*HI I'm currently doing japanese and am in my second year in doing so except I have one problem. My sensei has to move slowly because I'm one of the only people who pick it up quickly and I'm getting very bored! I really want to speak fluently so I can help with translations and stuff but I just can't learn well enough! and I can't go on exchange because it costs too much!!!!!! @@

do you know anyone who speaks good/fluent japanese? I've found that speaking the language with someone who is knowledgeable of said language is a great way to boost your comprehension. It would be best to speak with someone who is a native japanese speaker but if you don't have that advantage then there's not much you can do besides studying hard and putting yourself out there.

there are also some summer camps out there that offer full immersion of a language, but I've only read up on it in the US, so if you live outside the US then I'm not really sure about language immersion camps.

lol sometimes, i have this kind of problem too...anyway, u should find someone who speaks japanese fluently or find someone like tat on the web...

I would *LOVE to help because i speak fluent japanese!!
Yay!
Okai lets start with the basics:
"Ogenki desu ka?" That means..."How are you" a simple greeting.
"Konnchiwa!" the famous (lol) saying that almost everyone knows.
The term of "desu" shows,a small phrase.

Theres alot more...a bit harder 2 pronounce..but..tell me if u want more!! *GLINT

I've been wondering, what does "desu" mean? *OMG , i think that it is just a cute way to say something, like:"kawai desu!", but i'm not sure.... *WHAT

desu doesn't really mean anything at all. It doesn't have any equivalent in English.

Ohh, i see *ARM ,
Arigatou Cheebs *XD

Yep..It doesnt mean anything rly.
People usually say that for..cute-ness.
Sometimes its an addiction.

Do you use 'desu'? *MTEA

I reccomend this:
Link: Book
Funny, I only got it in a book shop last year, but it already seems to be cancelled.

Konnichiwa - Hello.
Sayanora - Goodbye.
Ja ne - a term that little kids use...or grown ups.
Moshi Moshi - A phrase to talk on a phone.
Nihongo - Japanese.
Hagimashite - Good afternoon/etc.
Sumimesen - Sowwie/Excuse me.
Daijoubu -Im okay.
Desu - A way to finish a sentence.Shows formal.
ETC moreee

The best way to get started is through textbooks. I've heard Minna no Nihongo is good. And there'sa new one that teaches Japanese through manga, but I haven't heard any reviews of it. If you're serious, I would set a goal to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, probably level 5 or 4 on the new system. You can find study guides online.

For someone wanting to level up their Japanese reading, manga is the way to go. (Don't do like me and start with pirate stories, or you will come across as very rude in conversation.)
For beginners, Doraemon and Sazae-san have fairly direct grammar and common vocabulary.
For intermediates, school life manga can be very fun. BUT, it is very conversational, so it may be difficult to untangle the meaning of unfamiliar phrases. You can also try children's stories. I've been working my way through the Kiki books (the basis for Miyazaki's film Maho no Takyubin)
For advanced study, just about any manga will do, but you're better off working with novels and short story collections. Banana Yoshimoto's books are full of visual imagery, making them good jump-off points, particularly Kitchen. A lot of Japanese newspapers are online these days, too.
The biggest hurdle in reading is learning all the kanji. Kanji starter books only cover up to 500, usually, and the "tricks" they teach only get you through teh first 100 or so. The only really effective way is to drill them. I like the program KanjiKing if you have a PDA. I also really like the textbooks by Bonjinsha "Basic Kanji Book" volumes 1 and 2. There's a new intermediate one, too, I think.

For listening practice, again, anime is a good place to start. And like I said, don't go watching action shows, cuz you'll end up challenging your teacher to a fight. You can feel your brain cells rotting if you watch too much Doraemon and Anpanman. But Crayon Shin-chan is pretty entertaining. Japanese pop music is generally easy to understand and the pronunciation is clearer than American singers.
For intermediates, I found Japanese dramas very effective. Everything is so over-exaggerated and the plot-lines aren't that creative, so you can follow the story fairly well.
For advanced listening skills, the only way is to talk to Japanese people. Preferably over alcohol.

I would love to learn Japanese :) I have those learn through manga books! I am really busy the whole time so I'm only on the kana! I have learnt the katakana and am now starting on hirigana ( haha see so not anywhere!! ) but it's a start- the learn through manga books look quite good and would help with the Japanese Language Proficiency Test :) I also got a book with a CD to help with the talking side of Japanese- i hope i can learn more as I love it (even though I have always been awful at learning languages!) but mine is more of a hobby which I'll do now and again, but fingers crossed! hehehe :D

LOL! I would help you if I knew Japanese, but if you need help on Chinese, feel free to ask me! *EYES *XD

I really want to learn japanese and chinese but i think it would be hard. It would be really cool though. There's so many things to learn!!! *DROP *STRESS [COLOR=blue]