I have been learning Japanese for a few years. I have went through a lot of materials, both helpful and those that are not so helpful. In this post, I am going to share those materials that I think might help you to learn Japanese.
1. Japanesepod101 - This is actually where I learned my Japanese. It is a teaching Japanese language podcast that started in late 2005. I started listening to them around 2006 and have been listening to most of their lessons. Without attending any Japanese class, I have achieved an intermediate level, I am still listening to it now. If you are a serious Japanese learner, I highly recommend you to subscribe to them and follow through their lessons.
2. Tae Kim Japanese Grammar Guide - I use this site as a complement material to my Jpod101 course, this is a very useful guide that help you to understand basic to intermediate level grammar.
3. An Introduction to Japanese Grammar - This is a PDF guide that can be downloaded online free, it is written Michiel Kamermans, according to him, he compiled his Japanese notes to make this PDF. I found it very comprehensive, it explains a lot of grammar points that are not even explained in most textbooks. Very useful to carry this PDF around, especially in your computer or PDA. You can refer to the grammars if you have no internet access, very handy.
4. Jim Breen's Japanese-English Online Dictionary - This is probably the best online dictionary for Japanese learners, it also has audio for the pronunciation of words. If you are learning Japanese, this is must to bookmark.
5. Visualizing Japanese Grammar - An online video grammar course produced by George Washington University, since it comes with video, it is extremely useful. One of the Japanese learning materials that you can just sit back, relax and watch.
6. Surasura - An Text for Intermediate Japanese - One of the best intermediate materials online, learning Japanese is easy in the beginning, but it is tough as you progress, not only because of the nature of the language, more importantly there is a lack of materials that bridge you from intermediate to advanced level.
7. Japanese Dramas with Japanese Subtitles - When you reach intermediate level, one of the best way to improve your Japanese is actually watching Japanese shows, however Japanese shows can be tough for an intermediate, therefore having Japanese subtitles really helps out a lot. It help you to understand those phrases that are spoken too fast, you can also pause the show and check your grammar book or dictionary. D-addicts provides a lot of Japanese subtitles, you can download most of the dramas from that site too.
I will continue to update this post if I discovered more useful Japanese learning materials. If you know of any, please feel free to let me know.
