Tofugu Comments - Latest Comments in Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

GJB995 — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:32:00 -0000

I was getting aanoyed by not finding classes I could take off line because my mom is weird about the net, but this article gave me a god Idea of what to do.

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

SHOOP DA WOOP — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:03:33 -0000

Hey everyone! I just came back to update how my kana practice is going and It took me 2days to remember/memorize all the Hirigana I had previously learned and a couple hours to memorize some katakana I taught myself.The method I used made it so easy for me to remember! All I thought of was the order the Kana went in and BAM! it all came roght back too me.

O and BTW: alby ruthless...どもありがとございました! I would've never thought to use torrent. I found both 1 and 2 in a single package TGTBT!

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

SHOOP DA WOOP — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:41:50 -0000

I just started relearning japanese the other day and so far its going pretty well, I've started off with the basics like Hirigana and its coming back slowly.I think so far I've been going at a good pace (3-4 hrs a day) giving my mind a rest saturday through sunday, or atleast thats the plan.Most of this stuff is coming right back to me but I only took a year of japanese so I still have alot to learn...we'll see what happens...

BTW: If any of you guys have any suggestions about my schedule,TELL ME! I need all the help i can get!

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Tiger1180 — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:43:19 -0000

I have been using the Genki books. I'm currently on the first set. I already have book two for when I am ready. The cds have been working great for me as well. I have also integrated several online help sites as well as using flashcards I made with index cards for the kanji to quiz myself and form words. I seem to have worked out a system for me and well, I think I'm doing pretty well. I'll be joining in on an actual classroom next semester so I'll know for sure how my self-teaching meathods have worked for me.

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Sarius24 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:32:18 -0000

This year i finally Mastered HIRAGANA woot :D. I started taking a book out in grade 9 and learned some but then i just forgot about it and stopped. But now i got serious and actually learned all of em. I should go for katakana now :D! I've also learned some kanji too.

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

OuterspaceAsian — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:11:42 -0000

hiragana are the sounds right? a e i o u
meh, i'm not sure haha

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

koichi — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:56:28 -0000

It is:
An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese: Genki

Authors are:
Eri Bonno
Yutaka Ohno
Yoko Sakane
Chikako Shinagawa
& Kyoko Takashiki

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

maaku_sutipen — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:51:44 -0000

Hello, I want to ask how is your impression on the Genki book? I have a "sempai" in the IT business that I look up to and he uses that one. In the Philippines, I think the official book to use is Minna no Nihongo because even the Japan Foundation here uses that. Also, I find it hard to find a copy of it in the University libraries. I am really curious. Oh also what is the complete title of Genki?

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

kona-kona — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 11:53:37 -0000

haha great! so i've been doing ok should i start with kanji right after learning hiragana or should i start with katakana?

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

alby ruthless — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:01:19 -0000

as far as the "genki" textbook goes in price-----

has everyone forgot about "torrents" and "peer2peer".....i got genki 1 and 2 audio, text, and workbooks, all for free. then you just go to your local library or kinko's and print everything out...price there will be much much cheaper (well not at the library...i think its 10 cents a sheet if i do remember correctly, but ive haggled with the library before and so can you)

im not trying to say that i encourage someone to download, im just saying you shouldn't let a price tag stop you from what you really want to do. im in the navy and as it is, i really dont get paid much.

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Zoi — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:56:31 -0000

Great! *****

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

kyubisharingan — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:50:47 -0000

oh hey brandon, im also studying solo from Genki. Mind sharing a few of ur studying tips? such as, when u do the practices, do you write them in a notebook? do u write vocab in a note book? etc etc

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Brandon — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:52:44 -0000

Hey lonna, what do you mean Genki is so expensive? I know I paid over a $100 for everything but I bought the textbook, workbook, answer key, and the CDs when I got it but the textbook is 39.95 right now on thejapanshop.com. I dunno where you buy your stuff or where you live and all but if you got the workbook with it thats only $20.40 more and you could get free shipping within the US. Although everyone's budget differs I understand but $40 for just the textbook I don't think is too bad.

I gotta pay almost $200 for my accounting books this coming semester which is pretty bad. Genki seems to be very popular among the self learners and others from what I've come across/heard/read and I don't think you could go wrong getting it. But keep in mind you get what you pay for. I don't know anywhere with any better prices than the japanshop's. Though sometimes they do get beat, I've only seen once though but I don't check amazon and such very often at all. There's a 10% site wide sale so you could save a little more that way...

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Brandon — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:32:58 -0000

Nickname: いちご (not from anime, I just think the word sounded cool...)

So is it wrong to have been inspired to learn japanese because you were watching Naruto? Although...it was the little message scrolling across the bottom of the screen...those little weird symbols...thought they were so cool. Thus, I started learning Japanese so I could understand those things...but to get to the point...Where did I start huh? well, first I found a website that had PDF files and it went by the name Japanese is Possible.

I would say they...sucked. Eventually I realized this and moved on. I then found YesJapan.com. This is where EVERYTHING changed. Although I didn't care for how grammar and such was taught...drove me a bit crazy throwing a bit too much at me at times...but their writing lessons, those were the best things I have ever found. They come in printable PDF formats. Each page or lesson is a set of 5 or so hiragana/katakana depending on how far you had gotten.

I owe my knowing hiragana&katakana mostly to this site.( you have to pay for access though, only like $15 a month, not bad) Though I still had trouble with my katakana, namely those 4 little tricky ones and I found a free downloadable game called "slime forest" and in the attempts to not die I quickly learned the difference and this is where I finally got past that hurdle. Now while still using Yesjapan.com I believe, I came across thejapanesepage.com. This site then eventually led me to thejapanshop.com where I ended up buying Genki I and eventually II.

