Learning Japanese
All contributors in Learning Japanese
Find Money for Language Study Abroad in Japan
A number of organizations sponsor Japanese language study for international students. Tap into these funding sources to travel, live, and learn in Japan. more...
Learn to Speak and Read Japanese Through Manga
Lammars' unique guide to Japanese grammar and language structure draws on popular manga comics and graphic novels as a teaching tool, but has some drawbacks. more...
Learn Japanese Vocabulary Quickly
Beginning language students can learn new and easy Japanese vocabulary by becoming aware of the many English/Japanese look-alike words, also known as cognates. more...
Japanese Language Learning Programs
Learning Japanese will take time and patience. For those wishing to study independently, several language self-study options are reviewed in this article. more...
All feature articles in Learning Japanese
Japanese Language Learning Online
By: Ayla Bunyak
Japanese language students need to memorize many kanji symbols. A good Japanese English dictionary and deck of flashcards are handy study aids. more...
Japanese Long Vowels and Pauses
By: Kyle Timmermeyer
When both writing and speaking Japanese, pauses and the length of pronunciation of vowel sounds can mark the difference between words with different meanings. more...
By: Kyle Timmermeyer
As English has capital and lower-case letters, written Japanese has katakana to supplement hiragana, for loan words, foreign names, and other special cases. more...
Writing Japanese Dakuten & Glides
By: Kyle Timmermeyer
Quotation-like dakuten (ten-ten), the circle handakuten (maru) and small y-set hiragana are added to appropriate hiragana to produce alternate pronunciations. more...
By: Kyle Timmermeyer
Before kanji or katakana, the first writing that both Japanese and non-native speakers of Japanese should learn is hiragana. Romaji is provided as a pronunciation guide. more...
Japanese Language Proficiency Test
By: Kyle Timmermeyer
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) offers 4 Levels of certification from the Japan Foundation on behalf of Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. more...
By: Kristen Joerger
A short guide to help students studying Japanese independently to focus and maximize their study skills. Includes basic definitions of writing systems as well as tips. more...
All contributing articles in Learning Japanese