Teach Yourself Beginner's Japanese (Teach Yourself Book & CD) [Paperback]

Helen Gilhooly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0340870389 | ISBN-13: 978-0340870389 | Edition: 3rd

Japanese has become increasingly popular as a language to learn in recent years, and a growing awareness of Japan has been created through industry, television, newspaper articles, Japanese events and exhibitions. This course is designed for those who really want to learn Japanese but are daunted by the prospect of complicated grammar, classes and coursebooks. This book starts right from the beginning and explains everything in simple English. There are hints throughout to make learning easy and you can learn at your own pace with plenty of practice of each new point. It is a friendly introduction to the language which should help you to understand and speak Japanese sufficiently well to function effectively in basic everyday situations, both business and social. The course also offers an insight into Japanese culture and there is even an opportunity for you to learn some of the basics of reading Japanese if you want to. The book is divided into two main parts. Units 1-12 introduce you to the basic structures and grammatical points you'll need in everyday situations such as shopping, eating out, travelling, meeting a Japanese business person and entertaining a Japanese person in your home. They give you the opportunity to put into practice and consolidate the language you have learnt in the first 12 units. Unit 13 is a special unit designed to give you the chance to find out something about reading Japanese. If you would rather miss this unit out and concentrate on speaking and listening, you can do so without it affecting your understanding of the other units. All the Japanese in other units is given using the roman alphabet. By the end of the course you should be able to communicate in a wide range of real-life situations and have all the practical information you need to enjoy your next trip to Japan. The book (0-340-87036-2) is accompanied by two CDs or cassettes (0-340-87040-0 or 0-340-87039-7) which are available separately or in a pack with the book (0-340-87038-9 or 0-340-87037-0).

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Helen Gilhooly has lived and worked in Japan and has extensive experience of teaching Japanese and writing materials for learners of all ages. She has an MA and PGCE in Japanese and is currently the Language College Director of Aldercar Community Language College in Derbyshire. She is also a teacher trainer of Japanese at Nottingham University. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Teach Yourself; 3rd edition (December 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340870389
• ISBN-13: 978-0340870389
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,281,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy, Practical. It works, September 5, 2004

By 

Ant (Tokyo Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself Beginner's Japanese (Paperback)

Having to grapple with a language with an entirely different structure to English whilst living in Japan, I chose this book having used the German counterpart earlier. I found `Beginners Japanese' to be perfectly paced & practical for everyday living. Starting out with the basics, Helen Gilhooly teaches you useful Questions & statements in believable everyday conversational situations. Without the use of difficult grammatical terminology, she introduces different ways of using the language & slowly builds up vocabulary which can be applied to what you have been learning. Before long you are making up your own sentences & applying them to necessary situations.
If you're into a lot of technical Grammar, then pass this book by, but if you want to learn how to speak Japanese quickly, without necessarily knowing the workings of the language,(I don't know the workings of English!) then this book is a great resource.