many people! Thanks again Dizzy! |
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Jacob
Junior Member
練習して、がんばりますね！
Posts: 95 
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Post by Jacob on Oct 13, 2013 16:19:18 GMT
Yea dizzy that idea rocks! I would love to partner with someone in learning!
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Dizzy
New Member
Posts: 37
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Post by Dizzy on Oct 27, 2013 15:39:58 GMT
After seeing how much we can discuss things in the thread about Japan not being safe for women, perhaps we should have a thread each week to discuss a news story or Japan/Japanese study related topic.
Also, I think it might be great if some of us could work together to neatly put together some of the information from the study recommendations and make a study guide for online learners. There are so many free resources for studying Japanese. I used to have an entire study routine based off online resources. It helps to keep on track and progress when there's a steady routine.
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Post by LittleGaijin on Nov 4, 2013 11:44:18 GMT
After seeing how much we can discuss things in the thread about Japan not being safe for women, perhaps we should have a thread each week to discuss a news story or Japan/Japanese study related topic. Also, I think it might be great if some of us could work together to neatly put together some of the information from the study recommendations and make a study guide for online learners. There are so many free resources for studying Japanese. I used to have an entire study routine based off online resources. It helps to keep on track and progress when there's a steady routine. I really like that idea! Actually, we will be starting weekly articles on the Homepage this month, and we're hoping on sparking some interesting conversation and debate in the comments section that can carry over to a thread in the forums if members are super interested in the topic! Don't be afraid to start your own threads though! A lot of the current threads were created by staff members, but we actually love it we you guys create the threads! I think most members think that they aren't allowed to create threads, because most the site suggestions we get are threads... if you have a thread in mind, please feel free to post away! I'll lurk in it for sure! As for Study Recommendations: we also have a drop-down button in the Homepage toolbar for our top recommended Study Recommendations, but if you have any recommendations to add to it―please let me know! I might add a separate page on the Homepage for a detailed, neat explanation of all the Study Resources we recommend! Really great idea! |
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Jacob
Junior Member
練習して、がんばりますね！
Posts: 95
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Post by Jacob on Dec 1, 2013 0:37:37 GMT
Well I would like to add a wordbank for common important words that might be overlooked and I thought I would run it by this thread first.
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Post by LittleGaijin on Dec 1, 2013 11:05:31 GMT
Well I would like to add a wordbank for common important words that might be overlooked and I thought I would run it by this thread first. Oh gosh, go ahead Jacob!! Guys! You do not have to ask permission to post threads here!! When we created this thread, we mainly wanted to hear your suggestions for issues in the site itself! For example... "can we have a way to insert YouTube videos into our posts?" or "I'm having trouble sending PMs..." or even "I want to read about how they celebrate Christmas in Japan through an article in the homepage!"
Please post threads to your heart's content! Absolutely no permission needed!! |
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Jacob
Junior Member
練習して、がんばりますね！
Posts: 95
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Post by Jacob on Dec 1, 2013 23:37:55 GMT
Well I would like to add a wordbank for common important words that might be overlooked and I thought I would run it by this thread first. Oh gosh, go ahead Jacob!! Guys! You do not have to ask permission to post threads here!! When we created this thread, we mainly wanted to hear your suggestions for issues in the site itself! For example... "can we have a way to insert YouTube videos into our posts?" or "I'm having trouble sending PMs..." or even "I want to read about how they celebrate Christmas in Japan through an article in the homepage!"
Please post threads to your heart's content! Absolutely no permission needed!! Hahaha ok I will go study for a while then I will be back to create the thread. And I'll post my friend code in the other forum brb! |
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Post by Princess on Dec 30, 2014 2:33:19 GMT
LittleGaijin less of a forum suggestion but maybe we should spike up the advertising? Forums have been a little slow, I think Gaiwa just needs some more spotlight! Maybe we could all just post on social media, or maybe in the future when there's more members, hold an advertising contest? Or not a contest, I don't know, haha. I'd love to see this baby thriving! 
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Post by Jembru on Jan 2, 2015 0:56:00 GMT
I couldn't agree more. This site (and the old version before it), has been such an important part of my journey through intermediate study. I don't think I'd have known what to do next after finishing Japanese for Busy People, had it not been for the suggestions of members here.. It's really important to me that others get the same support and advice I've had, so it makes me sad that the forum isn't as active as it could be.
