Learning Japanese-Good way to start?

Question

I've always been interested in the Japanese culture and language ever since I started reading manga years back. Even though I have less than half a summer left before school, I really want to do something significant and start learning it. I don't have access to a local class or such though, so I'm pretty much going to have to learn it myself.

And that is why I'm asking what's the best way to start teaching myself the language since I'll be doing it all. For some background info, I have a bunch of Naruto episodes(Japanese show) subtitled and have picked up on various words and such, mostly from the show and its manga. I'm willing to work hard for this and keep at it, so you can be thorough in your recommendations.

Thanks much

Answer 1

find a good book and dive in.
also you may be able to find friends from japan who are visiting your town who would want to do a "language exchange" with you.

what is a good book ??? go to a bookstore and look thru until you find one you like.

and remember... early on in learning a language, grammer is the most important part. if you don't know a vocab just use the english one....

Answer 2

If you really want to learn Japanese, and learn it well, save your money and take an actual class rather than use tapes and books. Japanese is not a terribly hard language to speak but reading it will present a challenge. It requires discipline and dedication. It would be good to have the help of classmates and an instructor to "master" reading and writing.

Another option is sudden and total immersion. There are lots of great companies that offer jobs teaching English in Japan. If you are old enough, this is a great option. I did that and wouldn't trade my experiences for anything else.

If you are in college, studying abroad might also be a great way to immerse yourself in the culture. Either way, good luck with your studies! Ganbatte Ne!

Answer 3

If the only reason you want to learn Japanese is because of the anime and manga, please just don't even bother.
If you think watching anime or reading manga will greatly help your Japanese, please don't even bother.

But if you're serious about learning three writing systems, a sentence structure unknown to English, and all four levels of politeness, then you're best bet is to find a tutor because you will never--ever--learn fluent Japanese online.
Japanese is a growing culture in the U.S. and colleges are beginning to use it more often. Try to get into one that teaches Japanese or ask around to find a Japanese tutor in your area.

The best way to start is by being able to read and write two of the systems: hiragana and katakana. Then grammar, vocabulary, and kanji all at once. Never, ever write in roomaji when you're learning. It is the devil's language and most Japanese barely make heads or tails of it.
JWPce is a good program to download. (Just google it.) You can type in Japanese, change words to kanji (never do that unless you can recognize the kanji yourself), and look up in a pretty useful dictionary.
http://www.jgram.org is good for learning grammar, but you should also buy workbooks and get an offline teacher that will keep you working. People on the internet (no matter how studious they believe themselves to be) slack off.

Answer 4

Good for you that you are motivated to learn Japanese! I'm sorry to hear that they stopped publishing a beautiful magazine called MangaJin - it is gorgeous and it takes Manga and uses it as a window on Japanese culture. I loved looking at it even though I was not learning Japanese. Go to www.mangajin.com to see what I am talking about! I have some old issues that I treasure and as I said, I have never even learned Japanese.
I have known several Japanese students and I know of one surfer dude who became near-fluent in Japanese through self-study. He impressed the Japanese students because 1) he spent years studying, mostly on his own and 2) his accent was not half bad!
You can do it. Just remember, everything good takes time.

Answer 5

Consider that when you learned your langage your started with imersion by listening to children & adults. You later continued by adding reading to the list. You were not reading the classics, you read babystuff, rhymming, & stories. You learned songs.

I believe you are on the right track in your pursuit. Get childrens books, having companion tapes makes it better, getting Japanese friends young & old, better still.

It is very wise to learn the various languages of the Human family of Earth. Thank you for making the effort to improve the world by improving yourself.

Do a word search 'japanese language'

one of the better post included the site below.

Keep up the good work.

Answer 6

I'm glad you like manga in Japan. Manga makes our lives happier and may lead "you" to a successful career.

Dave Spector, a Jewish American, speaks fluent Japanese and is a famous TV personality in Japan. He became interested in Japan when he first encountered manga in elementary school in Chicago. He loved it and wanted to read it in Japanese. He studied very hard for it and is now making good money here in Japan! ;-D

In Japan, we have the saying; "What one likes, one will do well." If you love the Japanese culture and the language, you'll acquire the ability to speak, listen, read, and write Japanese easily and well. Experience the power of love! ;-D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Spector

http://www.davespector.com/

Hi, jesus ate my cereal! Unlike the U.S., anime and manga are not just for children in Japan. Much of what is produced is for young adults and adults.

Anyway, if you want to focus on reading and listening (to read manga in Japanese and see anime without English subtitle), you need to master hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji, as well as Japanese grammar. The following free and paid websites might help you learn the Japanese language as well as make Japanese friends there!

As for speaking Japanese, it's kind of silly, but you can repeat lines in anime and talk to the characters. I saw many movies and sitcomes in the U.S., and this is how I learned to speak English. Good luck with your Japanese and have fun!

http://www.japaneselearning.com/

http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html

http://www.yesjapan.com/

http://www.uni.edu/becker/jgames.html

Answer 7

they have those tapes or cd's at the book store you can purchase...... i think at this point that may be your only option.

and as a japanese person, i am flattered that you have such a passion in our country. If only we all respected each others cultures like that, perhaps this world wouldn't be so f#$ked up.

good luck with your studies!!!! perhaps one day you can go and see japan for yourself. It is a beautiful country =)

Answer 8

try byki.com ..

so far i find the japanese usefull.. its a free audio program you download.. its pretty cool..

maybe by the end of the summer.. we can speak to eachother in basic japanese .. !

Answer 9

I hate Japanophiles like you, and so do Asians. Be proud of your own damn culture and stop trying to pretend that you are Japanese. Also in Japan, anime is for children. Grow up, you are too old to be watching cartoons.

But if you want to seriously learn the language, and it is not because of a children's collections, try pimsleur or rosetta stone.

Answer 10

Like anything, it takes practice practicce practice!!