I would like to learn Japanese

[Nitro Vordex]

Is there anyplace I could learn Japanese for free? I know it would involve a lot of work and I am prepared to do it. It would be great to learn a new language, especially one i am interested in. Since I will be doing french in high school, that would be 2 languages I would know! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif Please help.

[roygbiv]

Uh... I think you should learn Chinese instead...

There are pretty much and unlimited number of reasons for learning Chinese instead of (or rather before) learning Japanese.

But then again I am wicked biased.

THEREFORE I WON'T HELP YOU!

Also "haha" at "that would be 2 languages I would know!"

Hahahaha

[Dre_o]

Books are your friend. Go buy a $20 learn Japanese book with a CD with it. Though I have learned very little, that is how I'm learning Japanese.

Note: this book has a casset (sp?) tape with it so it's pretty old. I got it from my uncle who was a fluent master of something like 10 languages. Unfortuanetly my uncle has passes from this world, may he rest in peace.

[Zelutos]

On 2006-08-05 22:23, roygbiv wrote:
Uh... I think you should learn Chinese instead...

There are pretty much and unlimited number of reasons for learning Chinese instead of (or rather before) learning Japanese.

But then again I am wicked biased.

THEREFORE I WON'T HELP YOU!

Also "haha" at "that would be 2 languages I would know!"

Hahahaha





Mind telling me where i can learn Chinese?

[BogusKun]

At a college... or an institute.. a sponsor may help you if you live in a major city.. or if youre in hawaii... from a friend who is likely to help you with all generosity...

however.. the cd books may be the only thing if youre having trouble learning japanese if youre at this point.. well, thats if you cant afford the schooling at a college.

Chinese is much more helpful tho... only because there is more chinese in america... so there is all your money.
Korean and Vietnamese run together in priority....
Japanese... eh I know the language.. but its not gonna help you in the state of tx... or anywhere else.. cuz theres like only 1 old japanese lady sittin around somewhere.

I know Japanese and some Korean now.. Im workin on it haha..

[Ash1ey]

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/news.php

excellent site. I suggest starting with Katakana, since its the easiest of the three.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Steve II on 2006-08-06 04:14 ]</font>

[rena-ko]

as well, katakana is the most useful, as it gets used for foreign (note, foreign from the japanese point of view) words and names. so you can read them and can guess the meaning rightaway.

in the end its up to you - you want just be able to read kana and know a few words? or do you want to be able to survive over there? if its the latter, go to some languages courses. college, evening school, private tutours etc.

[Shiro_Ryuu]

try to buy books as dre_o said. thats how I learned Japanese. its a very easy language to learn IMO excpet for the kanji.

[navci]

On 2006-08-06 05:17, rena-ko wrote:
in the end its up to you - you want just be able to read kana and know a few words? or do you want to be able to survive over there? if its the latter, go to some languages courses. college, evening school, private tutours etc.


Ya. Depending on what you want to do. I started out learning for playing video games. Learned the kanas, both sets of them. After watching a lot of stuff you get to learn a few words, songs, anime, they all help build your vocabulary. Fast forward a lot of years and I can decipher a lot of things, but unable to express what I wanted to say correctly. That's when I took a intro course in uni, learned the basic grammar. All of a sudden, the world made more sense.

So. If you are serious about it, go to school and learn it. Books will only help you go so far.

[Blitzkommando]

Find out if there is a Japanese community in your area. You'd be surprised at how many little communities have popped up just about everywhere where a certain ethnic group is the majority. Here in this area of Ohio we have a very large Indian (from India) community, large Vietmanese commnunity, and a fair number of Korean and Japanese as well. Often times these people would be very happy to teach you about their culture, and in turn their language. I taught myself some very simple Russian and was able to have a very short, but understood, conversation with a Georgian (Georgia the country) artist that came into the area a couple years ago.

Some areas are just good for finding little pockets of culture and lifestyles from around the world. Express your interest in learning about their culture and not forcing yours upon them is a great step in the correct direction. Often times they are willing to at least give some help to those who are interested, if nothing more than pointing out which books are best as well as if any people are willing to tutor, for free or otherwise.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Norvekh on 2006-08-06 12:00 ]</font>

[Foxix]

hmm actually I am doing something similar right now. I decided I desperatly want to move out of the US so I am going to learn a language http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif I decided on japanese, so last week I went and rented a very large volume of cd's and a book on it in one very large set from my local library. It may not be the best way to learn it, but I must say that japanese is incredibly interesting even if I have only gotten 2 pages into the book http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif the word "desu" alone, for its mass of meanings in comparison to what we would use in english, makes me want to finish the book.

[roygbiv]

What is your motivation? (general you)

[Foxix]

to move out of my home country and travel baby!

[Sinue_v2]

Damn... how come nobody ever wants to learn Swahili or Lakotan? Or even Russian or Korean? Bah...

Sifahamu, Kwa Heri.

[navci]

Eventually I'd like to have my German at conversational level. ._.
Or eventually I'd like to speak French. But man, that language just sound difficult! How about, eventually I'd like to speak a romance language.

[Foxix]

meh it all depends on who teaches you really, I tried french last year, but my teacher literally killed the language for me, I can't stand the sound of it... makes me cringe. Not only that but I just couldn't grasp the language, however, even with only a single page read on japanese I actually "get it"

[Abaru-FP]

On 2006-08-05 22:03, Nitro_Vordex wrote:
Since I will be doing french in high school, that would be 2 languages I would know! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

Ha. I don't think you understand what it takes to learn a language. If your highschool is as shitty as mine was, you'll be lucky if you can leave your french class with the ability to introduce yourself and say goodbye.

If you want to be proficient at all, expect to spend more than a year of hard study.

[roygbiv]

i.e. Highschool doesn't equal hard study, and usually leaves you with a pretty shitty foundation for learning more of the language, unless you are going to some really kick ass school/international school etc.