Learning Japanese Online: Is it Just as Effective?

Learning Japanese online: can a person really learn online efficiently without even attending one Japanese class? This question is raised up in conversation quite often when I mention I am a Japanese translator by profession. Native to English, I learned Japanese among the four most popular methods of learning: attending a major university, personal studies through textbooks, online and also by living in Japan throughout the years. If there is one thing that I am an expert in, it is learning Japanese.

So what is the verdict for online Japanese learning? There are a few aspects of learning to think about when learning a new language. I am not fluent but can speak three other languages with the addition to my native language, English. Hence, I am confident to state that learning all languages is similar; one must study three principal parts of a language which are speaking, writing and reading. It's true that some languages may be more extensive than others, but, these three main objectives to learning a language is intact and part of the process. In the case of online learning, one must think of these three principal parts as individual entities.

Firstly, it is easiest to kick-off learning a language by beginning with learning how to speak the language. Now, one might ask, "how does one learn to speak the language if only online learning is used"? Well, thanks to the wonderful ARPANET invention of the internet, learners can use such programs as VoIP, (Voice over Internet Protocol) such as Skype for testing ones skill with speaking a foreign language. I personally use Skype on a daily basis connecting with friends overseas and find that it is a free method of learning and/or brushing up on Japanese from native speakers. There are other VoIP systems such as Google Talk, SightSpeed, iChat, and a few others. Skype is my personal favorite VoIP though since it has an easy user interface and can now be used on my Verizon Blackberry cell phone. Before the introduction to Skype in 2003, my friends and I used instant internet chat software such as ICQ and/or MSN Messenger along with handy web-cameras to communicate via the internet. All of the above mentioned internet chat programs are available today and are a great way to chat with native speakers to learn how to speak Japanese.

Next, one learning Japanese will need to learn the principal part of learning a language which is writing. Native Japanese and learners of the language will admit that learning how to write Japanese has got to be one of the most difficult challenges of learning Japanese. There are three alphabets which are Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. The Hiragana alphabet is used for Japanese words that originated from the mainland and/or is used in common daily life. Katakana is the alphabet that is used for "borrowed words" which is basically a set of words that are used in Japan from other countries. For instance, the word "internet" is written in Katakana since it was an American "borrowed word" that has stuck in the Japanese language still today. Kanji (Chinese-style characters) is the hardest of the three alphabets carrying a large load of thousands of characters to learn. I once heard that The Japanese Ministry of Education has suggested one must know over 1000 Kanji to be able to read around 90% of what is written in a newspaper such as the popular Asahi Shimbun. In my opinion though, one must know at least 2000 Kanji to properly read around 75% of popular Japanese newspapers.

When I was attending an American university, it was extremely difficult to learn to write Japanese via free programs on the internet. There were learning CD software programs such as Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur, however, these were at the time pricey and not within my small university student budget. Now, it is easier for students to learn to write Japanese online for free. My personal favorite website to use right now is Language-8 since it allows users to write articles each day based on any topic. There are language learners from all over the world that correct each others' article. For instance, I write an article in Japanese and native Japanese people will correct each written error and give suggestions on how to write more fluently the next time around. It is a fantastic website that has doubled my language skills all within the first year of using it. I am learning to write better from this site and that speaks loads since I am indeed a translator. All levels are encouraged to write as little or as much as one pleases, all for my favorite price, free! There are other sites that integrate writing skills such as Learn to Speak however I have fallen in love with getting language corrections to my articles within seconds of publication. It is similar to having a native Japanese teacher correcting your written materials, minus the annoying red pen marks screaming out your mistakes.

Finally, the third principle part of learning Japanese is reading. Reading and writing is very similar however there are different types of software on the internet to help learn and/or improve ones' Japanese skills. Personally I love to use an internet based program called Smart FM. This site will allow users to freely create and save vocabulary lists into the system so that the user can read the items over and over to learn the terms. Not only can a user create ones' own vocabulary lists but also all other published lists that users have input into the system. It includes special learning software that allows a user to read sentences incorporating the vocabulary one is currently studying. In addition to this, the learner can even listen to a sentence and then is asked to type in the full sentence just heard.

Of course, the best way to learn how to read Japanese is to actually read blogs and other sites that contains ones' interests. For instance, I love a few blogs that contain cooking recipes of which I subscribe and read regularly. This keeps my interest in learning Japanese strong and keeping me going back to the internet for more reading daily. If you are a beginner to the language, you might have difficultly with reading blogs and other sites that contain full sentences. I would then suggest downloading "reading add-ons" to your browser of choice to assist you in reading difficult Kanji. For instance, Firefox has an add-on called Rikaichan that allows the user to hover ones mouse over just about any Japanese word and it will pop-up a dictionary definition for the reader. Then for more intermediate readers, there are multiple resources that can be used. There is an add-on by Fire Fox browser that is called Furigana Inserter that will insert the Latin alphabet (yes, the one we use in English) reading, called romaji. These add-on's are free to use and can make any new learning of the language enjoy all sorts of different Japanese websites.

Finally, my last word of suggestion for learning Japanese is to find a good Japanese online dictionary that you really enjoy to use. No, one does not even have to purchase a Japanese dictionary these days to learn the language. Even though my bookshelves are filled to the brim with millions Japanese dictionaries from around the world, I tend to use the online ones for more accuracy and speedy results. The verdict is still out for some people in the internet blogsphere of the pros and cons of internet dictionaries. Previous failed attempts at Japanese online translators have given all Japanese programs a bad wrap. But as a Japanese translator, I love the usage of these free online dictionaries and would suggest anyone to try them out. Not only do they contain less common Japanese words but generally the online options will have more slang words than formal book versions. My personal favorites right now are Denshi Jisho and also Space ALC which I use as a dictionary.

So, as for the question at hand, can a person really learn Japanese exclusively through the internet? Well, I believe one can learn through the internet if there is determination to learn the language. The internet is not going to come to the student, the student still has to go to the internet. But, at least the student can sit in ones pajamas on a comfortable bed or couch and learn instead of dressing up and running to classes each and every day. See, there are perks to learning a language online! Learners can now save money but also one can enjoy solitude in ones' house. All it takes is a little effort, a computer and an internet connection.