How to self-study with Genki?

[Medain]

Good day.

I recently ordered the genki textbook, workbook and "Essential Kanji" by P.G. O'neill, but I'm really confused on how I should study everything. Genki doesn't provide a sufficient explanation I think for how I should use their material. Should I study in all the vocabulary list in each chapter, should I learn kana first before proceeding with Genki etc etc.

Could anyone shed some light on how I should study? I've had a hard time collecting info from internet as well.

Thanks.

 

[Andromedashun]

I don't think there is any other good method than just follow what the book told you to do. Beside, I don't think self-study is a good way either. You should get a class so a teacher would guide you the basics. Though I don't know how to find a good online class, since I never try and don't need to since there are plenty of classes in my country.

 

[OoTmaster]

I would recomend learning the kana first. You can usually find charts to learn them quickly. Should take you a week at the most spending at least 30 mins a day practicing them.

 

[Angel Valis]

I'm going off of the first edition, but I think the second edition is very similar.

Genki is separated into two parts; the first half of the book focuses on grammar and the second half on reading and writing.

So ideally you should be doing one grammar and one r/w lesson at, sort of, the same time. So Lesson 1 in the first half of the book goes along quite well with Lesson 1 in the second half. In fact, the first two r/w lessons are about the kana, and as such, the first two lessons of grammar use more romaji.

 

[faridym]

I also have the Genki 2nd Edition, which I just started with. It is possible to learn japanese alone, but like said before a teacher will help greatly, especially in your pronunciation and conversation skills. I wouldn't go for a class setting though, better to find a private teacher to study with online. It doesn't have to be expensive
Italki has some great NativeJapanese Professional teachers and informal tutors who will all help you greatly.
There are 2 professional teachers there and affordable that I can recommend who will help you guiding through the Genki books. They advertise it on their profiles. Perhaps the others can do it too.

 

[Kraise]

Learn kana first, get rid of romaji.
While a teacher is a good addition, it's not definitely necessary, not as much as a native japanese acquaintance willing to talk to you of course.

Once you know the two kana alphabets start your journey through the books and use the following resources to help you get through it:
JGram - The Japanese Grammar database
classic.jisho.org
www.alc.co.jp
国語・英和・和英・類語・中国語辞書検索 - goo辞書

If the book throws vocabulary first and then grammar notes, then do like that as well, read the vocabulary page once or twice, write the same words in a notebook. You're not going to absorb 100% of it as well, its there as a reference thing. Progress into the grammar explanations then exercises~ and read a lot.

Questions will certainly arise (and thats a good thing, a proof that your brain is trying to figure things out, inevitably you will progress) feel free to post them here followed by what you think about them/your guesses and such. They are your learning thermometer, you're going to notice that the complexity of your questions will improve over time, and things that were hard once, will become trivial with time.

thats it. my opinion though.