Reading manga can greatly help a Japanese language student to improve their language skills and learn about Japanese culture. Mangas have an informal language, requiring a bit of caution. They also feature images and furigana that assist in reading and understanding the text.
In Japan it is very common to find people of all ages reading manga, there are thousands of stories, for all tastes. In this article I will give tips on how you can use manga reading to help you learn the Japanese language.
Table of Contents
Choosing and Familiarizing with Manga
You must read the entire manga without help! For this you need to choose a manga in your level. If you're a beginner, choose children's works like yotsubato!, Doraemon, and Sazae-san.
If you are already advanced in the language, you can take famous works that have simple dialogue, without fiction or complicated words. Manga that depicts life and daily life in Japan, school life, culture, etc.
You can read the manga and take notes of some words within the manga to help understand unknown words. Keep in mind that to benefit from learning with manga, it will be necessary to read it several times, research using a dictionary, etc.
Do's and Don'ts when Studying with Manga
Don't read what you don't know - If you started a manga and spend all your time chasing meanings in the dictionary, we recommend that you choose another manga at your level. You will only hinder your learning and won't be able to memorize anything.
read again - If you find any word or phrase that you know, read it again. The more you repeat it, the harder it will be to forget, and the faster your reading will be.
Make reading short and fun - You will only benefit from reading manga if you find it enjoyable. Many people have difficulty or are too lazy to read; for such individuals, it is recommended to read a little to avoid it becoming tedious or overwhelming.
Copy Phrases - If you use Anki or another memorization tool, copy the sentences and meanings that you find interesting into the app. Also, use a notebook to write the sentences if you intend to practice writing.
beware of informal - Manga is full of slang, dialects, abbreviations, and informal words. So extra care is needed; avoid using expressions from manga in inappropriate places. If you have difficulty discerning these things, choose a more mature and formal work.
How to learn Japanese with manga?
To study a manga, you'll need some tools and books to keep you on your long journey. There are some good books that can help you study with mangas, see some below: In addition to the books, you will need some tools like:
Jisho - A complete online Japanese dictionary, it is in English but has translations into Portuguese. Perfect for finding the different meanings of words and kanji.
Anki - If you don't use Anki or another spaced repetition program, start using it now! As you read the manga, copy the sentences to put in the app and help with memorization.
Capture2Text - If you intend to read manga online, and if you encounter any kanji without furigana, this tool can help. It allows you to capture the text from the image, making it easy for you to translate.
Now all you have to do is have a notebook and pen, and preferably the manga in hand, and start your studies.
