Where to start next

darkheritage · 22 Jan 2009

Hello Everyone,
I'm sure you get a lot of these type of questions so sorry in advance for another one.

I just started learning Japanese about 2 weeks ago. I am self teaching myself but am looking for some direction.

I decided the best way to start was to learn hiragana and katakana. I have so far memorized all of the hiragana characters and am almost done with the katakana characters. So I know the translation to romanji and proper pronunciation of each character set. (granted I am slow but can still work through a translation)

So.... Where do I go next? I have been trying to practice what I have learned so far by translating Japanese into romanji but it is difficult without yet knowing any kanji, since most texts and websites are riddled with it. So should I start to memorize and read kanji or should I start trying to learn grammar and conversation? Where would be a good place start with either option?

Amigo · 22 Jan 2009

Firstly you need to be patient.
It took me 2 months to learn HIRAGANA and KATAKANA enough to deal with them.
You should learn a lot of essential expresions like: konnichiwa, ohayo, oyasuminasai, douitashimashite, itadakimasu... Internet is plenty of free information about basic Japanese language and basic grammar.
Learn the essential grammar in ROMAJI if you want to learn faster as long as you practice KANA characters and the 80 firsts KANJIs.
I did so. It went well for me.
After that, use only KANA to learn more grammar points, and ROMAJI only for aid. Never get used to getting by with ROMAJI. ROMAJI will become an enemy to learn Japanese.
In the home-page you have this good material
I was self-taught too at the beginning. So I understand you situation.
When I learned as much as I could by myself I went to an Academy to improve. Go ahead if you like Japanese!

Putrefaction · 22 Jan 2009

Agreed. After you learn kana go right into grammar, where you can start with Kanji.

Buy Genki Vol 1. Everyone uses the book for a great reason! Here's a freebie page of just words, no grammar, but should be enough to get you rolling and interested.

And another one taken from my Kanji topic (can't thumbnail this)

foreevermore · 22 Jan 2009

I would start doing grammar. It'll help you solidify the kana and a good book will gradually introduce Kanji.

There's also a kana version for Japanese for Busy People (try Amazon) if you can't get a hold of any college texts.

Aurura · 22 Jan 2009

Agreed, and again, *take your time*. Give yourself lotsa room and space for getting comfortable with the gana and kana that you've learned before really tackling Kanji. I'm glad to hear of the progress you've made so far with it! Please continue to do your best!

darkheritage · 23 Jan 2009

Thanks for all the advice. I'm an impatient person so this is going to be rough, lol. I'm a fast learner so hopefully my interest can remain peaked as I move forward. I'll have to try to find some Japanese speakers around town here and befriend them.

Glenn · 23 Jan 2009

Aurura said:
...gana and kana...

平仮名 (hiragana) and 片仮名 (katakana) are collectively referred to as 仮名 (kana). You can save yourself some typing from now on.

maushan3 · 24 Jan 2009

Genki is probably the best book to learning any foreign language that I have encountered so far. You should try buying the first book. I don't recommend buying the exercise book, though, it doesn't help a lot.

Just save yourself any trouble and buy Genki level 1. I guess you an get it online. It even explains the first sections of the book in romaji, to save you any trouble, but I agree, learn kana first of anything.

Mauricio

himeji · 26 Jan 2009

I've found (and still finding) the podcasts from NHK at:
Easy Japanese 2015 - free lessons with audio drama | NHK WORLD RADIO JAPAN
useful.

And also the podcasts atarting at:
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/podcasts/beginner_phrases_1
also seem to be getting useful.

Something called Rikaichan is invaluable (even if I don't understand what it's telling me fully!) in reading web pages. You need Firefox, though.

To be honest the web has too much stuff and I've found it difficult wading through it.

It took me a bit longer than you to get the Kanas down (I still make a few mistakes). A Windows program called Japanese Learning Suite is very useful in learning, I found (free but the links in it don't seem to work); I also have a large pack of flash-cards I made myself using Word to carry around with me; printed on heavy photo-card. I find I need to run through them once a day to keep up but it's getting quite easy now. I'm even quite good at matching the 2 kanas without any Romaji (which is one of the tests in the program above).

Amigo · 26 Jan 2009

In youtube there are cute vids like this:

Do some searching!

Where to start next

darkheritage

後輩

Amigo

先輩

Putrefaction

不幸中の幸い. . . がない.

foreevermore

先輩

Aurura

Reaching out...

darkheritage

後輩

Glenn

一切皆苦

maushan3

Back home

himeji

先輩

Amigo

先輩

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