Customer Reviews:
NOT WORTH IT AND AMAZON CANNOT GET THIS TITLE.......2007-04-08
Just want to say. Amazon cannot get this book. the 4-6weeks is complete waste of time. I have waited months and motnhs and months. I forked over the $200 for my own copy. Expenisive and all it really is is a dictionary. Don't be fooled by it. It is no different in explanation than a simple dictionary is. All dicionaries (if well made) will group kanji by radicals. Many books for less are more effective.
Heisig vs. Halpern.......2007-03-28
This is a review of the Fourth Edition:
Remembering the Kanji I: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters Vol. 1 4th Edition,
which has just been reprinted:
Remembering the Kanji: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters (Manoa)
I have a certain familiarity with the spoken Japanese language but I realized a couple of years ago that if I were ever to develop a useful level of skill at Japanese I would have to learn the written language as well. The Kana are not a problem, no more difficult than learning the Greek alphabet, for example, but the Kanji are another matter. After trying Japanese for Busy People (Kana version) Vol. II and some of the on-line kanji sites, I realized that I would need something a bit more organized and thoughtful if I were ever to learn the Kanji in my lifetime.
First a word about ideographs versus alphabets. Alphabets were originally ideographic symbols that represented meaning as well as sound. Over time the symbols lost the original semantic content and became purely phonetic representations. Kanji retain much of the semantic content alphabets have lost and thereby add great richness, as well as difficulty, to the written languages that use them. As I have progressed through Heisig's book I have come to appreciate the depth of insight the Kanji offer into Japanese culture and the Chinese culture from which so much of it is derived.
James Heisig is a teacher of philosophy and religion living in Japan, and has translated several works of the Kyoto School of Philosophy. His description of how he developed his method of learning the kanji, given in the introduction, is fascinating.
His method is simple, belying its underlying sophistication:
1. First he assigns each character a unique English reading.
2. He then anchors that character in memory with a vivid mnemonic. (After the first 500 characters he leaves it up to the learner to make up the mnemonics.)
3. Lastly, the characters are learned in a specific order that is based on their internal logic.
The sophistication of this method is that it taps into the emotional and associational aspects of learning rather than relying just on the brute force of repetition. Repetition of course has its place, but it is inefficient when used alone.
His mnemonics are sometimes cheesy, sometimes weird, and sometimes quite interesting, illuminating the inner poetry of the characters. For example, Heisig #299 "fall" (Halpern #2318, also "fall") is composed of the radicals "flower", "water", and "each". His mnemonic: "When WATER falls, it splats and splashes; when FLOWER petals fall, they float gently in the breeze. To EACH thing its own way of falling." Another interesting one is Heisig #163 "anxiety" (Halpern #1022 "vexed"), composed of the radicals "fire" and "head": "The existential condition of ANXIETY that arises from the inevitable frustration of our worldly passions is contained in this character. The HEAD is set AFIRE, causing deep torment of spirit (and a whopper of a headache)."
Heisig points out that Chinese students learning Japanese have a great advantage because of their knowledge of the Kanji, even though spoken Chinese and Japanese have virtually nothing in common. He adds that Japanese methods of learning the Kanji ignore the internal logic of the characters and rely mostly on brute force repetition. This works reasonably well for Japanese students who are immersed in a Kanji culture, but it is punishing for foreigners. The goal of his method is to bring the English-speaker up to level of the Chinese-speaker who knows the kanji, both beginning to learn Japanese. He feels it is best to first learn a solid English reading for all the most common characters and then to go back later as one learns the spoken Japanese language and pin down the Japanese and Chinese readings.
As I progressed through the book making flash cards according to Heisig's directions, I became curious about the Japanese meaning of the Kanji. After all, if I were going to learn all these characters, I might as well make sure I was learning them in a way that would ultimately be useful. So I ignored Heisig's advice and began to check his English readings with a couple of dictionaries and began finding descrepancies. I eventually decided to be more systematic and purchased NTC's New Japanese-English Character Dictionary edited by Jack Halpern. (Halpern also edited the The Kodansha Kanji Learners Dictionary (Japanese for Busy People), which I think is a more condensed version of the NTC dictionary.)
I started keying Heisig's characters to Halpern's dictionary for future reference, and have tabulated the first 463 of Heisig's readings in this manner, comparing each of them to the "core" meaning given by Halpern. I have divided them into four categories and listed the numbers of characters in each category:
1. Heisig reading identical with Halpern: 203
2. Heisig reading related to Halpern: 243
3. Heisig reading unrelated to Halpern: 10
4. Heisig reading unlisted in Halpern: 17
The "related" meanings are sometimes very close synonyms, sometimes archaic readings, occasionally fairly tangential. Some representative examples with fairly close but not identical meanings:
Heisig #313: "refreshing"...Halpern #521: "cool"
Heisig #434: "vie"..........Halpern #1847: "compete"
Heisig #187: "perfect"......Halpern #2201: "complete"
Some anomalies and curiosities:
Heisig's #460 "plum" is listed by Halpern as #925 "Japanese apricot". Heisig does not list a character for "plum" that corresponds with Halpern's #2398 "plum". However, they both agree on the character for "apricot", Heisig #203, Halpern #2397.
