Near the end of November of last year, I saw a post on JALUP about Share House, a new project from the directors of 笑ってコラえて. I have an unusual job for a foreigner–working in a Sanuki udon shop–so I figured that I may as well go ahead and submit a questionnaire. Filling out the questionnaire involved writing more Japanese in one sitting than I’ve ever … Continue reading →
You’ve prepared your equipment; now it’s time to get gaming! Because of the wide variety of games out there, in each installment of this guide I’ll focus on a different theme, whether it’s by price point, system, genre or some other factor. As a starting point, we’re going to take a look at the Nintendo DS, one of the highest-selling systems of all time: it’s … Continue reading →
A lot of people like to talk about what really made them who they are in the language they’re learning. “I learned from J-dramas“, or “Video games were my study method of choice,” or “Anime is the reason my Japanese is where it is today,” or “If it wasn’t for Japanese music…” I love all of those things, but if any one single thing can … Continue reading →
You’ve studied Japanese up to a comfortable level, and now you’re ready to take your Japanese to the next level by taking it out into the work force! Here are some things you’ll need to succeed: A visa, and permission to work This is probably the hardest thing on the list to get. If you’re not already in the country, it will probably be hard … Continue reading →
On your Japanese journey, an English teaching job can be an easy vehicle for getting into Japan and surviving there. But it also has a lot of downsides: collapsing companies, shady bosses, low job satisfaction, and most importantly, it provides little opportunity to encounter or use Japanese. Even worse, plenty of eikaiwa schools actively discourage teachers from learning or using Japanese. The Japanese natives you … Continue reading →
First there was drama. Then came variety shows and books. You’ve all been waiting for this: video games. Since Adshap doesn’t have a lot of experience with Japanese video games, I will be your guide to show you how to get into games to power-up your Japanese. While with all guides on JALUP you need an intro, with this guide you also need a bit more preparation. … Continue reading →
Video games are a fantastic medium for language study; they combine skill-building repetition with reading, listening, and playing around. But compared to books and music, video games can be a little more difficult to extract SRS sentences from, due to their wide range of formats and content. Any genre of game can provide you with natural Japanese sentences, but all share some common pitfalls that … Continue reading →
