There are many ways to learn Japanese, and I’ve probably tried them all! The most fun way is, of course, to find a Japanese spouse, and although I have learnt a great amount through osmosis that way, the quality of my grammar leaves a lot to be desired, and my expansive vocabulary encompassing doing the housework, plants and insects in the garden, and Buddhist terminology is, quite frankly, rather difficult to slip into conversation with my co-workers.
Of course, Japanese spouses are not available to everyone and the recurring costs can get rather prohibitive, so one really should find a better way to study. A few of my internet friends have got into this business of supporting people learning Japanese online, so I thought I’d make this little web site to try to help support their businesses, and of course help you, dear reader, get some valuable information on the Japanese learning opportunities available online.
But why, I hear you ask, what is so great about learning online? Surely professional packaged media, or a Japanese teacher at a local college could do the job? Over-the-counter packages are good for certain people, but they are only one-way communication; you have to try to correct your own mistakes and improve your own pronunication. Japanese teachers at colleges are good fun – I did 10 weeks of two hours a lesson before I came to Japan, and another similar duration course at my workplace in Scotland, but with over half a dozen of you in the room it is more an exercise in socialising (or trying to chat up the teacher…) than in language acquisition!
So, this wee blog will introduce some resources where you can learn Japanese online; both free sites (but watch out, some of them are pretty useless!) and yes, paid ones – my friends have to eat, you know!
I hope you enjoy your look around here; whether you want to just pick up a few phrases for travel, understand a little more about the culture, read manga or watch anime without English subtitles, or seriously learn the language to enhance your CV or resume, learning Japanese online really is the best way about it. Gambatte ne!
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