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Genki I or Genki II for early-intermediate level learner

kumalh

後輩
16 Jun 2013
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Hi all,
Last semester at University I took an introductory class to Japanese as an elective, and since then have been very interested in the language. I've done a bit more self study online, but I have decided to purchase a test book and teach myself properly. A bit of research told me that the 2 Genki books are quite good (even for self study), however, my problem is whether I should get the first or second book in the series.
I can't find a list of the contents of each book online, so I thought I'd outline what I know so far, and if anybody who has experience with the books could let me know if I'd be better off with I or II, then that'd be great!
What I know:
  1. Hiragana & Katakana & Pronunciation
  2. Numbers
  3. Times & Dates
  4. wa, ga, ka, ni, no, to, de, (h)e, (w)o, mo particles
  5. i & na adjectives (past/present, +/-)
  6. Verbs (past/present, +/-)
What I don't know:
  • The basics of verbs. I just know some common verbs, but know very little about u/ru and iru/eru and how to conjugate them (stems?)
  • I know very little Kanji - just basics like numbers
  • Politeness levels and what to use in which situations
  • Obviously, a lot of vocabulary
So, that's a basic rundown of what I know. Would I be better of with Genki I or II, or perhaps even a different book if anybody has any recommendations? If it comes down to it, I can always do a bit more self study online to fill in the gaps between I and II.
Thank you!
 
Hi,

I think you should go through Genki I first. Genki II is more upper.

Make sure that you study the material very well in both books. In Genki III, which is upper intermediate to advance, the authors do not explain the concepts in detail like the way they do in Genki 1 & 2 because most of the grammar points learned in there are built off of the material from the other books.

Make sure you master all the kanji in the back from both books and the different verb conjugations.

がんばっています
 
Provided nothing has changed since I formally studied...

Genki I starts from scratch, so you'll be reviewing some stuff in the beginning, but there might still be things in there that are new to you. Use the opportunity to review and test your knowledge, then move on to more advanced books. The Genki series and other books from the Japan Times were invaluable during my more studious days. I recommend getting a copy of "cultural episodes" when you've gotten to an lower/intermediate reading level.
 
To nice gaijin,

What is cultural episodes?


I am currently on Genki 3 (chapter 10) and I know 830 kanji characters. can I use that?
 
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