Useful Japanese Resources

The following resources have been helpful to me for learning Japanese:

1) Vocabulary: iknow.jp

This resource (website, iPhone app) has it all! You can learn 6000 words in 100 word increments. It offers pronunciation, sample sentences (very useful!), And your choice of alphabet (Kanji, hiragana / katakana, romaji). Track your progress so you end up mastering those challenging words! And it syncs very well across multiple platforms (website, iPhone app, iPad app). The monthly subscription is cheap too, around $ 12. I’ve tried a lot of flash card programs and this one really does it for me. Words are also classified according to the most used and the least used. If you know the first 2000 words or so you are well on your way to having a rock solid vocabulary and the sample sentences will really help you too, for example with verb conjugations. This tool also makes learning fun, which is an important part of staying motivated.

2) Grammar / cultural knowledge

JapanesePod101.com has tons of lessons you can listen to anywhere, great for travel, from beginner lessons to advanced lessons. His lessons cover formal and informal ways of speaking, which many strict textbooks don’t cover. The lessons are fun and the PDF files of the lessons and the letter note (on iPhone) are helpful.

3) Hiragana / Katakana

I’ve been holding back my Japanese writing studies, relying on romaji because I want to focus on being able to speak. However, when you are in Japan and you want to read basic things (menus, railway station signs), a working knowledge of writing can soon become essential. Several resources have been helpful:

a) Kana Pictographix by Michael Rowley (you can find it on Amazon)
b) Dr. Moku’s iPhone apps (one for hiragana, one for hiragana)
c) iKana iPhone app (good for asking questions)
d) iKnow (see vocabulary building section), with hiragana / katakana activated instead of romaji

4) Kanji

“Remember the Kanji” (book in the Amazon + iPhone app) makes it easy to learn writing by studying families of elements rather than memorizing each Kanji separately.

5) Dictionaries on iPhone / iPad

“Japanese” is my favorite dictionary app, as you can write in romaji, it also handles conjugated verbs, and has a lot of entries. Midori may also be good for advanced level people with knowledge of kanji, but I have not reached that level yet to recommend it.

I hope these resources help you learn Japanese faster! Ganbatte! And remember to study a little every day (or at least seriously 3-4 days a week!).