Japanese teaching software

[FSSimon]

After hearing about it on the radio and reading their add in "Enroute" Air Canada's onboard magazine. I decided to try this software called "Rosetta Stone".

I claims to teach you a language the same way you learned your mother. By imersion rather than translation. I played with it for just 15 minutes and it looks promising...

Check it out here:

Rosetta Stone's website

 

[Resident0]

Cool can you buy nunchaku in the stores and beat up thugs too?

(P.S. I am referring to Double Dragon 3)

 

[Fondue]

I have a few of the rosetta language programs on my computer, but never used them. So I am not sure about them.

However, if you are trying to learn Japanese, I highly, highly, highly suggest the

"Minna No Nihongo" series. (boks)

They have tapes, etc, but *all you really need* is:

Minna No Nihongo 1 (book 1)
Minna No Nihongo 2 (book 2)
Minna No Nihongo English and Grammatical Notes 1 (goes along with book 1)
Minna No Nihongo English and Grammatical Notes 2 (goes along with book 2)

Only buy the book 1 stuff first, and if it is awesome, buy book 2.

They have tapes and some other stuff, some people have even made flash card programs for it. (To use on your computer.)
Hell, a program on my pda has their vocab lists built into it, so you know it is quality. (/End informecial)

I have gone through a lot of books (I was an exchange student, been back and forth to japan a few times, and am sitting in Japan right now) and these books are the best books I have come across. They teach things in a good order, and you learn to talk. Simple. Some books start teaching you weird things. One book I used had you learning the word for "right angle" in chapter 1. How many times are you going to use the word right angle? "When you turn left at the upcoming intersection, ensure that you make a right-angle turn." I mean, WTF? They also had some weird-ass plant names that I do not even know the english names for.

Also, to further proclaim their success, at my work, I have been teaching my friend japanese from these books, for like 1 month, and he learned hiragana, katakana, can buy stuff from the store, give directions, not be an ass when going to someone's house, and even learned how to use a japanese toilet from the little cultural notes that they occasionally include. He knows more than survival japanese now. And that one month was mostly spent with him procrastinating and not studying. Had we hit the books hard he would be a lot farther. The books kick ass.

...and that is about all I have to say.

...and you should watch some Japanese anime along with your studying. This will help you get the feel for intonation and all that stuff. Books cannot teach you that.


...but if you try the rosetta thing, let us know how it goes.

 

[forkyfork]

Some books start teaching you weird things. One book I used had you learning the word for "right angle" in chapter 1. How many times are you going to use the word right angle? "When you turn left at the upcoming intersection, ensure that you make a right-angle turn." I mean, WTF?

But on another note, thanks for the titles. I will definitely check those out.

 

[Jojjy Ugnick]

... and even learned how to use a japanese toilet from the little cultural notes that they occasionally include.

What's different about the toilets of Japan?

 

[Orc]

You squat for everything. Other asian countries have them too. Squat-squat.

EDIT: Here.
Other than that, if you plan to learn Japanese, get some lessons. If you only plan to self-study for fun, get a book. Learning software only look cool and don't teach you crap in the long run.

 

[Blebleman]

... and even learned how to use a japanese toilet from the little cultural notes that they occasionally include.

What's different about the toilets of Japan?

Apart from the incredibly-high-tech normal toilets, they also use a variety called "Squat toilets"

Google em up

 

[Blebleman]

Some books start teaching you weird things. One book I used had you learning the word for "right angle" in chapter 1. How many times are you going to use the word right angle? "When you turn left at the upcoming intersection, ensure that you make a right-angle turn." I mean, WTF?

But on another note, thanks for the titles. I will definitely check those out.

When you speak Japanese, you don't usually say "Do a right-angle turn"

Your book just wanted to differenciate "Right" (as in "I am right") from "right" (as in "Turn right").

They probably don't teach you direct vocabulary from the start in that book.

Just the typical tourist-friendly phrasebook.

[Whoops,double post!

