Learn Japanese through Songs

In this post, I would like to share how I use lyrics of songs to learn Japanese.  I love listening to Japanese songs. だいすき〜! (Daisuki!//Love it!) I have been learning Japanese Language for one year and a half now and I still have a long way to go if I really want to master it not just verbally but also in written form. I think there are 101 ways to learn a language and one of it is by listening to songs which I recommend since that what I’ve been doing ever since I start learning Japanese and it works! If songs can help someone with brain damage to speak again, why not use them to learn a language, right? I believe that by listening to songs, you are able to get to know the language and also the culture.
I listen to Japanese songs and not only that I can identify the vocabulary words that I learned in class but I also get to learn new words as I listen through. Besides helping me expending my vocabulary, this technique, too, teaches me some phrases which could be useful for me in the future and helps me to remember the pronunciation for each word I listened. I would write down the words which are new to me and I refer to the dictionary to find out the meaning. And if I can’t find it, I would ask my sensei.  Actually, by doing this, you are writing out the lyrics of the song! ^^,

So here’s how I use this technique:

• Select one song from my favourite Japanese artists.

• Listen to the whole song without trying to understand the words and the meaning. Just listen~ Preferably, I use a headphone or earphone because I want to hear the tune and words sang by the singer clearly and I don’t want any distraction nor disturbance. 
• Repeat the song over and over again as I want to get used with the sound and melody. For me, I encore twice. 
• Starts writing down the lyrics while listening. I would pause and rewind after each line in order to get the words because some words may be difficult to guess but I just write them down as much as I try to understand them. 
• Lyrics done so it’s time to compare or double-check with the original one online. I always compare mine on this lyrics website. The reason is that this website provides 3 translations which are the Kanji, English and Romaji translations.  とてもべんりです! (Totemo benri desu!//Very convenient!) I also use this website sometimes.
• Once compared, I sing along with the lyrics. Yay~!

Japanese has 3 types of writing systems namely Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. Based on their difficulty (1-easy to 5 – very difficult), I rate:

Hiragana - 1

Katakana –  2

Kanji - 5

Below is a sample of lyrics in Romaji/Kanji/English translation. I use lyrics song from Hamasaki Ayumi - HANABI:

Romaji

Namida ga kobore ochinai you ni
Nijinda sora wo miagete iru yo
Hito wa doushite omoi no
Mama ni ikirarenai no
Nakenai yowai kokoro mo
Nakanai tsuyosa mo iranai
Negai wo kakeru nagareru
Hoshi wo sagashite miru kedo
Yoake ga mou hayasugite
Mitsukerarezu ni iru yo

Kimi no koto omoidasu hi
Nante nai no wa
Kimi no koto wasureta toki ga nai kara

Kanji

涙がこぼれ落ちないように
滲んだ空を見上げているよ

人はどうして想いの
ままに生きられないの

泣けない弱い心も
泣かない強さもいらない

願いをかける流れる
星を探してみるけど

夜明けがもう早すぎて
見付けられずにいるよ

君の事思い出す日
なんてないのは
君の事忘れた
時がないから

English 

I look up at the blurry sky
So that my tears don't overflow
Why can't people live
As they want to?
A weak heart that's unable to cry
Doesn't need the strength to keep from crying
I look for a shooting star
To place my wish on
But the dawn comes too soon
And I'm unable to find one

The reason there isn't a day
When I remember you
Is because I haven't forgotten you for a moment

I would write down the words in romaji first and change to hiragana and katakana later. I am still having trouble with kanji. I try to limit romaji in my Japanese writing because by keeping on doing that, I may not be able to master Japanese in written expression. Even my sensei advises me not to use it. After I compared the lyrics and sing the song, I learn the grammar. I really recommend you all out there who wish to learn a language to try using this method. It does help me a lot and who knows it might help you guys as well. Good luck and ciao! ^,^v