RESOURCES FOR LEARNING JAPANESE

Here are the resources I consider essential to learn how to speak Japanese.

NATIVE
SPEAKERS:
128,000,000

OFFICIAL
LANGUAGE IN:
JAPAN

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.



FAVORITE COURSES AND APPS TO IMPROVE YOUR JAPANESE

JapanesePod101 - Offers an innovative, fun, and easy to use language learning system that is designed to get you speaking from the very first lesson. Learn at your own convenience and pace with our short, effective, and fun audio podcast lessons, a comprehensive, state-of-the-art Learning Center, and a vibrant user community.

Glossika Japanese - Sentences and repetition are used to teach. Glossika teaches you Japanese in context by combining the "mass sentence approach" with an innovative spaced repetition system. This course is ideal for upper-beginner to advanced students.

Assimil Japanese - The Assimil method for teaching foreign languages is through the listening of audio cd's and the reading of an accompanying book, one side native language, one side foreign language. This method is focused on learning whole sentences, for an organic learning of the grammar. It begins with a long passive phase of only reading and listening, and eventually adds active exercises.

Ling - Learn and play with Master Ling, an interactive platform filled with language courses, quizzes, and fun mini-games! Lessons are taught through engaging games, such as picture matching, flashcards, and sentence arrangement to keep you up and going. Plus, it’s got an engaging chatbot you can practice with!

Mondly - Is a great starting point for beginners, but it’s also full of lessons for intermediate and advanced students! Improve your Japanese pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary with this handy app, as it arranges its lessons into short, digestible units. Complete with games and an achievement leaderboard, it’s the perfect platform to study and practice with! On top of that, you can use Mondly’s hands-free format to record and practice your speech.

Mango Languages - Mango utilizes its proprietary methodology, engaging interface, and easy, intuitive interactive tools to deliver practical conversational skills and valuable cultural insight for new languages. Lessons include strategically placed memory-building exercises to help users remember what they are learning in addition to critical thinking exercises, which help them to intuitively understand the language and adapt it to similar conversations.

Bluebird Languages - Bluebird uses the proven “spaced repetition” learning method to optimize both acquisition and retention. This, combined with instruction in 97% of the world’s most-spoken languages and our special building-block approach, will have you speaking and understanding the language of your choice in record time.

Mimic Method Japanese - Helps you understand the Japanese "sound system," so you can enhance your pronunciation and sound more like a native speaker. We all learn our first language by hearing it, so why not learn Japanese by hearing it as well?

Master Japanese - Shows you how to learn Japanese in a step-by-step approach. This is by far the best thorough book on learning Japanese that I've seen. It's authored by John Fotheringham, a dedicated Japanese learner whose passion shines through on every page.

JAPANESE PRONUNCIATION

Forvo - Find out how to pronounce any Japanese word. Simply put the word you're looking for into the search bar in Japanese!

JAPANESE TUTORS: PRACTICE WITH NATIVE SPEAKERS

My method to learning a new language is to speak it from the beginning. I recommend the following tool for this:

Italki - On Skype, it links you with native Japanese speakers for spoken practice. You may pay for (affordable) one-on-one video sessions with Japanese teachers or discover a free language exchange partner! This link will take you directly to the site's Japanese instructors.

JAPANESE GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

Jisho Dictionary - Is a comprehensive Japanese-English dictionary with example phrases and kanji and kana translations.

LEARN HOW TO READ AND WRITE IN JAPANESE

Skritter – Assists you in learning to write Japanese characters. You may use this app to practise your kanji in a nice interface. You will be shown all of the characters in a spaced repetition format.

Colloquial Japanese - Colloquial Japanese provides a step-by-step course in Japanese as it is written and spoken today. This new edition has been completely rewritten by experienced teachers; it combines an accessible approach with a thorough treatment of the language, equipping learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Japanese in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

Teach Yourself: Complete Japanese Beginner to Intermediate Course - Do you want to develop a solid understanding of Japanese and communicate confidently with others? Through authentic conversations, vocabulary building, grammar explanations and extensive practice and review, Complete Japanese will equip you with the skills you need to use Japanese in a variety of settings and situations, developing your cultural awareness along the way.

Living Language - Japanese, Complete Edition is a unique multimedia course in Japanese that takes you from a beginner to an advanced level in one convenient package.

Learn Japanese The Fast And Fun Way - Barron's popular Fast and Fun Way foreign language learning programs are designed primarily for travelers to foreign countries but are also suitable for instruction in classrooms and language labs. Learn Japanese the Fast and Fun Way is filled with cheerful illustrations, word lists, pull-out vocabulary flash cards, and language-learning exercises that take the form of games and puzzles. The book teaches appropriate words and phrases for greetings and introductions, finding one's way in cities, dining, shopping, getting hotel accommodations, telephoning, seeking medical help, reading road signs, and more.

Short Stories in Japanese (Intermediate) - Short stories has been written especially for students from beginner to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Eight captivating stories will entertain you in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn from a wide range of new vocabulary, and give you a feeling of progress when reading.

RESOURCES FOR INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED JAPANESE LEARNERS

LingQ - 1000s of hours of Japanese podcasts, audiobooks, interviews, courses, and more immerses you in a world of engaging Japanese material. Then, whenever you come across a word you don't recognize, you may use LingQ's SRS learning features to store it for later review.

Clozemaster - Answers the question: after Duolingo, what's next? Clozemaster aids in the quick expansion of your vocabulary by allowing you to learn Japanese in context. You'll utilize the Cloze technique to fill in the blanks in thousands of Japanese phrases. The sentences you'll learn are far more practical than the ones you'll learn on Duolingo.

START SPEAKING JAPANESE RIGHT NOW

Pimsleur – The Pimsleur method is perfect for you if you want to start speaking right away. Learn anywhere, anytime in just 30 minutes a day. Learn a language while cooking, commuting, exercising and more! Have the flexibility to practice when it’s convenient for you.

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