Heisig #208 "town" is the same as Halpern #834 "village", while Halpern #1113 "town" is the same as Heisig #92 "village". My "NOAD" The New Oxford American Dictionary: Book and CD-ROM package (New Look for Oxford Dictionaries)says a "town" is larger than a "village" but smaller than a "city", so Halpern would appear to have the correct English reading for these two characters.
Heisig identifies two very similar characters as unnumbered "primitives" he calls "mending" and "zoo". Halpern doesn't distinguish between the two, gives the reading for the single character as #3480 "animal counter".
Heisig and Halpern are both very intelligent and dedicated individuals who have worked hard to make the Japanese writing system more accessible to English-speakers. They both express the same frustrations with the methods available to them in the 1970's when they were both first struggling with the Japanese language. While Halpern has the advantage of modern linguistics and computer technology, Heisig using his own intuition and the dictionaries available to him at the time has better insight into the actual technique of learning.
What is the upshot of all this? Clearly, however you do it, learning the Kanji takes time. I can't yet read written Japanese, but I know a lot more about the Kanji than I used to. I plan to stick with Heisig since I see little down-side to his method. There is so much more to learning the Kanji than just memorizing a reading that having a firmly anchored English reading, even if it's not a precise one, is better than floating aimlessly in a sea of random symbols. Heisig at least offers a method that pins things down. Halpern's dictionary complements Heisig by giving a translation based on modern linguistics and database analysis. Together they may help me to eventually achieve a minimum level of Japanese literacy. In the meantime, I can at least decipher the meaning of "crazy lunatic" on the Kanji tattoo vending machine in my local supermarket: A "dog" who thinks he's "king".
epops
Note: The Wikipedia article "Remembering the Kanji I" gives a critique of Heisig's method and several interesting links, including one to a PDF sample of the first 200 of Heisig's kanji readings. The prospective student can use this to try his method out without buying the whole book.
Simply Excellent.......2007-03-25
After living in Japan for one year, I decided to jump in and study Kanji. I had studied Chinese over 25 years ago and still knew SOME (perhaps 20) of the characters, but not many. After getting this book, and starting to study, it became obvious that the method used is so superior to anything I have seen anywhere else, that it must simply be tried to be believed. I was able to write, easily from memory over 2 weeks later, over 75 new Kanji which I only studied for a few hours. The title of the book really does say it all... the secret is in the meaning, and remembering it becaomes easy once you begin to use the technique offered by Heisig.
My friend here in Japan can read well over 1000 Kanji from using this book. Of course the problem is the book is out of circulation... and I only found my in a TINY bookstore in Yokohama... Gambatte finding a new one.
As memory buff..........2007-03-15
This book is worth more than gold. I fancy the idea of learning to speak, read, and write Japanese someday.. but until then I am approaching this book as a memory practitioner than as a linguist. Simply put, not knowing the Kanji makes me feel deficient as a learner of Japanese language.. and I can tell you I quit learning Japanese so many times because every time I study a Japanese book and see those Kanjis it just irritates me.
With the Heisig system I have no reason to doubt that a person with acceptable discipline can acquire these Kanjis within 4-6 month.. even under a month if really disciplined. As a memory practitioner, I will say that the imagery used is just a tool (or "crutch" as someone else put it). With enough repetition one will get to a point where imagery is not necessary. This is a simple truth proven in many different context. In essence, results are same as in the case of those who learn Kanji via repetition of writing.. but the advantage of using Heisig system over repetition [of writing] is, of course, the ability to recite it in your head as you're headed off for sleep or on the road (and repetition in writing requires sitting up straight and.. well for any person you can only sit still for so many hours). And the fault of writing is that if you forget.. that's it. You have to go back to the reference book and look it up. But using Heisig system you can "think" your way back to what that Kanji means until you acquire independence from imagery.. which you will want to develop as you can't afford to spend time thinking about them (too inefficient).
You won't learn how to pronunciate.. you won't learn how to use read these characters in their Japanese equivalents.. in short you won't know the usage of these Kanjis. Once again, this book teaches English speakers how to remember just the Kanjis in English equivalents (which I am sure is bad exercise).. and nothing more (hence my claim of using this book as just memory exercise).
Heisig really deserves a special praise. It takes a lot of time to come up with these imageries... I know because I have applied this technique to other subjects. It's time consuming when we have to come up with it. $42 bucks (as the time of this writing) is really a small price to pay... buy this book if you're looking for a lazy way to learn Kanji. Otherwise... nothing wrong with doing it the old-fashion way of repetition, repetition, repetition.. but if you learn Heisig system you're .25-.5 of your way there into mastering the first 2,000 Kanjis or so.
Good Second Round.......2006-03-21
This is an excellent book for learning the Kanji characters. But I call it a good second round because you should learn Kana first (meaning hiragana and then katakana) and some basic Japanese phrases first, and the book makes much more sense. Read some books on the japanese culture also to learn even more and making it easier (since you will know honorific ideas etc).