]

 

[mthrnite]

I've heard good things about Rosetta, but have yet to try them. I will look into Fondue's suggestions (Minna No Nihongo) right away. What I've been using, since it's free, is the excellent and quite fun/funny JapanesePod101.com. They have a supurb podcast that eases you into things very well, lot's of repetition and native speakers talking fast and slow. The host is an American fellow, and he's very humble and helps you not feel too bad about not pronouncing things perfectly. You can get to them through iTunes or through their website www.japanespod101.com. The podcasts are free and archived all the way back to the first episode. They also have a premium service that adds a lot of supplimental material.

I was at a doctor's appointment with my son recently and was able to introduce myself (and my son) to a native speaker (she heard me say "chotto matte, kudasai" (wait a damn minute please

) to my son who was, as usual, bugging the hell out of me about something)). I live in the southern part of the U.S. where most caucasians can't be bothered to even learn Spanish, so she was rather suprised to say the least. It was a big thrill for me, and encouraged me to re-double my efforts.

 

[ds6220]

... and even learned how to use a japanese toilet from the little cultural notes that they occasionally include.

What's different about the toilets of Japan?

Apart from the incredibly-high-tech normal toilets, they also use a variety called "Squat toilets"

Google em up

Maybe that is the explination to my sig? I captured that sig from Guru Logic Champ and I always thought it was funny because of how insaine it was but do they squat backwards from how we sit?

 

[Blebleman]

... and even learned how to use a japanese toilet from the little cultural notes that they occasionally include.

What's different about the toilets of Japan?



Apart from the incredibly-high-tech normal toilets, they also use a variety called "Squat toilets"

Google em up

Maybe that is the explination to my sig? I captured that sig from Guru Logic Champ and I always thought it was funny because of how insaine it was but do they squat backwards from how we sit?

That's a part of the humor in that pic. No, the squat toilets are like ours, but incased in the floor. You squat the usual way, not facing the wall

 

[ds6220]

Good, so I was laughing at the correct thing. Plus, he really has to pee.

 

[Fondue]

Some books start teaching you weird things.  One book I used had you learning the word for "right angle" in chapter 1.  How many times are you going to use the word right angle?  "When you turn left at the upcoming intersection, ensure that you make a right-angle turn."  I mean, WTF?

But on another note, thanks for the titles. I will definitely check those out.

When you speak Japanese, you don't usually say "Do a right-angle turn"

Your book just wanted to differenciate "Right" (as in "I am right") from "right" (as in "Turn right").

They probably don't teach you direct vocabulary from the start in that book.

Just the typical tourist-friendly phrasebook.

[Whoops,double post!

]

For the book, "right angle" really was the vocabulary, I kid you not. I made up the "turning right" sentence myself as a way of causing one to ask themselves when they would use the word "right angle."

I happened to have the book sitting right next to me (This is a college issued book by the way that goes along with their class. Maybe the teacher has a creative way of using these words. ((To get unmotivated kids to drop the course))) here are a few words I find questionable to teach someone in chapter 1 of any language book:

musical instrument (not too bad I guess)
mustard (Again, not too bad)
chrysanthemum (I big WTF for that) (And it was not used as a teaching hiragana/katakana example. ((As the japanese word for that is "kiku")))
cucumber (Of all the fruit they choose to teach, they choose cucumber)
national flag (For all those politcal conversations you will be having in chapter 1)
waterfall (I just think there are more useful words like, "help" or "river")
right angle (mentioned previously)
boiling water (the word for "water" not being in chapter one.)

Anyway, good luck with Minna No Nihongo. You will actually be able to construct meaningful sentences in chapter 1. (Instead of mutter useless vocabulary.)

After minna no nihongo chapter one
*You buy something at the store* "Thank you"

After that college japanese book
*You hear a japanese conversation* "I *think* that person just said "right angle." (Your japanese friends *might* be impressed, if you got it right that is.)

 

[better than Shan]

minna no nihongo kicks ass!!
especially mira-san, he is so cool