To my point about learning kanji before kana, I think it's a bad idea because you end up representing kanji with your roman language perception, which you want to avoid if you're serious.
< Says all that shit without actually learning Japanese yet.
If you have a DS, there's Kakitori-kun, which is a game for kids in Japan to practice the kanji kids learn in elementary school.
Localizationing stuff
I like the dictionary called Yarxi, it has an English interface but it's made by Russians.
I would place katakana lowest in the priority list tho. Once you get acquainted with a bit of Kanji and Hiragana do a bit of reading,preferably manga for starters. pick up Katakana bit by bit as you go along.
Start here:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ragana.svg.png
Memorize the basic sounds in Japanese and the hiragana that goes with them.
Though ignore "wi" and "we," they aren't used anymore.
Localizationing stuff
I suppose it doesn't help to be learning from a PDF that's based on a book reprinted in the 80s?
Not so Mega Sig, now properly spoilered
Spoiler:
Beast's Lair's own Dwarf Fortress succession game is now recruiting mighty able dwarves, sign up if you have what it takes!
Well, Hiragana is actually pretty easy to learn, it'll take you three days to memorize at most if you're serious. imo learning Kanji or hiragana first won't act as a detriment to your overall progress Tho, generally speaking people do learn Hiragana first before they get to Kanji.
Yeah, and then you get to those kanji which have multiple pronunciations. That is to say, pretty much all of them.
Well, I did say imo.
and by days I meant actually acquiring the ability to freely utilize hiragana,writing and reading.
As for resources...I personally acquired more of my Japanese from video games, music, manga, and animu than I ever did from the textbooks. My Japanophobe Japanese father did not help in the least.
Oh, and once you get to a certain level, chatrooms are always helpful. Definitely helped with making stuff sound more natural.
And I still absolutely fail at writing kanji without a dictionary. Typing is no problem, though.
Well I'm a perfectionist of sort so I always took writing into consideration since I first learned japanese. Enhance's approach is not half bad as well if you're aiming for such mastery.
and that ^ once your japanese gets to a certain level watch a lot of animu play a lot of eroges. And I mean a lot. that's your highway ticket to becoming a true weaboo.
Last edited by CreativeMasta; December 31st, 2012 at 11:04 AM.
You have my congratulations, as you learned it through the efficient and lasting way.
Courses, textbooks, exercise books and other stuff like that are really poor for learning languages and work in the roundabout/wrong way - that's basically what I came to after learning all that stuff both ways.
So a healthy dose of kanji with hiragan and katakana thrown in is not exactly bad right? Okay I'm saved.
Not so Mega Sig, now properly spoilered
Spoiler:
Beast's Lair's own Dwarf Fortress succession game is now recruiting mighty able dwarves, sign up if you have what it takes!
What's msot important however. DON'T LOOSE YOUR ENTHUSIASM Believe in the Japanese subculture because it believes in you as well