Where to start?

[benbot]

Hi Guys,

This might be a really stupid question... but i have just joined up and am wandering where to start...

there are newbie lessons and beginner lessons. But for the total beginner which do you start with?

Thanks in advance
Ben

[i_broke_down]

I think the newbie lesson is probably where you want to start... also learn hiragana and katakana as soon as possible!!!

[jemstone]

or if you got the time, you could start with both newbie and beginner season 1. i think they're both standalone and assumes no prior knowledge of japanese.

[benbot]

Thanks guys,

yeah been having a look over them both and they both seem like the place to start... just wasn't too sure.

Think i will do that and do both of them together.

Cheers
Ben

[Fedgrub]

or if you got the time, you could start with both newbie and beginner season 1. i think they're both standalone and assumes no prior knowledge of japanese.

I think Jemstone said it the best. Then when you have the general concept of the language, learn Hiragana and Katakana. Then when you hear the words, the structure of the words will seem so much more familiar to you.

[Ulver_684]

Hi Guys,

This might be a really stupid question... but i have just joined up and am wandering where to start...

there are newbie lessons and beginner lessons. But for the total beginner which do you start with?

Thanks in advance
Ben

Benbot-san!

I recommend you to do what the JP101 crew/staff recommend here:

http://www.japanesepod101.com/help-center/the-courses/

[phileuro]

As a newbie of sorts (I've been listening on and off for a year or so and travel to Japan a couple times a year) one of my issues was that the newbie AND the beginner's don't explain certain other things - like what Hiragana and Katagana ARE for instance!
I know that the podcasts are about learning the language, but even the written material doesn't actually explain these kinds of things. For that I had to go to wikipedia.

Anyway, JP101 is definitely the best language learning resource I have ever come across - and I've been moving and learning languages for 20 years or more. Well done!

[Nihongone Crazy]

I would start with the Beginner lessons. I began with the Newbie lessons, and I was surprised to find that the Beginner lessons are less "advanced" than the Newbie Lessons.

[watermen]

I would start with the Beginner lessons. I began with the Newbie lessons, and I was surprised to find that the Beginner lessons are less "advanced" than the Newbie Lessons.

Agree, I would recommend to start with the Beginner S1 series. Use newbie as an adjunct. In my experience, you can learn great amount of Japanese just by listening to all 170 beginner lessons. By the time you reach 100, you will know that you have learn a lot.

[kc8ufv]

I would start with the Beginner lessons. I began with the Newbie lessons, and I was surprised to find that the Beginner lessons are less "advanced" than the Newbie Lessons.

Agree, I would recommend to start with the Beginner S1 series. Use newbie as an adjunct. In my experience, you can learn great amount of Japanese just by listening to all 170 beginner lessons. By the time you reach 100, you will know that you have learn a lot.

I remember someone said that if you have gone through 100 lessons, you're not really a beginner anymore. I'm wanting to think it was Natsuko, but I don't remember for sure. (I remember it was a female voice)

[watermen]

Anyway, don't worry where to start, just go and listen..

56 Newbie lessons,
171 Beginner lessons,
56 Beginner S2 lessons,
3 Introduction lessons,
60 Survival Phrases,
2 Sight and Sound lessons

Listen to all 348 lessons (that is really a lot) ......

[Snowfall]

I looked at the recommendations by the JPod staff (thanks for the link). I still have a question, however. If I'm not planning to visit Japan any time soon and if I have absolutely no one with whom to practice, should I still do the Survivor Lessons directly after the Introduction? or should I do Intro, Newbie, Beginner and then start fitting the Survivor Lessons in during the Beginner Series? Or does Intro, Survivor, Newbie still make more sense?

[watermen]

I looked at the recommendations by the JPod staff (thanks for the link). I still have a question, however. If I'm not planning to visit Japan any time soon and if I have absolutely no one with whom to practice, should I still do the Survivor Lessons directly after the Introduction? or should I do Intro, Newbie, Beginner and then start fitting the Survivor Lessons in during the Beginner Series? Or does Intro, Survivor, Newbie still make more sense?

If you really want to learn Japanese, why don't you just do everything?

[markystar]

i'll agree with watermen on this, might as well study it all.
there's no right or wrong way to approach the survival phrases.


there are no grammar explanations in the survival phrases. just set phrases.
so if you're not planning to come to japan any time and don't have a chance to speak daily, then you might want to listen to those after you have some newbie grammar under your belt. then you can listen with a different perspective.


on the other hand, they're pretty easy. just rote memorization, and you'll get some great vocab along the way.


you might want to intermix them with the other lessons.

again, no right or wrong way to do it.

[Snowfall]

If you really want to learn Japanese, why don't you just do everything?

Because obviously I can't do it all at once. Therefore I'm trying to find the most logical sequence.