Learn Japanese Easily

2008-09-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Watching your Ps and Qs

Learning about Japanese culture will assist you in being able to learn Japanese more easily. This will keep you in line with how the Japanese greet each other and the prevalent emphasis in Japanese culture of being polite and humble.

In Japanese culture, greeting someone is considered a MUST when you encounter people as you move through your day. In Western culture, this is equivalent to saying please and thank you. Below are three greetings:

Ohayō gozaimasu = greeting in the morning
Konnichiwa = greeting during the day
Konbanwa = greeting after dark

Whenever you are addressing or speaking to someone there are different levels of formality and politeness in Japanese. Therefore, in Japanese you must always be conscious of the social relationship between you and the person you are speaking to (friend, family member, professor, doctor, stranger, boss, colleague) .

The morning greeting Ohayō gozaimasu is a good example to show the different levels of formality and politeness:

Every morning you go to work, you greet your colleagues by saying Ohayō gozaimasu .
Every morning you go to the kitchen to have your breakfast, you greet your family by saying Ohayō.
To a few of your colleagues you are very friendly with, you greet them saying Ohayō.
To your boss or your teacher, you greet them by saying Ohayō gozaimasu.
To a stranger you walked past on the street in the morning, you greet him/her saying Ohayō gozaimasu.

Note: Thankfully for Konnichiwa and Konbanwa, there's only one version for everyone.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-09-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Romaji and some Japanese music

The smart way to learn Japanese easily is to start by memorizing the basic common words in Romaji. Romaji is written with the Latin alphabet, therefore you shouldn't have problems with the pronunciation.

When you want to learn Japanese easily, it's better for you to learn Japanese written in Romaji, especially if you are not familiar with Hiragana and Katana. Also listening to your favorite Japanese music can assit you to learn hearing and pronouncing Japanese in a correct accent. This can help to solidify and improve your learning progress and process.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-09-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Japanese Anime (part III: The Impact of Anime)

Some, or should I say, most of us would find it difficult to learn Japanese easily but that doesn't mean we can't find ways to "jazz up" how we learn and motivate our interest in Japanese. Many of us don't realize that Japanese Anime and Manga is one of Japan's biggest multi-milliion dollar industries and that it is gaining in popularity internationally.

Anime has set in motion a phenomenon of fresh ideas that have inspired many films (the Matrix whose action scenes mirrored the Anime Ghost in the Shell) and TV shows (especially Saturday morning cartoons such as Pokemon, Dragon-ball Z, Sailor-Moon and Nickelodeon's popular Avatar: The Last Air-bender whose characters are similar to the Anime Naruto ). The growing popularity for Anime in the media market is seen in the many world-wide conventions, fansubs and fandubs and cosplays.

Anime is a revolution and is taking the world by storm. Are you going to be left behind? Like it or not, Anime or Manga is a means to learn Japanese easily and keep up with our ever-changing world.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-09-04T08:11:00.001-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Japanese Anime (part 2: Japanese Poetry)

What better way to help you to learn Japanese easily than by watching Japanese anime or reading Manga. It is movies such as Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell and its sequel Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, based on a Japanese cyberpunk manga created by Shirow Masamune, that make learning Japanese interesting and worth your perserverence to learn Japanese. The following clip is one of the most beautiful opening scenes to an anime movie I have ever seen, not to mention, the powerful music composed by Kenji Kawai and voices that accompany the song "Kugutsuuta Ura Mite Chiru."

English Translation of Lyrics:

Even the moon will not shine every day, every night
Scaly thrushes cry on the sadness
I turned and looked back, but the flower looks like they’d fallen out
As if the feeling of solitude has faded away

Gods gathers forward the next world, the day breaks, and scaly thrushes cry
A blossom has desire to satisfy and pray to God earnestly
I should grieve over myself at this-time life,
the dream has gone. Left my grudge and gone...

Here are the lyrics in rōmaji and just to remind us of what rōmaji is, to quote Wikipedia: "The romanization of Japanese or rōmaji is the use of the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. Japanese is normally written in logographic characters borrowed from Chinese (kanji) and syllabic scripts (kana). The romanization of Japanese is done in any context where Japanese text is targeted at those who do not know the language, such as for names on street signs and passports, and in dictionaries and textbooks for foreign learners of the language. The word "rōmaji" is sometimes incorrectly transliterated as romanji or rōmanji."

