Job Discussion Forums

[Miyazaki]

Can any of the Japanese language learners here tell me how many books are in the Minna no Nihongo textbook series?

I did a quick search of google and amazon.com and am kind of confused as to which books correspond with which levels.

Also, are there any corresponding English (translation / grammar) textbooks for this series?

Thanks.

[Gordon]

[Quibby84]

Those books are a tiny bit confusing...my husband bought the first book, I am guessing the text book because our school was using them. Well when we stopped getting lessons from the school he is still trying to use it on his own. But the problem is that we cant find a answer book. And whatever book he has just throws questions at you and there is no where to get the answer. We have tried going back to the bookstore and buying the teachers book but we cant find it and we cant make sense of the workbook and all the other things needed to...I think that maybe that book is used by schools teaching Japanese and not so much for individual study. I just bought Japanese for Busy People and I really like it, the first book starts and the very bottom (which means I know a good bit of it) but when it gives you questions you can go back and find the answers....you maybe should look at that book instead...

[NorthofAmerica]

I have both Japanese For Busy People 1 and 2 and have used Minna No Nihongo.

I use Minna No Nihongo at the classes I go to and think it seems pretty decent in some ways, but yeah, it's all in Japanese. I have never used an answer key but I see a small booklet with the books that I have always assumed was an answer book. I think this book is more useful for someone living in Japan and picking bits and pieces up in daily life.

Japanese for Busy People 1 is okay, the grammar was useful enough but it might as well be called Business Japanese since the vocab is often about a man at a company. The big beef I have with it is NO KANJI. not one. JFBP 2 is even more ridiculous. It introduces about 160 Kanji only, doesn't always give all the readings, and they are random useless and only gradually introduced chapter by chapter. The CD isn't as good as the first one either.

I have heard good things about Genki though but I just bought a straight up grammar book for the JLPT 3. I read grammar examples and then write out my own.

[Gordon]

There is also Shin Nihongo No Kiso, which is very similar to Minna No Nihongo, can't see what the difference is.

[Miyazaki]