It may seem quite difficult to learn a new language at first, and that old adage, “It’s all Japanese
to me” has a whole new meaning when you first start studying Japanese. You may find yourself
leaning your head to one side trying, ‘to hear well’ but aren’t able to catch a bit of what was being
said. Even if you’ve put time in to learning the grammar and memorizing kanji, you still might
not be positive what the ladies at Takashimaya are saying to you. It’s frustrating to put in effort
and still feel like you’re far from enjoying the language, but it’s not your fault. Blame your brain
tissue. Literally.

Psychological Processing

Your ears naturally recognize a new language has something foreign when you first starting
listening to a new language. In order for your brain to process information conveyed in speech,
your ears have to adapt to hearing that language first, then you’ll begin to identify the sounds and
patterns within it. Once your ears grow accustomed to hearing words and fragments within the
speech, that recognition is sent to your brain and you can begin communicating with your mouth,
phew!

In an interesting look into language theory, Dr. Sulzberger points out in an article, “Neural tissue required to
learn and understand a new language will develop automatically from simple exposure to the
language—which is how babies learn their first language.”1 So basically, if you want to speak—
be quiet and listen. Just like your mom used to say.

Simple Ways to Listen

For people already in Japan, you have a wealth of opportunities; you can just go out and ease
drop on conversations everywhere! Dr. Sulzberger’s research suggests that just listening to
the language without focusing on comprehension will help your brain adapt to the patterns, so
multitask away. Turn the radio on while you cook, leave the TV on while you clean, it all helps
your ears and brains adjust.

For those of you not in Japan, with no international TV, you are not without options. There
are plenty of short news clips, music videos, and game shows available on You Tube so all you
need is a computer and the internet. Also My Exchange Language has been gaining
popularity. There you can chat with another from a different language. On the long commutes
to work you can finally make useof that train or bus ride—plus you don’t have to worry about any
side effects like car sicknessthat many people get from trying to study while commuting.

So, the next time you start getting discouraged because you just can’t seem to follow along,
remember: its not you, it’s just your neural tissue.

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