Let’s face it. Learning Japanese seems like a daunting task. You’ve got your hands full with new alphabet systems, grammar structures, formality levels and expressions...not knowing where to start, tackling this language and its nuances may be overwhelming. Luckily, the team at JapanesePod101 is dedicated to ensuring your linguistic success. As a foreign language enthusiast, I’ve flirted with a fair share of online learning sites (especially for Japanese), but none of them were ever the one my heart was looking for. I had almost completely given up my pursuit of Japanese, until JapanesePod101 made me fall in love with learning. Why JapanesePod101 Works: Fun AND Free! How often do you see this combo?! Really though,... Show more

Howdy people, my name is Thomas. I’m a blogger and huge Japanese enthusiast. Today I’m going to review www.JapanesePod101.com and give you guys a 100% honest opinion on it. I am not being paid or otherwise compensated for this, and all opinions are my own. Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m brutally honest and blunt, so I won’t pull punches in a review. That said, enjoy. My first impression of JapanesePod101.com was that it looked a lot like what I had come to expect from language learning sites, from Rosetta Stone to Duolingo, I knew the drill and the layout of the main page was the same, bare-bones info page that I always see when I go to a site with a landing page that tries to get you to sign up right away. By comparison,... Show more

Not only is it possible to learn Japanese in your car, there are 3 great benefits that will help you master the language faster and with less effort. With everyone so pressed for time these days, it might seem like a daydream to believe that you could learn Japanese in your car—but it’s not! Thanks to a wide range of new technologies and resources, learning a language in your car is easier than ever. Not only is it easy to learn a language while driving, there are actually a number of benefits, especially if the lessons are part of a structured learning program like JapanesePod101. Here are three specific benefits to learning Japanese or any other new language in your car. Create Your Free Account and Learn Japanese from the... Show more

I first want to say that learning another language is difficult. It's time-consuming, you always feel like you're not pronouncing things right and it's really easy to just give up. BUT DON'T! Learning another language is the best thing I have done to improve my mind and my view on the world. When I decided to spend my summer in Japan, I had not learned a word of Japanese. I thought I would be able to pick it up from simply being around it all the time. I was wrong. When I arrived in Japan, I felt because of my language barrier I was missing out on a part of Japan that only people who spoke the language got to experience. This was when I started using JapanesePod101. Reasons I enjoyed using JapanesePod101 It’s free!!! →... Show more

I was always interested in traveling to Japan. The culture, people, and natural beauty of the country were what drew me in. I knew that it was definitely a place that I wanted to visit in the future and something that would be on my bucket list. But for one reason or another, I had never really had the opportunity to travel across the Pacific. I was either too broke or too busy. That changed last summer when I decided to put an end to my procrastination and fulfill my dream. I purchased my ticket to Japan online and celebrated with a triumphant cheer. However, I soon came to a realization. I did not speak one word of Japanese. I had one month until I embarked on my adventure and I wanted to learn as much Japanese as I could, so I... Show more

Hello Everyone! Ai-chan here! Just a random guest who was given the opportunity to write on JapanesePod101’s blog! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ First off, a big round of applause to JapanesePod101! Why, you ask? Cause they are awesome! I started using JapanesePod101 about two months ago and I LOVE it! To be honest, I was never the type to learn from websites or apps because I always find myself giving up halfway (too boring). So I took the Japanese classes offered in my university and learning it directly from a teacher was the best. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end when I graduated last year. Unable to give up on my passion for the language, I tried all sorts of method to keep learning Japanese...from playing Japanese games to reading... Show more

1. Schedule your time. One of the most important factors in keeping your motivation up is developing it into a habit. Whether it be 20 minutes or 3 hours, schedule time to study every day and stick to it. Regular exposure solidifies what you learn and keeps you progressing. To make sure you stick to your routine, a great idea is to build a schedule for your day and decide that every day/Monday/weekend, you study from 6pm to 8pm. Just remember that 30 minutes a day, every day, is better than a binge 8-hour study session at the end of the week (though it’s obviously better than nothing). 2. Learn a word a day with our great Word of the Day learning tool. Trying to learn everything at once and getting overwhelmed by the sheer number... Show more

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” - Charlemagne Learning a new language is an achievement anyone can be proud of and it's exciting and beneficial at all ages. It offers many practical, intellectual and aspirational benefits. A wave of new research shows the incredible psychological benefits of learning a second language. These benefits extend far beyond being able to order a cup of coffee abroad or ask directions to your hotel. 1. Learning a Foreign Language Boosts Brain Power Medical studies have shown the positive effect learning a second language has on the brain. A foreign language is a whole new system with distinct rules, etymology, and meaning, which are just a few of the complexities of a language.... Show more

Many listeners tell us when and where they listen to our podcasts.  At school, in the car, while walking their dogs, on the train, etc. But maybe sometimes it's TOO convenient...  Simon wrote in to tell us where he has listened to our podcast and about a time when he made a funny mistake while living with a host family in Japan. "I'm an avid fan of Japanese Pod 101. I love the lessons and I listen to them at every opportunity I get (including on the toilet! Whoops - too much information!). Anyway, here's my Japanese learning story: I was very privileged to do home stay for nine months the first time I lived in Japan (about 8 years ago). My home stay family were wonderful and they went out of their way to make me feel welcome and... Show more

When did you start learning Japanese?  High school? College? Or as a hobby after work each evening? One of our listeners, Zach, couldn't wait and started when he was 11 years old!  He really loves studying Japanese and was VERY enthusiastic to tell us his story: "Konnichiwa, I'm Zach. I'm 12 years old, from the Philippines. I started learning Japanese last March. I was influenced by my friend Ki-el who was already 16 years old. When he told me of Japanese I was very thrilled. He introduced to me katakana and hiragana.  We learned Japanese together, practiced katakana and hiragana together, and I even helped him learn kanji. I was very addicted to Japanese that I always talked about it all the time, to my friends in school and... Show more