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sfried

446th Post

Gold Customer

"Good places to brush up on 日本&#" , posted Thu 17 Dec 15:43

I took 5 semesters of Japanese, but the problem is I haven't been able to find many people to converse with outside of my teachers and the Japanese owner of a sushi restaurant (there are a surprising number of Japanese people in Florida). Unfortunately, my classmates tend to be...ahem...too otaku centric with their approach, which is why I kindly distanced myself from them and from their associates. I do want to learn the language properly and not rely on the hearsay of 4chan and other weeaboos of the sort (the same thing with history and culture; I'd rather let something be expressed from the inside out and wait to hear things from the horses mouth to confirm credibility). Americans can sometimes be obnoxious because of their own assumptions.

Etymology is of vast importance to me since I do remember things better through association rather than plain memorization.

I'm looking for some websites that could help me a little bit with grammar and definitely vocabulary. I know a few kanji sites but it's a collection of daily verbs/nouns and their usage that I'd want to cover. Stuff like the usage of に and other particles with exceptional cases. I know I could jump right into 2ch but I feel my knowledge base is inadequate to participate sufficiently, plus the fact that I have to contend with others who are also learning. I am taking my Japanese language studies rather seriously to the point I have embassy work level comprehension/professional translation on-the-fly.

Replies:

Toxico

4819th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(1):Good places to brush up on 日" , posted Thu 17 Dec 16:11:

I have frequently been advised on using this site here to check on certain very specific doubts here and there.

This is site can also prove quite informative..

Surprisingly, reading wikipedia articles can prove to be quite useful. It's also an advantage that some articles have been "cloned" from english to japanese, for comparison sake.

Har har har, but none of these sites fulfill your needs of ongoing speaking level but instead give you info one sided-ly.

For pseudo real time audio talks, I have always been hungry to get my slimy hands in the rosetta stone software, after witnessing a friend taking the russian & english part of the course I can surely attest you that the most basic needs are pretty well covered in there language wise, I have no way to assure you on how properly would this software respond to more specific, advanced needs. (BTW, to me basic is something like.... my level on English). Oh, he also gave me a good review of the English course (he has several English degrees and works in the field for a living)

obscene voodoo dance teleport

目に焼きつけて、死ぬがいい・・・
Translation txt currently off line.

Now sponsoring : video game analogies (ES)
Last update : Chapter 14 as of 11/12/09

[this message was edited by Toxico on Thu 17 Dec 17:19]

nobinobita

661th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member

"Re(1):Good places to brush up on 日" , posted Fri 18 Dec 02:21

quote:

I'm looking for some websites that could help me a little bit with grammar and definitely vocabulary.

You should look into the "My <insert language> Coach" series for DS published by Ubisoft. I have some friends that highly recommend the My Japanese Coach. And I know from experience that the My Chinese Coach is excellent for brushing up on your grammar and reading/writing skills.

Maou

1877th Post

Gold Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive

"Re(2):Good places to brush up on talking" , posted Fri 18 Dec 11:13:

One time I heard about a site called LiveMocha that would be good for people who needed conversation partners across languages. This was in 2007, so I don't know if that's still around, but it sounded like the aural equivalent of a pen pal, which would be great in that you can not only avoid the filthy otaku of 2ch but also the filthy American (European?) otaku as well. You won't learn a damn thing about talking like a normal human being from either of them.

I mean, or you could just back up and go live abroad to teach or something---it'll help whatever language you want to speak at an exponential rate.

Rosetta Stone is by all account excellent as well---I think I heard that American diplomats use it to train?---since it does not translate anything back to your native language, making it about as immersive a virtual immersion program as you could normally have.

人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．

[this message was edited by Maou on Fri 18 Dec 11:15]

nobinobita

664th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member

"Re(3):Good places to brush up on talking" , posted Sat 19 Dec 08:20

quote:

Rosetta Stone is by all account excellent as well---I think I heard that American diplomats use it to train?

Man their branding is really effective. I always think the same thing when I see those Rosetta Stone kiosks at the airport.

Professor

2578th Post

MMCafe Owner

"Re(1):Good places to brush up on 日" , posted Sat 19 Dec 11:27:

I wouldn't recommend 2ch (or 4ch) because they're both very strong on internet lingo and way off from what's considered normal speech. Hell, an average Japanese would find it hard to understand stuff there.

Language is the most basic means of communication, and you'll get more progress by using it in practice than by reading on it. From what I've seen, the best way of learning Japanese is by starting from imitation of speech, and then going on to writing and memorizing text. That's how kids start off learning, and it's the most natural process. I've seen JET students come and go without much progress because they just mingle with each other and don't talk in Japanese while they're studying abroad, such a pity.

How seriously are you studying? if you're really content about it, enrolling into JET for a year or two may be an idea. If not, an easier option would be to get to know people on SNS communities and converse with them in Skype while typing. Ahh, the advent of Internet.

[this message was edited by Professor on Sat 19 Dec 11:29]

sfried

447th Post

Gold Customer

"Re(2):Good places to brush up on 日" , posted Sat 19 Dec 19:05

quote:
How seriously are you studying? if you're really content about it, enrolling into JET for a year or two may be an idea. If not, an easier option would be to get to know people on SNS communities and converse with them in Skype while typing. Ahh, the advent of Internet.

My teacher (who is Japanese herself) told me that JET could be rather difficult if you're not confident with the language, so I toyed with the thought of going to Japan as student instead of JET and probably attend one of the language schools to learn more (The problem with that is JET pays for lodging). I do want to make the most out of what I've learned so far; it's not some fad or something I studied for out on a whim, and I definitely think a three year's stay would be ideal, if it wasn't for the expenses involved. I just don't want to enter blindsided so to speak.

As for conversation partners, I do have a IM buddy if that's what you're asking, but I guess you do have a point about hearing being different from reading and writing. The trouble is looking for a language partner I can talk to on a regular basis. You wouldn't happen to know anybody who could help me out?

Thanks for the LiveMocha link Maou. It does kinda remind me of Rosetta Stone's software (at least from what was demoed to me).

I'll see if I could find those DS language coaches, too. I've heard there was also a special Kanji practice game that you can import.

(P.S. We used Genki I & II as our textbooks in the classes I took. I'm not so sure how comprehensive those are compared to the other Japanese textbooks.)