If you are a manga lover, you may be wondering: “Can I learn Japanese with Manga?”
As a native Japanese language teacher, I can answer “Yes”, with only one precondition.
In this post, I’ll tell you what is required in order to begin learning Japanese with Manga, and the right way to do that.
The only precondition for learning Japanese with Manga
So what is the precondition for learning Japanese with Manga? It is simple; You can enjoy the content without a dictionary.
This doesn’t mean you must be able to understand 100% of the Japanese vocabulary or grammar in a Manga, because you can guess the meaning from the pictures or contexts.
In other words, you should read Manga that is easy for you to understand without using a dictionary.
If you are not ready to read Manga yet, I recommend that you start by reading books in simple Japanese to enjoy the content. Books like this are available for free online at the website of NPO Tagengo Tadoku, Nihongo Tadoku Dojo, and so on.
This kind of reading is called “extensive reading”. Next, I’ll tell you why extensive reading is effective.
The right way: extensive reading
So, why is extensive reading effective?
SLA and extensive reading
Extensive reading is preferable from the viewpoint of SLA. “SLA” is an abbreviation for “Second Language Acquisition”, a field of study that studies how human beings acquire a second language. In other words, this area studies effective ways for everyone to acquire a second language.
According to SLA, it is important to read or listen to material in a second language that is easy to understand, and in large quantities. This is why I recommend that you read Manga or Japanese books that are easy to understand.
There are four important points in extensive reading.
(quoted from: https://tadoku.org/en/l-method)
- Start from scratch.
- Don’t use your dictionary.
- Skip over difficult words, phrases, and passages.
- When the going gets tough, quit the book and pick up another.
These points apply to Manga, too. If you can enjoy Manga without a dictionary, it means you can learn from Manga. The more you read Manga, the more you learn from it.
Extensive reading and the process of acquiring a mother tongue
Maybe you are wondering why you shouldn’t use your dictionary, or why you can skip over words that you don’t understand.
This reading activity is very similar to the process of acquiring our mother tongue. When you acquire your mother tongue, usually you hear a lot of words and phrases within the actual situation, and you make guesses without meaning to, and later you can use the words and phrases you heard and understood. Of course, you don’t need your dictionary.
Likewise, in extensive reading, you read Japanese books that you can read without much difficulty. I recommend storybooks so that you can connect words and phrases with situations. It is even better if the books come with pictures that describe the situation. This can help you understand the story easily. If you encounter words and phrases you don’t understand, it is likely you can guess from the pictures or the context that you do understand.
Still, if you don’t understand the words and phrases, you can skip over them. If there are so many words and phrases you don’t understand that you can’t enjoy the book, it is not the right time to read that book yet. In that case, just quit reading it and pick up another book.
The effectiveness of extensive reading
Is extensive reading really effective? My answer is “yes”.
Here are three examples.
Firstly, in my Japanese language school, students read Japanese-graded readers. Students who often do extensive reading tend to speak more fluently than those who don’t.
Secondly, when I attended a seminar on extensive reading for Japanese education, Ms. Awano, the keynote speaker, said that her students could pass JLPT N1 just with extensive reading (including Manga) and several JLPT mock examinations. For your information, Ms. Awano is the chairperson of NPO Tagengo Tadoku.
Thirdly, I have experience of doing extensive reading of English novels.
At first, I began with Harry Potter, but it was too difficult for me at that time. So I picked up picture books for children, and then gradually moved up to a higher level.
After I started this reading, before I knew it, I was using vocabulary or expressions I had learned from extensive reading. And when I answer multiple English questions on an examination (which I occasionally take), sometimes I can choose the right answer even if I didn’t consciously learn it.
What about Harry Potter? I have now read all seven books of Harry Potter without using a dictionary. I don’t say I can understand everything, but at least I can enjoy the story.
Conclusion
In this post, I told you the precondition for learning Japanese with Manga and the right way to do it.
It is possible to learn Japanese with Manga, if you can enjoy the story without a dictionary.
If it is still difficult, you can begin by reading books that are easier to understand.
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