The Language Mastery Blog
150+ Free Articles & Resources to Help You Reach Fluency Anywhere in the World
How to Learn Japanese with Amazon Prime Video
If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can access a fair number of Japanese TV shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video. As of writing, there are 605 Japanese titles available for streaming, 33 of which are available for free to Prime Members (the balance being available for rent). Not a massive number, but hey, this is plenty of content to immerse yourself in Japanese right from your TV or smartphone, transforming otherwise wasted time into productive language learning. There are even a few Japanese language Prime Originals (日本オリジナル), which were previously available only in Japan but are now available to stream outside the country. Read on to see how to watch Japanese content on Amazon Prime Video and see five recommended shows and movies.
How to Learn Japanese by Watching Anime, TV Shows & Movies
Video is one of the best language learning tools available in the Japanese learner toolbox: ① Video creates a strong visual context that helps you understand content that may otherwise be beyond your reach. ② Videos usually have subtitles, which help increase comprehension and provide reading practice when you put on subtitles in the target language. ③ Videos are the the next best thing to being in Japan. Staring at pixels might not ever replace living abroad, but videos can at least create a highly immersive, engaging forms of language learning input. Read on to see how to choose videos that fit your level, how to create a comprehension sweet spot, and where to find Japanese videos online.
FAQ: Is Japanese Difficult? Do You Have to Be Really Smart to Learn It?
While at a Christmas dinner party recently, I was asked the standard American icebreaker: “So, what do you do?” “I’m a linguist and an author who writes about language learning.”
“Oh? What languages do you speak?” “I’ve dabbled in a few, but I mostly focus on Japanese.” “Wow, that’s a really hard language! You must be really smart.” I knew this exclamation was coming since it’s the same response I almost always get when talking about language learning, but it still makes me cringe every time. Many people, even those who have never studied the language, assume that ① Japanese is difficult, and ② you have to be really smart to learn it.
So is Japanese difficult? And does it require great intelligence? Read on to see my answer to both.