The most difficult part of writing is “Kanji”.
Understanding Kanji and learning how to use it can be a real
headache for learners of Japanese.
You may have already painfully struggled to understand Kanji,
because it must seem as a kind of “art” when you first tackle
the traditional characters of Kanji writing.
Is there a better way to master Kanji with Hiragana and Katakana?
NILS students from countries that don't use Kanji start
using it after about 600 class hours (6-7 months). They use
and write a lot of various Kanji, just as students who come
from countries that use Kanji do.
Here is the result of a test that was conducted in January after
students had studied Kanji for 6 months. Here, a student who
came from a country that doesn’t use Kanji is marked as “A”.
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While studying Japanese, participating in kanji lessons has been indispensable. Not only has it allowed me to better understand my surroundings, but it often provides me with a culture connection as well. Foreigners are usually told that kanji are extremely difficult to learn. For me though, every time I step out my door in Japan it is like a kanji practice lesson. At first, being surrounded by kanji every day did make me feel somewhat alienated. However, through my lessons and practice, I have come to understand more of the world around me. Walking down the street and being able to read signs, to grasp their meaning. It is quite gratifying. As I progress, I begin to feel more at one with my surroundings. Little by little the cultural gaps fill in and my experience here becomes that much more vivid. For that reason, I am grateful to have been provided with the kanji courses available to me.