dimitri_can -
If you finish Genki 1, i think you can try book 2-1 in Minna no Nihongo.
Genki was written to include Kanji practice, whereas Minna no Nihongo has it as a separate book. Genki has a lot of English explanations in every sentence. Minna no Nihongo only has it for it's main section, the sub sections, they do not have.
Now, there's a thought . . . . I might look into it.
Right, we got that covered that Minna no Nihongo doesn't have Kanji, Hiragana or Katakana practice.
Minna no Nihongo doesn't have English explanations in their sub sections? . . . Which means? . . . The T/B book doesn't have explanation?
From what i know, Australians and Canadians tend to use Genki as well, with some schools using MNN.
What, I meant is that, when you said "Usually Americans use Genki" and "Asians use Minna no Nihongo", it sounded generalised and no reason behind it.
Paper quality is different. The paper used in the japanese version, my students found that when you read the Japanese version one, your eyes feel more comfortable. =)
Huh? I was trying to calculate the savings since, Minna no Nihongo Asian version is meant to be more a more affordable version, it wasn't about the quality of the paper lol. Although, there IS a difference in the quality of the paper lol, that I know lol.
If you are using the Japanese edition, they have it separately as a book. You have to purchase the book. In the Asian version, it's included.
There's a separate book used by teachers. If you are doing self-study, it's best to use Genki. MNN is more for classroom usage.
I don't have the Japanese edition. I was browsing through the Asian version, I didn't see it, I probably missed it.
Don't understand what you mean here....
What the guy pointed out in red is wrong, imho.
Japanese start learning Japanese from Masu-form, not plain form. Thus MNN also introduces it in this way.
There's a technique to do interchange of verbs from masu-form which not many teachers teach. Maybe the guy did not learn how to do it.
Hmm . . . is that so? . . .
Well, -shrugs- I wouldn't know since I've only learned from plain and dictionary stem word form and then form every other verb from the stem word.
Japanese usually don't really correct you, even you asked them for it...
I haven't had a problem with that lol.
Hope this answers ur questions. Have you did a quick runthrough of the topics presented in MNN? E.g, like know what is being taught in every chapter..
Thank you!
Well, that was the thing, I browsed through the topics at Kino the other day, for the Asian version, ermm, what can I say, I don't have Genki book with me so I couldn't compare, what sucks is that Minna no Nihongo Japanese version was sealed and so I couldn't compare them together, which is why I decided to post here because I further wrecked my brain since I was at the store, looking for the "workbook" for a few seconds and then realised, they might not have one lol.
haato89 -
Haha that's what I thought. I was terrified of failing the JLPT N4 which is why I decided to just take the N5. But you see there's alot of time between now and July. I suggest going thru the N5 syllabus and doing the test papers INCLUDING listening (the format's a bit different from the usual MOE listening compres back in sch so that took some getting used to).
I guess it depends on how much time you want to spend studying. IMHO, if I was able to pass the N5 papers well by mid-April (i.e. 1-2 mistakes max per section) then I would be pretty comfortable gunning for N4 in July.
I've just purchased the Genki 1 textbook and it'll take a while to reach me, probably mid March. I am going to have to re-do the five chapters of the book I covered over the two years I've had it LOL! It took me 2 years of stalling to get the book LOL! Ohh man...-facepalm-
I don't think that's enough time lol. Furthermore, I've got no idea, how much time I'll put into studying cause I barely took put in much time, when I didn't have a textbook in book form but pdf, it could be different, idk really lol.
So, the registration ends when again for N5 and N4?
Don't they differ vastly, cause if I was studying for the N5, I'd only know the N5 kanji and maybe a few random ones here and there, which doesn't matter, but like, there are tons more Kanji in N4 and not to mention, the several other vocabulary I wouldn't know . . . . That's two months apart, so if I were to do good for the N5, in 2 months I could try for the N4, is that what you're saying? . . . hmmmmm
You mentioned about the MOE listening comprehension and this listening and how the format differs, how exactly -does- it differ?? . . .