In Rōmaji:

Hitohi hitoyo ni tsuki wa erazu tomo
Kanashimi ni nuetori naku
Waga kaeri misuredo hana wa chirinubeshi
Nagusamuru kokoro wa kenuru ga gotoku

Aratayo ni kamutsudo hite yo wa ake nuretori naku
Sakuhana wa kami ni koinoru
Ikeru yo ni agami kanashi mo ime wa kenu
Ime wa kenu uramite chiru

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-08-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Thai Tea and Caterpillars

A little creativity can go a long way especially when its Japanese. Using creative Audio/Visual means can help your learning of Japanese and increase your knowledge of Japanese culture. The following Japanese commercial for Thai Tea is one way you can
spice up your learning to help you learn Japanese more easily.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-08-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Japanese Anime (part 1)

One of my attractions to learn Japanese is my love of Japanese anime. I love to draw and appreciate the work and detail that goes into an animated feature/project. One of my favorite Japanese Anime directors is Hayao Miyazaki. I have seen most of his works and would like to share one of his renowned works of Art, Spirited Away. This is just a short movie trailer and I hope it's enough for you to go and rent the DVD. I recommend that you watch it in Japanese with English sub-titles of course. It's a great movie and learning tool to help you to learn Japanese more easily.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-08-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Afraid To Learn Japanese Easily? How To Quiet The Debbie Downer to Learn Japanese

Despite the fact that Japanese is a language that is getting more exposure, thanks to the popular Japanese exports such as sushi, Manga comic books and Anime, Japanese is still not a language that has an abundance of eager students. The individual who embarks on the quest to learn Japanese is often more aware of the wide chasm of difference between English and Japanese. And this Debbie Downer attitude (a.k.a. negative attitude) makes the road of ascent to Japanese seem long, arduous and at times, unattainable. When you ask yourself, "Can I learn Japanese?" Here is some food for thought to nourish you, keep your mind positive and quell your "Debbie Downer" to make your days happier as you learn to speak Japanese.

Double Your Pleasure - All students have to climb up Mount Grammar. For even the most enthusiastic foreign language student, Grammar is the long and arduous road to proficiency when you have to learn a language and Japanese grammar is no exception. However, there is hope. If you know your English grammar, it will help you learn Japanese grammar more easily because most grammatical terms are used in both English grammar and Japanese grammar. You see; studying English in school does have a purpose! O Happy Day!

Keeping It Simple - Japanese is somewhat simpler than European languages in that it has only two verb tenses, past and present and irregular verbs are sparse. There are no singular or plural, gender, or nouns with articles. O Happy Day!

Tag You Are It - The Japanese "particle". Not to worry. This is not physics and we are not talking about the atomic particle. This particle is the "grammatical particle". In Japanese, these structural particles are the central aspect of the Japanese language. These particles act as sentence markers by tagging the subject and objects and also takes the role similar to prepositions in English. However, the preposition-like particles are different from English prepositions in that they come after instead of before the nouns they mark. The function of nouns is indicated through the use of these particles. In a nutshell particles help to establish connections between things by designating a topic or an identifier of something in a sentence to indicate to you how each part of a sentence relates to the other parts. Simply put, Japanese is not as grammatically precise as English. So, if you happen to omit or make a mistake concerning particles, you will not sound as ludicrous or illiterate speaking this "broken Japanese" as you would if you did the same thing in English. O Happy Day!

Jack And Jill Went Up The Hill - The Japanese sentence structure is in the word sequence of Subject-Object-Verb. This simplifies formulation of Japanese sentences because the verb usually occurs at the end of the sentence. In Japanese a sentence is more like an utterance and less like an English sentence. Basically, a sentence is a string of words organized in a specific format but in the Japanese language, it is a series of utterances that are linked together by structural particles along with verbs and a few connecting words. Therefore, if you can get a solid understanding of the functions of Japanese structural particles, you will be well on your way to acquiring competence in speaking and understanding Japanese. O Happy Day!

