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Language on a need-to-know basis No textbook necessary Action-based learning rather than theoretical study Each unit can be mastered in less than 20 minutes Flexible learning options throughout - learn just the basics or choose to deepen your knowledge with extra words and practice activities. Those with some prior knowledge of Japanese can skip directly to the 'further' options.
Review
Language on a need-to-know basis
No textbook necessary
Action-based learning rather than theoretical study
Each unit can be mastered in less than 20 minutes
Flexible learning options throughout - learn just the basics or choose to deepen your knowledge with extra words and practice activities. Those with some prior knowledge of
Japanese can skip directly to the 'further' options.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Having only ever tried to learn new languages in the classroom (at school or evening classes) I was intrigued to see how this 3 CD and booklet set would help me learn a language generally perceived to be very difficult to pick up.
The model is simple... you have a booklet to follow when listening to the CDs. Each track on each CD is easily referenced in the booklet so it's easy to stop and start your learning. Your guide is British who explains what you will be taught in each unit - an explanation of the expression to be learnt is given and you then hear two Japanese people (one male, one female) saying the expression which you then repeat. There's 12 units covering greetings, nationalities, occupations, directions, food, ordering and paying in restauran ts. And finally there's some extra wording in the booklet highlighting some basic history and tourist highlights of Japan.
It's easy to follow, covers the basic and probably is about as much as you could learn in a couple of weeks. However, if you think this will let you make basic conversation in Japanese you're going to disappointed. The vocabulary is very limited and although there's some language sections in each unit to give some words for that topic it's not really that well integrated.
I have a bit of an issue with this CD. If it's aimed the casual traveller then it should include basic reading to help recognise signs written in Kanji and some sort of dictionary at the back. Instead it teaches you "Ego ga wakarimasu ka?" which means "Do you understand English?" (to which the cynic would say if you asked that in English you'd get the same answer"!!). Conversely, if it's aimed at someone wanting to learn the language I think they would go for a more complex book / CD combo which covers reading, listening and speaking.
So to conclude if you want to be able to say the odd sentence when you are in Japan to avoid looking like the typical tourist then this is good, but for anything else I would suggest something a bit more advanced and if you do want this to give an intro to the language you must take a dictionary with on your travels.
The model is simple... you have a booklet to follow when listening to the CDs. Each track on each CD is easily referenced in the booklet so it's easy to stop and start your learning. Your guide is British who explains what you will be taught in each unit - an explanation of the expression to be learnt is given and you then hear two Japanese people (one male, one female) saying the expression which you then repeat. There's 12 units covering greetings, nationalities, occupations, directions, food, ordering and paying in restauran ts. And finally there's some extra wording in the booklet highlighting some basic history and tourist highlights of Japan.
It's easy to follow, covers the basic and probably is about as much as you could learn in a couple of weeks. However, if you think this will let you make basic conversation in Japanese you're going to disappointed. The vocabulary is very limited and although there's some language sections in each unit to give some words for that topic it's not really that well integrated.
I have a bit of an issue with this CD. If it's aimed the casual traveller then it should include basic reading to help recognise signs written in Kanji and some sort of dictionary at the back. Instead it teaches you "Ego ga wakarimasu ka?" which means "Do you understand English?" (to which the cynic would say if you asked that in English you'd get the same answer"!!). Conversely, if it's aimed at someone wanting to learn the language I think they would go for a more complex book / CD combo which covers reading, listening and speaking.
So to conclude if you want to be able to say the odd sentence when you are in Japan to avoid looking like the typical tourist then this is good, but for anything else I would suggest something a bit more advanced and if you do want this to give an intro to the language you must take a dictionary with on your travels.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
One of the most basic but effective ways of learning a language is - 'repetition'! So during the cassette tape era I used to play the language tapes just over and over again, in the car, in the kitchen, in the bedroom, in the street with a Sony Walkman - wherever possible.
In this sense this audio course has gone back to the basics as it comes with 3 audio CDs which are very nicely coordinated. In my view a language course with a CD is much better than one with a CD-ROM, because you can keep running it and you don't need a PC/Mac to use it. When you have time, you could sit down, listen to one of the CDs and use the colour booklet, which would help our 'adult brain' to comprehend the course, but after that stage - just keep playing it all the time, even with your iPod, and relax until you've memorised it completely, as you learned how to ride a bicycle and still remember how to cycle now.
Another good thing is that the entire course is guided with a very clear male voice with a British accent (not American!), and the conversation examples held in Japanese is also very clear Japanese female voices - I think the male guide is a complete bilingual.
