fuckstudy:

Studying Japanese: Resources! 

In lieu of a ‘how to
study’ Japanese post, here’s a few online resources which have helped me with
studying Japanese throughout the years. 

The resources listed
below;

• Range from beginner’s level to advanced level
• Are appropriate for studying for the JLPT (N4- N1)  
• Are appropriate for self study
• Most are free, or come with a free trial period! (excluding textbooks. but trust me, i’ve got your back)

Essential Websites and Extensions

IN RIKAIKUN WE TRUST

• Rikaikun:The one-stop shop for all your browsing
  needs. Hover over any kanji compound and this app will do all the translating
  for you. I found this incredibly useful for reading practice (esp. on news
  articles etc.).
• Jisho.org: One of the best dictionaries out there. Sorts most kanji according to JLPT
  level.
• Tofugu: A good general starting place to find resources and read interesting articles about Japanese culture, ex-pats working in Japan and Studying in Japan. They also have a special series on applying for the JET Program! 

Grammar

Particles? Verbs? Subjects? Conjugations? 

• JGram: All grammar is sorted by JLPT Levels. A good overview of common grammar structures. 
• Tanos: Also JLPT sorted  
• Introduction to
  Japanese Syntax, Grammar and Language: a comprehensive overview for beginners
• NHK World: Lessons from the Japanese Public Broadcaster NHK. Largely Beginner’s Level.
• Dictionary of Japanese Grammar (beginners) (advanced)
• Handbook of Japanese
  Verbs: Beginners guide. Very handy pocket size so great for revision for the beginner-intermediate level.
• How to Tell the
  Difference between Japanese Particles: Comparisons and Exercises: something to help with those pesky particles! 

Writing (Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji)

Learn your alphabet(s) gdi! 

• Japanese Lesson
  
• @ryohkei is a Japanese
  calligrapher who handwrites beautiful characters + stroke order and
  definitions. Very informative, given that handwritten kanji may differ from their typed counterparts. 
• @kanji-a-day​
• Practice Writing Sheets  
• Charts (hiragana, katakana)

Networks

Get you in touch
with other native learners!

• Lang-8 
• Hi Native 
• RhinoSpike 
• Forvo 
• Renshuu.org 

Textbooks

• Genki: perfect for beginners
• Sou Matome: easy daily lessons and weekly review. All levels (sorted by JPLT level)   
• Kanzen Master 
• Tobira: highly recommended for those who are in the
  awkward intermediate – advanced plateau! Traditional Textbook format. 
• Tanki Master 
• 500 Essential
  Japanese Expressions: A Guide to Correct Usage of Key Sentence Patterns: really useful for revision and to bridge the intermediate-advanced gap. 
• This blogspot: Lifesaver. Just, trust me on this. Please. 

Multimedia (Youtube,
Podcasts)

…because heck, learning a language is more than memorising charts and structures! 

• Bilingual Chika! One of my favourites. She recently published her own textbook!
•  Japanese Podcast 101
• Watch Japanese TV at Jpopsuki

More?

• A masterlist of free
  resources by @nihongogogo
• This resource post
  by @study-ings
• A list of N2
  resources by @learningkakumei
• This beginner’s
  resource post by @solarstudy​​

Stay tuned for later parts to this series incl. going on exchange, studying japanese, “wtf this kanji looks like a scribble”

All the best! 

– fuckstudy 

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