The books only downfall is that it takes you a while to realize the characters on impact. I mean you see the symbol then translet it into what it looks like, idetify it, and then understand it, as opposed to just seeing it and knowing it.
To get around the only downfall, buy some books with Japanese writing (ones that Japan would sell to kids and young adults), and read them. The more you read, the more you understand them. You can even import DVD's of english movies you love, and just use the Japanese subtitles! (Requires a different DVD player than the US version). All in all, no better way to learn on your own.
Book Description
The top-selling Complete series has been fully revised, with all new supplemental material and a bonus wallet phrase card for travelers. Each program contains everything a beginner needs—a coursebook with 40 lessons, three hours of recordings on three CDs, a quick-reference learner’s dictionary, and an all-new indispensable wallet phrase card, all in a convenient and compact package.
The courses still use the popular and effective conversation building-block method, but all content has been thoroughly updated and now includes e-mail essentials and internet resources for each of the eight languages in the series. In addition, 18 supplemental vocabulary sections, covering such topics as “Family and Relationships,” “On the Job,” “Sports and Recreation,” and “Around Town,” are now included. As an added bonus, the new handy wallet phrase card with 300 essential words and phrases is the perfect reference for on-the-go learners, travelers, and businesspeople.
With a fresh look, great new features, and the same rock-solid approach to language learning, the best-selling Complete series is better than ever!
Customer Reviews:
Good place to start..........2006-10-17
When I was preparing to leave for Japan this was the first book I picked up to help with my language preparation. Imagine how surprised I was to find out when I got there and use some of the phrases on my new Japanese friends they said "Yes, we understand what you want to say but that's not what real Japanese people say." Later on in my study, my Japanese friend found the book, got a pen, and started changing the phrases around to suit a more natural style.
In short; this book is a good starting off point for learning Japanese but in no way should be considered modern or comprehensive.
IMPORTANT NOTE! If your are going to get this book, make sure you are getting the CD's too. Japanese in a language where the vowel sounds are totally different from English and a long vowel sound can totally change the meaning of a word. (EG. The words "hospital" and "hair salon" in Japanese have VERY similar pronunciation, you need to hear the words spoken it to produce it correctly.)
Good book for beginners.......2006-07-24
I started this course book and cd collection and I really like it. Unlike most tutorials it starts off with the basics of grammer: understanding vowel and consonant pronounciation. Starts off with everyday words for each, very short lesson to show you how to pronounce all the vowels and consonants and then you listen to the CD after every lesson to hear exactly what you are reading. Just like learning our own native language it teaches everyday words first, just like we learned apple, Monday, dollar etc first and then sentences. It also explains syllabary. I've picked up many tutorials trying to learn Japanese and so far this has been the easiest to understand and relate to. It's not repition from a tape/CD it's actual learning how to understand and speak it. THEN you can go on to learning kana, kanji,writing etc. Some complaints I read is that it doesn't use the Japanese characters or real-world sentences and situations. Well this is like learning in elementary school. You learn letters, then the words, then the sentences and essays and so on. You don't just jump into writing long words and sentences when you don't even know how to read yet. My only complaint is that with this and all the tutorials is that it's difficult for me to hear some of the words so I have to keep playing back the entire lesson just to replay one word that I have trouble with (on a CD).
Helpful but not perfect.......2005-10-03
I am in the process of studying Japanese to prepare for living in Tokyo next year. Learning Japanese through the Living Language series is helpful but also has some drawbacks. The biggest drawback is that the writers fail to include pronunciation helps in the text itself, however they do indeed provide native Japanese speakers to help in the accompanying three CDs. Also, they spend the first four or five lessons on various grammatical topics, which can actually be a little confusing when trying to learn a new language. Other language series jump into learning words and phrases by repetition, citing the fact that to really learn any new language you must practice repeating it over and over out loud and not worry at first about grammar and syntax. That being said, I will seek to finish the 40 lesson in this course and hope it better prepare me for my year that will be spend in Japan.
Book Description
The all new, updated, enhanced edition of the best-selling Learn in Your Car Foreign Language Series is ready to be released this Fall. In addition, this exciting new edition includes a Travelogue DVD of the relevant destination countries for each language. This added feature will enrich the learning experience and add that extra stimulus to motivate users with their studies.
Customer Reviews:
Effective.......2007-07-30
This cd set is great value for money. It comes with excellent quality extras and is easy to follow.
A perfect example of 'Learn fast, forget fast'.......2006-11-30
This is a good series. I really can't imagine why anyone would have an issue with this program unless they had short term memory issues(which could be caused by genetics, or legal drugs, or recreational drugs). It is comprehensive for basic conversational, and with diligence, that is, a couple of hours on a CD(2 runs through the same CD a day), you'll be able to speak Japanese in no time. And, as a bonus, you'll be able to forget Japanese in no time too. The faster you learn something, the faster you forget it. Oh, and if you lose the 1st lesson CD, just buy a level one box, as the level of learning is well paced.
