Getting past Hiragana and Katakana

It's been a little while since I've last posted. This is because after Hiragana and Katakana comes the bigger part of Japanese: everything else.

At this point, you're going to need to learn a little bit of everything until you can focus on a path that is right for you (JLPT, BJT, specific topics or fields of interests, etc.). 

For lessons, grammar, vocabulary, and reading, I'll be using these materials until I am ready to expand:

• Tim Kae's Guide to Learning Japanese: Grammar Guide
• Books
• Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese (Amazon)
• 留学生の日本語会話 (on bottom: 国際学友会日本語学校)
• Couldn't find this one online (received it from a local teacher)

For additional vocabulary insurance, I will be checking Kanji lists for the 1st and 2nd grade to make sure I am learning the beginner Kanji as well:

• Wikipedia: Jouyou Kanji (1st grade, 2nd grade)

*TIP: Make sentences out of vocabulary to remember it in context. You can write down examples you see in your learning material or those you hear.

For writing, any vocabulary I come across that is within the 1st and 2nd grade list will be practiced in writing but I'll also be breaking the grade lists into bite-sized chunks for nightly practice. Also in addition, I'll be practicing Hiragana and Katakana everyday until I feel well to do them every other day.

For help with kanji and memorization:

• Memory tools (try to stick to the one that works best for you)
• Anki (free for computers) - download a list or make your own
• Memrise website - use an existing study list or make your own
• Quizlet website - use an existing study list or make your own
• Denshi Jisho - look up words by radical, sentences, writing stroke order
• If you do not find your word in this dictionary, check another one.

*TIP: If creating your own list to memorize by, try to incorporate the tip above!

For listening, at this stage, I am trying to get used to the language so I'll be listening to 昔話, pronounced mukashi banashi, which are "Long time ago stories" or folktales. The 昔話 videos and written stories appear to be designed for children which is great for a beginner. Usually the audio is slowed down with emphasis on words. You can find some videos here to get you started: 

• Nippon Mukashi Banashi (youtube playlist)
• Mukashi Banashi (youtube playlist)
• Folktales from Japan (crunchyroll playlist) -- recommended for quality

If you have any tips for beginners that you feel is important, please note in the comment section below!

Links: See Also 

• Genki-Online (creator of the Genki book series)

Basics: Hiragana and Katakana

As listed with most Japanese learning sites, I'm going to start by getting familiar with or memorizing the "Japanese alphabets" - Hiragana (ひらがな) and Katakana (カタカナ).

Here is an example of a hiragana chart:

Now let's take a look at katakana: (there is a slightly bigger Katakana chart out there)

For more information, I would recommend checking out Tae Kim's hiragana and katakana pages (I liked the respective wikipedia page above).


One thing I will note is that the alphabetical order in Japanese is two-fold: (look at chart)

First, horizontally: "A, KA, SA, TA, NA, HA, MA, YA, RA, WA, N"
Second, vertically: "A, I, U, E, O", then "KA, KI, KU, KE, KO", then "SA, SHI, ..."

This is useful when looking up Japanese words when they are sorted the Japanese way - dictionaries, glossaries, etc.


There aren't many of these characters to remember so you shouldn't need a program or other external help. However you may want to review the "practice character sheets."

If you like interactive tools, you can check out Tae Kim's practice exercise pages for hiragana and katakana.

*Work in Progress - Interactive tool below*

A

Setting up the PC to type in Japanese!

If you are interested in learning Japanese, then you'll most likely want to know how to set up your computer to type in Japanese if you don't know already. This looks like a great place to set up your computer for Japanese input (Windows, Mac, and Linux systems). These methods are used at the OS, or operating system, level. You may be able to find other methods to type in Japanese on your computer. For example, Google Input Tools extension from the Chrome Web Store works in the Chrome browser.

Some examples online that you can benefit from by being able to type in Japanese:

• Search online using Japanese language criteria (can return Japanese websites)
• Search words in an online Japanese dictionary in Japanese (ex: Denshi Jisho)
• Communicate with others in Japanese using e-mail, Skype, chat rooms, forums, etc.
• Create offline written work in Japanese (documents, notes, programming projects, etc.)

As a note, I do want to mention that Japanese keyboards look slightly different than American keyboards (they aren't the only ones to change the keyboards to meet society needs). You may be surprised when you see one in person:

A good site, I have found, for learning that is based on writing and has a social aspect is Lang-8.com. 

Starting a JLPT Journey! (and you're invited!)

Hi all and welcome to the first blog post of Passing the JLPT!

During this blog adventure, I will be detailing my personal experiences as I run the marathon of conditioning myself for the JLPT (wikipedia, official site), the Japanese Proficiency Language Test or 日本語能力試験「にほんごのうりょくしけん」.

My goal for the JLPT is to use it as an asset in getting a job so I can live in Japan. My goal for this blog is to connect with others and give some insight as to what this process looks like (from my North American perspective). I understand that everyone's experience will most likely be different but please take from this blog the beneficial pieces for you.

In case you are not familiar with the JLPT, it is the "test to measure and certify the Japanese-language proficiency of those whose native language is not Japanese." - including reading, vocabulary/grammar, listening/comprehension, and speaking.

If you are curious to know some of the advantages of passing the JLPT according to the official JLPT site, you can see a list here. Also, if you are wondering where you can take the test, you can find a listing here.

I will be aiming to learn and retain as much as I can before the exam but will likely first take an exam for either the N3, the N4, or the N5 exam (most likely next July). In case you are unfamiliar, there are 5 levels to the JLPT - N5 being the easiest and N1 being the hardest. Most Japanese job listings I have seen list N1 or N2 as a requirement but it may be possible to work with a lesser-passed-exam or under specific circumstances -- don't just take my word if you are interested.

It would be great to hear from those who have passed, is in training, or have thought about pursuing the JLPT or Japanese language in general. I look forward to blogging and speaking with you guys as time progresses.

Thats it for now. I'll be posting some items soon on how to start this process if anyone is interested in doing so with me.