Guest viewing is limited

Learning Japanese

RightOn6975

RightOn6975

A Dark Knight
Joined
Oct 16, 2016
Messages
1,283
Reaction score
2,231
What are some sources that can help me learn Japanese that are free? I have been here for 5 years and the extent of my knowledge is that of a 2 year old. That being said before you get on me for not knowing the language, please note that my job prevented me from learning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Yuma and AliceInWonderland
My path to Japanese was something like this:

1) Bought flash cards from here: https://www.whiterabbitpress.com/ (I think I actually got these in a book store here Japan)
2) When the iPhone came out, I had some flash cards on there too, which was nice.
3) Watched some tolerable Japanese anime with and without subtitles.
4) Watched J-News and J-Dramas, mainly for more advanced vocabulary and speech. There is plenty available on YouTube if you are not in Japan.
5) There is a two part Kanji workbook that I got, I'll post the name later. (this was super helpful)
6) Lots of Dating, haha!

After a few years of that, I can easily work in the usual Japanese office environment. Probably, I'm at the N2 level after ~4 years? Need to go try that test and see.
Only advice, be careful of slang that you can pick up and not know what exactly you are saying. I think I screwed a job interview by getting over confident with some of the language and appropriate usage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: patty diaz, TokyoJoeblow, AliceInWonderland and 2 others
RightOn6975 said:
Thank you so much
Click to expand...
Np! I'll post the Kanji book later after I dig it out at home. If I remember correctly, it's the most basic 300 kanjis that make everyday life much easier.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RightOn6975
https://www.renshuu.org/ this website is geared towards passing the JLPT tests, and is really really good. Community run, 100% free and 100% awesome.

However, that won't help you speak. The only way you'll ever learn how to speak is to get out there and completely immerse yourself in Japanese environments. Go drinking with Japanese people, stop hanging out with English speakers. Go to an international party and make friends with a guy who speaks passable English and native Japanese, ask if you can join him on drinking parties. Don't rely on him, but if you get stuck, speak English to him and get him to help you out. Safety net, not a crutch. Introduce him to your foreigner friends to reciprocate. Start going to Japanese bars and striking up conversation with that depressed salary man who's drinking alone, stop going to HUB / Rigoletto's / R2. In fact, skip Roppongi entirely. Depending on your age range, you should be in like, Omotesando and Ikebukuro (Shibuya/Shinjuku has gotten too foreign, it's Roppongi-lite). Get yourself a Japanese girlfriend who doesn't speak English. Force yourself into situations where you MUST speak Japanese or you're screwed.

Largely I found language exchanges to be worthless, same with paying someone to tutor you because they're only teaching you how to pass the test, not how to function in Japanese society. However, if you need the basics, most city halls I've been to have beginner Japanese courses geared towards foreigners for like 500Y / week.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ches, AMcguyver, owlet and 5 others
The Pimsleur approach has been working great for me. Dedicate your self to 1 hour per day. 30 minutes, review yesterday then do today's lesson. Its been great so far. I am also interested in the 300 kanji book noted above. Thats probably very helpful.

Its not free but worth the money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SugoiBoy and RightOn6975
My Japanese is rather limited, but taking a formal class can be helpful especially in the beginning stages. If you're lucky, you'll have a cute teacher:D

If you don't already know it, learn how to read and write hiragana. That way you don't have to rely on Romanization so much. The sooner you can move away from Romanization, the better. Japanese children learn hiragana first.

Then, if you don't already know it, you can proceed to katakana. There are loads of loan words from English used in Japanese that are written in katakana. Alas, they often end up sounding rather different after being altered to fit the Japanese sound system. To this day, I still get tripped up by that.

BTW, one of the amusing things about katakana is how it appears on karaoke videos as way to guide Japanese people in singing English or other foreign language pop songs.

As for kanji, that's much harder. Nevertheless, being able to read some basic Chinese characters can help when it comes to things like place names.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DocMcStuffins and AliceInWonderland
First of all I don't live and have never lived in Japan.
I've tried a lot of methods over the years (self studies) but I've never really been able to finish a single book or course.
I learned hiragana and katakana in a couple of days, and have since learned most of the N5-4 kanji and vocab in combination with some very basic grammar.
I also went through Heisigs Remembering the Kanji but I've forgotten most of it now.

But last couple of years I've just been doing passive osmosis learning by watching videos/TV and movies, learning lyrics to songs etc.
You take out all the hassle of "studying" and just do the fun stuff. It takes a lot longer but it works.
 
  • Like
Reactions: smalltomorokoshi, CarpeDiem, MikeH and 2 others
When I have specific questions, www.italki.com is great because native speakers can explain grammar and nuances for you and it is free!

I will often listen to Japanesepod101 for listening practice, which is great because they have different listen and repeat speeds. The podcasts often cover really practical Japanese as well.

Also my Japanese wife and friends help a lot with general daily use of the language.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AliceInWonderland
Soapysoap66 said:
First of all I don't live and have never lived in Japan.
I've tried a lot of methods over the years (self studies) but I've never really been able to finish a single book or course.
I learned hiragana and katakana in a couple of days, and have since learned most of the N5-4 kanji and vocab in combination with some very basic grammar.
I also went through Heisigs Remembering the Kanji but I've forgotten most of it now.

