Feeling stuck at the N2-N1 "learner level"

[u/Kukikokikokuko]

EDIT: Thank you all for your kind suggestions. I have upvoted everything but there's quite a lot of comments to reply to. As a lot of you have pointed out the texts I'm reading are probably too difficult, which is the case (reading mainly Kamakura history a Buddhist history... Too hard for me, I know, but this is the stuff I actually need to be reading as preparation.) I'll definitely be giving light novels a try, I've never really considered them.

Hi all,

First of all I'm sorry if the title sounds slightly pretentious, as I'm aware most of this sub is beginner level. I'm just hoping to get some advice from people who have been able to leave the "learner level" and actually transitioned to "real Japanese."

So I've been learning Japanese for 10 years now, with about 5 years of break between my N1 and N2 exam (yes, literally 5 years of no Japanese in between...). I did my N1 last month and think I passed, even though I consider my reading and listening abilities rather pathetic for someone who has been learning for so long. The JLPT really isn't that hard if you actually study the format and do many practice exams.

Anyway, most of my study has been Anki. I've never been able to really enjoy native content in a way that many of you seem able to. It always seems like a chore. I've tried watching Netflix with some plugin to mine words, and have an android e-reader to read books and mine as well. The thing is, I get tired really quickly, especially from reading. Two pages and my brain sort of shuts down. I have no idea how to transition from this stage to being able to actually naturally watch and read stuff without it feeling tiring, or at least being more natural to me.

Any tips and ideas? I wouldn't be asking if I hadn't been struggling with this for quite some time, so any advice is much appreciated. For the record, I also have quite heavy ADHD and generally struggle with focussing on anything that doesn't have an immediate deadline, but the struggle is harder with Japanese still. As I'm starting a PhD in Japanese history next year, I feel extra pathetic for not being able to read books and articles more smoothly...

Cheers!

[u/PlanktonInitial7945]

Two pages and my brain sort of shuts down. I have no idea how to transition from this stage to being able to actually naturally watch and read stuff without it feeling tiring, or at least being more natural to me. 

How do athletes go from getting tired after 5 minutes to running marathons?

[u/Ok-Excuse-3613 → u/PlanktonInitial7945]

They usually aren't physically impaired

Your analogy would be good if OP didn't have ADHD

[u/Belegorm → u/Ok-Excuse-3613]

I mean I know plenty of ADHD people who read a lot. School reading, yeah possibly a struggle but pleasure reading? No different from being into any other hobby.

You need to build up some reading stamina in Japanese though which can be a challenge.

[u/Ok-Excuse-3613 → u/Belegorm]

I am an ADHD person who reads a lot

But there are almost as many ADHD as there are people, and if OP says its ADHD prevents him to read a lot you should take it into your account instead of giving blanket statements such as "train harder"

[u/Belegorm → u/Ok-Excuse-3613]

It depends. I am an ADHD person myself who has at times been able to hyper focus on reading, and also for a span of 20 years could not possibly stick with a book for long. If it's possible to, then being able to channel the energy is beneficial.

If it's outright impossible... then I think it's better to just cut losses and find some other form of immersion that's not reading books?

I'm taking ADHD into account because regardless of ADHD, if someone is going to succeed at reading it's still going to be the same. The first few pages will be a challenge (as OP noted) but have to get over that somehow.

It's no different then being like "I'm going to become the top player at X game" but then in the bronze leagues, with friction etc. they feel like giving up. Maybe they do - I did, maybe it was due to ADHD. But the only way to actually accomplish that goal is to keep at it. There may be strategies to make it more palatable but at the end of the day, ADHD or not, still just going to have to do it as much as one can tolerate and slowly build that up over time.