I'm Learning Japanese!: Learn to Speak, Read and Write the Basics

by Christian Galan, Florence Lerot-Calvo (Illustrator)

This is a fun and entertaining beginner level children's Japanese language book (9 years old and up) that is also appropriate for adults.

I'm Learning Japanese! takes a lighthearted approach to the Japanese language by using fun anime-style manga characters to teach Japanese. The book starts out with the main characters, Emily, Nico and Teo sitting on the grass after school, minding their own business, when--unbelievable!--a giant talking fox dressed in a kimono appears. Explaining that he knows magic, speaks many languages and is respected as a sensei master, he wonders if the three kids are ready to learn Japanese from him.

During the next 128 amusing pages, the three friends learn to speak, read and write Japanese, while also taking breaks to try Japanese hot-spring baths, sumo wrestling, Zen meditation and more. Focusing on exactly what the 9 to 14-year-old learner wants to know, this book is carefully set up to allow them to learn Japanese independently, at their own speed, without an adult's help.

Though fun and lighthearted, this book is incredibly practical as well. An excellent learning resource whether you're 5 or 50! By the end, students will master reading and writing the entire Hiragana alphabet, Japanese sentence structure and 23 key Kanji characters.

Genres: Language, Japanese Literature

128 pages, Paperback

Published October 29, 2019

About the author

Christian Galan is head of the Japanese department at the University of Toulouse le Mirail and is a researcher at the Centre d'Etudes Japonaises in Paris, part of the National Institute of Asian Languages and Civilizations (Inalco). His specialties are the Japanese educational system and Japanese language teaching. He is the author of several language resources for Japanese teachers.

Reviews

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Definitely not a fan of the graphics and awkward kitsune sensei narrative…

The information in here, mostly characters and basic sentence structure and vocabulary, was presented in an easy to understand and evenly paced way.

[Jade Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly helpful in helping me establish a firm understanding of Japanese (basic) grammar. Not to it was easy to follow, refreshing in its dialogue, and was incredibly intuitive to use!

There are breaks in between lessons with fun cultural facts, constant refreshers, and great practice with the intention to build confidence and succeed. I highly recommend this book for anyone familiar with Hiragana but really wanting to break through the grammar barrier in order to begin a deeper understanding of the process and vocabulary.

I honestly wish this was a series. I want more of the gradual advancements and adorable (& stoic) Kitsune-Sensei.

**
A note: I was able to finish this book in a total of 4.5 hours (2 sittings) so keep that in mind depending on your skill level. But I still say it's worth the price if you actually go step by step with what they are asking.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy until it suddenly gets very tricky! But I was also studying another beginner Japanese text before this one so I already had a pretty solid grasp on at least the basic of the basics. This one was nice because it had various examples and focused on some other thongs my previous workbook hadn’t. I won’t say the artwork is my favorite but it’s functional and someone else might love it more. I would say this is a good starting point, speaking as a pure beginner. 🙂