Comments by "Yo2" (@yo2trader539) on "Asking Japanese teachers how to learn Japanese FASTER" video.
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If you wish to become a near-native speaker, I'd focus on mastering pitch accent, intonation, and rhythm of the language. You may use the correct words, sentence order, or expression, but if you speak in a different melody it becomes increasingly challenging for natives to understand you. A native speaker will have no difficulty understanding slight pronunciation deviations. We are used to regional and generational accents, but if you were to speak Japanese with a Cantonese melody it becomes a different language. It's because we judge the meaning, context, or intent from the pitch accent.
I've noticed that aside from Mongolia, South Korea, China, and Taiwan...those who have studied Japanese in former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe speak incredible Japanese. Their level of fluency in language and culture is just beyond my comprehension. I wish they could teach us on how to study foreign languages/cultures because many of them in Japan are near-native Japanese speakers. And Japanese is like their 3rd, 4th, or 5th language.
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@pau.7604 There is only one way to master pitch accent (or イントネーション in Japanese) which is exposure. Basically to listen to the language a lot, as we've all done so in our native tongues. It can be music, TV, drama, YouTube, anime, or anything in Japanese. One needs to listen in order to learn how to speak, and read in order to learn how to write. When the pitch accent is off, I often switch to English with foreigners in Japan, because it's simply challenging to understand them.
One of the reasons why many Russians living in Japan are near-native Japanese speakers is because some Russian universities teach Japan-related subjects in Japanese language. And it's sometimes taught by Japanese expats. So by the time they finish university they already have reached N2-level, and by the time they study/work in Japan, they're already accustomed to Japanese phonetics, melody, inflections, and cultural/historical references.
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@life_of_katastrophes Excellent observation. You have a gifted ear, which means you'll able to master most languages.
Latin/Romance-language speakers tend to have a clear vowel pronunciation in Japanese, perhaps a little too clear/sharp. Conversely, when a native-Japanese speaker studies Italian, for example, we're often instructed to stress every sound/vowel more clearly and strongly (till the end) as if we're exaggerating the sound. This difference creates the difference in melody, rhythm, or pitch accent of the two languages.
Have you ever noticed how native Slavic-speakers sometimes mix short and long vowels when they pronounce English words? So unintentionally, the word "beach" sounds something different. And how Slavic speakers pronounce their short-vowels is very similar to Japanese pitch accent and pronunciation. It's also why native Slavic-speakers have an easier time mastering Japanese intonation than other language speakers.
Spanish/Italian speakers tend to pronounce Japanese vowels like あー、いー、うー、えー、おー, or like long vowels. But in order to master Japanese pitch accent, you need to master the short-vowel, or else you have no control over the pitch. After enough exposure, I'm you'll be able to absorb the sound (and appropriate strength & length of the sound).
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