Japanese Language Learning Resources For Effective Self-Study
In this article, we will take a look at the basic types of Japanese language learning resources available on the market, and review their advantages and disadvantages in terms of which ones are most effective for self-study.
There are many Japanese language textbooks on the market. Among the most popular are Japanese for Busy People, Japanese for Everyone, and Situational Functional Japanese. All of these textbooks contain solid, well-thought-out Japanese language instruction. However, there is a significant disadvantage to using textbooks for self-study, and that is that they were primarily developed to be used under the guidance of an instructor.
Without an instructor or accompanying audio material, textbooks can at best provide you with an understanding of Japanese grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary, but you will be unable to gain feedback from an instructor or the opportunity to actually listen to models of the Japanese you are attempting to study. Therefore, you should be aware of this basic limitation when attempting to study Japanese on your own using textbooks.
2. Japanese Language Audio Courses
Another option for Japanese self-study is Japanese audio courses. There are many Japanese audio courses on the market, including Instant Immersion Japanese, FSI Japanese, and Pimsleur. The basic approach to learning via audio is to listen to a passage of Japanese and attempt to emulate what you hear.
While audio courses are in excellent form of instruction in that they require that you rely solely on your ears to learn, the major drawback of audio courses in general is their lack of visual stimuli can make the instruction seem somewhat rote and boring and cause the student to lose interest. Nonetheless, many audio courses are quite comprehensive and well-constructed, and offer an effective approach to learning Japanese for the dedicated student.
3. Japanese Online Multi-media Courses
Japanese multi-media courses provide perhaps the best framework for learning Japanese effectively in a self-study environment. Whereas textbooks lack audio instruction and feedback and audio courses lack visual cues to aid in recall and memorization, multi-media instruction provides all of the above.
The industry standard in multi-media language instruction is Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone offers Japanese multi-media instruction in both CD-ROM audio and an online course formats, both of which provide dynamic language instruction that is reinforced with appropriate visual cues. As fantastic as Rosetta Stone is, its one drawback is that it may be on the pricey side for some learners, particularly those who are still unsure of whether they are ready to make a full-blown commitment to learning Japanese.
For a much more affordable online Japanese learning learning program, consider Rocket Japanese. Like Rosetta Stone, Rocket Japanese provides high-quality Japanese language instruction in a dynamic, multi-media format, but at a much more affordable price point. As such, Rocket Japanese is ideal for beginning learners of Japanese who want to get their feet wet with the language while getting off to the right start in their learning with high-quality instruction.
Whichever Japanese language learning resources you ultimately choose, be sure to take into account the above advantages and disadvantages when selecting your own Japanese learning tools for self-study.
Why not get started learning Japanese today? Find out how to get a FREE 6-day Japanese language course at
http://www.essential-japan-guide.com/japanese-language-learning-resources.html
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