Beginners questions. Where to start?

[Dumax]

Hello everyone.

I am looking forward to learning Japanese language. I just recently started doing research on it, learning it. I have a lot of questions.

So I haven't started doing anything big related to learning Japanese. I want to know all the necessary stuff about learning/how to learn. I don't want to make a bad approach to Japanese. You know how they say "A good start is half the job done". So I want to make a good beginning knowing I wont fail.

My main goal would be at least to grasp the basics of Japanese language. I would like to be able and speak Japanese. So for that purpose I would need to know the vocabulary and phrases, right? But all that stuff is in romaji. I mean there's a lot of videos on youtube or other sources that teach you how to talk, but they do it in romaji. So I heard that romaji is very bad. It is not the real Japanese language, but just romanized, something like cheating in Japanese, doing shortcut. But all this stuff will backstab you in the future. Because you will be learning not the real japanese language and it may also ruin you Japanese pronouncation. If anyone don't understand what I mean when i say romaji, here it is:



I hope it's okay to post videos from youtube?

So I have learned that at first you need to learn the basics of their writing system. At least to know the hiragana and katakana. By doing that you can know how to write, read, pronounce syllables and stuff like that.

So... How and where should I start learning Japanese? I would like to speak/understand their language a little at least, so that's earthly desire, I don't aim for the "impossible", not for now .

So going for romaji phrases is bad? So should I take the long/hard way and start with writting, reading and by doing that learn all the vocabulary, speaking and so on?

Please, give me some tips where to start. I don't want to make the bad approach. I really want to study Japanese, but not sure where to begin, I don't want to make an early fail.... Please guide me to this awesome journey!

Thank you very much. Sorry for the long post!

P.S. It would be very great If someone could enlighten me with useful information, their experiences, books, sites and all kind a useful Japanese sources.

 

[letslearn]

First thing to do is learn hirigana.

 

[Dotanbatan]

I'd say learn hiragana and katakana thoroughly, then basic grammar while getting stuck into the vocab - learn as much as you can manage as quickly as you can.
As you suggested, it is usually better to learn using resources written in kana and some kanji rather than romaji. You will probably need to refer to grammar and more complex explanations in English or your native language until your Japanese reaches quite a high level.

 

[Dumax]

Thanks!

So firstly I will go for Kana. It's better not to watch those youtube videos with romaji phrases and stuff like that?

 

[nekojita]

You should learn pronunciation from listening to native speakers, not from seeing things written down. Even if it's in kana you can learn bad pronounication habits, and it is not true that you can automatically tell the pronunciation 100% of the time if it's written in kana (I know somebody who got tripped up by してはいけない).

I think Erin's Challenge is a good site for beginners. It's run by the Japan Foundation (who also do the JLPT), and it's free.

 

[lightsire]

Learning Hiragana and Katakana from the start will help train your mind to think in Japanese instead of thinking in another language and then translating it into Japanese. As you go to higher levels, you will also be able to adsorb faster.

I found it particularly useful to learn Kana through practicing words instead of just Kana by itself. For example, I might use "あか" (red) to remember the Kana あ and か. This helps you to remember better as words will have specific meanings attached to them as opposed to the traditional way of memorizing "あいうえお", which have no meaning at all.

You could also watch NHK's japanese learning programme "meet and speak". I found it useful that they included some nuggets of information about japan and the japanese culture, which makes it interesting to watch.

Hope this helps!

 

[eeky]

I know somebody who got tripped up by してはいけない

What's the trip-up there?

 

[nekojita]

He saw it as a beginner, and didn't recognise it was particle wa not ha. Which if you hadn't been introduced to that grammar pattern is not that remarkable a mistake.

 

[eeky]

He saw it as a beginner, and didn't recognise it was particle wa not ha. Which if you hadn't been introduced to that grammar pattern is not that remarkable a mistake.

Oh, yes, I see. I wasn't thinking of that...