Studying Japanese: Resources!
In lieu of a ‘how to study’ Japanese post, here’s a few online resources which have helped me with studying Japanese throughout the years.
The resources listed below;
Range from beginner’s level to advanced level
Are appropriate for studying for the JLPT (N4- N1)
Are appropriate for self study
Most are free, or come with a free trial period! (excluding textbooks. but trust me, i’ve got your back)
Essential Websites and Extensions
Rikaikun:The one-stop shop for all your browsing needs. Hover over any kanji compound and this app will do all the translating for you. I found this incredibly useful for reading practice (esp. on news articles etc.).
Jisho.org: One of the best dictionaries out there. Sorts most kanji according to JLPT level.
Tofugu: A good general starting place to find resources and read interesting articles about Japanese culture, ex-pats working in Japan and Studying in Japan. They also have a special series on applying for the JET Program!
Particles? Verbs? Subjects? Conjugations?
JGram: All grammar is sorted by JLPT Levels. A good overview of common grammar structures.
Introduction to Japanese Syntax, Grammar and Language: a comprehensive overview for beginners
NHK World: Lessons from the Japanese Public Broadcaster NHK. Largely Beginner’s Level.
Dictionary of Japanese Grammar (beginners) (advanced)
Handbook of Japanese Verbs: Beginners guide. Very handy pocket size so great for revision for the beginner-intermediate level.
How to Tell the Difference between Japanese Particles: Comparisons and Exercises: something to help with those pesky particles!
Writing (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji)
Learn your alphabet(s) gdi!
@ryohkei is a Japanese calligrapher who handwrites beautiful characters + stroke order and definitions. Very informative, given that handwritten kanji may differ from their typed counterparts.
Charts (hiragana, katakana)
Get you in touch with other native learners!
Genki: perfect for beginners
Sou Matome: easy daily lessons and weekly review. All levels (sorted by JPLT level)
Tobira: highly recommended for those who are in the awkward intermediate - advanced plateau! Traditional Textbook format.
500 Essential Japanese Expressions: A Guide to Correct Usage of Key Sentence Patterns: really useful for revision and to bridge the intermediate-advanced gap.
This blogspot: Lifesaver. Just, trust me on this. Please.
Multimedia (Youtube, Podcasts)
…because heck, learning a language is more than memorising charts and structures!
Bilingual Chika! One of my favourites. She recently published her own textbook!
Watch Japanese TV at Jpopsuki
A masterlist of free resources by @nihongogogo
This resource post by @study-ings
A list of N2 resources by @learningkakumei
This beginner’s resource post by @solarstudy
Stay tuned for later parts to this series incl. going on exchange, studying japanese, “wtf this kanji looks like a scribble”
Masterposts are posted every other Sunday (asia pacific)/ Saturday (everywhere else). See previous masterposts here. Feel free to request topics here.
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