Where to start >.<

[Xebi]

Hey all, I'm sorry this might sound newbish/noobish or whatever term you all prefere.

But I picked up quite some words of anime, asian movies and all that stuff.
I got interested in learning the language, but that's the question, where to start?

Is there a program, some audio lessons, should I just read the whole dictionary and try to memorize all that:p what?
And if so, where would I get this stuff, perhaps anything seeded here?

heh, reading this myself I feel a big newbie at this, but I couldn't help to ask.
If this is in the wrong section please correct so ^-^

[superknarf]

You can find a lot of programs in the torrent section under TOOLS (http://www.hongfire.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=90)
Also if you want dutch material I suggest a visit to Leiden University, which is the only place to learn japanese in the Netherlands. They have great books, although I don't know if you can just buy them or that you have to be a student there...

[JehutyAnubis]

ya u should go to a place to learn...=_= learning by yrself takes a long time... and the best place to train yr japanese is trying to c anime raws(playing games is so hard, reading japanese mangas writing in japanese isnt bad but some mangas have kanji... but at least u should learn 1st hiragana and katakana).....

[Xebi]

well dutch tools aren't really needed, cause I don't need to translate english to dutch to get it.
english goes straight to the mind here:p
But very very much thanks to both of you ^^
I'm very gratefull :p

[brakespear]

Also the 'Let's Learn....' (Katakana/Hiragana/Kanji) books by Yatsuko Kosaka Mitamura have been very helpful to me with the written side - nicely set out with simple exercises to help you self-tutor. I got mine from Amazon.

[eMKa]

I suggest native japanese tutor,for me it works smoothly:)

[maohayato]

Leiden University is not the only place in the Netherlands to learn Japanese. there is also a translator/interpreter study in Maastricht and several HBO schools also have small asian oriented courses( they also teach japanese if you choose to). I seem to recall that the teleac also offered japanese studymaterial.

But I advise against memorizing the dictionary as it really does no good, you need grammar and colloquial speech(these are important) and one must never forget pronounciation.

for some starting out in selflearning you can go to www.mlcjapanese.co.jp it has some free stuff for you too check it.

I highly recommend taking a language course or study or tutor, that way you can get feedback, practice your conversational skill and ask questions.

for more questions, go the japanese language section. there is some usefull info there.

[JehutyAnubis]

I suggest native japanese tutor,for me it works smoothly:)
the problem is the japanese didnt learn the correct english =.=... as anyone know, they made their own english =.=...
well if it is another EASIEST language maybe they can... but some japaneses now are interest in learn the true english :D

[Tortured-x]

actually jehuty - english is the most complex language known to man, we have a mixture of norse, greek, roman, spanish, gaull, and viking

seems england was invaded so many times

[JehutyAnubis]

but they CAN speak another's country language.. japanese sux... if u start to talk with some japanese(on japan=.=) they dont speak english as anyone know... they speak their english and u cant tell him properly cuz they didnt learned correct ON THE SCHOOL!!!! wtf what kind of school is that!?
my friend who studied on jap school(of course japanese school on japan not on forgein contry...) knew english( of course the english that anyone speak) but the teacher, a b!tch:p, said that hes not talking correctly but he wasnt wrong O_o!!!
thats all XD

[JehutyAnubis]

and english arent hard... im brazilian (thats so easy to speak for me) well i say the japanese is the most easy language... but i think my language is hard as english( even more bcuz anyone think spanish is hard... but the spanish think the portuguese is more harder). and the english on the usa is the english spoke on the japan since the americans bombed the japan and implanted their language( or tried i dun care about japan history XD) so the only hard word here is to they pronunciate the "L" and "V"... the "TH" too, but ok for me its isnt hard its easy.... but they say that word is hard to pronunciate without trying... there is a lot of people who tres bcuz they noticed that isnt the correct english and they are searching and learning from native teachers... that isnt hard they don try there is a lot of people doing it y they now dont try to remake and make them learn the correct one..... if they want to japanese people learn at least teach the coreect one thats so logic y they are so idiot....y they don notice their english cant help them... i asked to someone where someplace are in english but they told they cant understand me...wth it sux...
ahh ok im fine now i put all my anger( y i hate japanXD) in this huahuahuahuhua

[chompy]

if you can, go to a language class.

and as for tools, real paper books are best.

minna no nihongo books 1 + 2 will take you up to reading novel standard in around 1 year intensive.

i've been slacking for 14 months and i'm ok.

you also need a good vocab builder. i have never found one, so i suggest either studying dictionaries or watching lots of japanese movies and tv.

and if you are really serious, then going to japan for a while (6 weeks +) would pay off immensely.

first things first though....

learn hiragana.

then learn basic sentence structure (particles, honorifics etc.) and basic verb manipulation. numbers and simple words are good starter vocab.

adjectives some later.

i suggest you learn vocab whilst doing these things so that it comes more naturally than cramming it in.

also, if you have patience, kanji is not that necessary in the beginning. unless you want to start reading manga in a couple weeks (bad idea), then learning maybe 10 kanji is ok (i.e. japan, go, self, car etc.).

for self-study to be effective, libraries are wonderful habitats.

japanese pen pals are ok, but mostly they want to practice english, and many young japanese don't know proper japanese grammar so well.

if you pick a film (better than anime as lip-movement hels) and watch it over and over, you may pick up japanese well enough to turn off sub and watch after 10-20 times.

(with sub you don't pick up as much words)

i would give examples of japanese starter vocab, but am on computer that has no japanese language support currently (not mine)

peace.