I have a question... I think some of you speak japanese, am I right? I recently decided to learn japanese and firstly started learning the kana.

Can anyone give me some advices for starting or a recommendation for books I can seriously learn with?

Fobbel78 wrote:I have a question... I think some of you speak japanese, am I right? I recently decided to learn japanese and firstly started learning the kana.

Can anyone give me some advices for starting or a recommendation for books I can seriously learn with?

"seriously" sounds good ^^

Well, at University we used Genki I (and later II, of course), which is a very good book if you don't mind learning in English. The very first lesson is in Romaji and kana, so that you can learn the kana while doing the first exercises. From lesson 2 on it's written in kana, with english explanations and translations.
Every lesson starts with a japanese dialogue, mostly "every-day"-situations. The japanese dialogue is followed by the english translation. Then you get a vocabulary-list with words from the dialogues, followed by the grammar-part, well-explained in english, with a lot of examples. Then you have a few pages with exercises before the next lesson starts.
Similarily, at the end of a book, you have at first two hiragana and katakana-lessons. Lesson 3 already teaches you the first kanji, with some kanji practices and reading examples.

The weak point of the book is that it's beastly expensive. At amazon.de it starts with ~55€ for the textbook, with CD ROM for the listening comprehension even more, and again around 35€ for the additional workbook.
But to my mind, it's really worth it. I've never been so satisfied with a school book in my whole life.

Hasenfu wrote:

Fobbel78 wrote:I have a question... I think some of you speak japanese, am I right? I recently decided to learn japanese and firstly started learning the kana.

Can anyone give me some advices for starting or a recommendation for books I can seriously learn with?

"seriously" sounds good ^^

Well, I more or less know what to expect from learning "this" new language But I mean it and don't want to learn only because I like anime and japanese music...

I read about "Japanisch im Sauseschritt" but a lot of people are saying that the weakness of this book is the grammar. And without or with false grammar it could be REALLY hard. But "Japanisch im Sauseschritt" with CDs also costs about 80 Euros, so what

Thank your for your help, hope you don't mind if I'll ask about one or two things in the future...

Yeah, I have "Japanisch im Sauseschritt", too because before I started studying Japanese at University I attended an evening course at the Volkshochschule, where we used this book. These times I found it very confusing, and the received opinion among my fellow students at university now is "Dat kannste in die Tonne kloppen".
And yes, feel free to ask. I hope I can help you. I really suck at explanitions...

Thanks again!

"in die Tonne kloppen" is quite clearly

But I'm not sure if my english is good enough to learn japanese grammar with it...?

I'm pretty sure any explanations are better than none

Are the answers for the exercises in the Genki Workbook, too?

Fobbel78 wrote:Thanks again!

"in die Tonne kloppen" is quite clearly

But I'm not sure if my english is good enough to learn japanese grammar with it...?

I'm pretty sure any explanations are better than none

Are the answers for the exercises in the Genki Workbook, too?

I think, your english is good enough The explanations are not that complicated, and there are always a lot of examples.

But, dude! Now you ask something! I strongly believe, there was an answer key in at least one of the books! But I cannot find it anymore and I'm not sure if it was just because we ordered the books via University directly from Japan. 'Cause now, as I search amazon, I found one anwer key for both books, textbook and workbook, again around 20€. But it is for the second edition which was released recently. I had the first edition. I'm sorry, I really don't know it anymore. .sweat.

Ok, then I think I have to buy that one too...

Thanks again for your effort! Why haven't I got the idea to search at amazon by myself...

We used at the VHS "nihongo de doso (Japanisch bitte)".
I don't know if it is like "Japanisch im Sauseschritt.

Thanks for the info. Do you get along with it? Can you tell me something about the learning rate?

I think I'll do a little bit research for the right book when I'm home from work.

hm, we used it as addition. She was a young student from Japan, soshe had her own way of teaching.
We also got some look into the japanese culture.

Hey guys, especially those who live in NRW (but the others , too) and have ordered the new Single via cdjapan. Could you inform me, when your copy arrived? Because I'm at my parents' home for a few days and maybe won't be there when my copy arrives. But if you tell me, that your copy arrived, I could go to my appartment and check it the next day.

em, what shipping method did you use?

Intelligent question!!! I used Air Mail! Without tracking service

So, if somebody used Air Mail too, please let me know!

4 weeks I had to wait. 0,5 weeks until they brought it to the post station, 3weeks until it arrived in Germany and 0,5 weeks until I had it.

Well, mine was shipped today. It's a small package and I hope the german customs won't hatch it like an egg! .wew.

I've ordered several times from amazon marketplace. The package from Japan arrived before the package from switzerland! .lol.

But thank you IceT!

I ordered via yesasia, sorry, can't help here

Unfortunately my copy isn't shipped yet, hope I don't have to wait too long

Guten Tag - fresh German blood has arrived...

Greetings
Rara

amazon wasn't the problem. Within 3 days but I had to pay to much for it.

Welcome again, Rara! ^^
btw. did you order the new single at cdjapan via Airmail? .whistle.

Hey Hasenfu - thank you for your kind words!!!
i always order at cdjapan (Exculsive Bonus Content ftw ) so far I mostly used FedEx Express because I can be quite impatient at times and luckily the cdjapan points reduce the price.

Unfortunately I missed out on the first press edition and therefore haven't ordered the new single yet. I'll probably wait until the next album, though the DVD is quite tempting!!!

Sry for being unable to help you...

Oh, that's a pity, that you missed the first press edition :-(

And no problem It just came in to my mind, that I have to go to my appartment next week anyway, 'cause I'm waiting for another package... My poor neighbours who always receive them for me .sweat.

Guten Abend Rararata. That´s a intresting username.

I order from HMV, so I can´t help out too, sorry Hasenfu.
Btw: which payment method do use? I bet Paypal, right?

Guten Abend & nice to meet you my fellow countryman!!!

Haha I get that alot - It's the result of enormous desperation after trying to create a simple League of Legends account for about an hour and trying all sorts of usernames until I finally managed to do so.
Since then it kinda grew on me...

How are your experiences with HMV so far? (price, turnaround time, etc. )

Yeah, I used PayPal. But thanks anyway, Ken_chan

Rararata wrote:Guten Abend & nice to meet you my fellow countryman!!!

Haha I get that alot - It's the result of enormous desperation after trying to create a simple League of Legends account for about an hour and trying all sorts of usernames until I finally managed to do so.
Since then it kinda grew on me...

How are your experiences with HMV so far? (price, turnaround time, etc. )

No problems with HMV. The last time I paid somthing with 65 Euro for Encore Show and Budokan Live DVD together. I think it was about two weeks, then they arrived. But the only thing, I don´t like is, that the Poster is folded.

@Hasenfu: I knew it. I tried to order from CDJapan with CreditCard, but it didn´t work. Too bad.