I’ve been a huge fan of (almost) everything Japanese for years now. From anime to electronics, teppanyaki to J-pop, I love it all. So for next year (2011), I’ve decided that it was finally time for me to pay a visit to this country that I’ve admired from afar. Shortly after this decision, I also determined to take advantage of the year and learn Japanese, as much and as quickly as I could.
My previous attempt to learn a language was the Spanish lessons that my parents forced me to take over three decades ago. Unfortunately, back in those days, the only real option to learn the language at home was via courses on old fashioned vinyl records. These courses all followed the same format: listen to the speakers talk, then listen to the translation of what was said, and finally make a feeble attempt to speak what you jut heard on the record. You would then play these records over and over and over again. While these records tried to be interesting, at some point (usually after the thirty-fifth playback of the record) you begin to realize that you really don’t care that ‘Helena has a red apple’.
While in the end I did learn Spanish, in the modern world, many superior language tools exist now that didn’t in 1979.
There are several products and services now available to quickly learn conversational Japanese. I have tried all these methods, they each have their pros and cons.
The first product I will cover is Rosetta Stone software. I am sure that you have all heard of this product, as they advertise everywhere. They do have a unique method for teaching you Japanese (or any other language). Instead of memorization exercises, Rosetta Stone is computer software that claims to teach you by immersion in the language; the same way a native child learns the language. Lessons are interactive with pictures, audio, and text in your choice of hiragana/katakana (Japanese syllabary) or romanji (transliterated Japanese into a readable Roman alphabet). Rosetta Stone even uses the microphone on your computer to test if you are pronouncing the words and phrases correctly!
On paper, Rosetta Stone sounds like the perfect, modern day, language learning tool. In practice, my experience with the software was less than stellar. The software wants you to think in the language you are learning, so there are no English translations provided! You are expected to understand and learn the concept conveyed via the picture provided by the software and nothing else. This works well to learn about things that can easily be conveyed in a photograph like ‘running’, ‘eating’, and ‘cooking’. Their system starts to fall apart with things like past-tense verbs, as well as concepts like ‘behind’ and ‘under’. Another downside of this method is it is not as portable as the other two methods I am reviewing; it requires a computer, so you can’t really learn Japanese on the drive home or while jogging.
Still, the folks at Rosetta Stone must be doing something right (based on many favorable online reviews), but my brain just does not seem to work they way they need it to. The other negative aspect to this system is the price, anywhere from $200 to $1000 depending on the package you select, I selected the Japanese beginner level by itself for a bit over $200.
The next product I tried was the Pimsleur Approach. Their claim is that the system will teach you to understand and speak Japanese in just 10 days. Oddly enough, I found the disks at a local yard sale some time ago and got them for a song. Normally the complete Pimsleur package sells for $225, which is a bit cheaper than Rosetta Stone. Used I paid under $10, but it seems that I have an earlier version of their ‘Learn Japanese’ set than what is currently available from their website. I’ve only gone through the first disk, but so far it strikes me as very similar to the Spanish language records from my youth, more repetition, perhaps those were Pimsleur as well?
However after a second listening, the Pimsleur Approach is somewhat different than trying to learn from those old records. The conversations presented are a bit more realistic and contemporary. Also, Pimsleur seems more interested in getting you to learn common Japanese set phrases as opposed to grammar rules, verb conjugation, and vocabulary. Based on this, their claim that you can learn Japanese in 10 days is false, you will likely only memorize a handful of set phrases. Don’t get me wrong, I think Pimsleur is an excellent tool, you just won’t learn Japanese in 10 days. I don’t think any of these tools will let you learn Japanese that quickly.
The final product I will cover is an online podcast called JapanesePod101. JapanesePod101 is the newest of the Japanese learning methods I’m covering, they have only been around since 2005. As the name implies, the service is a free daily podcast! Everyday your favorite podcatching software will have new Japanese lessons available. I’ve signed up for six months of their basic service for $36. This allows me access to JapanesePod101’s entire back catalog of lessons. Premium and Premium Plus membership subscriptions (offering more services) are also available for $10-$26 a month.
JapanesePod101’s podcasts cover similar ground as the Pimsleur product, however JapanesePod101’s system offers more than just rote memorization. Their website also offers downloadable PDF files for each audio lesson that goes over the spoken dialogue in both Japanese Kana and English, as well as a learning center that offers premium members things like online review quizzes, vocabulary lists, Japanese to English dictionaries, instructional videos, and even 1-on-1 Japanese instructors are available. Of course all of these services will require paying for a basic or premium subscription.
One very important thing that is covered in JapanesePod101 that is not covered in depth by the other two products is politeness level. How you address superiors, parents, and teachers differs from how you address subordinates, peers, and children. Using an incorrect politeness level with someone you are speaking to can lead to embarrassment or worse in a social situation. What politeness level to use in a given social situation is essential to learn Japanese correctly.
While in my opinion, JapansesPod101 offers the best system to learn Japanese, it does have some bad points. In order to get the most out of their system, you will need to spend over $300 a year on a premium subscription. Also, while the podcast portion of JapanesePod101 is a very portable way to learn Japanese, the premium content will require a computer with internet access.
So which tool did I pick to learn Japanese? Well, all of them, they are all paid for after all! If I had to pick only one tool to learn Japanese, I would pick JapanesePod101. The material they offer to learn Japanese is fantastic and constantly growing, and their payment system is scalable. You basically only pay for what you use, anywhere from free to $300 a year.
The other methods are very good as well, and you could use any of them to learn Japanese as long as you are dedicated. Do not believe any marketing claim that with a particular language tool you will learn Japanese in a couple of hours or even days. Even with the best of tools, it will take months of practice to engage in intermediate level Japanese conversation, and years before you could be considered fluent. Ultimately, you should pick the method that best matches your learning style and comfort level.