I have used these two textbooks so far. I haven't mastered everything in Genki II and thus need more reviewing...As for kanji? well the first thing was obviously Genki textbooks. I eventually bought a book "A Guide to Reading & Writing Japanese" easily purchasable at your local borders/booksamillion. I find this book to be okay...but crappy. It uses all romaji and why the heck is a person learning kanji if they can't even read hiragana/katakana??! It's not that hard to learn...so I don't really use that book specifically anymore because I've found better ones...

Now I use a book called "Kanji in Context" which covers all 1,945 kanji and like 2 extra. It uses no romaji which is great. It is a reference book(with the kanji) and you can get 2 workbooks with it which test you on the kanji and such but this series is meant for someone who has finished a beginner course so the workbooks aren't all that useful unless you have. Now I use the reference book with another thing. Mainly my japanese DS Lite (yes from japan, cuz I'm picky like that) with a game called 正しい漢字かきとりくん.

Now, there's a newer version of this game for the DS, I have the older one. The one I have covers the first 1,006 kanji, the newer one covers all 1,945 I believe. It's great for almost anyone. Although these kanji DS games are more meant towards people with at least a beginner's course finished, but their audience is supposed to be actual japanese people of course, not gaijin learning japanese. I have 3 other kanji games which at the moment are a bit over my level so I'll get to them later.

So far my level is about all you learn in Genki I and II. Thats mostly all I have finished so far. I have not taken any college courses yet, my college apparently is possibly getting a program started...but I'm transfering to a 4 year college( one day....) which does have a japanese course and will be taking them when I get there. As of now I have about as many textbooks/reference books/testing materials one needs to get to level 2 of the JLPT and my bookshelf is pretty dang full I must say....

Everything except maybe one book I have bought from thejapanshop.com for anyone else interested in getting learning materials...I listen to Japanese music mostly for listening...though I have used the Genki CDs and yesjapan.com had sound files when I used it, spoken by native japanese people. Yes, I watch anime somtimes, it's good for listening practice as well. Learning japanese actually got me into anime more than I ever was. I must say I only watched naruto because a friend recommended that I check it out, I am no Otaku...but Koichi, is there anywhere you list what you have used/done so far? I am interested in what books and such you've used to get where you are.

Hope I haven't bored you to death with all my writing... That's my story up til now. Hope the things I have used/came across can help some other people in their attempts to learn Japanese. みんな　がんばって

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

lonna — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:45:35 -0000

anyone have a cheap genki book out there? I want to get one but there so expensive!! Used is fine ::SIGH::

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

0nigiri — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:07:46 -0000

My class is going to be using the genki textbook and the workbook, so it would probably be the best if you could get both.
If you can only get one, the textbook I think, but I'm not sure because we havn't recieved our books yet :(

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Okashi — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:52:29 -0000

which genki book should i start with... the textbook, workbook, or both?
i need a better book than i have now!

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

0nigiri — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 19:02:22 -0000

I have been learning Japanese on saturdays, and this is my third year of study. Despite the three years that I've been studying, my Japanese is pretty low, especially the amount of kanji that I know. One of the problems with the once-a-week courses is that the pace goes really slowly (at least for my class).
I think that for people who take saturday language courses, it would be a good idea to supplement that throughout the week with independant study. I've started doing this for kanji so that I can learn more of them.
I hope that I can learn enough kanji to be able to take my Japanese Language Proficiency Test level 4 this summer :)

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Chris — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:07:04 -0000

Yeah, it's been a few weeks since I posted that, and I've gone ahead with getting a textbook, a workbook, a dictionary, and joining a study group, so I feel like i'm getting somewhere. I thought about it a lot after I posted that above, and the only pace i can work at really is my own, so i'm not as concerned about how and how fast i learn.

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Carcinogen — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:23:35 -0000

I just found this place and decided to check it out since I've learned enough Hiragana, but only a few basic phrases (introductions, "what is that?" or "there's a ______!").

I just bought Genki for like $20 on eBay, ought to be good for learning a few things and a bit of light reading =D

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Chris — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:49:19 -0000

Oh, by the way, not working out of a book atm...looking into one (but it has to be cheap).

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Chris — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:48:28 -0000

I've just started learning, and I was wondering about pacing. I admit, I know essentially nothing of grammar, and my vocabulary consist of only a handful of elementary words and phrases. However, it seems that I learned hiragana and katakana awfully fast... Since this is the first language that I'm basically teaching myself (though there's a small group at my school that's started meetings and with which I am involved) I just wondered if anyone thought learning something that quickly (about five days) was normal, or might somehow impede my education. I'm in no way bragging, there are more than likely some nuances in writing that will occur when I'm introduced to...well any grammar, and I have a less than basic knowledge of kanji, so do you think i rushed myself in learning? Maybe could someone come up with a checklist of things I should know so far to say that I...well, know it?

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

mrthundercleese4 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 06:56:27 -0000

I wanted to ask If you were going to learn in a class structure should I go University or Berlitz ? It is about 1 grand just for the Japanese class at the local university. Pros and cons of both?

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

RMils — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:25:39 -0000

How add your blog to google database?

Re: Beginning Japanese I: Where do self-teachers start?

Dayron — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 01:25:49 -0000

I would only ask that can someone tell me some names of books because i havent found any in eBay or the Library.