Mind Over Matter - Student of Japanese be not afraid, you have chosen well. You are the brave soul. You are the one who has chosen Japanese as your language to open wide the gates of the Orient and your life experiences. You are the wise one who will take the road less traveled and embark upon a learning journey that few of your peers will experience. You are the unique one. Remember, the mind is a powerful thing and if you dwell on the fact that Japanese seems less feasible than other European languages, you will have a very difficult time learning Japanese. So don't be a Debbie Downer. Keep your mind focused on the positive aspects and you will be able to learn Japanese quickly and effectively.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-07-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - 2 Ways To Keep It Cool

Listen, if you are the brave person who has chosen to study Japanese you are taking the path less trodden regarding languages and choosing a less commonly learned language will stand out on your resume and will set you apart from the crowd. Congratulations and more power to you! However, learning Japanese can be challenging and if you are feeling overwhelmed, do not be discouraged. Learning to speak fluent Japanese, will give you direct access and insight into the terminology used in these 2 cool Japanese activities that will keep your learning and knowledge of Japanese fresh and interesting.

Join a Japanese martial art school. There are many different schools ranging from Jujutsu to Aikido to choose from. Not only will you get in great physical shape and learn self-defense, but this will also help you to learn Japanese quickly because you will be using the terminology associated with your marital art. How many of us have or had our children enrolled in martial arts? And the reason we did was because the practice of martial art is a way of life that encompasses the physical, spiritual and moral discipline with a focus on self-improvement and personal growth. Child or no child, learning a Japanese martial art is a good thing. And who knows? You may make a new friend or two.

If martial arts are not your cup of tea, you could check out other Japanese art forms such as Japanese film, animations or comic books. Anime animations and Manga comic books are everywhere and are made for youth and adults alike. Anime and Manga have many genres typically found in any mass media form. Such genres include action, adventure, comedy, drama, medieval fantasy, horror, romance, and science fiction. Manga books are readily available at specialty bookstores or at major bookstore chains such as Chapters. Anime DVDs series or movies such as Spirited Away, Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence plus many more are also readily available in DVD stores or you can download or watch Anime for free online. Or how about some Japanese horror (also known as J-Horror) films which were commercial hits remade in English such as Ringu, Kairo, Dark Water, Yogen, or the Grudge series? You can watch these in their original Japanese version and do not forget the popcorn! These are cool activities to do with your friends and family as you learn how to speak Japanese.

These activities hand-in-hand with an excellent Japanese course will surely be able to make your learning less tedious or abstract. When you incorporate your learning with real-life activities, you will improve your retention, comprehension and verbal skills for Japanese thus making your path to learn to speak fluent Japanese shorter and more enjoyable.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-07-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily And Go Green

It, truly, is not easy being green or going green for that matter. So, what does going green have to do with learning to speak Japanese online? If you stop to think about it, by deciding to go the route of learning online there are many benefits, one of them being that you will help the environment. A “tiskit, a taskit”, what's in my Earth day basket? Well, there are 3 big Go Green Benefits (G.G.Bs) that will be mentioned and you can see for yourself why learning to speak Japanese online is a good thing for you and the environment. That being said, we all need to be more responsible with regards to the environment.

Go Green Benefit #1 - By opting to learn Japanese online you will be saving money. Because money spent on transportation to and from your classes and associated costs such as parking, fuel, and vehicle maintenance can be reduced or eliminated. This will save you not only money but also your valuable time and energy can be put into other more important activities. That's one less car on the road. One less car equals less air pollution, which equals one step closer to cleaner air.

Go Green Benefit #2 - What is a classroom or lesson without paper? I'll tell you. It's a Green classroom. When you learn to speak Japanese online, computer software, download-able lessons, CDs, etc negates the need for and reduces the amount of paper that is used. With learning online, you can encounter a "paper-less" classroom and one in which learning is portable (mp3, CD player, iPod) or only a mouse click away. Your learning is self-directed, allowing you to choose content and tools appropriate to your differing interests, needs, and skill levels. You will also save money on expensive Japanese language texts, workbooks and notebooks. Overall student costs such as tuition, residence, food, and childcare are frequently less. It's also one less tree cut for paper production. One more tree equals one more habitat for the wildlife it supports and more oxygen for the Earth.

