Recommended resources for learning Japanese?

Vexorg · Post by **Vexorg** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 2:40 am

Currently at work, I am finding myself involved with doing a fair bit of application testing on Japanese operating systems, and it occurs to me that now might be a good time to try to pick up a little bit of Japanese so I can at least read Katakana and Hiragana stuff. Can anyone recommend some good resources for this?

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 2:47 am

Google image search for "hiragana" and "katakana" would probably be easiest.

roushimsx · Post by **roushimsx** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 2:49 am

Sign up for some night classes at a local college. I used to go to classes at the University of Maryland every Tuesday and Thursday from 1900 - 2100 for a few semesters and it worked out great (for my work schedule). Got 3 credit hours out of it, too

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:45 am

Don't listen to these guys. If all you need is to pick up hiragana and katakana without really studying the language itself, you can find some flash cards and a book on memorizing kana at your nearby bookstore. On a non-professional level, Katakana is especially useful for picking out names of anime and games and such while shopping.

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:09 am

greg wrote:Don't listen to these guys. If all you need is to pick up hiragana and katakana without really studying the language itself,

Wait, what? My suggestion was simpler. It's easy enough to just look over a chart and learn the hiragana/katakana. While I did take Japanese for four years in high school, learning the hiragana/katakana is simple stuff.

Flash cards can work ok, and if you're used to learning stuff using flash cards then go ahead and do that. For me personally, I find that flash cards are completely useless and a waste of time to make. While they're fine for quizzing yourself after you do learn your stuff, they sure don't help you learn it.

Here's my suggestion: just look over a chart and start learning it row by row. Start practicing writing them as that will help you remember as well, what with repitition and all. Then, as you learn, start finding some Japanese reading material (sites or whatever, nothing advanced as that would have kanji) and try reading what you can. Could easily have both hiragana and katakana memorized within two weeks if you wanted to, I think.

serge · Post by **serge** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:07 pm

Vexorg,
Since you have a PocketPC, try this PPC program:
http://www.gakusoft.com/kanji_ce.htm
as a high-tech alternative to flashcards and such.
Basically, what mannerbot suggests but automated.
There is a PC version but writting with a stylus is much more natural.