Embarrassing Myself in Japanese Class

The humbling experience of being a beginner

📅 Week 19/53 | Study Log 2026

Hello again!

There was an extra post over the weekend where I shared my April recap and plans for May. You can read it here if you missed it.

Intentional Study and Realistic Goals

🥐 French

I’m currently 27% through my intensive reading of L’Étranger, which means I’ve finished the first three chapters. I ended chapter 2 with 91% comprehension and chapter 3 with 92%. My comprehension percentage seems to be going up, as I’m seeing the new words again and again.

Oddly enough, even though my comprehension score was higher for these two chapters, my understanding felt more disjointed because I read parts of it during my commute. Since this is an intensive reading activity where I’m saving and looking up new words, I think I’m going to limit my reading sessions to when I’m home and can focus for longer stretches.

At the same time, I’ve also been reading the graphic novel version in English¹. My library had it available, and I thought it would be a good way to check my comprehension. I usually finish a chapter in French and then read the corresponding section in the graphic novel. Since it includes visuals, it’s been interesting to see how many scenes I was already able to picture while reading the French version.

• Current L’Étranger total new words: 310

I also reviewed a few words in my now-growing vocabulary deck. I’m noticing that many of the new words I’m encountering are colour adjectives, such as rougeâtre (reddish). They’re probably words I wouldn’t have learned elsewhere, so I’m glad I’m coming across them now.

🍜 Japanese

This was the first week I didn’t review the previous lesson’s textbook exercises. Life got busy, and I only managed to complete the Katakana homework.

To add insult to injury, the class ended with the teacher asking us random questions in Japanese, so we could practice responding with everything we’ve learned so far.

When it was my turn, I completely blanked. I managed to say “分かりません” (I don’t understand), and after the teacher translated the question², I was at least able to respond correctly with some mistakes.

I felt pretty embarrassed afterward because I don’t like feeling unprepared, especially in a group setting. The feeling lingered for a few days because it made me feel like I should already know more than I do at this stage.

My immediate reaction was to study more and maybe even complete the next lesson in advance, so I’d feel more prepared. But honestly, none of that is necessary. That’s just my brain trying to ease the discomfort.

In reality, being a beginner means making mistakes, feeling confused, and occasionally embarrassing yourself. The feeling lasted a few days, but I survived it, and I’ll show up to the next class anyway and probably feel embarrassed again at some point. That’s part of the process.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Feeling like I’m improving my French through intensive reading.

• Read 2 more chapters of L’étranger

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Continue reading L’étranger

• 🍜 Japanese: Show up to class despite the embarrassment 🙃

Have you ever completely blanked in a language class or had an embarrassing language learning moment?

Thanks for being here! See you next week.

1. Another book to add to my currently reading list (my total is at 8!).

2. She asked me if it was hot or cold the day before 🫠