What is the secret? Probably about two hours a day, for each CD, and about 3 weeks per CD. In other words, drill it into your head until you are dreaming dreams about dreaming in japanese.
Oh, and lest you think other wise... this is about 'speaking' japanese, not general reading.
Don't waist your money.......2006-07-24
I bought this and returned it by the time I got to the 3td CD It was nothing but talk. The first CD was just the author yapping about himself and saying stuff like if you don't get it right away don't worry and I took half a dozen other languages etc. The 2nd CD didn't work and the third one was still talking about nothing that had to do with actually learning Japanese. Translation or otherwise. The box says "The Complete Language Course" but the CDs say something like "The Secret to Learning a Foreign Language" I was so ticked off I didn't even bother to listen to the rest and realized it was a total waist of my money. If I need an "encouraging" book or book on the if you do this or that I would have bought that type of book or CD.
The hiragana are helpful.......2006-05-02
One thing that makes this a great supplement to the excellent all-audio Pimsleur is that the Learn in Your Car series comes with a booklet that has sentences written out in the latin alphabet and hiragana. It's wonderful to practice reading hiragana with this set when the brute memorization efforts seem intimitating at the beginning.
Great supplement to Japanese study.......2006-03-03
I used this course, Pimsleur, Japanese for Busy People, and Remembering the Kanji as the foundation of my Japanese studies. While the other products I mentioned are more useful for the initial learning stage, particularly Pimsleur and Japanese for Busy People, this product is a terrific way to review material and is very cost effective.
The method is simple and logical. It starts with simple words and builds up to complicated sentences. An English speaker says the English word and a Japanese speaker says the Japanese word twice, with a pause before each repetition. In addition to being organized in building blocks, it is organized thematically, such as transportation phrases, hotel phrases, etc.
Overall, highly recommended and you cannot beat the price for the amount of vocabulary and sentence patterns covered.
Book Description
Learn Japanese in only 15 minutes a day with this situation-based and easy-to-use course. The two hour-long CDs and the compact, visually oriented course book will help you get around Japan whether on travel or for business.
Book Description
Timeshare in Tokyo? Teach youself Japanese!
With Teach Yourself it's possible for virtually anyone to learn and experience the languages of the world, from Afrikaans to Zulu; Ancient Greek to Modern Persian; Beginner's Latin to Biblical Hebrew. Follow any of the
Teach Yourself Language Courses Audiopackages at your own pace or use them as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are professionally designed for self-guided study, making them one of the most enjoyable and easy to use language courses you can find. Audiopackages include an instructional paperback book and two companion 60-minute audio CDs.
Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including:
- Step-by-step guide to pronunciation and grammar
- Regular and irregular verb tables
- Plenty of practice exercises and answers
- Practical vocabulary and a bilingual glossary
- Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
- An exploration of the culture
- And much more
Customer Reviews:
fun and lively way to learn Nihongo.......2007-04-05
Im taking a multipronged approach and using this in conjunction with:
GENKI
PIMSLEUR
LIVING LANGUAGE ULTIMATE ADVANCED
DOVER LISTEN AND LEARN
These CDS (which can be listened to without the book) are much more engaging than any of the above. A lot of real life situations are covered and there's a section on how to pronounce the hirigana, double consonants and long vowels --- invaluable. Also there's a small segment on colloquial (sp) speech. I wish the text used kanji though. Overall this is an amazing value and I wish they'd make an intermediate package --- with kanji.
Great for selfpace.......2006-12-21
This is a great book for a self-pace learning. Busy with school (20 units) and working part time (35 hrs/wk), I really wanted to learn Nihongo but didn't have time to take a full course. So I searched high and low, purchasing 5 self-pace book and none was not as great as this one. The lesson are fun to read and phrases are practical. The audio CD that accompany this book was also useful as I was able to listen how pronounce word/phrases correctly.
It's ok for reference.......2006-02-09
This was the first Japanese book I obtained. I started working through it, but the learning curve is quite steep.
Eventually I discarded it in favour of classes using Shin no Nihongo and Japanese for Busy People. Both of these are good, and give a lot more exercises than this book, and use hiragana as opposed to romaji.
However, the dialogues in this book are good. Moreover the grammar sections give what I consider good explanations, although if you get a grammar book as I later did, you'll find them a bit limited.
Bottom line: it is a good reference book and quite cheap.
Simply.... WOW.......2006-01-21
**note, amazon sometimes recycles user reviews to other editions of a book. This review is intended for the newer edition with the red fan on the front-- but I have seen it posted on an older edition that is black with several small pictures of japan on the cover like mt. fuji, sushi, etc. I have never seen or used this book. It might be ok, or it might not--thats why i DIDNT review it**
I ordered some new books to help teach my visiting mom japanese, and preview texts for the beginners Japanese courses I am planning and this one stood out as a must have for students of Japanese. Especially Students who are working on their own.
