I Need Some Help

[MizunoAmi3]

So the RosettaStone just doesn't work for me. I do better with what JapanesePod101 does where it gives you the conversation and then goes into the translation and the grammar and makes sure you really understand it. The RosettaStone guesswork just didn't work for me. So, I'm going to get a subscription to JapanesePod101 but I have a question: Do I need some other textbooks to go along with jp101, or is it okay to just use that alone? And if I do need something to go with it, what do you recommend? Thank you to anyone who helps!

[mutley]

Yes, if you are serious about learning you should get a textbook too.
Obviously it depends on your level, but I think Genki Japanese I and II are pretty good textbooks. I used Japanese for busy people at first but after seeing Genki wished I had used it instead. Stay clear of textbooks that write in romaji rather than Katakana and hiragana as it's just putting off the enevitable.

I guess using Genki I in combination with newbie and beginner lessons here would be a pretty good start and give you a solid beginners footing. Then by using Genki II, lower intermediate lessons and a seperate kanji book you could get to roughly JLPT 3 level (i.e. a lower intermediate level).

good luck

[Yamanchu]

I have found 'Japanese for Everyone' to be a very good book that will take you through to an intermediate/upper intermediate level. If you use this though you'll need to learn katakana and hiragana fairly early.

[MizunoAmi3]

Thanks for the responses. I did some research on both books, and I think Genki Japanese is the one I'll go with, unless anyone else has anything to say. But I have a question about it. Will I need to buy the audio cd too, or can I just use the textbook and workbook?

[mieth]

I personally think jpod is much better than those textbooks for the beginner levels. check out www.readthekanji.com for kanji practice and you will be set. Just lots and lots of listening everyday and you will be on your way. Good luck. btw I agree that rosetta stone does kinda suck on its own but if you can get a japanese tutor to study it with you it can be a powerful tool.

[mutley]

Jpod is really good, but I think if you are serious about learning then it is good to use a textbook in combination with it.
There will be times when explanations in one or the other is not good, in which case it is good to have a back up to look at. It is also good to have a mixture of both audio and written resources. Yes Jpod has pdfs, but a textbook also encourages you to practice writing.

I don't know about the audio cd for Genki. As you are listening to Jpod too you might be able to get by without it, but I'm not sure. I'd still get it unless you are hard up for money though the dialogues on Jpod are better.

[Yamanchu]

Have to agree with mutley, it is good to have a good textbook in conjunction with jpod. Having Jpod I wouldn't bother buying any other audio.

[Megamides]

I think it's not good to mix jpod with another textbooks.

You already have enough with a daily lesson and it's grammar and vocabulary. Specially if you're a beginner. It's better if you stick to a regular study schedule:

- listen to the lesson once,
-read the pdf
- do the kanji exercises
- if you want to improve your writing skills write the dialog
- and listen to the lesson again (this time only the dialog part).
- If you want to improve your conversation, try to memorize and act out (even if you are alone) the dialog. Belive me IT WORKS WONDERS!

Do a NEW lesson EVERY day. And don't get discouraged if you don't understand at lot of things, there are hundred of lessons and you get to review the vocabulary and grammar in different ways. That's the reason I love jpod. And using this method I have learned a lot more than using textbooks.

For kanji I recommend http://readthekanji.com/ too.

[QuackingShoe]

I wouldn't necessarily recommend textbook textbooks, but something like A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar is always a good one. And, you can't live off that and J-pod alone either. You need to get a heavy stream of made-for-native (not made-for-learner) material. Past the very beginning (possibly from the beginning), your made-for-native material should have be on the high side of your native-to-learner ratio. It runs counter to the attitude we're usually instilled with, but actual skill (and knowledge) is gained through actual doing, and learning materials and classes and coaches are support, not the main resource. Like a guideline, tips. Like when you learn an instrument, you study scales and shit, but the biggest thing is to go play some songs, harder and harder all the time. When you learn to draw, you pick up books on techniques and anatomy studies, but the biggest thing is to just draw everything.

Of course, actually doing Japanese means a lot of guesswork (as described in the Rosetta Stone complaint), but so does gaining ground in absolutely any other skill. Massive confusion is just part of the process. But it's a lot more fun when it's not Rosetta Stone