Resources to learn: Japanese

Welcome to the final series of “Resources To Learn”, where I show you different resources to learn a target language. The last language will be Japanese from the land of the rising sun!

As you know in order to work in these countries you must know some of the language to be able to navigate. Here is my final list of resources to help you tackle this learning journey.

Let’s begin!

1. Genki!

To start us off we are going to look at the textbook called Genki. It is often a college Japanese learning material to help anyone of any level.

It starts you off by learning the two out of three writing systems that are Hirigna and Katakana. Following up with different phrases and grammar points to help build your foundation. It also has dialogue with cute chibi characters to help make learning fun.

If you search for any Japanese learning material this will probably be the first book that pops up.

2. Japanese Pod 101

Japanese pod 101 is a mostly free option of learning Japanese on your own. It has lessons from absolute beginner to advanced that will definitely help you find your perfect starting level.

There are over 200 lessons per level, each with a scenario that will help you in situations. From introducing yourself to ordering food, each comes with an audio lesson and transcript for you to follow along.

They even have tutors who can help you if you have any questions about what you’re learning. However, that comes with a subscription to the site but it is completely optional.

3. Write it Japanese

Write it Japanese is an app on google play and apple store that teaches you how to write Japanese. Just like Chinese, the Japanese writing system has stroke orders on writing each character. You can’t just write it any way you want or else it is just drawing.

The app has a bubble for each hiragana and katakana character and shows you the exact stroking order to write it. It even has a test to see if you can actually remember how to write these characters by memory.

The app has over a million downloads and has a rating of 4.5 stars. Downloading this app is definitely a must to do.

4. Crunchy Nihongo

Another important thing besides grammar and writing is reading! Crunchy Nihongo is a perfect site that has children’s stories in hiragana and katakana. It is a great way to show you just how much you memorized the characters.

It also helps you learn about all the different stories Japan has to offer. So it kills two birds in one stone.

5. Japanese Kanji Study

The last resource for this series is called the Japanese Kanji Study. It is a free app on google play and apple store. With over a million downloads and a 4.9-star rating, it is a wonderful source to have during your study.

It is a dictionary-style app that shows you different kanji meanings, pronunciation, and stroke order. Also having writing tests and multiple-choice quizzes to test you. Being the perfect app to help you with your vocab and writing abilities! Knowing kanji is one of the most important things to do when learning Japanese so this app is a must.

I hope you all enjoyed this mini-series of “Resources To Learn”, it will definitely help you in learning any language. While possibly helping you in finding a job in East Asian countries!