Cool, it's great to see other JFE fans out there!
In February 2005 a local Japanese teacher called to let me know that she was starting a new class. She had been using JfBP and didn't like it, so she was going to use JFE. I'd never heard of it before, but got a look at it that weekend and immediately signed up: it looked like a great book to use for learning a language. Since March of 05 I've been in the class for a total of 12 months or so, and we've been averaging about a lesson per month (one class per week, give or take). It's been slower than I'd like, but I'm not a full-time student: I have a wife, 2 kids, full-time job, side business and this is, after all, just a hobby.
Overall, I love this book. It was a great value for $20 (at Amazon). I'd praise it more but I've already done that in a review I wrote last year. In case anyone's interested, I also wrote up a few words on my JFE study method.
A year ago I got my hands on the cassettes through the local library system and converted them to MP3s to use on my player. Granted, they only include the dialogs, Reading Comp Exercise and Listening Exercise (along with an occasional Japanese song), but don't underestimate the power of audio. During the month it takes to work through a lesson I listen to the dialogs 30-50 times and guess what? After a dozen times or so, parts of the dialog start sticking in my head. After another dozen times, I'm able to whip out phrases and sentences at near-native speed. And the audio can occasionally clear up some slightly confusing parts of the dialogs. Check your local library--you just might be pleasantly surprised.
So yes, I'm pleased with JFE and recommend it to lots of people. Something that might be profitable would be a Skype group to work together on lessons or practice some of the exercises from the book, which can be difficult for those studying the book on their own.
In February 2005 a local Japanese teacher called to let me know that she was starting a new class. She had been using JfBP and didn't like it, so she was going to use JFE. I'd never heard of it before, but got a look at it that weekend and immediately signed up: it looked like a great book to use for learning a language. Since March of 05 I've been in the class for a total of 12 months or so, and we've been averaging about a lesson per month (one class per week, give or take). It's been slower than I'd like, but I'm not a full-time student: I have a wife, 2 kids, full-time job, side business and this is, after all, just a hobby.
Overall, I love this book. It was a great value for $20 (at Amazon). I'd praise it more but I've already done that in a review I wrote last year. In case anyone's interested, I also wrote up a few words on my JFE study method.
A year ago I got my hands on the cassettes through the local library system and converted them to MP3s to use on my player. Granted, they only include the dialogs, Reading Comp Exercise and Listening Exercise (along with an occasional Japanese song), but don't underestimate the power of audio. During the month it takes to work through a lesson I listen to the dialogs 30-50 times and guess what? After a dozen times or so, parts of the dialog start sticking in my head. After another dozen times, I'm able to whip out phrases and sentences at near-native speed. And the audio can occasionally clear up some slightly confusing parts of the dialogs. Check your local library--you just might be pleasantly surprised.
So yes, I'm pleased with JFE and recommend it to lots of people. Something that might be profitable would be a Skype group to work together on lessons or practice some of the exercises from the book, which can be difficult for those studying the book on their own.