Instant Immersion Japanese

by TOPICS Entertainment

Product Features

• Challenging interactive mystery game, Who is Oscar Lake
• 5 CD-ROM course of Japanese language study
• Includes Talk Now!, Talk More, and World Talk from Eurotalk
• Focuses on basic vocabulary, phrases, and accurate pronunciation
• Interactive Picture Dictionary with 2,000 word entries

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000058E2J
• Item model number: CS-055
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 11, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,060 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #28 in Software > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Asian
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Don't be intimidated by all those characters--Japanese really is easy to learn, and Instant Immersion Japanese makes it fun. With four independent discs, it will help students learn, refine, perfect, and delve into Japanese. And though it's meant for beginners, intermediate students who need to brush up on comprehension and speaking skills can also use Instant Immersion Japanese.

The first CD, Talk Now! Japanese, is where any beginner should start. The program contains very little documentation aside from what's on the box, so we had some trouble figuring out where to begin. However, the interface is intuitive enough that you'll be able to get the gist of the program after clicking around a bit. The sections are broken up into areas such as numbers, colors, first phrases, and foods, and the repetitive activities allow you to go as slowly or as quickly as you need. Each area of study is then broken up into five lessons, including listening comprehension and word repetition, and two games of varying difficulty to test what you learned. As closure for each area, you can print out all the words covered in the lesson for reference.

It's a pretty big leap from the first CD to the second, World Talk Japanese. Though it's meant to be a natural progression, we think beginners will have trouble making the move fluidly. This program, though it includes the same familiar lesson-and-game learning system as Talk Now!, is entirely in Japanese, including the lesson instructions, so it's incredibly hard to follow at times. While it forces you to pay attention and quickly learn what they're saying, it may be confusing at first. But if you're really lost, each game has English text instructions hidden away on the screen that we unearthed after clicking around.

The only gripe we have with the first two discs is that no Japanese grammar is taught, leaving the student with a basic comprehension of the language, but no way to know how to construct a simple sentence. With this in mind, the suite might serve a student better as a supplement to a course in grammar and a study of the written language.

The remaining two discs serve as independent utilities that augment the lessons taught in the first two. JquickTrans, in particular, is worth the price of this package alone. It's a comprehensive dictionary, translator, and kanji (Japanese characters) reference that will, through motivated individual learning, help teach new students about kanji and Japanese writing. The last program, Voyage in Japan, is a nice, though clunky, introduction to Japanese culture. It features short video clips and beautiful photographs with brief bits of text about the Japanese people, land, history, and traditions. We found the interface to be pretty unintuitive, so be patient while navigating the program.

At such a low price, you won't find a better deal for an introduction to Japanese. Although the four discs don't necessarily offer a linear or intuitive course to follow, any user will be able to pick out the pieces they're most interested in to get a solid introduction to Japanese. Ganbatte! --Ara Jane Olufson

Product Description

Instant Immersion version 2.0 moves you from a beginner to an intermediate speaker with a five CD-ROM course of study. Including Talk Now!, Talk More, and World Talk from Eurotalk, you will focus on basic vocabulary, phrases, and accurate pronunciation through the use of video technology features. Supplement your study with the Interactive Picture Dictionary, featuring 2,000 word entries. Finally, test your linguistic skills with Who is Oscar Lake, a challenging interactive mystery game.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, intuitive, but..., March 19, 2001

By 

Princess Artemis (Temecula, California, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Instant Immersion Japanese (CD-ROM)

I found the first disc of this course to be a lot of fun, and I learned a lot of words very quickly. It has a simple format and the game was fun. The first disc had something the second lacked: if one wished, they could look up the words used, see them in kanji, kana, and in romaji. This helped emensely in figuring out how to say the words properly and remember them. The leap from the first disc to the second however is something akin to leaping the Grand Canyon. Because no grammar or verbs were taught in the first, it's almost impossible to figure out what is going on in the second. Not totally useless, but for me, far too frustrating to use.

The JQuickTrans however...wonderful little program! It'll give you the gist of Japanese sentences, and seems to work best when kana and kanji are imput into it. It also translates English words into Japanese, and provides a very handy kanji look up by every method imaginable, including by radical. Best of all, it provides flash cards to use for memorizing kanji and kana. I used it to learn both kana, and am using it still to learn kanji.

In all...the package is saved by the inclusion of the translator, but I'm finding I need to get a different program if I actually want to learn to read a sentence.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting vocab builder, but not a language learner, April 11, 2002

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Instant Immersion Japanese (CD-ROM)

There are two universal truths of acquiring a second language. First, there is no "quick method." It takes time and work. Second, self-study only gets you so far. Language is about communication, and that requires more than one person.

With this in mind, "Instant Immersion Japanese (4 CD-ROM)" is a fine supplement to Japanese learning. While you will never learn Japanese solely from this product, the CD-ROMs will help you study and practice. It is definitely one of the best of it's type.

The games are great vocab builders, and are a nice break from memorizing lists. The first disk has simple single-word games. You will learn the names of food, clothing, parts of the body and a few simple phrases. Keep in mind, you will not learn how to sting this vocab into sentences. The second disk is a large leap from the first, and most people find it confusing (myself included.) The dictionary is great and very useful, while the Japan tour is a little fluffy. Don't expect to gain any great insights.

I recommend this as a supplement for anyone taking a formal Japanese language course. The price is right, and the games are fun. Gambatte Ne!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars learning Japanese?, July 24, 2002

By 

Michelle L. Unger (Dearborn Heights, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Instant Immersion Japanese (CD-ROM)

I really enjoy using The Instant Immersion C.D. Roms, but it really is for people who have already begun learning Japanese using books or other methods. The first C.D. Rom starts you off with learning colors, numbers, and other simple beginner stuff but the second jumps right into speaking in Japanese and may be difficult for someone who hasn't learned beginning grammer such as Who, what, when, why, ect. in Japanese. The C.D. Roms are fun and is a good buy for someone who is interested in learning.