How did you learn Japanese?

[Brittygotchi]

So I know that there are a lot of people on the forums that have learned (or are learning) to speak/read Japanese, and I recently decided I want to do the same. Does anyone have any tips of how to get started? What methods do you use? I'm probably going to have my boyfriend torrent Rosetta Stone for me, but I want to hear how you did it!

I mostly decided to learn it because I feel like it would open up new doors for me as far as making foreign friends online because the two things I love the most (Tamagotchi and Animal Crossing) originated and are more popular in Japan, therefore I would be able to find more people with those interests. What made you decide to learn the language?

 

[neonmoo]

Ive been learning it off and on for around 4years now and havent got very far :/ I know the Hiragana but not what they say when put together :/. My room is also covered in post it notes related to learning Japanese.

Im using:

memrise its really good for pronunciation and remembering the Hiragana

Japanese from zero workbook its amazing it explains politeness and cultural stuff

Earworms rapid japanese I have picked up so much stuff really quickly with this and when combined with memrise you can spell what you learn in Hiragana

Also watching subtitled anime is good for picking up little things. I really want Rossetta stone but its been pretty much impossible to get a working copy on my Mac so Im saving up to buy it (if anyone has it for mac it would be much appreciated)

 

[jzwolf530]

I use:

https://www.genkiengl...ijapan/menu.htm Which is a decent website with some good help and tools. They also have tons of youtube videos and "kinder" level stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/user/japanesepod101?feature=watch Basic lessons and video demonstrations. (There are plenty of videos on the channel.)

I also own a book, workbooks, and a dictionary which is great when trying to figure out basics for writing/reading Japanese.

 

[SailorRosette]

Watching anime. Sometimes with subtitles, sometimes without.

You could probably friend some people on an Animal Crossing forum. If you have Wild World, they might be able to treach some to you over that, if they know japanese.

Or over Messangers with a microphone with a Japanese person, teacher, friend, or person who offers...etc.

 

[SugaryGoesRAWR]

MISS MURRAY.

(Aka Japanese Classes ; u ; )

 

[ichiro.malfoy]

Check your local university or library and ask if they are offering language lessons. Nothing beats a formal class and a total immersion experience of the language you're thinking of learning.

 

[Amat Gotchi]

I've been trying to learn Japanese, unfortunately there are NO Japanese classes in my area (there are almost no Japanese people either). I've been looking at 123japanese.com for a while now, but a lot of these links sound a lot better!

 

[herrosteph]

Took it back in high school.

 

[LeaChaos]

I've picked up some Japanese mainly from anime, video games, and music.

Plus I also took a few lessons online and had a whole bunch of audio podcasts on my Ipod.

I don't know a lot, but I can pick up a few words here and there.

As for reading Japanese....I only know my name.

 

[Amat Gotchi]

I just found a great new site called https://thejapanesepage.com/

It's got some nice stuff, like bite-sized grammar lessons (which I have printed out for my morning commute). I think there are a lot of MP3 lessons, too.

 

[KarinaBM13]

Just my dictionary, and google translate, though it's terrible. But it's good for names.

カリーナ~

 

[tamagotchialice]

Hello! I am currently learning Japanese. I suggest this: www.livemocha.com because its helped me a LOT. You can learn ANY language on this site, and even have real people help you learn! It is a VERY helpful website, and I hope you sign up for it!

 

[Aniowien]

I'm thinking about taking Japanese here in a few semesters but that might be difficult. I have learned the basics of Chinese through my college though.

 

[neonmoo]

Hello! I am currently learning Japanese. I suggest this: www.livemocha.com because its helped me a LOT. You can learn ANY language on this site, and even have real people help you learn! It is a VERY helpful website, and I hope you sign up for it!

Oh man Ive just looked at that link and it looks fantastic just like rosetta stone

 

[dazzilitchigirl]

I have a Japanese-English dictionary, which I use to write basic sentences which are probably incorrect. I don't know the language, although I can write my nickname (Mina) and the word "Tamagotchi" quite fast.

 

[Ashley Montanae]

Hello! I am currently learning Japanese. I suggest this: www.livemocha.com because its helped me a LOT. You can learn ANY language on this site, and even have real people help you learn! It is a VERY helpful website, and I hope you sign up for it!

*Pro-tip: Live Mocha is wonderful for any language! (I mean... I'm not learning Japanese, just Korean & Greek, but, it's still great.)

 

[Jhud]

I used to try to learn japanese in my weaboo years. Yeah... The times when I thought that japan is a wonderful and flaweless country. (sic)

I know few basic phrases and I have a japanese friend, but nothing more than it. I mainly used translator, some random sites with words, etc. I have a qutie big japanese-polish dictionary, but it's too complex for me.

 

[Nyaasu]

I started by studying Hiragana and Katakana - and I had no one to guide me, so I was on my own! It was pretty tough.

But a few years ago, while trying to teach my boyfriend Japanese, I came across this book: https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Hiragana-Beginners-Mastering-Writing/dp/480530877X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360816895&sr=8-1&keywords=hiragana+for+beginners

...I wish I'd had this when I was begining! It's perfect!

Honestly, once you learn Hiragana/Katakana, the door is open to you! I would recommend that you take small steps, and start there.

I've been studying Japanese for 13 years now, and I'm still not perfect, but I know I'd have had a better start if only I'd had that book! xD

 

[VioletchiGirl]

Well JapanesePod101 provide some really good videos and it's easy to start learning from them. Once you've learnt hirigana and katakana though you should start trying a few kanji. Most Japanese writing will contain kanji so if you only know kana it will be difficult for you to read anything :-/

 

[KERFUFFLE]

For anybody with a Mac, an app called HumanJapanese is available to download from the App Store for under £15 and it's really great. I think you may now be able to get it on PC too, actually, from their website. You don't get the voice recognition as you do with RosettaStone, but it teaches you vocabulary, grammar, both phonetic alphabets and how to write them (including brush stoke order), as well as cultural information about how to act and address people in Japan. It's really impressive and I know that once I leave school and have more time to dedicate to it, I'll be using it a lot.