Go Green Benefit #3 - You can re-cycle your lessons online especially if you need to review or refresh your various Japanese language skills. You do not need to re-register for an expensive language school class or re-book a private tutor. The online language course is there for your use at your convenience. From dictionaries to language forums, learning online is quickly becoming the learning of the future. This is not to imply that teachers are not needed. They are but in a more facilitator role instead of a role of instructor. Students can learn a Japanese lesson at anytime, from anywhere. This means that parents can attend to their children, then sit down to a Japanese lesson; working students can complete a lesson no matter what their work schedule might be, folks that travel for business or pleasure can attend class from anywhere in the world that has internet access. That's less need for textbooks, pencils, pens, whiteboards, markers, erasers, binders, etc. and all the items that are related to teaching. Also, the demand for the raw materials to make them is reduced. That equals to less environmental pollutants.

Truth be told, nothing in life is really free especially having access to an excellent language program. If you want quality, you are going to have to pay for it but it doesn't mean that you cannot find products that give you the most for your dollar. Think about the convenience of learning Japanese online and having the ability to have access to student-centered learning tools and materials. Compared to most language schools that have to include the costs of running a business into your tuition, you are in better hands. We all need to be more responsible with regards to the environment and if you learn Japanese online, you will actually save money, time and the environment.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-07-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - The Top 10

What many brave souls want to do but never get round to doing is to learn Japanese easily with a good language course. Here is an easy lesson to entice you to learn Japanese easily online. The following YouTube Video has the 10 most useful words or phrases you need to know to thrive while traveling in Japan as far as travellinguist is concerned:

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-07-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - It All Started At The Movies

My quest to learn how to speak Japanese began with the Anime movies, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, by the renowned Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. These amazing movies were the catalyst that propelled my interest in the Japanese culture and hence, my desire to learn Japanese fast but in the most proficient way possible.

I was determined to learn a language that most of my fellow North Americans either have no interest in or find it too challenging. Japanese not only sounds significantly different from English but the Japanese letters (Hiragana) that represent the sounds that make up the Japanese language and is central to the Japanese writing system are very different. Because of this, I was even hesitant to learn basic Japanese but I put my fears aside and proceeded to find the best way to learn Japanese. After weeks of researching the Internet and networking by word of mouth, I found an amazing course that teaches you to speak Japanese online. So, here's a brief overview of this course to help you in your goal to learn Japanese easily.

First, there is a 31-lesson Interactive Audio Course that covers everything that you need to know to learn Japanese quickly and to become part of a Japanese community.

Second, their software: the vocabulary software is a word building game designed to help you learn about 1000 Japanese words and to cover 20 different topics. You can also use this game indefinitely because it allows you to add your own images. The audio software will help you overcome the most difficult aspect of learning Japanese and that is the comprehension. The Hiragana Software learning game helps you to easily recognize and memorize the Hiragana character set used in the Japanese writing and pronunciation system.

Third, there are the Grammar Newsletter Series that provides you with 31 illustrated Grammar Lessons and examples. These are invaluable cultural informational tools with explanations of written Japanese and of popular Japanese grammar. The visual tools of this series are unique to this product and their value is priceless enabling you to learn Japanese easily.

Finally, there is also access to a Learner's Forum and Support system that is staffed with fellow students, natives and Japanese teachers. This provides you with extra free resources to further assist you on your quest to learn to speak fluent Japanese.

I am pleased to say that I am able to watch Miyazaki’s movies in their original Japanese and I look forward to visiting Japan one day. Thank you, Hayao Miyazaki for opening up the door for me to experience, acknowledge and respect the Japanese culture.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-06-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - The Intricate Web of Japanese Politeness Factor

The following post is from Wikipedia about the Japanese language and explains how Politeness is an integral part in Japanese grammar:

Unlike most western languages, Japanese has an extensive grammatical system to express politeness and formality.

