learning japanese

nachos999

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another newb question over here looking for people to help~

its regarding past tense.

For example, "i wanted a camera"

In japanese, it would be カメラがほしかたです。Why can't it be カメラほしいでした, since i believe でした is also past tense?
 

fox1

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how to say for example
as something, please do this action, what is the as in japanese called, and also where should i place it? the front or at the back of a sentence.
for example can i, is demo ii desu ka.
thanks

英語勉強しないと。。。
 

coolwinx

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I'm currently having lessons at Bunka, I see they focus more on grammar and speech. Will probably make up for what they lack with some self study.

IMO the best and all rounded Japanese lessons should be from MOE language centre. It's free too! Unfortunately it's not a public school and I regretted quiting few years ago. Can't go back there now.

What do they lack? TIA
 

fox1

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uhmm wa i also dont know the sentence is like
as it is close please close the window
i dont know put how translate into japanese including the word as :(

ps anyone can recommend any good book for beginner thank you

You mean a good English book? :D
 

coolwinx

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Are lessons at community centre good? I find their pace tends to be rather slow since its once a week one and a half hour. Any one attended their courses there?
 

JCMaths

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Are lessons at community centre good? I find their pace tends to be rather slow since its once a week one and a half hour. Any one attended their courses there?

Courses at CCs greatly depend on the individual teacher. I've tried one once, and it was really, painfully, slow. I finished 2 modules in univ covering materials in Minna no Nihongo 1 (equivalent to probably a little more than JLPT4) and thought it might be ok to join the intermediate class at a CC near me (that was the highest level it had then, after beginner 1, 2 and 3). And then I found my classmates being unable to recognize some hiragana/katakana and reading in painful-to-hear Japanese.

That's just my personal experience. I've heard there are ok/good teachers in CCs too, but you should do your research before you sign up if you're serious about learning Japanese. Basically, those teachers are like free-lancers who rent the classroom from the CCs, so there's no quality control on their teaching skills if I'm not wrong.
 

coolwinx

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Courses at CCs greatly depend on the individual teacher. I've tried one once, and it was really, painfully, slow. I finished 2 modules in univ covering materials in Minna no Nihongo 1 (equivalent to probably a little more than JLPT4) and thought it might be ok to join the intermediate class at a CC near me (that was the highest level it had then, after beginner 1, 2 and 3). And then I found my classmates being unable to recognize some hiragana/katakana and reading in painful-to-hear Japanese.

That's just my personal experience. I've heard there are ok/good teachers in CCs too, but you should do your research before you sign up if you're serious about learning Japanese. Basically, those teachers are like free-lancers who rent the classroom from the CCs, so there's no quality control on their teaching skills if I'm not wrong.

Thanks for your reply. thats what I thought too, the pace seems to be slow.
 

azumangadaioh

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Thanks for your reply. thats what I thought too, the pace seems to be slow.

Suddenly, it's been lively after a quiet period here, gd 2 hv new learners also...


In other words, for consistent lessons, those who want to learn seriously shd consider going to schs instead of CCs. At least they wld hv the same teachers there all the time, & most will follow a set schedule & curriculum. Even if u r not taught by the same teacher after finishing a level then proceed to a new level, at least they know what materials & contents to follow through, & hv the understanding that students taking this new level wld already hv learned what & what. No need to waste time doing too much revision, test if everyone know what they r supposed to know. And can spend less money, lesson hopping also.
 
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azumangadaioh

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Think fox1 & everyone here are too polite tell u, what may not be obvious 2 u.

Pls ask your questions in proper English, at least put the commas and full stops where they belong, [ short forms r ok ], we wldn't not b able to help u answer yr questions if we don't even understand them, much less Japanese teachers...

It will delay yr learning of Japanese by years if yr grasp of the language of medium 2 learn a foreign language is not strong enough [ In sg, almost everyone is using english to learn Japanese, with the minority using mandarin ]. It's the same 4 u as well, since u r also using english 2 learn Japanese. It could b a painful struggle & many mths of spending $ if time is wasted on these things.

Note that most Japanese teachers don't really speak english well, much less singlish, u r lucky if u meet one who can speak standard english well. So they may not b able 2 teach u properly or understand yr questions if this is yr current situation.

No choice, someone has 2 b the bad guy, so end up I am the one.
 
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