But last couple of years I've just been doing passive osmosis learning by watching videos/TV and movies, learning lyrics to songs etc.
You take out all the hassle of "studying" and just do the fun stuff. It takes a lot longer but it works.
Click to expand...
You dont live here?! how do you manage to go to so many soaplands? haha
 
  • Like
Reactions: AliceInWonderland and DocMcStuffins
patty diaz said:
You dont live here?! how do you manage to go to so many soaplands? haha
Click to expand...
I've done 3 trips over the last year.
I try to squeeze in as many as I can, but it was rather taxing last time, 9 soaps in 16 days, with 7 of them being in the last 7 days, including 2 in one day, which was a bit rough lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: smalltomorokoshi, AliceInWonderland, patty diaz and 3 others
On a separate note, if you're looking for good textbooks to study from, I'd highly recommend the Genki textbook series. Genki 1 is an excellent introductory book, while Genki 2 is good if you want to start stringing several sentences together. Both offer a wide variety of styles for practice
 
  • Like
Reactions: AliceInWonderland
Roboyaru said:
On a separate note, if you're looking for good textbooks to study from, I'd highly recommend the Genki textbook series. Genki 1 is an excellent introductory book, while Genki 2 is good if you want to start stringing several sentences together. Both offer a wide variety of styles for practice
Click to expand...
I agree. I tried different text books and genki is the easiest to use.
 
Manami TMK said:
Sorry off topic.
I have been wondering for a while how effective these popular spoken
English school like Aeon and coco are.
If it really is, I may join a course.
Click to expand...
IMO they're as useful as the effort you put into it. If you only do the lessons, you won't get much use out of it. I mean assuming you went through Japanese education system, you probably had 3-5 hours a week of English classes for 6 years. Realistically, how was it? Did you learn to speak the language well?

If so, then you'll get quite a bit out of Aeon.. Though if you're like 99% of my students, you probably won't. An hour or two a week is not enough to learn a language. You need practice, hours and hours a day on a regular basis
 
Soapysoap66 said:
My personal recommendation for text book course would be Japanese For Everyone. It's a cheaper alternative more suited for self study.
Click to expand...
I have no experience with that one, but i found genki pretty simple and good for self study.
I'm using "minna no nihongo" now and its good, but i really needed a teacher to explain how to do the tasts. They write everything in Japanese and the tasts are easy but sometimes its not clear what you have to do exactly when you start using it.
 
Alright, my approach to Japanese - I hover around N3, but I'm probably worse than that (especially in regards to kanji). Grammar I adore, though:

1) Genki I + II - very well-adjusted to self-learners (unlike Minna no nihongo). Try to set a pace - for example, one lesson per every 2 weeks (if you're busier). After finishing them, you should be around N4 or so. If you're semi-serious about it, they will take you anywhere from 4 months to 8 months.

2) Aside from drama/TV, you can tune in to some YouTube channels. Nihongonomori (on mobile, can't link 'couse I'm clumsy) is a great one. It has tiered video lessons (grammar), so you get both listening and solidify your Genki grammar.

3) I love writing. I know it's bothersome for many, but especially in terms of vocabulary and Kanji it will help you. Devoting even only 5-10 minutes to writing by hand will yield great results.
If not, go to Anki, install it on your mobile and do some practice. The vocab will come from Genki - around the end of Genki II you should have somewhere around 1600-1800 words or so.

4) At some point try reading/listening to NHK Easy web news. They're around N4 and won't require much in terms of grammar (can be challenging with the vocabs though). It's another good exercise.

If you rotate these with some real life interaction and moderate pace, you'll do a lot. I know it seems like it takes a crapload of time, but if you set a schedule, it will flow naturally in your routine. Just start and see where it takes you.

Optional: Once you finish with Genki I you can take a peek at Lang-8 too. It's a blog post correction website: you write in Japanese and natives correct it; you correct their posts whenever you have the time. Tremendous help for practicing your vocab + grammar + general comprehension.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AMcguyver, Anna Summer, MissInsomnia and 1 other person
static said:
IMO they're as useful as the effort you put into it. If you only do the lessons, you won't get much use out of it. I mean assuming you went through Japanese education system, you probably had 3-5 hours a week of English classes for 6 years. Realistically, how was it? Did you learn to speak the language well?

If so, then you'll get quite a bit out of Aeon.. Though if you're like 99% of my students, you probably won't. An hour or two a week is not enough to learn a language. You need practice, hours and hours a day on a regular basis
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comment.

I went to a local Japanese school entire time, never lived outside of Japan so yeah my English is the result of 6 year of practice at Japanese school...
I was raised in a countryside, didn't see any foreigners around until I moved to Tokyo, always thought when I could use it even if I learnt. Just didn't realize how useful English language could be.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AliceInWonderland and static
Very good recommendations. Let me just mention the best platform I know for learning kanji (and kanji-related vocabulary): wanikani.com . Please give it a try.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AliceInWonderland
For those of more advanced skills, the Tobira textbook is very good to use. All of the example sentences and most of the definitions are given entirely in Japanese, but there is enough of a variety that covers forms used in everyday conversation that are very useful to learn. My copy is worn out from repeated usage.
 
I spent some time teaching Japanese in college, though it was nothing compared to the headache in teaching English in Japan to JHS students. One of the teachers had quite a colorful vocabulary to describe her students
 
All the above suggestions have their value.. As far as talking is concerned, my best tip for TAG memebers is is to combine the pleasurable and the needful: chatting in japanese with providers during p4P encounters.. For instance going to NYNY cost 9600 Y, lasts 45 min, and for this price you have the "cheap" soapland service... ando ne hour ol language course...
 
  • Like
Reactions: DocMcStuffins and AliceInWonderland
My favorite Japanese word is "EEeeeeeeeHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
It's answers most everything in one way or another.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mit2UM, Anna Summer, MikeH and 2 others
You must log in or register to reply here.