Most relationships are not equal in Japanese society. The differences in social position are determined by a variety of factors including job, age, experience, or even psychological state (e.g., a person asking a favour tends to do so politely). The person in the lower position is expected to use a polite form of speech, whereas the other might use a more plain form. Strangers will also speak to each other politely. Japanese children rarely use polite speech until they are teens, at which point they are expected to begin speaking in a more adult manner. See uchi-soto.

Whereas teineigo (polite language) is commonly an inflectional system, sonkeigo (respectful language) and kenjōgo (humble language) often employ many special honorific and humble alternate verbs: iku "go" becomes ikimasu in polite form, but is replaced by irassharu in honorific speech and ukagau or mairu in humble speech.

The difference between honorific and humble speech is particularly pronounced in the Japanese language. Humble language is used to talk about oneself or one's own group (company, family) whilst honorific language is mostly used when describing the interlocutor and his/her group. For example, the -san suffix ("Mr" "Mrs." or "Miss") is an example of honorific language.

It is not used to talk about oneself or when talking about someone from one's company to an external person, since the company is the speaker's "group". When speaking directly to one's superior in one's company or when speaking with other employees within one's company about a superior, a Japanese person will use vocabulary and inflections of the honorific register to refer to the in-group superior and his or her speech and actions.

When speaking to a person from another company (i.e., a member of an out-group), however, a Japanese person will use the plain or the humble register to refer to the speech and actions of his or her own in-group superiors. In short, the register used in Japanese to refer to the person, speech, or actions of any particular individual varies depending on the relationship (either in-group or out-group) between the speaker and listener, as well as depending on the relative status of the speaker, listener, and third-person referents. For this reason, the Japanese system for explicit indication of social register is known as a system of "relative honorifics."

Most Japanese people employ politeness to indicate a lack of familiarity. That is, they use polite forms for new acquaintances, but if a relationship becomes more intimate, they no longer use them. This occurs regardless of age, social class, or gender.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-06-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - How to Make Use of Your Brain Space

Considering that you want to learn Japanese easily, it is a good idea not to memorize words that have basically the same meaning - at least initially. For example, "I" means "watakushi", so why memorize the other equivalents of I which are watashi, boku and ore? Use your time to learn different Japanese words. You have lots of time to come back and learn the other forms at a later time.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-06-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Numbers

What would life be without numbers? Love them or hate them, we need numbers to function in our daily lives. The same is true as you learn Japanese easily. One way to learn Japanese easily is to practice using Japanese numbers as you go about your daily tasks such as shopping.

Japanese numbers from 1 - 10 are very straight forward and easy to put to memory. However, there are a few patterns and exceptions with the following numbers:

Pattern of "TEN":
The Japanese numbers from 11 - 19 all have "juu" in front of the word for the numbers 1 - 9. So, it's literally (10) + (1) = 11 and (10) + (2) = 12, etc.. For example 11 = juuichi (juu = 10 and ichi = 1), 12 = juuni (juu = 10 and ni = 2), 13 = juusan, 15 = juugo, 16 = juuroku, and 18 = juuhachi.

Exceptions:
Note that the numbers 4, 7 and 9 have a different word to represent them. For example, 14 = juushi and not juuyon; 17 = juushichi and not juunana and 19 = juuku and not juukyuu.

Pattern of [(n) x (10)]:
The letter (n) represents the Japanese numbers from 2 - 9. The Japanese numbers 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 all have the pattern of (n)x(10). For example, 20 = nijuu [(2)x(10)], 30 = sanjuu [(3)x(10)], 40 = yonjuu [(4)x(10)], 50 = gojuu...and so on.

Pattern of [(n) x TEN + (n)]:
The letter (n) represents the Japanese numbers from 2 - 9. The Japanese numbers 21-29,31-39,41-49,...91-99 all have the pattern of [(n)x(10)+(n)]. For example, 21 = nijuuichi [(2)x(10)+(1)], 22 = nijuuni [(2)x(10)+(2)], 37 = sanjuunana [(3)x(10)+(7)], 46 = yonjuuroku, 58 = gojuuhachi, 69 = rokujuukyuu, 84 = hachijuuyon and 93 = kyuujuusan and so on.

