Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Japanese, Premium Third Edition

by Eriko Sato

Everything you need to master first-year Japanese language essentials―clear explanations, tons of practice exercises, and NEW audio to improve your speaking and listening skills The most effective way to learn any new language is to practice, practice, and practice some more. In  Practice Makes Basic Japanese , you'll find all the practice you need to complete your first year of study. Based on the proven success of the Practice Makes Perfect series, this bestselling workbook offers easily digested short sections (each taking about 10 to 15 minutes to complete), clear explanations of grammar, and a solid grounding in basic vocabulary. Supported by the McGraw Hill Language Lab app,  Practice Makes Basic Japanese  also offers comprehensive digital support, with extensive audio recordings that provide the answer key for many exercises, so you can build your confidence in speaking and listening to the language by following the model of native Japanese speakers. With the instruction, explanations, and extensive practice in this book, you'll acquire all the knowledge and skills a first-year student is expected to master.

216 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2023

About the author

Eriko Sato, Ph.D is Assistant Professor of Japanese Linguistics and Pedagogy in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Sato's research interests include Japanese linguistics and pedagogy, translation studies, and second language acquisition. In addition to several journal articles in these research areas, Sato published a number of Japanese textbooks and grammar/kanji reference books. Sato serves as the advisor for Teacher Certification Program for Japanese, the Executive Committee Chair for the Japan Center at Stony Brook and the Director of the Pre-College Japanese Program.

Reviews

[Jessica Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It covers all aspects from Genki volume 1 with a few additional points but it doesn’t cover some of the nuances that really help you understand why you would use that grammar rule as opposed to a similar one.
I also noticed a few errors in the exercises, in one part it asked you to say that you want to eat sushi, yet the answer key showed すしがすき.
There is an app to accompany the book but it’s very limited.
However, it’s a very good introduction to Japanese grammar and gives the reader enough knowledge to start making sentences and having conversation.
I would recommend it to people just starting out in learning Japanese as it’s a fraction of the price of Genki, comes with 200 exercises and covers N5 subject matter.
Just maybe pair it with native speaking/writing apps such as Hello Talk for people to check your work.