Japanese: The Written Language Volume 1 (Field Test Edition) [Paperback]

Eleanor Harz Jorden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0887272037 | ISBN-13: 978-0887272035

This writing companion to the best-selling Japanese: The Spoken Language begins with the two kana syllabaries and introduces approximately 300 kanji, following the Spoken Language text lesson by lesson. It is appropriate for beginning and intermediate students in a college or self-study program.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Cheng & Tsui (September 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887272037
• ISBN-13: 978-0887272035
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars this book != fine wine, November 11, 2006

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bit.bucket (lost in wyoming) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese: The Written Language Volume 1 (Field Test Edition) (Paperback)

As in, it hasn't gotten better with age.

It says right on the cover that this is a field test edition. So perhaps I should forgive the spelling mistakes and instances of characters being used in samples sentences before they have been introduced.

And perhaps I should forgive the lack of an index. Forget how to write a certain character? Have fun thumbing thru the entire book trying to find it again.

Or how about the fact that the characters are shown, and then the stroke charts are pages away in a separate section at the end of the chapter? What a lovely idea!

And then my absolute favorite feature. Once you finally do get to the kanji, they don't give you all, or most, or even some of the readings. You get one. And there doesn't seem to be a pattern as to whether you get the ON or Kun reading. Nor does it tell you which of the readings you are getting, much less what ON and Kun readings are. If another reading is given, the same character will be brought back later in the book to introduce the new reading.

There is also precious little discussion of radicals, and the important part they play in understanding kanji.

If you have to buy this book for a class which uses it, and the equally odious JSL companion, hold your nose and dive right in. But you may soon finding yourself in need of a proper kanji dictionary as well. If you're thinking of picking this up for self study, look elsewhere.