It's all quite logical. Once you memorize the first 10 numbers, the rest will come naturally as you to learn Japanese easily.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-06-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Back To The Basics (Part 4)

The last of the four main basic abilities you need to learn Japanese easily is the ability to speak. It is much easier to understand Japanese when spoken than it is to express yourself in Japanese. Why? Because it is less difficult to translate Japanese into English when you hear it, compared to when you have to translate English into Japanese when you want to speak it. This is because there are Japanese words that we can recognize easily when hearing Japanese called "passive vocabulary". And there are Japanese words that we struggle to recall when speaking Japanese called "active vocabulary", but when heard we instantly remember them. You should aim to get more experience listening to and speaking real day-to-day Japanese. More exposure to Japanese, as it is spoken on the street, will improve your oral proficiency and make your spoken Japanese sound more natural and less like your Japanese textbook.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-05-30T11:29:00.001-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Back To The Basics (Part 3)

One of the four main basic abilities you need to learn Japanese easily is the ability to write. A great way to practice your written Japanese is to find a Japanese pen pal or conversational partner. You and your pen pal or partner can write about a specific topic in his/her own words and then compare the versions. You should rewrite your paragraph or sentences several times making the corrections with each edit. This seems tedious but you'll see an improvement with your written Japanese. When you want to learn Japanese easily, writing in Japanese not only gives you a "formal" grasp of Japanese but it also will improve your grammar and vocabulary and hence overall proficiency in Japanese.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-05-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Back To The Basics (Part 2)

One of the four main basic abilities you need to learn Japanese easily is the ability to read. Most of us don't realise that when we are reading a text, we read sentence by sentence and not word for word. A sentence is several words in a specific sequence. It is the whole sequence that we subconsciously register. Therefore, just knowing the keywords in a sentence is enough to comprehend what you've read.

The same format should be applied when reading Japanese. However, reading Japanese also takes into account a solid knowledge of Hiragana, Katakana and the more challenging Kanji characters found in Japanese text. Becoming more familiar with 100 Kanji each night is better than "learning" 4 Kanji per day. You could hang Kanji charts on your wall or ceiling and study vocabulary lists and Japanese text on your commute are two ways to do this. Also you should focus on the Kanji/vocabulary that interest you to make it more fun and expose you to more Kanji. Remember, repetition and interest is good for your memory.

When reading Japanese, you should read the WHOLE sentence or clause at once and you'll learn Japanese easily. Why? Because you'll be more quickly able to distinguish the sentence structure and also its meaning.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-05-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Back To The Basics (Part 1)

One of the four main basic abilities you need to learn Japanese easily is the ability to listen. I'm sure that you have noticed the difference in your comprehension of Japanese when you are listening to Japanese-natives compared to listening to the "formal" audio software from your language course. This discrepancy should be addressed if you want to learn to speak fluent Japanese. Therefore, you must also try to listen to Japanese spoken (on the radio, TV or amongst Japanese-natives) so that you can get used to listening to "informal" (on-the-street) conversations amongst native Japanese speakers. By using a more holistic approach to listening will help you to learn Japanese easily.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-05-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Study 7 Days A Week

If you've decided to learn Japanese easily then how often you study will strongly impact your fluency. Repetition and consistency are necessary when you want to learn Japanese easily. Therefore, studying 2 hrs every day for a week will be more beneficial than studying for 4 hrs twice a week. How often you review is critical to learn Japanese easily because it helps you keep track of how fast you're learning Japanese and it doesn't overload your memory. When you study everyday, you will spend less time reviewing last weeks lessons and more time moving ahead to the next lesson to learn Japanese easily.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-05-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Sleep & Learn

Still too busy to learn Japanese? Don't worry, the Japanese lessons you missed during the day can be learned during the night. How? You can learn Japanese easily while you are asleep. Scientific research shows that listening to learning material during sleeping hours are effective ways to learn any subject easily. Sleep learning taps into your brain's source of creative and critical thinking (a.k.a. your subconscious) allowing you to absorb information more quickly and effectively. All you need are any of your downloaded Audio lessons on your CD, iPod or mp3 player and you can learn Japanese easily by absorbing that information each and every night while you sleep. Very cool. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-04-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - It All Started At The Movies

My quest to learn how to speak Japanese began with the Anime movies, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, by the renowned Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. These amazing movies were the catalyst that propelled my interest in the Japanese culture and hence, my desire to learn Japanese fast but in the most proficient way possible.