We've tried advertising but maybe we need to keep up the activity.. re-posting about Gaiwa often. Our artiicles were a handy excuse to advertise, so maybe we could think about starting those again.. if we can find willing authors.
Another idea we've thrown around is the possibility of light teaching threads or articles, using pre-existing resourses rather than trying to teach a language we're not fluent/native speakers of. Maybe that could help to retain members?
It really makes me glad to learn that you too want this site to grow and grow!!
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Post by Princess on Jan 3, 2015 5:25:14 GMT
Yeah, a lot of people have been asking me questions on a Temple University Japan info video I just did on youtube and they were so flustered they couldn't find much decent information online, which is sooo sad to me especially cuz I was one of those people once. The admissions counselors at TUJ take a bit to get back to you too so it's not exactly easy to get quick questions answered.
Yes! Teaching threads sounds amazing! Maybe a few for different levels? I wanted to make some videos on how I'm learning and how fast and stuff but I really don't know much myself to be of too much help to others. Although I do know some amazing books! (I use Japanese for Busy People too!)
I think this site has great potential and the internet needs another Japanese forum since Gaijinpot closed theirs and Gaijinnot is largely inactive with lots of pessimistic "answers". I am SO sick of trying to look through forums of people asking really great, serious questions and people just shooting their dreams down with negativity and a lot of times even wrong answers.
Obviously money is the biggest problem for people and I've seen great questions regarding it but people just say, "Oh well you'll probably never get to Japan and there's pretty much no scholarships and they don't allow FAFSA at TUJ" or stupid stuff like that. Like, you dont even know! And then those poor, poor people with dreams just take that and thus their dreams of Japan deflate. So sad! (Although if they deflated that easily they might not make it down the road anyway but still)
Okay rant over hahah.
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Post by Jembru on Jan 4, 2015 15:40:00 GMT
That was very sunny for a rant! ^^ Yeah, I think you and I have similar ideals. I missed out on online support in the early stages of learning because I'm nervous of other learners. Much less so now, but I still feel insecure from time to time.. I feel that more advanced learners look down on me, and beginners think I come across as arrogant. This all comes from the comments I've seen on other forums (not aimed at me personally; I was instantly scared off from ever joining such communities). I saw how much jealousy and elitism there is online and those comments still ring in my head.
Gaiwa is different though. I not only felt safe enough to join, but I even feel that I can ask questions, make mistakes, and be myself without too much risk of ridicule. In fact, I've made a point of being very candid about my highs and lows.. and open about just how hard I have to work at Japanese... because I want people to understand that anyone CAN learn, so long as they don't give up when it gets tough! There appears to be a lot of people online exaggerating their ability and shaving off a year or two from how long it took them to master Japanese, and while they're not meaning harm, I think they make others feel inferior for being normal. At least, I felt really unintelligent for a long time, because I was comparing myself to some online fantasy, and not taking into account the difference between someone taking a full-time course in Japanese and someone in full-time employment, studying in their free time. So I want to be that big-sister type, telling the distressed beginners they're doing better than they think, cheering them on, and urging them to keep going..
I remember you mentioned somewhere that you're using JBP! I loved those books so much! It's hard to believe it's now 2015, so 2 years since I finished the series... where did the time go? I must have blinked. >.<
Yeah, Japan definitely isn't only for the super-rich! I am not from a wealthy background and while I wasn't able to study Japanese in Japan, I still lived there.. got their under my own steam, with money saved from a £3 per hour job in an animal sanctuary. I supported myself in Japan by working full time, and I'd have had the time and money to take classes in my free time had I wanted to! Sure it's easier if you DO have the bank of mummy and daddy behind you, but it's not at all impossible, and maybe even more rewarding, to do it on a tight budget.
See what you did? You made Jembru type her heart out again. I've been trying to keep my replies short. Wordy posts are the sign of a passionate person you know.. or so they tell me.. ^^
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I just posted the thread, and I credited you for the idea! Hopefully this will help people looking for study partners, conversations groups, and online tutors! Me and 