I do not recomend this book to an absolute beginner who has no native speaker/or experienced learner to consult because while the book does start with the basics, it moves a little quickly.
What sets this book apart is that it uses both a dialouge/contextual format to put the target vocab/structures in a natural context, and a standard grammatical annalysis where you learn how to change the various parts of a sentence pattern to manipulate meaning in an academic way.
I like both the Berlitz Essentials Book, and the Hugo's Japanese in 3 months--
Berlitz while using dialouges that sound semi-natural and rather creative review activities, by the end of the book the student can express things in the past/pres/future and hypothetical but is not grammitacally equipped to understand all the other shades of meaning that japanese has that don't fit so nicely into english categories of expression that japanese speakers just use naturally.-- basically japanse people will understand you just fine, but you might not be able to understand them.
Hugo on the other hand has some good grammar, but it's useage and word choice can at times be too formal, or stilted. While near the end there is a small section on natural useage and abbreviated forms, they are for the most part ignored so that the new grammar patterns can be discussed clearly without digressing into all the possible forms one thought could take depending on whether it is a man/woman at work or with friends talking carefully, or very casually. It can be a very hard book to work through if you are not motivated to study grammar, even though it is a gem because it has no interesting characters to follow (Mr. Brown has no personality).
Teach yourself on the otherhand presents the most natural Japanese I have come across in any textbook. My friends and wife actually sound like this. It utilizes the device of following a circle of people who are different ages/social status so that a wide range of politeness levels can be demonstrated in believable situations. Also, these characters aren't perfect, they don't always say nice things, or like everything. The sister/brother dialouge at the end of the book is so funny because the she cons the bro into cleaning the house, and you get to hear him rant about how horrible a person his sister is.
Another point is, it clearly points out how in daily conversation certain forms are rarely used like they are in a textbook but are expressed in other ways. This is important because it trains the listener to hearing these alternative forms, and prepares them for discussions with real native speakers. It also uses some slang-ish vocabulary that is often not mentioned in textbooks like dekai, alongside its more well known alternative Okii. It teaches both, not just one or the other, which is the best way.
There is even a short segment on how to form/identify some basic insults. Nothing gratuitous, or out of proportion. But it was refreshing to see in a book.
And importantly, the excercises in the book are actually interesting. they have you role play interesting scenarios like you are a lazy student, and explain to your mom how you got/made others do your errands/chores for you by using the appropriate verb forms. --I loved the question where the mom asks you if you bought her cigarettes yet, and you are told to say that you made your little brother go and get them.... the little touches of humor make the book fun to work through.
As to possible criticisms, yes this book moves a little quickly because it introduces several new grammar points at once, and then discusses them afterwards, but a new student should work through something else first, or find a native speaker to help them work through it.-- if they expect to learn Japanese with only one book, their expectations need to be adjusted.
two- this book only has about 20-30@kanji in it, and they are mostly used for art. This book is about conversational Japanese. You can learn some complex grammar here, but don't look for reading practice-- you will be dissapointed. If Kanji is that important to you-- transfer the dialouges and example sentences in to Kanji-- its a great chance to practice.
-- as for the cd version. Good, but basic. It goes through the dialouges with native pronunciation, though I think at a little less than normal speed. The best part is that at the end of each chapters track-- there is a little Pimsleur-esque review section where you are asked to take part in a role play by responding to questions based on certain audio prompts, or answer questions in the positive/negative and conjugate verbs into differnt forms. Honestly, I wish there were more of these types of questions on the CDs, but they are good. And at 20 dollars for the set vs 900 for pimsleur, its a good deal.
The only student who may not want this book is someone planning on living in the kansai area, where the spoken japanese is pretty different from that here in the Tokyo area. the language in this book is so Natural to the tokyo area (not just standard japanese which is based on the tokyo dialect) but actually employs contractions, vocabulary, and grammatical variations that would mark you as being from the Kantou area. But, it would really have to be important to you, otherwise... buy this book already!!!!
Just not what it was hyped to be.......2005-11-15
I bought this expecting the dialogue to go hand in hand with the book(I need to see and hear what Im learning) and it doesnt. The dialogue on the CD jumps around and then suddenly goes to the next chpater, meanwhile youre left with an entire chapter that youre not quite sure what to do with. Maybe if I had plenty of time to try to sort this book out Id be ok, but I would like to learn Japanese-not learn how to understand and read a book that supposedly is going to eventually teach me something.
Book Description
SPEAK JAPANESE WITH CONFIDENCE IN JUST 6 WEEKS!
The
Living Language® Japanese Complete Course teaches the basics of Japanese language and usage. It uses a highly effective speed-learning method developed by U.S. government experts to teach languages to overseas-bound service personnel and diplomats.
THREE 60-MINUTE COMPACT DISCS WITH 40 LESSONS
• Begin with simple words and progress to complex phrases and sentences.
• Just listen and repeat after the native speakers on the recordings to learn naturally, the way you learned English.
JAPANESE COURSEBOOK
• 40 lessons from the recordings with translations, additional vocabulary, detailed explanations, quizzes, and reviews.