I was determined to learn a language that most of my fellow North Americans either have no interest in or find it too challenging. Japanese not only sounds significantly different from English but the Japanese letters (Hiragana) that represent the sounds that make up the Japanese language and is central to the Japanese writing system are very different. Because of this, I was even hesitant to learn basic Japanese but I put my fears aside and proceeded to find the best way to learn Japanese. After weeks of researching the Internet and networking by word of mouth, I found an amazing course that teaches you to speak Japanese online. So, here's a brief overview of this course to help you in your goal to learn Japanese easily.

First, there is a 31-lesson Interactive Audio Course that covers everything that you need to know to learn Japanese quickly and to become part of a Japanese community.

Second, their software: the vocabulary software is a word building game designed to help you learn about 1000 Japanese words and to cover 20 different topics. You can also use this game indefinitely because it allows you to add your own images. The audio software will help you overcome the most difficult aspect of learning Japanese and that is the comprehension. The Hiragana Software learning game helps you to easily recognize and memorize the Hiragana character set used in the Japanese writing and pronunciation system.

Third, there are the Grammar Newsletter Series that provides you with 31 illustrated Grammar Lessons and examples. These are invaluable cultural informational tools with explanations of written Japanese and of popular Japanese grammar. The visual tools of this series are unique to this product and their value is priceless enabling you to learn Japanese easily.

Finally, there is also access to a Learner's Forum and Support system that is staffed with fellow students, natives and Japanese teachers. This provides you with extra free resources to further assist you on your quest to learn Japanese easily.

I am pleased to say that I am able to watch Miyazaki’s movies in their original Japanese and I look forward to visiting Japan one day. Thank you, Hayao Miyazaki for opening up the door for me to experience, acknowledge and respect the Japanese culture.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-04-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Talk To Me

One way to learn Japanese easily is to find a Japanese conversation group. The reason for this is that most students don't get any chance to practice their speaking skills. Also, usually the basic classes offered at some of the language schools in your area may not be able to give you the right environment you need to improve your spoken Japanese. Skype is another option but scheduling skype-time and time zones could be an issue. You may prefer to speak to someone face-to-face. Whatever your method, this is a simple method to learn Japanese esaily. But make sure that you converse with someone who is at a higher level than you. In this way, you can improve your speaking skills more rapidly and accurately.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-04-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - The ABCs

It is common knowledge that the Japanese writing system is very different from English and most other European languages. But, you can learn Japanese easily and overcome this hurdle by learning the 44 or so katakana or hiragana characters that represent sounds in a similar way as the English alphabet does.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-04-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Be Stylish

Each person has his/her own learning style and everyone learns at a different pace. You might find that you have a knack for grammar and learn Japanese easily this way but have difficulty with speaking. Or you may find that you understand things perfectly with the audio lessons, but when it comes to the flash cards, you can't seem to recall the words. You should strive to identify your own personal strenghts and let these help you in your learning process to learn Japanese easily. If you are a visual learner, for example, write things down and try to associate words with images. In addition you should strive to identify your own personal learning barriers and make efforts to overcome them. For example, if you tend to procrastinate and often refrain from doing your lessons, force yourself to be more consistent with regards to your learning.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-03-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Take A Coffee Break

You can learn Japanese easily by expanding your vocabulary dramatically through plenty of reading. Choose a variety of sources for this aim such as newspapers, websites, blogs and the occasional manga. So the next time you visit your local cafe, remember to take some Japanese reading material and enjoy your coffee. This will keep up your interest and give your learning some 'fresh' Spring air.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-03-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - It's Your Time To Blossom

Spring is upon us and you need to learn Japanese easily and quickly. Why? Spring is the season for plum and cherry blossoms in Japan. It is the time of the Hanami season (March to April) which is, for many Japanese, the best time of the year. This is the season when the cherry blossom trees all over Japan come in to bloom for about a week and a half and people hold outdoor parties to view them. The name says it all - hana means “flower” and mi means “to look”. This is a great time of year to visit Japan and practice your Japanese with the locals because the weather is perfect and everybody is in a party frame of mind. And you can practice your Japanese with the locals. The advent of the blossoms not only heralds the end of a harsh winter but also the beginning of another school year and a new fiscal year for businesses, so Hanami is like a party to celebrate a new beginning.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-03-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Going Outside The Boundary (Part 4)

