So I started learning Japanese just recently but since there are no good Japanese courses in where I live(%90 of them don't teach Kana and Kanji ***), I'm self-learning. Or trying to. And I'm in need of some guidance. Which order should I follow when learning Japanese? I think it should be kana>kanji>grammar, but I don't know the details and more I learn kanji, harder it gets to memorize them. In addition, I don't know how to get started with vocab. Any tips and suggestions about methods to learn kanji, getting started with vocab and order to learn things would be of great help.
Getting Started
- Thread starter Tenkai
- Start date
Rinilex
先輩
- 20 Feb 2013
- 198
- 6
I think kana and kanji are quite achievable by yourself, to be honest. I taught myself kana just by practicing writing it down a lot, going over it until it stuck and reading it wherever I could find it (in song lyrics, in pictures, TV shows, etc.) until I could recognise each one on sight. Kanji is quite a bit harder, but not impossible. I started off with Heisig's Remembering the Kanji - it has most of the jouyou kanji in it, it helps familiarise you with kanji in general (which can seem very daunting and foreign at first) and how they're written, and it's very useful if you struggle remembering them. Although the lack of readings eventually frustrated me a tad too much, it was a valuable foundation and a good reference. I really recommend it.
I think the recommended order is kanji -> kana -> grammar, but a) that always seemed kind of silly to me considering how easy kana is to learn and how useful it can be, and b) I was listening/ watching stuff in Japanese all the time, and I was very impatient to understand what was being said. I think it depends on the individual. If you look at the forum stickies, there's some great resources to look into. (I can vouch for A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar as I own it, and have found it very useful.)
As far as vocab goes, you can look into vocab books or lessons to get the basics, but the best way is by watching/ reading/ listening Japanese in any kind of media you can, really. I didn't have any books to help me with that aspect, I just sort of "jumped in" and looked up what I didn't know. I did the immersion method for a while when I first started out - strictly Japanese media, no English whatsoever - and it really helped me get a feel for the language. I'm trying to give it another go, but I'm back into my French studies now too...
I think the recommended order is kanji -> kana -> grammar, but a) that always seemed kind of silly to me considering how easy kana is to learn and how useful it can be, and b) I was listening/ watching stuff in Japanese all the time, and I was very impatient to understand what was being said. I think it depends on the individual. If you look at the forum stickies, there's some great resources to look into. (I can vouch for A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar as I own it, and have found it very useful.)
As far as vocab goes, you can look into vocab books or lessons to get the basics, but the best way is by watching/ reading/ listening Japanese in any kind of media you can, really. I didn't have any books to help me with that aspect, I just sort of "jumped in" and looked up what I didn't know. I did the immersion method for a while when I first started out - strictly Japanese media, no English whatsoever - and it really helped me get a feel for the language. I'm trying to give it another go, but I'm back into my French studies now too...
letianchen
先輩
- 17 Jun 2013
- 560
- 25
I like the Minna no nihongo book series alot! Please take a look at the beginner number 1, it is really awesome!
BTW riniflex if you need help with french let me know I am fluent in french
BTW riniflex if you need help with french let me know I am fluent in french
Rinilex
先輩
- 20 Feb 2013
- 198
- 6
Ah, forgot about that - I've not tried it myself, but I've heard a lot about Minna no Nihongo and it's meant to be pretty decent for beginners.
@letianchen Oh, thank you! I might take you up on that!
I did it at school for a couple of years and have been going over the French newspapers to ease myself into it again. C'est certainement plus facile que le Japonais...
@letianchen Oh, thank you! I might take you up on that!
I did it at school for a couple of years and have been going over the French newspapers to ease myself into it again. C'est certainement plus facile que le Japonais...
DaisukeJigen
後輩
- 31 Jan 2013
- 29
- 2
Anyone have any good recommendations for audio courses? I got a 45 minute drive to and from work. Feel I should put that wasted time to good use. Still in the beginner stage, but not absolute.
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Alethian
後輩
- 19 Aug 2013
- 4
- 0
I'm starting Japanese as well! Good luck to you.
As to your question, I have a few thoughts.
1. I'd say no order is good. Try to learn them all at the same time. Someone said in another thread that you can learn all the kana in a week. I think that's doable, but it really depends on the person. But there's no reason you can't learn grammar at the same time. And really, the sooner you get started on the grammar, the sooner you'll start learning the language proper, and the sooner you can start applying your knowledge of the kana. As to kanji, someone said in that thread that the best way to learn is to start, at some point, learning the kanji for whatever words you are learning. That is, don't try to remember the kanji and all associated meanings independent of your vocab learning. I agree with that, from experience, so try to learn at least a few each day as you build your vocab.
2. Having studied classical Greek, which obviously uses its own script, I can say that proficiency with a new script only comes when you use it. Rote memorization helps, but your brain needs practice in processing a new method of reading. The only way to do that is to write and read in the script. Now, at the moment I'm learning grammar through romaji, but I write my answers in kana. It doesn't matter if I don't use the appropriate kanji (yet), because all I'm trying to do is acquaint myself with processing the characters. As I learn kanji I can add them in. This is the single best thing you can do at the early stages to learn the kana and build your proficiency in reading Japanese.
@DaisukeJigen. Sorry, no recommendations for audio courses. But another thread mentioned listening to Japanese music as a way of acquainting the brain with processing the sounds of the language. I find it useful. So why not try to find some Japanese music you like, even if you can make out the words yet, and listen to it in addition to trying to spend time doing an audio course?
As to your question, I have a few thoughts.
1. I'd say no order is good. Try to learn them all at the same time. Someone said in another thread that you can learn all the kana in a week. I think that's doable, but it really depends on the person. But there's no reason you can't learn grammar at the same time. And really, the sooner you get started on the grammar, the sooner you'll start learning the language proper, and the sooner you can start applying your knowledge of the kana. As to kanji, someone said in that thread that the best way to learn is to start, at some point, learning the kanji for whatever words you are learning. That is, don't try to remember the kanji and all associated meanings independent of your vocab learning. I agree with that, from experience, so try to learn at least a few each day as you build your vocab.
2. Having studied classical Greek, which obviously uses its own script, I can say that proficiency with a new script only comes when you use it. Rote memorization helps, but your brain needs practice in processing a new method of reading. The only way to do that is to write and read in the script. Now, at the moment I'm learning grammar through romaji, but I write my answers in kana. It doesn't matter if I don't use the appropriate kanji (yet), because all I'm trying to do is acquaint myself with processing the characters. As I learn kanji I can add them in. This is the single best thing you can do at the early stages to learn the kana and build your proficiency in reading Japanese.
@DaisukeJigen. Sorry, no recommendations for audio courses. But another thread mentioned listening to Japanese music as a way of acquainting the brain with processing the sounds of the language. I find it useful. So why not try to find some Japanese music you like, even if you can make out the words yet, and listen to it in addition to trying to spend time doing an audio course?
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