I intend to do N3 in July. WAIT hear me out. I'll be graduating in April which means that I will have NOTHING to do till my grad trip in mid June. Job hunting is over (thankfully) and work-related stuff only starts in mid July. So I intend to mug reallyyyy intensively for N3 (say clock 8 hours a day on that) and I believe I can do it.
I'm working on the N4 material now which seems ok. If I can't get a comfortable pass by mid April (JLPT registration ends around that time) I'll just sign up for N4 in July.
The plan is to start N2(Jul 2013 paper) with my boyfriend after he graduates and returns to SG in July. For N2 we'll definitely have to work under a tutor.
Ooo, N3, eh?. . .
Holy cow . . . 8 hours a day!! That's really . . . A LOT! and "intensively" is right =P
Sounds like it's a good timing when you've got nothing else going on. It's so great though, that you'd put in so much time. Good luck!
Where'd you get your N5 material, like past year papers or something? (Oh god, let it not be expensive!)
So, all JLPT level registration ends around April or July? . . .
Lol, I thought you were a dude, till you mentioned "my boyfriend" lol, my bad. Thought you were a like a girly boy or something with the name =P lols. soz.
That's so great though, you both into Japanese together. Sounds good!!
So, you're getting a tutor, like why not a school or something?
Yup I think self-study for N5 is definitely possible...that's how I did most of my study save for that course in 2010.
I think so too!! =)
Ok it's not horrendous in the sense that when I was in Japan shopkeepers/trainmasters/other people in general were able to understand me...even with no gesticulating on my part! (yay) But it sounds 'different' and I'm not sure whether I saying the words with the right intonation. And Japanese friends will always be polite and tell you that it's very good already but just...different.
Ahah! I thought you might have exaggerated "horrendous". Well, what I meant is that since you're around them, you can pick up how they pronounce words etc. Were your friends mostly females? Guys are more direct and will say, if you pronounce something wrongly and if you said something well. Females on the other hand . . . . -sighs-
I think dimitri_can posted some images of how pronunciation is taught. (the phrases with the horizontal lines at the top/bottom) I really want to find out more about that....and MNN doesn't really teach you. The most you can do is to try and mimic the taped convos. Even then I'm still not confident
Yeah, I saw how
dimitri_can mentioned later in the post how Minna no Nihongo does teach it but you said it doesn't . . . So, it did teach or . . . .?
The proununciation part is not something, I have really focused myself into, since as I said, I can't really form sentences with grammar or speak fast and lacking vocabulary so I'm clueless about that. For the simple words and sentences that I've read, my pronunciation hasn't been corrected much and so I'm content with that lol.
The good thing about Japanese is that pronunciation/intonation isn't as crucial as sayyyy Mandarin or Cantonese. My family and my bf keeps teasing me about my bad Cantonese because I always mispronounce phrases with the wrong 'tone' which changes the meaning altogether. But you don't have that problem with Japanese. Kaze is kaze regardless of how high or low you pitch the syllables.
Ohh lorddd, I remember learning just one word in Mandarin and like, my friend kept saying that I'm saying the wrong thing which now . . . I have to agree, I -was- saying the wrong thing LOL! It was "mai" and it meant "buy" and something else. The tone mattered but it sounded the same to me at that time, so I was pissed lol. So, I can understand when you said that Japanese intonation doesn't matter as much. Cantonese . . . seems more difficult, or so it seems, just from hearing it.
ack. I didn't know that. Both sound just...hashi to me. (Vampireness see what I mean) Sigh I'm really not there yet まだまだね〜 *shakes head*
Actually I always thought you were supposed to infer from the context when you have words like hashi...
Ohh, perhaps you weren't paying close attention to the words? I mean when's the last time, you hear bridge and chopsticks together? lol. If, you did, you might have heard the difference since they're present together.
It happens in English too, but with different accents.
It's okay! I believe it will com to you, with time! Especially, with you willing to put in so much time and effort! =)