We believe that the single-most determining factors to learn Japanese easily and achieve fluency are desire and motivation. Like any artistic or musical talent, language systems seem to be 'picked up' more quickly by some learners. However, as with any new endeavor, learning Japanese can be greatly enhanced with perseverance and practice. A fun way to learn Japanese easily and keep motivated is to have a Japanese day of the week. Pick any day of the week and do everything you say or write during that day in Japanese. In this simple way, you will learn Japanese easily, keep your learning fresh and stay motivated.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-03-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Going Outside The Boundary (Part 3)

If you want to learn Japanese easily, you should always link your Japanese language skills to your environment and daily tasks. Here is one way how you can improve your Japanese by utilizing a simple memory technique: Label everything in your house in Japanese with sticky notes or magnets to facilitate your retention for Japanese vocabulary. The incorporation of this simple technique will certainly prove to be very fruitful when you want to learn Japanese easily.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-02-29T13:53:00.000-08:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Going Outside The Boundary (Part 2)

When you need to learn Japanese easily, you can try to strengthen your knowledge of Japanese grammar by writing. For example, you could write your blog entries, grocery/shopping list or itinerary list in Japanese. In this way, you can put into practice the Japanese you have learned with this course. Once again, by applying your knowledge of Japanese into day-to-day living, you will surely learn Japanese easily.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-02-22T23:37:00.000-08:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Going Outside The Boundary

There are many ways to advance your progress to make you learn Japanese easily. One of the actions to help you learn Japanese easily is to find a conversation group or club (eg. martial art club) where you could practice your Japanese speaking skills. Or you could improve your listening comprehension by listening to online radio, Japanese music, watching Japanese films, etc.. Taking an active role in your learning will enable you to learn Japanese easily and this will surely accelerate your acquisition of the language.

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-02-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Kiss & Tell - A Review

My quest to learn Japanese easily all started with my love of Japanese Anime and Manga comic books and I was tired of reading English subtitles and English Manga books. After 2 weeks of researching language courses, I tried a course that gave an eight week refund guarantee and I was miraculously surprised. So, here's a brief overview of the course to help you in your search to learn Japanese easily without the usual hype associated with most products online.

First, there is a 31-lesson Interactive Audio Course which covers everything that you need to know to become part of a Japanese community. Second, their software: the MegaVocab software is a word building game designed to help you learn about 1000 Japanese words and 20 topics. You can also use this game indefinately because it allows you to add your own images. The MegaAudio software will help you overcome the most difficult aspect of learning Japanese easily which is the comprehension. The MegaHiragana Software learning game helps you to eaisly recognize and memorize the Hiragana character set used in the Japanese writing and pronunciation system.

Third, there are the Grammar Newsletter Series which provides you with 31 illustrated Grammar Lessons and examples. These are invaluable cultural informational tools with explanations of written Japanese and of popular Japanese grammar. The visual tools of this series are unique to this product and their value is priceless enabling you to learn Japanese easily. Finally, there is also access to a Learner's Forum and Support system that is staffed with fellow students, natives and Japanese teachers. This provides you with extra free resources to further assist you on your quest to learn Japanese easily.

I am pleased to say that I am able to watch Anime shows and to read Manga books in their original Japanese. Thanks to this course, it was money well spent.

Click Here For This Exceptional Product That Can Teach You The Skills To Speak Japanese

Learn Japanese Easily

Learn Japanese Easily

2008-02-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

Learn Japanese Easily - Welcome to the new blog

Welcome to our new blog where you will be able to learn Japanese easily and expand your knowledge of the Japanese culture. Over the weeks we will be adding articles and updates on how you can learn Japanese easily and effectively. Please keep coming back and checking for new information on how you can learn japanese easily.

The Japanese Blossoms owns another blog on the ability to
learn how to speak japanese

Learn Japanese Easily