What is the best way to learn Japanese?

[Wakaranai]

What I mean by this question is What is the First thing that I should Learn.

I have heard that I should only studdy Hiragana and Katakana first. Then Get a good book To learn Japanese in Romanji Get the basic Grammer down and Try to find a Kanji cart and learn 4 a week.

Any Ideas? How does US Collages teach Japanese? How do they teach Japanes in Japan

Domo arigato :p

[PaulTB]

I have heard that I should only studdy Hiragana and Katakana first.
I disagree about 'only' but learning Hiragana from the start is a good idea.

Then Get a good book To learn Japanese in Romanji
There is no 'romanji' and I do not recommend learning in romaji anyway.

Get the basic Grammer down and Try to find a Kanji cart and learn 4 a week.

Seems reasonable enough. However I suggest you introduce much more than 4 kanji a week, but don't expect to remember them for ever - you should spend an increasing proportion of your efforts on revising kanji you've done before.

[Wakaranai]

Well if you have a book all in Kanji and Kana does that make learning Japanese harder?
Or do they have books that has it writen out in English Romanji and Kanji/Kana.

[Keiichi]

Generally you should learn kana first, and get books that teaches you in kana and simple kanji.

[PaulTB]

Well if you have a book all in Kanji and Kana does that make learning Japanese harder?
Maybe a little at first but you're also learning more Japanese because you're becoming familiar with kana / kanji at the same time.

Or do they have books that has it writen out in English Romanji and Kanji/Kana.
Like I said before, there is no romanji.

[Elgin]

I just got in Japan and I go to high school. I have about 4 lessons of one on one japanese class, some times I have 7 lessons a day thats about 7hours!. Anyway my first lesson was a stack of flash cards with pictures on them and I had to say what it was in Japanese. Then how to count in one lesson then how to read time in one lesson and so on. I noticed that they expect you to pick up quickly or maybe its just my school. There are some lessons we just talk about stuff and fool around I guess its a kinda break not to overload. :D

[jaxfu]

My 2 cents....

I am using the Pimsleur level I, II, and III audio courses. Theses are great as they stress hearing and responding to the language and helps with verbalizing Each lesson builds on the one before and you do not feel like a parrot it explains each part of speech and why you say something in a certain way.

I found this to be MOST useful as I can now develop an ear for Japanese and be able to understand more words when I hear them. You also get to hear both a male and female native speaker on the tracks so you can hear the language in two different native voices. An English speaker then guides you thru each lesson.

I was most interested in being able to speak and understand Japanese before learning to read it. As I am more familiar with the spoken portion of the language I will start to learn to read and write, much the way children learn.

My goal is to build a basic ability to speak and understand Japanese core function words and be able to learn more as I am exposed to the language more and more. Once I can readly be able to speak and form ideas verbaly I am going to start on the kana. Once I learn the core sounds of each part of Haragana it should be more easy to read and write. Oh course kanji will need much practice :)

[Wakaranai]

Jaxfu that is what I was wanting to do to.

I have came to a conclusion if you reall want to learn you can learn form any book you juist have to study and put time into it. But It does help to have at least 2 books to learn form and a audio CD or Tape.

[Buddha Smoker]

I think the easiest or best way is to just immerse yourself in Japanese and Japan. I studied as I was younger, etc. but never really felt like I learned anything until I came to Japan (about 10 years ago).

[Wakaranai]

Mabey one day, I will have the chance to travel to Japan and learn their. Right now the only way for me to do that is to Join the Airforce and try to get stationed on a base their, Or to try to become a foregin exchange student their.