• Verb charts, a comprehensive grammar summary, and a section on letter writing are also included.
JAPANESE–ENGLISH / ENGLISH–JAPANESE DICTIONARY
• More than 20,000 words, idioms, and expressions.
• Examples show how words are used in everyday conversation.
• 1,000 frequently used words are highlighted for easy reference.
Customer Reviews:
Important point for consideration.......2005-09-27
The Living Language Complete Course, is really better for students trying to get a quick handle on Japanese. Grammar explanations are minimized in favor of pattern sentences and learning the writing system is deferred.
The Living Language Ultimate Course is more dedicated towards the serious student who wants to know the mechanics of Japanese and delve deeper into the writing system as well.
This should be on the box so potential buyers can make a more informed choice; instead, it is on the company's home page FAQ.
So if you want a good course that isn't technical yet will get you talking quickly get the complete course. If you want a more scholarly work equivalent to a college Japanese education and fully learn the mechanics of the language, get the ultimate series.
I haven't tried the basic course although I am using the ultimate course, but after reading the other reviews addressing the lack of serious content I thought it might help to address why that is so. After all, the word "Complete" can be misleading.
Perfect tool to learn Japanese and it's a lot of fun too!.......2005-06-03
This complete course come with three audio CD's, Japanese to English/English Japanese dictionary, and a course book. This is a perfect tool for everyone who wants to learn Japanese! It's a lot of fun as you listen and repeat the words and phrases. It has 40 lessons on three CD's and it's a lot of fun! I really like the third disk because it has awesome dialoges and it's really cool!
If you want to learn Japanese and become really fluent try this complete course set and you'll start speaking Japanese right away! It's fast, easy, and a lot of fun when you learn a new language! Remember practice makes perfect and you'll want to learn more new words and phrase everyday and you'll be really fluent when you impress someone who speaks Japanese! It's fun to learn a new language and I really like this complete course set! Try it and you'll start speaking and understand Japanese!
Sayonara!
good book set , still needs work.......2005-03-02
I had this book set for over 4 years, and I have to say it is pretty good at teaching japanese (I picked it up pretty fast using their recommended study plan). But it still needs work...............
PROS:
Native speakers on the CD help you speak japanese clearly and tune your ears to fleunt spoken japanese .
Proper Verb and Sentence structure lessons
Essential Words and Phrases are given and explained
Japanese Dictionary and Pronunciation Guide
Japanese Grammar supplement in back of the book
Easy for absolute beginners
CONS:
Native speakers only cover the *SELECTED* words in the book.
No Kanji or Kana are used with the lessons (although there is a japanese alphabet section in the back of the book)
Even though grammar is explained, it could be simplified with using charts instead of blocky paragraphs.
"... LIFELESS Language Complete Courses....".......2004-10-28
As a language teacher, I was extremely disappointed with the enclosed textbook and CDs. The book consisted of a series of vocabulary lists, short, decontextualized phrases and grammar lessons. The audio CDs were one person simply reading through the vocabulary lists and phrases. The course was not structured in meaningful ways to help the learner retain the language or communicate in Japanese. The addition of some authentic dialogs with audio recordings would have improved the course significantly.
not for in the car.......2004-02-16
The CDs only contain Japanese, which makes them frustrating to listen to unless you already have the meanings memorized or if you have the book open in front of you. Definitely not for learning in the car.
Book Description
The aim of this book is to provide the student of Japanese with a simple method for correlating the writing and the meaning of Japanese characters in such a way as to make them both easy to remember. It is intended not only for the beginner, but also for the more advanced student looking for some relief from the constant frustration of how to write the kanji and some way to systematize what he or she already knows. The author begins with writing because--contrary to first impressions--it is in fact the simpler of the two. He abandons the traditional method of ordering the kanji according to their frequency of use and organizes them according to their component parts or "primitive elements." Assigning each of these parts a distinct meaning with its own distinct image, the student is led to harness the powers of "imaginative memory" to learn the various combinations that result. In addition, each kanji is given its own key word to represent the meaning, or one of the principal meanings, of that character. These key words provide the setting for a particular kanji's "story," whose protagonists are the primitive elements.
In this way, students are able to complete in a few short months a task that would otherwise take years. Armed with the same skills as Chinese or Korean students, who know the meaning and writing of the kanji but not their pronunciation in Japanese, they are now in a much better position to learn to read (which is treated in a separate volume).
Customer Reviews:
For students without a kanji-based primary education, this is the only way to go........2007-10-15
Several reviewers have downgraded this book because it wasn't what they expected. You should know up front: the book teaches nothing beyond the kanji. You will not learn a single Japanese word from this book. This is the book's strength! With a little exertion of the imagination, you learn the Japanese characters in a rational way, through a technique called "component-analysis." That is, Mr. Heisig has broken the characters down into elements that combine with each other to produce more complicated characters.
