11th session (sorry was including scheduled sessions) Nihongo o shimashita...

...And at this point, I know just enough Japanese, were I to visit the country, I could accidentally start an international incident. I like my teacher, Miki sensei, tokusan. She's friendly, knowledgeable and patient. But the more grammar and vocabulary I learn, the more I begin to understand how truly complex the language is. It's become a little overwhelming. Fortunately, due to fortuitous timing, I've ended up with a couple of weeks off from lessons. This will give me time to continue reviewing and reinforcing what I've already learned without having more added onto it.

I'm determined but frustrated. Learning Japanese isn't just about memorizing words and usage; it's about understanding context and culture. Use this type of particle in this situation, but this other particle in another. Or, yes these sentences might translate to mean the same thing in English, but in Japanese they mean two different things. It's Tuesday and raining, so it's impolite to say that...okay, that one is a bit of an exaggeration.

Some of it stems from my wanting to know more about morphology, an advanced topic considering where I'm only 18 lessons in. I've read some articles here on italki, and even if I comprehend most of the content, the net result is I'm generally more confused. My wife is a math and science teacher, and she talks about the students who always want to know "why" this law or that axiom exists. It's a good trait to have, and she provides as much information as she can. But at some point, in order to keep the class moving, she just has to say enough, accept that it "is" for now and move on.

The point is that there's always a question behind the question, and eventually, unless you are incredibly gifted, the explanation behind a particular topic will stop making sense or just confuse your understanding of the fundamentals. If I insist on knowing the literal translations of every word or focus too much on the "why" of context, will it really increase my rate of progress? Or, if my goals is competence and mastery, should I prioritize learning the fundamentals and take sensei's instruction at face value?

So that's where I'm at today. Right now, I will avoid getting "wrapped around the axle" on the deep questions. Though a tangential thinker, I learn best in a structured and linear setting. Which means for now, I will accept that "Isu no shita ni neko ga imasu" and "Neko wa isu no shita ga imasu" mean two completely different things.

Soyunora

--Q