Does any one knows what's the easiest way to learn Japanese?

1. 71

   red_rosesposted 14 years ago

   Does any one knows what's the easiest way to learn Japanese?
   
   Or how to learn Japanese in a very easy way? The kanjis are Chinese characters right? So does that mean that it would be easier if I study the Chinese language first?

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2. 60

   petitelettersposted 14 years ago

   I don't think studying the Chinese language first will help you much in learning Japanese. It'll make it easier to learn Japanese kanjis, but it wont help you much in learning words. Basically, kanji is about the only thing that's similar between those two languages, so you should just focus on learning Japanese. Before you try figuring out the easiest way of learning Japanese, do you first have an idea of what skill you want best? Is it reading, listening, speaking, or writing? Knowing your priorities first will help since maybe you don't want to read that much at all or maybe you just want to focus on reading.
   
   Anyways, no matter what your choice, I think it's still best to learn hiragana and katakana first. This way, more textbooks will be available to you.
   
   After you learn those two things, try focusing on learning vocab. You should try a flashcard program in order to learn it, but not just any. Pick a flash card program that's a spaced repetition system (srs) such as anki or mnemosyne. These programs are great for learning Japanese easier because you get to score how well you know a card from 1-4 or somewhere around there. And based on your scorings, cards you know easier will be shown to you much later than the cards that you find more difficult.
   
   To get basic grammar down, either get a textbook so that you'll have a structure to fall back on. For instance, Genki, it's a textbook that's often used in universities. If your self-studying, try Japanese for Everyone, not only is it much cheaper, but it provides answer to the exercises at the back of the book. You can also go to an online site, like Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar.
   
   If I knew more about your interests, perhaps I can give you more specific ideas.

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3. 61

   DreedleDposted 14 years ago

   Petiteletters gave a very good answer. I'd like to add just a few more points:
   
   -Anki is a great spaced repetition system. You can download flashcard decks from other users, like all the vocabulary from the Genki textbook, all the hiragana and katakana, and many more. You can even use video and audio clips.  I highly recommend it.
   
   -One method for memorizing the Japanese kanji is James Heisig's three book system called "Remembering the Kanji." I can't personally attest to this method, because I'm in the middle of it now, but I have several friends in Japan who have completed the books and rave about how great it is. The general approach is to learn the English meanings and stroke order of about 2000 kanji, then to go back and learn the Japanese readings. It's actually pretty fun, because you get to make up your own little stories about the kanji to make them stick in your memory. I've been using this website, which is essentially a spaced repetition system designed just for Remembering the Kanji: http://kanji.koohii.com/
   
   -This site is good for inspiration when you are about to run out of steam: http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/

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