A lot of people ask for good resources for studying Japanese so I’ll share the resources I have personally used! Because Japanese language education is my area of research, I’d also really like to hear about what has helped you as well. 🧵
When I studied Japanese, my classes only covered Genki I and II. After when I switched to self study, I used 中級へ行こう→ 上級へのとびら.
Now I am preparing for JLPT N1 level and have been using 日本語の森’s textbooks. I’ve looked through other JLPT books but for my study style these have been the best so far. However the books only have N3-N1.
While self studying, a good resource that helped supplement not having class was 日本語の森 grammar explanations and practice videos which went from beginner to N1. All the explanations were in Japanese so I could use Japanese to help me learn Japanese.
youtube.com
youtube.com
For reading, I find manga to be helpful because the images provide support in comprehension and, depending on the manga, you can often find furigana that helps with the kanji readings. It also lets you read things you enjoy instead of just generic texts you find in textbooks.
These books with short stories were very good. They have both the Japanese and English translations with furigana. And after there were many comprehension questions you could answer making them a useful tool that also gives you some traditional Japanese culture.
NHKやさしいニュース was a very good resource. It allows you to read current Japanese news with furigana options, easier to understand recordings, and built in dictionary for difficult or unfamiliar words.
www3.nhk.or.jp
www3.nhk.or.jp
At advanced levels I switched to reading Japanese books fully. In the article I link, I discuss an overview of Japanese literature. For language studies specifically. 日本人のための日本語文法入門 by 原沢伊都夫 helped me a lot with how I used Japanese.
jobsinjapan.com
jobsinjapan.com
For living in Japan, I found Keigo was important and I explain why in this article, but for me, I was often in formal settings where Keigo is used. However, I couldn’t find great L2 books and am relying largely on books aimed towards Japanese people.
jobsinjapan.com
jobsinjapan.com
Along with books and videos, immersing myself and actually using the language was a huge part of going from beginner to advanced Japanese. This is easier living in Japan, but you can also use apps like Discord or HelloTalk or go to local Japanese events for language exchange.
My biggest advice if you want to learn Japanese, don’t neglect learning Japanese culture as well. Japanese is a context based language, so it’s important to also learn the cultural context it’s used in. Building this as a part of your foundation will help you in the long run.
Remember when studying Japanese that the key is to find tools and methods that fits both your learning style and your interests. While textbooks do build your foundation, make sure to also have tools that you find engaging.
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