Heisig's motto is "Divide and conquer." He isn't kidding. If you manage to get through this book--and I grant that it is not easy, just easier than the way the average Japanese child does it!--you will have overcome the greatest obstacle to fluency in Japanese. The grammar is not complicated and the vocabulary no harder than that of any other language. It is the task of learning about 2000 intricate ideographs that defeats most students.
Don't take my word for it: go to a website called "Reviewing the Kanji" and see for yourself. Check out another site called "Kanjiclinic." The book has strong partisans because it works.
Finally, while some students have had remarkable success, learning all 1945 kanji in as short a time as three months, don't be afraid to take your time. Consider: if it takes you 4 years to complete this book, learning 1-3 kanji a day in your spare time, you will have completed the task in less than half the time it takes a Japanese child, studying an hour or two every school day.
Bought it when I was still a naive student of Japanese.......2007-09-28
Do not recommend this book for anyone. Although it may work for you to remember how to write the Kanji, you are learning the least useful aspect. The meanings you associate with the Kanji are often completely disconnected from what the Kanji really means. You see, you make up stuff in your own mind to help you remember. Although it can work, it just leads to "brute-forcing" the Kanji into your head as characters disconnected from the Japanese language. Then, you'll have to learn the actual meaning of the Kanji (yeah, that English meaning you applied in Book 1 is just what you use for yourself, it isn't really what the Kanji means).
You could easily confuse yourself to a point where you have to "re-learn" the Kanji all over again. Don't do it, don't make the mistake of falling for the scam of learning all of the 1945 Kanji in 6 months, or whatever they say. The only way to truly learn them is to go over and over them. Using mnemonics that have no connection to the meaning of the Kanji (in English) is a waste of your time: your brain will be stuck using English to try to discern the meaning of Japanese, and this is just plain bad.
Bought when I was still a naive student of Japanese. Ditched it when I matured a bit, and became an opponent of the flawed system when I became more of an advanced learner.
Simple is good........2007-09-12
This book takes your from simple to difficult. It is the easy way to start learning kanji.
Does only what it claims, not what others want it to do........2007-09-03
This book (RTK1) is not about learning Japanese, it's about learning kanji. Kanji characters are not an alphabet, they are pictographs where each (usually) represents a single idea. Compare it to how "!" means Exclamation and "?" means Question yet neither appear in the English alphabet. I would dare say these represent a kanji concept. I say this as you'll read complaints that this book does not teach Japanese pronunciations or compounds. It is not meant to do that any more than it would present Chinese or Korean pronunciations of the exact same kanji.
RTK1 teaches you a single English (for Spanish, French or German, he offers similar books in those languages) meaning called a "keyword" for each kanji presented. Since a majority of kanji are made up of smaller kanji (called primitives in the book), Heisig organizes the book by primitives. This simple idea allows a simple build up of stories to connect the keywords to the primitives. Since there are a smaller number of primitives (themselves sometimes made up of easier primitives), you quickly know how to write the kanji correctly no matter the complexity (a feet many native to kanji learning cannot claim expertise in).
As been said in other reviews, you can test this book out for free on the first 250 kanji characters. A simple google search can bring it up. If you really see the use, then buy the book.
To further help you along as ultimately the book was designed for you to learn Japanese eventually, google "Reviewing the Kanji" which is a website that incorporates RTK1 in a useful online flash card set-up. That site will offer forums to further assist learning Japanese.
Bottom line, this book is meant to give you an quick and rough knowledge in your NATIVE LANGUAGE of 2000 kanji that appear on the Japanese Joyo list. The author offers an outstanding Try Before You Buy online file to help you decide. There's an online presence that compliments the use of this book. There's plenty of personel testimony that claims success. With that, please make an informed choice.
PS: I'm upto 1000 Kanji learned with 600 being learned in the last 7 weeks. It's probably above average for speed, but without this book I may have been stuck at 50 Kanji that I might mistake for others.
Learning Kanji : about as easy as it gets!.......2007-07-30
Given that I have rated this book with 5 stars, you may be surprised to learn that I personally didn't use it to learn the Kanji - I learned the Kanji (or hanzi - Han/Chinese characters) when I was learning mandarin, and I learned them without the benefit of mnemonics. Instead, I was forced to write them over and over again by my unsmiling/uncompromising teachers in Taipei :)
But, having had a good look through this book, I really wish I had had it (or the apparently forthcoming, 'Remembering the Hanzi' by the same author) when I was learning the Kanji.
So, do yourself a favour, get this book and learn the Kanji using mnemonics. Unless, that is, you would like to learn them all just by writing them over and over and over and over and over and over ... (you get the message!).
Average customer rating:
|
Japanese Coursebook: Basic-Intermediate (LL(R) Complete Basic Courses)
Living Language
Manufacturer: Living Language
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Japanese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Study & Teaching
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Japanese
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Reference
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Study & Teaching
| Words & Language
| Reference
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1400020204
Release Date: 2002-04-16 |
Book Description
Learn to speak, read, and write Japanese quickly and easily with Living Language®. Developed by U.S. government experts, this book introduces you step-by-step to all the basics of Japanese: pronunciation, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and grammar.
