Hi all. I am new to the site and have just begun learning Japanese. I have been trying out different methods like Pimsleur's Japanese audio, Japanese for Dummies, Rosetta Stone. I am now trying a program called Human Japanese. I must say this is the best so far. It teaches you the same you way you would learn in school. Sounds, reading, and writing. It first teaches you the basic sounds of vowels and then consonants. By focusing on grammar and teaching you to actually write in Hiragana and later on Katakana, you also learn to speak. I think this is a very natural way to learn and feel very comfortable doing it this way. It also teaches you small things along the way like how the Japanese language evolved from the Chinese. I thought it was very interesting. So if you have the chance to check this out please do. So far I like it a lot and I thought should share
. Good luck all!