Customer Reviews:
 Fantastic! October 1, 2008
The best way to learn a language is to obviously have a professional teacher,
Im in year 11 at school, so I am too far behind to join the GCSE class, so I bought this and I thought I'd have a go at self study. Obviously, being in yr11 at secondary school, I have seen many different language text books, this is truely the best one I have come across!
This book is fantastic! It lays everything out really clearly, you make fast progress! The cultural notes are also helpful. You can go at your own pace too (which for me is probably faster than most people since I have also learned spanish, german and chinese ^^). So I can learn things at my pace, without people holding me back. Or pushing me too fast.
Of course, whether you succeed or not will depend on whether you're passionate enough about the lanugage to sit down every night and study! And no book can change that. I certainly am, and hope to get all the way to book five. In fact on the front of the book it has a japanese proverb that says: Piled up specks of dust become a mountain.
So if you're sitting at your computer wondering whether or not to go for this or a different book, this one is 100% recommended for anyone who wants to (or has no choice) but to self study!
 A rough diamond March 10, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The presentation of this book, with small graphics, nice layout, along with its many different types of activity give the learner motivation to pick the book up, and keep picking it up.
I have read several of the current texts and this seems the best. It is a light approach to what could become a heavy subject. Well done to the authors for that.
The unique progressive introduction of one of the Japanese "alphabet" is rather good ,I imagine, for those who don't already know it. Readers learn the characters a few at a time in each chapter, the anglicised versions of Japanese characters gradually being replaced by the real thing (Hiragana).
(If readers do not already know Hiragana (the Japanese phonetic characters), then text books have to write their Japanese in an awful anglicised form called Romaji. Romaji is a system that leads to bad pronunciation by default, as readers will pronounce combinations of alphatic characters using their native tongue rules and patterns.)
The book will also get you speaking from the off. This can only build confidence for new learners.
The book includes some handy blocks of vocabulary and some mini Japanese-English / English-Japanese dictionaries.
On the downside are several typographical errors - notably incorrect page references. Not that important but a bit naughty.
Strangely, there are the inclusion of some words/phrases/concepts which seem to materialise from thin air. Perhaps the explanatory sections for these were removed in the final edit. May cause some confusion.
On a slightly more serious note,some of the language chosen for the learner may not be the most suitable language for most situations (i.e its level of politeness). For example, the verb introduced for "want" early on will have you sounding like a 6 year old child screaming " I WANT an ice cream!!!" Readers are advised to perhaps read another text alongside this one,which would explain matters better. However, perhaps later books will address this.
I bought Book 2, so that says it all really. Overall good and I look forward to going through the rest of the series.
Right on the money! November 30, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I am using this book to supplement my Japanese evening classes.
Well written, with many examples of alternative styles for Hiroganna characters, this book really can help the complete beginner, like me, to get a grip on an otherwise (seemingly) daunting subject.
I'm actually starting to make positive progress thanks to buying this aid.
The idea of mixing English and Japanese text within the same sentence throughout the book is a great one. It really makes you learn to fill in the 'foreign' gaps with your new knowledge.
If you are serious about learning then buy it - it's a no brainer.
Excellent February 5, 2007
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
It is probably best to learn a new language by taking a course with a qualified teacher but if, like me, you prefer self-study this is definitely the best way to go.
This book covers all the basics from everyday vocabulary and grammar to counting, days of the week and time etc., and it's all presented in a very understandable way. It will also teach you the Hiragana alphabet quickly and efficiently.
In the past, I've been frustrated with the slow pace some self-study language courses move at so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book moves at a good pace without being overwhelming. The 'culture clips' about Japanese customs and the more colloquial ways of speaking are useful too.
Obviously, since it is just a book, it won't teach you much about pronunciation so I would definitely recommend exposing yourself to spoken Japanese somehow, but that (and the fact that there are a couple of minor typos), is basically the only criticism I can think of.
Highly recommended.
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