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eIn0791207912
Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Posts: 33
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 Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:24 am Post subject: Learning Japanese |
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...while not in Japan.
I'm hoping to get a leg up on what I understand to be a very difficult language to learn.
Anybody used Rosetta Stone? Or White Smoke? Live Mocha? |
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Fina1
Joined: 19 Oct 2009
Posts: 22
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:15 am Post subject: |
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I've used Rosetta Stone a little bit, but I found it to mostly teach vocabulary that I already knew. However, I only did use it a little bit so I'm not sure how much more help it would have been if I kept it up.
However, I want to recommend a free book that you can get online from NihongoResources.com
It's a 308 page book that teaches grammar, formality, etc and often provides a rationalization for word choices and proper grammar usage.
You can find the book here: http://www.nihongoresources.com/media/An%20introduction%20to%20Japanese.pdf
Nihongo Resources also has several lessons that, while somewhat long, are also extremely helpful. Lesson 0 teaches katakana and hiragana and the other lessons teach vocab, kanji, grammar, sentence structure, etc.
Very helpful and free. I learned a lot of vocabulary and phrases before finding this website, but I knew next to no grammar. This book and this website are a great resource with hours and hours worth of studying. |
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Nate
Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Posts: 61
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:01 am Post subject: |
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| Where are you at the moment? If you're in a big city maybe you could post online that you're lookin for a language exchange. |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:32 am Post subject: Re: Learning Japanese |
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| eIn0791207912 wrote: |
...while not in Japan.
I'm hoping to get a leg up on what I understand to be a very difficult language to learn. |
It's only difficult if you don't put in the time. Getting started and developing good study habits are the hardest parts.
In uni and when I first came to Japan I used the Genki series of books. Explanations of grammar are in English and I think the books are OK, especially to get started. They're really grammar books with some vocab thrown in. For example, they don't really teach you names for food or phrases when you're in a shop, which is negative (as those are the first things you'll want to know). Still, it's a pretty good foundation. I recommend getting those books then finding somewhere to do a language exchange (so you can actually practice). |
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Bread
Joined: 24 May 2009
Posts: 318
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| Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:04 am Post subject: Re: Learning Japanese |
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| Inflames wrote: |
| eIn0791207912 wrote: |
...while not in Japan.
I'm hoping to get a leg up on what I understand to be a very difficult language to learn. |
It's only difficult if you don't put in the time. Getting started and developing good study habits are the hardest parts.
In uni and when I first came to Japan I used the Genki series of books. Explanations of grammar are in English and I think the books are OK, especially to get started. They're really grammar books with some vocab thrown in. For example, they don't really teach you names for food or phrases when you're in a shop, which is negative (as those are the first things you'll want to know). Still, it's a pretty good foundation. I recommend getting those books then finding somewhere to do a language exchange (so you can actually practice). |
I started out with Genki after teaching myself katakana and hiragana from the internet, and I feel like it gave me a relatively good foundation. However, it didn't really explain WHY things worked the way they did (Why do I use に here? Why not で?). I've been reading my way through Tae Kim's site:
http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar
and I feel like it's giving me a MUCH stronger base to work with. I'm alternating between memorizing kanji and reading this webpage, and I can feel myself improving daily. Although it's a lot easier for me to practice the things I learn, because I can immediately slip them into conversation with coworkers and students and see if they understand. |
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move
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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I would recommend Minna no Nihongo over Genki. Minna no Nihongo is better if you are studying by yourself, I think Genki is more for a classroom setting. There's lots of pairwork activities in Genki that you can't do very well by yourself. Also, MNN has a separate grammar book, whereas Genki's is included in the main textbook. Therefore, I think MNN's grammar explanations are much more detailed than Genki's.
The other posters are right though, to really improve you gotta put in the time, set up a time every day or a few times a week when you sit down and hit the books. |
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Gaijinheadpothead
Joined: 08 Sep 2009
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:45 am Post subject: |
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My Japanese coach for the nintendo ds!!
Very easy to use and effective! |
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shogoz
Joined: 18 Nov 2009
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:24 pm Post subject: :o |
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There are a lot of good programs on the Ipod/Iphone too  . I was able to learn all of the Hiragana and Katakana in a mere 2 weeks (and im a "slow study")  . flashcards ftw |
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jerkytheturkey
Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 38
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| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:05 am Post subject: |
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I'm in the same position as the OP, still waiting to depart but trying to learn Japanese.
I learned the Kana using a book called "Remembering the Kana" I found it to be quite effective. Since then I've been using the Kana version of "Japanese for busy people" I haven't made a big dent in the book yet, but I'm making my way through it slowly.
I've been finding it difficult to remember everything because I'm not using it everyday. I'm sure it'll be a big help when I finally do get to Japan though |
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OneJoelFifty
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 463
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| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Gaijinheadpothead wrote: |
My Japanese coach for the nintendo ds!!
Very easy to use and effective! |
I bought a DS from eBay for this very reason. I'm at the most basic of levels at the moment but it's a great way to learn on the move, I practice a little each morning on the bus on the way to work. I bought a text book too that I've used somewhat less, but I think that using the game in conjunction with a book is the way to go. |
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monkeyhero
Joined: 07 Aug 2009
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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I've tried My Japanese Coach, Rosetta Stone, LiveMocha, JapanesePod 101, Japanese For Busy People, Teach Yourself Japanese (Beginner, Normal and Script), Berlitz Japanese Course, Let's Learn Hiragana/Katakana, the Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary and Making Sense of Japanese by Jay Rubin (ok, not a textbook but entertaining nonetheless).
The main thing I've learned (aside from the fact I now own the largest collection of Japanese study material outside of SOAS) is that the most important part seems to be the application of what you have studied. If you can't use what you've learned, you don't get the full sense of accomplishment and that really starts to drain your enthusiasm. That, or I may just have the attention span of a caffeine addled magpie. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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| OneJoelFifty wrote: |
| Gaijinheadpothead wrote: |
My Japanese coach for the nintendo ds!!
Very easy to use and effective! |
I bought a DS from eBay for this very reason. I'm at the most basic of levels at the moment but it's a great way to learn on the move, I practice a little each morning on the bus on the way to work. I bought a text book too that I've used somewhat less, but I think that using the game in conjunction with a book is the way to go. |
Oh wow! I have a DS sitting around collecting dust. I never considered this. Great idea! |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 94
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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