best way to start learning..?

hello
i'm new to the forum and would like some advice if possible, please. i have recently started to teach myself Japanese and wondered if anyone has any tips on the best way to go about it. i want to be able to read and write, as well as speak the language.
should i learn hiragana (and maybe katakana) before i get into speaking etc? all the books i have assume the alphabets are already known. if so, any good methods or tips for memorizing them? at the rate i'm going it will take me ages to learn even just hiragana!
or is it best to get a basic grasp of the speaking side of things first and then hit the reading/writing later?
(the ironic thing is that my mum is Japanese, and even used to teach the language here in the UK, but i never had the desire to learn as i was growing up, and now she lives in Japan so can't help..! doh)
any advice will be greatly appreciated
thanks

For learning to speak, Pimsleur's CDs are a great place to start, though a bit expensive.

Learning hiragana and katakana early on is very important, and there are plenty of basic books out there for that.

You can also get podcasts (japanesepod101.com) for additional listening and learning.

Some books on grammar as well as a basic English-Japanese dictionary are good as well.

It's probably best to build up some vocabulary and grammar before worrying about getting into kanji, but you can ease into kanji by learning some of the basics like numbers and simple characters.

I'd recommend starting with hiragana and katakana, then move into basic vocabulary and grammar. They give you basic literacy, and knowing the sounds associated with the characters will provide a foundation for learning the spoken language. Kana is also the easiest thing to study on your own. You can also contact your mom and ask for her opinion.

I'd recommend getting Genki I. It's really good. You can then use your books!

Putrefaction said:

I'd recommend getting Genki I. It's really good. You can then use your books!

Click to expand...

Seconded. Genki puts you on the right track and starts with kana.

thanks for the advice guys!

No problem. Though, when you really want to start learning Kanji, I'm out of recommendations--my current Kanji book uses romaji. It's annoying because you need to read kana characters! So get Genki I, the 12 chapters are more than enough to keep you busy for a good semester. It has around 100 Kanji you can practice, plus extra kanji within the chapter's vocab and such so I'd estimate 400-500 overall.

I started learning Japanese about 3 years ago, and I don't think I started off very well...
So hopefully I'll be able to give you advice based on my mistakes?

Probably the most important thing is learning hiragana and katakan first. You won't get anywhere if you can't at least read those. It takes a day to learn each. Don't do "one kana a day" or whatever. Just get it over with in 2 days and then youre set. Do hiragana first, then katakana. While you're learning those, you'll learn the pronounciation of them. obviously your pronounciation wont be perfect at first, however if you listen to japanese music or people speaking japanese, it's very easy to pick up.

Then i suggest buying a book to start on basic phrases/vocab/grammar. I would suggest starting with "Genki I". I used this book, and out of all the (beginner) books ive bought, this one has been the best... and i have a lot of books. its totally worth it, and then you can move onto genki II afterwards.

then as you gradually learn some grammar and vocabulary, you can start kanji.

also, i would suggest learn a bit about japanese culture, if you dont know anything. its important to know if youre going to go to japan, and its also very connected to the language; for example,. how you should speak to someone (formal?, informal?, honorific?) Although you might know some of this already being that you're partly japanese.

Anyways, good luck on your journey to learning japanese

i looked into Genki but it's a bit pricey for me at the moment (i'm unemployed at the minute.. boooo)- gonna have to start saving some pennies. i've got access to quite a few textbooks but they are pretty old and seem to be targeted towards learning from a teacher but they should do for the time being.
i go to Japan semi-regularly so got the pronunciation and culture in the bag. it's pretty embarrassing that i can't speak the language already- i'm 26 haha!
anyway, i took your advice about blitzing through the kana. pretty much nailed hiragana now. got no idea why it was taking me so long to begin with..! Katakana tomorrow
thanks again