Greetings everyone! From the beginning....

[Sefearion]

I'm sure you folks have already seen a million threads start like this so I'll try my best to keep things short. I'm a classic cliche of guy who has watched a shed load of Anime, read Manga and played Video Games and decided I want to learn Japanese (Please put the flamethrowers and pitchforks away).

My native language is Urdu which I can speak fluently (I can't write Urdu to save my life) and having been born in the UK English has become my second language and over time has become the more dominant language for me. Having watched an obscene amount of anime over the years I've gradually learned quite a few Japanese words and I'm well aware that one of the biggest pitfalls a newbie like myself can fall into is thinking that they can learn the Japanese language simply through watching Anime, so moving on! Having ping-ponged from one website to another I've noticed many folks agree that one of the first things to do when learning Japanese is to start by learning Hiragana and Katakana which is something I started doing from yesterday with the help of Real Kana. I must say it's very daunting given the large number of characters that need to be memorized and to make things even more difficult I believe there are also a vast amount Kanji characters that need to learned as well? Sheesh...

For now my aim is to drill Hiragana and Katakana into my head until I reach the point I can immediately recognize the character I am looking at. I get the feeling taking on anymore is only going to lead to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated in the long run. My question to you folks is am I beginning at the right place in terms of learning Japanese?

Side Question: What books, software packages, training methods etc did you find works best? (I know it's a broad question but I'm very interested in what peoples approach to learning this language are).

Thank you very much for reading. I'll be heading to hammering the Kana's into my noodle!

 

[FinancialWar]

What books, software packages, training methods etc did you find works best? (I know it's a broad question but I'm very interested in what peoples approach to learning this language are).

watch naruto

 

[Sefearion]

Is that really so unreasonable?

I'm merely asking for a little guidance. It's not like I am prying your skull open with a crowbar and searching for "all the shinies!". I was merely asking people who are more experienced in Japanese than myself if they found any particular books or software packages useful when they were in my position.

EDIT: "do you really expect people to honestly disclose their best study strategy that took them years if not decades to figure out? ".

I would have thought some people would be happy to help a fellow human being in his/her pursuit of knowledge.

 

[MitsuKasuka]

Check my post here! I hope it'll help you with your learning

And also, this site is good for learning the Kanji!

 

[Sefearion]

Heh edited your initial reply FinancialWar?.

"watch naruto "

Already have . Nice troll by the way

@ MitsuKasuka, Thank you. I'll check it out.

 

[adragast]

Hi,

Maybe you could start with one system first. For example, just the hiragana first or just the katakana. Otherwise, yes there are many kana to learn but you will be so happy when it is done

Concerning kanjis, I would not recommend you to learn them for now. Maybe just recognize the most common ones but that's it. When you are done with the kanas, you will be able to start with the kanjis. Don't rush, though. I had to relearn all the kanjis I knew because I did not learn them properly at first (you need to be careful about the order of the strokes, the way strokes end etc...).

Finally, I personally like best "minna no nihongo" (Japanese for all or the Japanese of everyone) but it is a matter of taste.

Good luck in your learning adventure.

 

[Sefearion]

Hey Adragast

I'll be be putting Kanji on hold until I get the hang of Hiragana and Katakana. At the moment I'm doing them both at the same time and so far my progress is steady. I will definitely need to practice writing Hiragana and Katakana so my aim is to basically print off some practice sheets and get the hang of the stroke orders. So for this month I'll simply be focusing on the Kana's!

 

[grawrt]

Good luck! I just started learning as well. My advice for the kana's is to practice every chance you can. I made flashcards and practiced with them when I was on the train or bus or waiting for class to start. It helped alot and I was able to learn the hiragana within week. But I took a break from it during finals week and found myself fogetting half of it. >__< Even now, I still practice the kanas every morning even though I know them all, just to be safe.

Since you like anime you should try watching it without the subs. I tried this last week, because I LOVE dramas. At first its weird and a little frustrating (especially when those dramatic scenes hit with the looong dialogue/monologues) but after a while you realize you dont really need it, and its still as much enjoyable to watch. Not sure if this will improve your studies or not but its still a good knack to have and forces your brain to *think* japanese.

 

[Sefearion]

Thanks Grawrt

Ironically I actually ordered some Kana cards yesterday so that way I always have alternate ways to practice. The plan is to start with 5 characters in the morning and 5 in the evening. As each day passes I'll be adding more and more cards to the pile until eventually I can go through the entire deck.

 

[Mike Cash]

1. Take a class
2. Use a proper textbook

The old pre-Internet methods are still the best.

 

[Sefearion]

I had considered perhaps taking classes but time constraints make it a bit tricky. I work full-time plus do additional hours (Blasted bills!) with my shifts changing each week with sometimes as little as a days notice so it's difficult to take any classes on a regular basis. But you raise a fair point about using a textbook seeing as they have more structured learning.

I recall people people mentioning using Genki? Any suggestions Mike? (I've got a sinking feeling this has been asked quite a bit, if so just ignore this question. I'll be doing some digging around in meantime).

 

[nekojita]

Genki is generally well regarded. You can see sample pages here:
Genki – Page and Audio Samples

 

[Mike Cash]

I wouldn't ignore your question, but it has been quite a while since I used a textbook and I am unfamiliar with what is out there now and unable to recommend any particular one.

 

[Sefearion]

Genki is generally well regarded. You can see sample pages here:
Genki – Page and Audio Samples

Thank you. I'll look into this later tonight once work is out of the way.

@ Mike, no worries

 

[Rena8]

If you are learning by yourself, definitely start with the kana. I used an iPhone app called kana complete, which treats kana learning like a game and drills them until you can recognize them by sight, sound, or romaji. I think the app was a dollar but I'm sure there are free alternatives available for both idevices and other smartphones if you have one, there are also many internet-based sites that treat kana study like a game as well. As far as course materials go, I find that Genki might be better for self-learners, Minna no Nihongo is written completely in Japanese and the audio is hard to come by unless you order it straight from Japan. One thing you may want to try once you pick up a bit more is the Lang-8 website. You basically write an entry in your target language and native speakers correct your mistakes. You have the opportunity to help others who are learning your language as well, it's very much a "give-and-take" system. I have tried Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur, and I can't say that I'd really recommend them if you want to truly understand what is going on with the language. There is, however, a very nice breakdown of grammar that can be found here if you'd like a free alternative to buying a textbook immediately. Learn Japanese | Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese

Good luck in your study.

 

[Mike Cash]

After years of seeing mention of Tae Kim's guide being recommended as a self-learning resource I finally took a look at it recently.

My impressions were:
it's better than nothing
you get what you pay for

 

[TetsuoH]

MitsuKasuka I'm new to these forums and I just started learning Japanese as a bit of a hobby in my off-hours from work this summer and your post was extremely helpful. I've decided I will learn hiragana very well first, then move on to katakana next so I can practice vocabulary and such. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[MitsuKasuka]

MitsuKasuka I'm new to these forums and I just started learning Japanese as a bit of a hobby in my off-hours from work this summer and your post was extremely helpful. I've decided I will learn hiragana very well first, then move on to katakana next so I can practice vocabulary and such. Thanks for sharing!!

No problem! I'm glad it could help! ^^ You should see my pile of index cards! ahaa! :'D