Music Help you learn Japanese

[Sinestra]

Ok since i love music as i am sure the rest of you do. I was wondering if anyone uses anime music as a learning tool as everyone knows you can heara song a few times and learn the words. I am currently learning japanese and i have found it to be a very useful tool you can learn and not even think about it.

[triela]

Good for you. Yeah, I think listening to a language you are trying to learn is a really good way to help. How are you coming along?

[zalas]

Just try not to use music as a learning tool for the grammar because you will be extremely confused. ^_^;

[Ov3rlock]

I was listening Shippo's Song (so kawaii >.<)... and he said Atsuei, thats atcualy "hot" in japanese, i deduced that because was a kettle noise before and than.... >.<... I learned that Heart is kokoro listening Fruits Basket Song XD....

[nephari]

I did that a lot, too, in high school... but then I got to college and began studying Japanese, and realized that I had memorized some of the songs wrong (similar sounding words and such >< ), so it ended up being a little confusing ><

Now that I'm actually studying, though, I like listening to songs to see if I can pick out words/grammer I know ^_^

[Vexx]

The music I listen to for word recognition practice is not necessarily the music I like the best in Japanese.... but I go for songs with clarity in enunciation. Remember that the music is more like poetry -- so the grammar sucks. They're just using words to evoke feelings and emotion rather than rational communication.

Azora, the almost acapella tune from AIR is really nice to listen to.

But I tend to have to immerse myself in a language ..... so for japanese ... its anime with subs, music, manga almost to the exclusion of native language stuff.

[Theundyingmage]

Instead of using Music to learn Japanese try to use anime Drama CD's they tend to be better because they are clearer and usually don't have loud music.

Also with drama CDs you can get use to different accents that characters use.

Some good ones are the School rumble ones and Negima ones. Just because they funny and they have a variety of different ways of speaking.

[kitsura]

Well its not a really good idea to learn a language based on listening to music alone. Well its okay to get some vocabulary out of it but for grammar and even proper pronunciation, songs just might not be the right medium.

[Vexx]

Undying has a good point... the character CDs are very good for just listening to the "chant" of a language (the rhythm and flow) as well as the grammar. Just be careful you don't end up sounding like a Japanese high school girl. "atashi mo ...." just doesn't work when you're a 220lb bearded scary looking barbarian type.

I have 4 of the Negima character CDs ... the martial arts girls (Setsuna, etc) and the darkside girls (Evangeline, etc) make for some pretty good listening. The little radio play is nice but listening to the girls just ad lib in the "interview" section can be rather entertaining as well as useful.

[Bishoujomae]

well if you take any Japanese class and listen to Japanese music or watch any Japanese show (for us anime ^^) you'll start to understand things alot better and it will also help with your japanese as well. There are times when I cant remember what I learned from class (some details) but when I hear it in Anime my mind just clicks and I recognize the sentence ^^

so its very helpful to listen to japanese if you are taking japanese class or just want to learn a little japanese

[Kiron22]

I've taken Japanese classes for years (we were forced too at school) and I found that the only Japanese I remember, its quotes from animes and music.

Really I would'nt say learning Japanese is a waste of time, I mean everyone needs a hobby but unless your actully planning to work in Japan there is really no Point, My Scholarship is at Nara Uni and I don't know hardly any japanese (apart from the great song Gaijin Invasion) but i'm not worried because Most people there know simple english and I hardly ever speak too random people in Australia, and I don't plan too talk any more over there, even if you do plan too work over there, learning English in buisness is a neccsity.

The best way of learning though, is just move too Japan for a month or 2 with no prior knowlege of the language, I was forced too do this -_- and I found after a while, though Japanese text is hard, they just steal all there words from us Some guy came up too me and said something about sports and Rugby, how i knew what he was talking about because pretty much all the words he said in the sentance was stolen from english, I remember also someguy asked me what was my hobby, I'm sure Japan has a word for hobby BUT NOT ANYMORE he just said something something Hobby desu Ka and i'm like .... Rugby Desu ka?? and he went psycho and started clapping ... i think he was drunk O_o.

http://www.youtube.com/?v=qbT3kIHGCOg - if you go too japan, this is the minimum japanese you need too know.
Doku desu ka ... I love it XD

[Tempestuousfury]

I'm at a very low level in terms of learning the language, and overall I have a hard time understanding lyrics, in any language. So, in the end, no, though I am at times positively ecstatic when I can recognize around 5 words in a song. ^^ :P