| en I was at school learning a new language was a | | | | for the love of it. The language and culture are |
| tedious process requiring lots of repetitive "say | | | | fascinating and you can dig as deeply into it as |
| after me" type methods. Since then internet has | | | | you want to go. It's a personal choice. |
| changed our lives. | | | | Over the years I've tried different Japanese |
| The internet has changed the way we shop, get | | | | language software. Some have been expensive |
| our daily news and even how we find phone | | | | and other cheap and the quality varied accordingly. |
| numbers. It's also changed the way we can learn | | | | Various ones will appeal depending on your own |
| new things such as languages. Software now | | | | reason for learning. |
| delivers interactive flexible lessons backed by | | | | I always imagined all Japanese people spoke basic |
| internet support cheaply and easily. | | | | English. That's not actually true. They do learn |
| I learned Japanese at school and found it pretty | | | | some English at school but are usually shy to |
| difficult. The teacher wasn't exactly an | | | | speak to English speaking foreigners. The same |
| excitement machine, the methods were boring | | | | way I was nervous at first to use my Japanese |
| and were squeezed in between maths and | | | | skills on the Japanese public. |
| science so they didn't stay with me for long. | | | | Although Japanese writing is different to ours, the |
| Later in life when I learned more about Japanese | | | | pronunciation of Japanese words is often similar. |
| society I wished I had paid more attention in class. | | | | You probably know and use plenty of Japanese |
| I never thought I'd find the time to start again, | | | | words each day. |
| but I picked up a few books here and there | | | | There is a quiet whispery sound in many |
| hoping something might sink in. | | | | Japanese words or often a hard "K" sound. With a |
| One day I saw a Japanese language course | | | | little practice it becomes easy as these words |
| advertised online and thought why not? Japanese | | | | show - Wasabi, Teriyaki, Kimono, Sushi. |
| isn't a simple language but I found learning online | | | | Learning a language on the internet using software |
| fun. | | | | gives you the freedom to learn whenever you |
| It was quick and easy for me to learn Kanji | | | | want. At midnight if you can't sleep or after the |
| (Japanese characters)and to get the basic | | | | kid's are put to bed or early in the morning before |
| conversational skills I needed to book my holiday. | | | | work. Plus, you can download lessons to mp3 and |
| I did it in my spare time, sometimes early in the | | | | listen to them on your phone, ipod or in the car. |
| morning and other times late at night or | | | | Rather than having to put aside a night or part of |
| weekends. | | | | a day each week to attend class I could learn |
| How long will it take? That depends on why | | | | anytime it suited me best. I didn't have to stress |
| you're learning and how motivated you are. Do | | | | about making sure my homework had been done |
| you have job offer in Japan or are you thinking of | | | | or doing a catch up if I missed a class. I joined a |
| taking a vacation? Have you booked a vacation? | | | | forum and soon had buddies I could learn with on |
| Or do you just want to learn a new language? | | | | skype and I loved it. |
| These things will affect how quickly you progress. | | | | It's up to you how and when you learn when you |
| For me I wanted to visit Japan so I invested a lot | | | | do it online. There's nothing stopping you from |
| of spare time to learning the language. I wanted | | | | starting today. |
| to know the fundamentals but later I continued | | | | |