IN THIS BOOK, READERS WILL FIND:
• All the words and phrases from the 40 lessons on the Living Language® Japanese Complete Course recordings, plus additional vocabulary
• A guide to pronunciation
• Useful topics including directions, introductions, shopping, faxes, and e-mail
• Explanations of grammar and usage
• Short quizzes to help you check your progress
• A comprehensive summary of Japanese grammar
• Verb charts including all tenses
• A special section on writing letters
While this book stands on its own as an instructional program and an invaluable reference, readers will find that using it with the recorded lessons is even more effective.
Living Language® Japanese Complete Course cassette and compact disc packages include this book as well as a dictionary.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing Special.......2007-01-21
I bought this book to prepare for a year long exchange in Japan. Having no teacher and only a few months to study before departure, this was a fine book to get me started. However, once I arrived, I immediately came across better books.
This book is a good start as it introduces the reader to some basic phrases, has a section on hiragana and katakana, and is especially useful with the CD you can buy with it.
However, if you're serious about learning Japanese, I wouldn't recommend this book. It's taught in Romanji (Roman letters), which is good only as a time saver and might even hurt in the long run. Learning in Romanji is one of the biggest setbacks to speaking with a Japanese accent. It also teaches the particles all at once instead of little by little. This is frustrating, tedious, and the point when I stopped using this book. It also introduces no kanji, which again is fine (even recommended) if you're only looking for a little bit of starter Japanese.
It was a good book to get me on my feet and to start learning Japanese, but switching books was a really great move and if you're serious, there are many better books out there.
Gambatte kudasai!
Average customer rating:
|
Japanese Dictionary (LL(R) Complete Basic Courses)
Living Language
Manufacturer: Living Language
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
English (All)
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Polyglot
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Dictionaries; Polyglot
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Phrasebooks - General
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1400020212
Release Date: 2002-04-16 |
Book Description
This dictionary includes more than 20,000 of the most frequently used Japanese words. Readers will find more than simple definitions: Phrases, sentences, and idiomatic expressions show how words are used in everyday Japanese conversation. More than 1,000 of the most essential words are highlighted to make them easy to find.
The
Living Language® Japanese Dictionary has been revised and updated to reflect modern usage and features new entries related to business, technology, and the media.
This dictionary is included along with a coursebook in the
Living Language® Japanese Complete Course, available in cassette and compact disc editions.
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Look ma, no textbooks! The Learn in Your Car series treats you like a child--in the best possible way--starting with one-word phrases ("please," "good-by"), counting exercises, and simple nouns ("bus," "train") designed to imitate a child's learning process. First you hear the words in English, then they are repeated slowly in clear, unaccented pronunciations. The method is extremely effective for those who don't know a thing, or for those who want to brush up by testing themselves when the English words are spoken. The tapes emphasize the building blocks of communicating in a foreign country rather than rote phrases that only apply on the tape and not in real-life exchanges. Level 1 painlessly covers basic verb forms, essential prepositions, near future and past tenses, as well as shopping, hotel reservations, and other travel-related situations. The series includes French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish in three levels that can be purchased individually or in boxed sets. Each level contains two 90-minute cassettes (or CDs) and an accompanying booklet (not for use behind the wheel) with helpful explanations and scripts for the lessons.
Customer Reviews:
Great tape set!.......2000-08-20
This course is absolutely fabulous! Unlike other courses I have wasted my money on...this one is perfect. It doesn't go too fast, and when you are done with the course you are actually speaking Japanese...unlike other book/tape sets where you complete the entire course and all you can do is ask where Mr. Yamamoto lives. It does take longer than others... but the wait is worth it!
Great but..........2000-03-26
It will still take a long time before I can speak japanese. The tapes were great for the basics thats about it.
Books:
- Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary
- Roof Framing
- Schaum's Outline of Spanish Vocabulary
- Semiotics: The Basics
- Spanish All Talk Basic Language Course (4 Hour/4 Cds): Learn to Understand and Speak Spanish with Linguaphone Language Programs (All Talk) (All Talk)
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary (Stedman Medical Dictionary (Standard))
- The Art and Craft of Poetry
- The Art & Craft of Playwriting
- The Art of Kissing, 2nd Revised Edition
- The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Complete Guide for Models: Inside Advice from Industry Pros for Fashion Modeling
- Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America: A Biography
- Tax Planning and Compliance for Tax-Exempt Organizations: Forms, Checklists, Procedures
- Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas
- Understanding Health Policy
- 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
- When the Dancing Stopped: The Real Story of the Morro Castle Disaster and Its Deadly Wake
- Financial Accounting Simulation Analysis
- The Political Economy of South-East Asia: Conflict, Crisis, and Change
- The World of Agatha Christie: The Facts and Fiction Behind the World's Greatest Crime Writer
Kanji Study Cards
The Handbook of Japanese Verbs
Remembering the Kana: The Hiragana / The Katakana
Reading Japanese (Yale Language Series)
Basic Connections: Making Your Japanese Flow (Power Japanese Series) (Kodansha's Children's Classics)