This is a beginners' course, so if you're already studying at the intermediate level, this course may not be suitable for you, but still the quality is very good and not text-book based, which I like very much, I can recommend it to all the new Japanese learners.
Hope this helps!
In this sense this audio course has gone back to the basics as it comes with 3 audio CDs which are very nicely coordinated. In my view a language course with a CD is much better than one with a CD-ROM, because you can keep running it and you don't need a PC/Mac to use it. When you have time, you could sit down, listen to one of the CDs and use the colour booklet, which would help our 'adult brain' to comprehend the course, but after that stage - just keep playing it all the time, even with your iPod, and relax until you've memorised it completely, as you learned how to ride a bicycle and still remember how to cycle now.
Another good thing is that the entire course is guided with a very clear male voice with a British accent (not American!), and the conversation examples held in Japanese is also very clear Japanese female voices - I think the male guide is a complete bilingual.
This is a beginners' course, so if you're already studying at the intermediate level, this course may not be suitable for you, but still the quality is very good and not text-book based, which I like very much, I can recommend it to all the new Japanese learners.
Hope this helps!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I am considering working in Japan and decided to learn some of the language. I began by labouriously copying out symbols from a textbook but I found this course much quicker, simpler and more fun. It is ideal for giving you a basic verbal vocabulary so that you can at least begin to communicate.
Of course, it's not going to make you proficient in this extremely complex language but it's a good start. The one thing I found particularly helpful was that I could upload the course onto my MP3 player and carry it around and practice in a spare moment.
There is nothing revolutionary here, it is simply listen and repeat. However, it seems as good a system as any I have come across for learning a language. The course comprises three CDs and a booklet, it is straightforward to use, the instructions are clear and it is broken down into 12 sections.
There are male and female voices so that you can hear how different speakers pronounce the phrases, a feature which I found helpful. The sound quality was excellent. Most of the phrases are indeed the useful sort you would find yourself using and you're also taught what the various answers may be.
All in all, I found this an easy-to-use, fun and helpful course, which I would recommend for anybody who wanted to dip their toe into learning Japanese. I am now considering moving on to the Collins Easy Learning Mandarin Chinese.
Of course, it's not going to make you proficient in this extremely complex language but it's a good start. The one thing I found particularly helpful was that I could upload the course onto my MP3 player and carry it around and practice in a spare moment.
There is nothing revolutionary here, it is simply listen and repeat. However, it seems as good a system as any I have come across for learning a language. The course comprises three CDs and a booklet, it is straightforward to use, the instructions are clear and it is broken down into 12 sections.
There are male and female voices so that you can hear how different speakers pronounce the phrases, a feature which I found helpful. The sound quality was excellent. Most of the phrases are indeed the useful sort you would find yourself using and you're also taught what the various answers may be.
All in all, I found this an easy-to-use, fun and helpful course, which I would recommend for anybody who wanted to dip their toe into learning Japanese. I am now considering moving on to the Collins Easy Learning Mandarin Chinese.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fun, relaxed, introductory course
I've worked through a lot of CD-based language courses for other languages. Different courses suit different people. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. S. Hardman
Too basic to be able use in conversation
This CD is well laid out and the learning style is good, however after completing this course, I am not able to converse in Japanese. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Talese
Absolute beginners cannot go wrong with this course
Three weeks ago I knew no Japanese and now days later I know a bit, and I'm more every time I sit down. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Pancho
Easy to Learn
I have recently purchased the Collins Easy Learning Course - Japanese, as I am going to Japan in a few months time for a holiday. Read more
Published 9 months ago by sparkle
Konnichiwa.Great fo beginners.
I am interested in Japan and thought it would be fun to learn some of the language. The three CD's have useful if basic information. Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. Rowland
Praise for Collin's Easy Learning Japanese
This CD collection is easy to use and has a very simple approach to helping someone grasp the basics of the Japanese language. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Nick Ansell
My niece studies Japanese GCSE
And has enjoyed this as a supplement to her syllabus. I wouldn't drive the GCSE but as a further learning device this has been good for her. Read more
Published 11 months ago by M. de-layen Vian
For complete beginners only; otherwise OK
I listened to these CDs in the car *after* having worked my way through another (more extensive) CD-based introductory course in Japanese. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Marcus Denham
Great if you want to learn Japanese
I brought this for my daughter as she has started learning Japanese.We already had some books that were really good, but she wanted something other than a Tutor that she would be... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Ms Melendez
hai, wakarimasu (yes, I understand)
This is one of quite a few of these Collins Easy Learning audio courses I own. I can honestly say that I have always found them to be very good. Read more
Published on 9 May 2010 by hmcni
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