http://www.gobenkyou.com

I figured I'd try to make something useful when I decided to pick up Ruby/Rails. It's a taggable database of Japanese learning resources.

If you have a few moments, check it out. Create an account, vote and comment on some sites, and please add your favorite links! Let me know what I can do to make the site more useful for you.

Books, software, dvds, etc. are okay too, but to keep things consistent, please link to the Amazon.com's product page.

Or, if you're lazy, just post the link here with a short description and I'll do all the hard work myself.

Now that I've finished RTK1, I've decided to start perusing kanjiclinic.com. It has a rich variety of columns, links, and articles on Japanese kanji readings. My interview with Heisig appears there but I actually decided not to really start using the site until I finished RTK 1. Now the kanji mentioned are less of a jumble to me. Check it out, especially once you finish RTK1. And you will finish RTK1.

taijuando Wrote:Now that I've finished RTK1, I've decided to start perusing kanjiclinic.com. It has a rich variety of columns, links, and articles on Japanese kanji readings. My interview with Heisig appears there but I actually decided not to really start using the site until I finished RTK 1. Now the kanji mentioned are less of a jumble to me. Check it out, especially once you finish RTK1. And you will finish RTK1.

I like it, a nice collection. i did find a couple links I didn't know about.

laxxy Wrote:

taijuando Wrote:Now that I've finished RTK1, I've decided to start perusing kanjiclinic.com. It has a rich variety of columns, links, and articles on Japanese kanji readings. My interview with Heisig appears there but I actually decided not to really start using the site until I finished RTK 1. Now the kanji mentioned are less of a jumble to me. Check it out, especially once you finish RTK1. And you will finish RTK1.

I like it, a nice collection. i did find a couple links I didn't know about.

a couple small notes: it is currently not possible to edit anythign as an attempt results in a server error. also, the logo on top should take one to the index page. you might want to clean up the keywords a bit (flashcard/flashcards?)

I was wondering if anyone had used japanesepod101.com and whether they liked it or not.

I regularly use JapanesePod101, and it's certainly worthwhile. The audio blogs themselves are free, and that's all I need. The beginner lessons are a good introduction to the spoken language even for absolute beginners. I've followed them through to 120 or so, just for listening practice and picking up vocabulary. Lately I've stopped doing them because I'm not picking up much new stuff anymore, so now I mainly drop by for the intermediate lessons. The intermediate lessons definitely use some more complex sentences at a normal speed, I'd say they are good practice for JLPT level 3.

Downside of JPod101 is that they focus more on the beginner side. Intermediate lessons only come out once a week, and recently they started another category of lower-intermediate blogs. There's not much there for people who are a bit more advanced, but what they have, is excellent.

I'd agree with Piitaa's post on the whole although I've only listened to the Intermediate lessons. That said I only got to lesson 10 or so. The format is really good. They let you listen to a Japanese conversation then they go through the conversation again but translate it into English after each line. Then after that the focus on some vocab and phrases from the role play that they feel is useful.

The reasons I stopped were that the role plays began to wind me up. Why do a role play when they could have been themselves and had a "real" conversation? Also the American guy (Peter?) kept telling us "We're having so much fun" - "This is so much fun" but I just wasn't feeling it.

The language content is really good so I'd give it a bash and see how you get on.

p.s. I have nothing against Americans...or guys!

synewave Wrote:Also the American guy (Peter?) kept telling us "We're having so much fun" - "This is so much fun" but I just wasn't feeling it.

I too feel quite weird about it, it seems to be typical tone on American radio and podcasts.

I go there every day for some simpler native speaker stuff. Plus, there's a transcript of what was said. I go every day, so I get a real mix of levels. I find the Sunday audio blog the most complex of the mix. It's free too, and that's hard to beat.

taijuando Wrote:I was wondering if anyone had used japanesepod101.com and whether they liked it or not.

I did try it once and did not like it at all; later I came across japancast.net which is basically the same thing and liked it a lot more.

RoboTact Wrote:

synewave Wrote:Also the American guy (Peter?) kept telling us "We're having so much fun" - "This is so much fun" but I just wasn't feeling it.

I too feel quite weird about it, it seems to be typical tone on American radio and podcasts.

They're probably told they have to sound enthousiastic etc. I also don't particularly like those forced-happy sales pitches, but I usually just skip them since the content itself is definitely good. The weekly Miki's blog is indeed hardest, good for practice, but not so much explanation. That said I do like it.

laxxy Wrote:I did try it once and did not like it at all; later I came across japancast.net which is basically the same thing and liked it a lot more.

Thanks for the pointer, I didn't know about that site. Got to check it sometime soon.

Yeah, I listened to the first 40 or so of Jpod101, got really tired of the American guy and gave up. Might try again, but I'd really like some better listening material for the daily dogwalk. Yomiuri podcasts are a little too fast.

Early in 2006 chinesepod101.com had a series of Mandarin-learning podcasts for Japanese learners. Now those were fun: lots of repetition, and it was beginner-level Chinese so they translated to a lot of beginner-level Japanese. Unfortunately that section of the website is gone now, so I have to appreciate the 1.5 dozen I managed to download.

This is a great resource. I saw it when you posted about it on the Something Awful Forums. I found this very site and some other useful ones through it, nice work

One tip I got from the pod site was to get on to another site, jgram.org. You can sign up for daily grammar emails. You choose a JLPT ability level and have grammar points sent to you each day. So far I'm confused by the Japanese 3 level emails. What's nice is that people add their comments on the lesson so you get input (and possibly misinformation) from students of Japanese around the world....try it if you are actually learning to communicate in Japanese...

There is also Jim Breen's own monster list of links. It is not as well laid out as yours though, good job!

You get used to Peter after a while, maybe even like him in a weird way. Only thing I always cringed about is his accent, if you are in Japan at least learn to say Sakuras name with proper intonation so it sounds natural.. but every time he says it's like an American with no Japanese background would. "oh noes.... there he goes again"

Maybe it's just me though, my Japanese friends say I have no discern-able accent at all.

Piitaa Wrote:I regularly use JapanesePod101, and it's certainly worthwhile. The audio blogs themselves are free, and that's all I need.

Just been back to have a look at the Japanesepod101 site and it has been completely revamped since I was last there. Loads of different types of podcasts too.

Not had a chance to listen yet but the ones by Miki look really interesting.

Definitely going to give it another go.

Thanks for the recommendation Piitaa!