Recommendations for Japanese language?

I am having a difficult time trying to find the best learning materials, because there are so many options!
Also,I don't want to purchase limited or quick study programs, such as Japanese for busy people, etc... I want to fully learn, and teach my children. I prefer not to use software, but something more hands on. Can someone recommend a very extensive learning program to do at home? Where I live there are no courses to take, so this is how I must learn. Thank you for any help.

I don't mean to defend the series, but "Japanese for Busy People" only means it's intended more for business people, it's not that it is a quick & easy course :) This series is OK in the sense that you could buy it together with tape/CD, and that it comes with some explanation in English, which you will probably need if you study at home.

"Shin Nihongo no Kiso" series is more practical for everyday/everyone, but the problem is that it does not come with explanation for grammar, so you will definitely want a tutor or someone who could explain once in a while.

"Genki" series and "Minna no Nihongo" series seem to be also quite popular.

http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/whatis02.en.html

Have fun learning! :)

That is great site, there is everything. Native speakers, english explanations, grammar, text materials, flash cards... just try the trial for a month...

I'm on the same boat with you. Indeed, there are a lot of stuff that you can buy in the market nowadays. I did my own scanning of the available books, I suggest you take a look at Living Language Coursebook series.

The series has an edition for beginners-intermideate, as well as for advance. I''m current using the first one. It's pretty cool. It explains about the grammar, correct pronounciation and common sentence construction principles. It even comes with an audio material and a dictionary that you can use.


Hope this can help you. Good day!

Elanor Jorden's "Japanese: The Spoken Language" (and the complement: "Japanese: The Written Language"). Jorden takes a unique approach to teaching Japanese that, in my opinion, leads to a much great understanding of the language. She approaches it from a structural rather than a purely grammatical perspective. I have a friend who is taking first-year Japanese now (at the university level), and is learning via Genki. When he comes to me with questions (I have been taking Japanese for three years now), I explain via Jorden's method (or just give him the book), and he always comes out with a much better understanding (qualified by how he explains it back to me and offers up more examples). You would have to use JSL and JWL concurrently if you want to make the most out of it as JSL is, as the name implies, focused on speaking, and therefore uses roman characters in the text (which may be useful if you wish to teach your children). There are also tapes/CDs you can purchase that correspond with the conversations and drills in the texts. These texts are not commonly used at universities (Genki seems to be preferred), but nevertheless Harvard, Yale, Cornell, and Ohio State (where Jorden is a professor) continue to use the series.

A (long) amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Spoken-Language-Part-1/dp/030...

I would suggest using Hooked on Phonics. They do sell "packs" or whatever they are called, for the purpose of learning another language. I have seen Hooked on Phonics for Chinese, French, and Spanish at a Borders store, but if you check their website, im sure you could find Japanese.

Have you heard of the Rosetta Stone series?
It's quite handy when you wanna learn a new language. They offer more than 30 different languages. You will be taught in four different ways: Sight, Sound, Verbal, Writing. (Something like that)
It's great for children too.
I don't know how much it cost but for those military people out there it's free for them and their family.

Someone else more familiar with the program could better explain it. ^^

I have used Rosetta Stone Japanese. I think its widely known, there is no translation to what your saying, which is good at times, and bad at others.
It forces you to think Japanese, rather then replace English words with Japanese words. Its still wise to have a Japanese/Eng Dictionary nearby to help from time to time, be sure what you think your saying, is indeed.

The program works, but you must really stick to it, and that can be tough. Dont expect to start speaking even the most basic phrases for several weeks and even then you'll properly never find the chance to say what you know. Examples is you'll know a lot of ''The boy jumps''; ''The girl is under the table''; ''The car is blue''--worthless in the short run, but become of great aid in the long run.
I was quite impressed my knowledge gain in short time, even if it is just simple phrases--maybe I'll impress a 2y/o kid :)


I have not completed the series, roughly 1/3 the way though level 1. My speech is alright, still nothing of real use, but my understanding of Japanese has increased greatly.

Another benefit is when watch Japanese movies, and TV I recognizing parts that are being said, and even at times able to figure out the entire conversation using context clues, and the few words I know.
I suppose that how you learn your native language, and that the concept of Rosetta.

Its pricey, but for me well worth it, just its a rather boring program, I find it hard not to get distracted.

I will say, you will likely learn far more with Rosetta in half the time, then a class room enviroment, minus the reading and writing skills-which although possible to learn with Rosetta, to me not an ideal program to do so. I do think it wiser to learn to speak decent, before learning to read anyways.