Practicing Kanji... Ugh

[Chu]

I've never liked kanji. >_> When I was introduced to it freshman year, I knew immediately that I'd hate it.

Since I'm going into a more advanced Japanese class next year, I decided to start studying and practicing my kanji, and it's as much of a bitch as before. Take eigo, English, for example:

英語

Those two kanji make up the sounds (ei)(go) and in hiragana, they're:

えいご

英=えい
語=ご

How unnecessary is that?! D: A book that my teacher gave me - Essential Kanji - has 2000 kanji... and those are just the essential ones? D: And I want to master this language? Of course.


EDIT: The poll doesn't like Japanese characters. Here's the kana/kanji:

日本語を話すことが出来ますか。

はい、出来ます。
ええと、分かりません。

[ecco]

2000 kanji is what a small child in Japan will already know.

dont beat yourself up about it, though, since you should remember that even people born and raised in japan never learn every single kanji - especially since there are new ones being added all the time XD

when you say you want to master the language, what exactly do you mean?

[Chu]

I know. XD That's what makes me feel so... bleh.

I don't mean total mastery. xP I guess I phrased that wrong - I want to know enough to teach the language and be in Japan (rather on a trip or living there) with as few communication problems as possible. I see books, manga, newspapers and websites with so many foreign kanij and I get really intimidated.

[ecco]

ahhh ok, that makes sense. but do you mean you want to teach japanese in america? i want to go to japan to teach english XD to do that you dont even have to know much (tho i guess the more you know, the older age range you can teach or something)


often when kanji is used, they write the hiragana in a smaller font beside it so that if you dont know the kanji you can still read the words. and in tokyo on the trains, they have the LED displays telling you the next stop in Kanji, then in Hiragana, then in English XD so it's still fairly easy to get by.

[Chu]

I want to teach Japanese in America, and possibly English in Japan. I'd really like to experience the two different education systems and two different social settings. I want to have kids though, so I'm really on the fence about it all.

Yeah, I know about furigana, but they're so damn small! XD I can't read them very well most of the time. It's reassuring to hear about the trains though.

[ecco]

yea i know what you mean XD ill be... *counts* 23 when i leave uni, then i want to do the teaching english in japan after that and i can do that for 1 to 5 years, but then i'd be nearly 30! and i dont want to have kids too late. lifes too short XD

the trouble i found in tokyo was actually that because i'm clearly a foreigner, people often start speaking to you in english automatically XD for example i was buying something in M (this HUGE sex shop lol!) and i didnt catch how much my purchase was, i asked him to repeat it (in japanese) and he just said it in english x.x; oi. and i was trying to get my listening/speaking better XD

[Chu]

Exactly. D; And I don't wanna uproot my kids and be like, "HEY LETS GO TO JAPAN LOLOLOL" when they don't know any Japanese.

Haha, really? At least they're considerate in that respect though. x_X

[ecco]

hahaha definitely. you could always teach them it from an early age just in case you decide to move later on. plus knowing a second language is just a valuable skill anyway

haha yea, they love getting a chance to speak english. we were on a really busy train one day and this guy who must of been in his 50s was sat with his wife next to where i was standing, and all of a sudden he got my attention and asked where i was from. so i told him i was from england and he got this HUGE smile on his face and told me how much he loved London, and then he was asking me if i liked the cherry blossoms and other things. the funny thing was he was practicing his english, and i kept answering in japanese to practice XD heehee!

[Chu]

Yeah, but I wonder if a kid would actually want to leave all their friends behind one day to live in another country? Because if it came down to it, I wouldn't go if my kids didn't want to go.

Aw, that's adorable! XDD

[ecco]

aww <3>.< im going to the japanese bookstore as soon as i move to london...

[Chu]

HTML ate your post, haha. xP

[ecco]

DGHFSDGHSFD god DAMN i need to stop doing that!! its cos a like hearts and that emote too much! ;3;

i forgot what i had said lol.... ;___;

[Athilea Majiri]

I wish you the best of luck. -stares at the lettering-

I have no idea what that says....I feel dumb...I think I'm going to leave now.

[Overlord Branny]

[ecco]

*pouts* my memory sucks... OTL