Learning Japanese

[devinemi83]

As some of you guys might know I am applying to Penn State. PSU requires their students to take foreign language in their first 2 years. Well I want to learn japanese(I like the way the language sounds, and theres a strong relationship between the tech industries there and I am going into tech).


What is the best book to learn with? I want to get sort of a jump start over the summer so that way if I am accepted I have at least something to start out with.

[Defcon]

This series is very good "Just Listen 'N Learn Japanese"

Can be bought at Amazon or local bookstore (if in stock) and comes with book and audio.... Which is good because they use natives where it helps with better pronunciation. Very practical too...

[hech54]

Some of the language courses you can buy in stores have ONE good CD in them out of the set. For instance...the Instant Immersion sets are useless unless you have learned SOME of the language on your own.
However there is ONE disc in those sets that is VERY good because it is from a different company...
The company is called Rosetta Stone. I am learning German with this computer CD set. The CD course alone will not get you a full and working knowledge of a new language but out of all of the ones I have purchased....Rosetta Stone is the one that has helped the most.

www.rosettastone.com

Believe it or not....Ebay is probably where you'll find the largest selection of Rosetta Stone packages. I've never seen them in stores.

[Hatz]

You just need to learn two words......Saki Bomb.


Not sure how that will be translated into those funky little symbols but just learn it.

Hatz

[beavereater]

What is the best book to learn with? I want to get sort of a jump start over the summer so that way if I am accepted I have at least something to start out with.

The best book to start on for beginners is a book called "Japanese for Buy People"
When learning the language, you gotta do like this: Learn how to make the sounds, there's nothing worse than speaking with a terrible foriegn accent. Next, learn the basic grammar everyday words, and basic phrases. While you are learning the easy stuff, also do the basic characters of hiragana and katakana. FORGET about the kanji until way way later. If you have any questions PM...



There's Sake Bomber for ya Hatz

[ChrisX]

Go to Japan and learn. Another hint, do you know of any Japanese nationals in the U.S. would be able to teach?

I visited Tokyo a couple times and not enough time to learn though.