Hey Matt, you should start a "Japanese language" discussion category! Anyway i was just wondering if you have experience with pimsleur's audio CDs for Japanese? If you do; what is your opinion of them? Also what sort of regimen would you suggest for the new comer who's serious about learning the Japanese language but doesn't live in a place where Japanese is taught in any schools? keep up the good work, your site is super slick. -Jess from Prince Rupert
P.S. has the canadian beeru import situation improved in Japan yet? i fear for your health
I actually have a few of these CDs somewhere on my harddrive, but haven't listened to them at all. I am gonna stick em in my car and get back to you on that! Have you got the set? It's pretty pricey right?
I like a few textbooks: particularly "Minna no Nihongo" and "Japanese for Busy People." Whatever the case, people should definitely get the KANA versions of whatever text they choose: my Japanese teacher (in a 2 week crash course before I came to Japan) told us, "Romanji will separate you from the love of God." It's really true though. Learning Japanese using the alphabet is a major hinderance for pronunciation and fluency down the road.
So, my number one tip would be, learning hiragana and katakana at first. I guess as children, one of the first things we learn is the alphabet, so it only makes sense to get the Japanese language building blocks in place before proceeding.
Beer -- no imports, not yet. But, okay, don't get mad at me... I went back home over Christmas and I found myself missing Asahi and Kirin! >_< It sure is nice to have such a wide selection to choose from back home though. I am still pretty partial to Sleeman's. How about you?
I'm going to order these books online after I teach myself the alphabet. I think this site is going to prove to become a catalyst for my Japanese learning, I mean I'll need other resources, but I've been watching your vids on youtube since they started coming out.. but now I can progress and have a few easter eggs from a valued producer as I go along. I have the cds too, while they are pricey, I found a way around that.
Ive gone through the first cd and the small conversational stuff I picked up made my wife's cousin(who is learning Japanese in Vancouver) laugh but she was impressed with my pronunciation: a credit to learning through listening no doubt. But coming back to work in my hometown I sorta dropped it what with everyday life infringing on my hobbies and what not.
Ive actually been enjoying Sapporo lately! sleemans makes it for them here in Canada so we get it fresh ( I get heckled for it every time I drink it in front of my friends) too many beer xenophobes in Prince Rupert for sure. -Jess
so with the kana version of language books, say after learning all the hiragana in the chart ...would you then just look up every japanese word you came across to learn its meaning in english? seems painstaking! haha
Yeah, hey, I will post a video in the next few days (I hope!) showing the textbooks that I like. You can get an idea about how they are formatted. It's not as difficult as it sounds with kana versions. They still have lots of explanations in English. Just that they don't use Romanji exclusively.
Oh ok I get it , I just downloaded the genki (1 and 2 ) books it seems like people either love them or hate them. I also got a copy of learning the kana by jame w. heisig. Ive got hiragana down...I can read and write it very slowly but katakana is proving to be more of a challenge to memorize for this brain :P, Either way Ive made a pact with myself not to touch the genki books until I get both writing systems down. Thanks for the youtube comment! Kenji is growing up so fast he just got his first two teeth (and a new attitude!); practically over night. Cant wait for the new vid bless.
You know, it's funny! I am the same way even today: I find/found hiragana much easier than katakana. However, as a foreigner in Japan, and since most foreign words use katakana, a lot of Japanese folks I have met assume katakana would be easier for me.
Teeth! Excellent... it'll be steak and potatos before long! =)
I wish it was only steak and potatoes! he now has to taste everything we eat! He's only got two teeth but he can eat rice crackers, its a funny sight. Anyways I got katakana down now and I'm starting on Genki 1 ... I just purchased the kanji poster online for $20 (http://kanjiposter.com ) and "Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary: Japanese-English English-Japanese" ...do you have any suggestions before I dive in? hope everything is good with you -jess