anyone use video courses?

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Reply #1 - 2009 April 19, 6:36 pm
squiggyflop Member
From: usa Registered: 2009-03-19 Posts: 27

ive got lets learn japanese
info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let's_Learn_Japanese
i bought it in the form of a data dvd and burned it to dvd..
i love watching the skits with yan and then having the grammar explained to me in plain english.. i am especially bad with grammar but the teachers in this really make things like conjugating verbs seem simple.. i like how first you watch the skit with yan then its explained then you watch some skits put on by the teachers that cement the grammar usage in your brain and then you go back and watch the original yan skit.. its brilliant in my opinion.. plus i find that it actually works.. its not stand alone but its a nice way to learn the grammar painlessly while you use other methods like rosetta stone or anki to increase your vocabulary.. i really like the lessons on counters.. counters confuse me.. but the little skits help.. 

when i started watching the video course i was put off by the traffic taxi directions skit.. so i stopped watching for like a month.. it took me 12 years to remember left from right in english and sometimes i still mess up so i was extra confused when i tried it in japanese.. however once i found my disks again ive started up again.. i watch them when i take a bath (i have a back condition that baths help with and baths are boring so dad bought me a dvd player just for bathtime) now bathtime is productive time..

im hoping that once i watch the dvds a couple of times i will be able to move on to the third installment of the series thats tought entirely in japanese (from what ive seen on youtube) i think its called erins adventure.. its got kana and i think it might even have kanji in it.. which i hope will speed up my reading..

oh and there is a mini show on tv japan.. mini japanese lessons.. from what i can tell its to teach kanji not actual spoken japanese.. i love the play on words that sound the same.. plus the old guy is quite endearing.. there is just something friendly about him..
i watched the one for gomen kudasai.. the skit in the beginning was funny because the man said gomen kudasai on the phone and a man delivered 5 masks because he thought thats what the guy on the phone asked for.. and it showed how even though it was pronounced the same it had different kanji..  of course i dont understand much spoken japanese so its hard to get through the show.. thank goodness its only like 5 minutes long

so does anyone else here like video lessons?
do you know of any good ones?
have any of you heard of the ones i mentioned?

ETA oops.. i think i accidentally put this in the wrong section.. is there any way to move it?

Last edited by squiggyflop (2009 April 19, 6:43 pm)

Reply #2 - 2009 April 19, 8:33 pm
Jarvik7 Member
From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

I started out with these tapes (Let's Learn Japanese) way back when, although I never finished the season (or the series). I think it is actually pretty useful as far as multimedia study aids go.

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2009 April 19, 8:33 pm)

Reply #3 - 2009 April 19, 8:33 pm
Zarxrax Member
From: North Carolina Registered: 2008-03-24 Posts: 949

I've watched some of those and enjoyed it at first. After watching a few episodes though, it felt like some of the stuff was painfully easy for me as I already knew it, while I was having difficulty with other parts of it. I would always lose interest during the easy parts and forget to start paying attention again later... so I eventually stopped watching. I might give them another shot though now that you have reminded me.

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Reply #4 - 2009 April 19, 9:01 pm
liosama Member
From: sydney Registered: 2008-03-02 Posts: 896

I recommend it. I haven't finished the series either, but I like how they play the video again and again so you eventually grasp everything an episode or two later.

I used to watch 1 episode every night , i might get back to it soon.

If they took out waste of time parts like the hiragana section (which i just skip), and if the darn american lady spoke with NORMAL ******* SPEED not 1 word per minute then it'd be much better.

Maybe i'm high on coffee or something, but all in all the speed is really slow.

Reply #5 - 2009 April 19, 9:12 pm
Jarvik7 Member
From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

My recommendation for the series only extends to those who are starting from 0 Japanese knowledge.

Reply #6 - 2009 April 19, 9:28 pm
squiggyflop Member
From: usa Registered: 2009-03-19 Posts: 27

Jarvik7 wrote:

My recommendation for the series only extends to those who are starting from 0 Japanese knowledge.

its ok for people starting from 0 but i think its better for people who know a whole ton of words but lack in grammar.. i for one have never taken a real class and because of this i just kept memorizing words and forgot about grammar.. i tried reading grammar texts but my dyslexia makes reading complicated things very unpleasant so i gave up quick.. i think if people start from absolute zero and hop on the 'lets learn japanese' wagon then they would maybe need some flashcards for the vocab in the show..  the show might be rather tough for true beginners..

Reply #7 - 2009 April 19, 10:37 pm
cerulean Member
From: Ohio Registered: 2008-05-09 Posts: 133

Let's Learn Japanese is how I first started learning Japanese.  I really liked it!

There's a second series of Let's Learn Japanese that concludes Yan's story.. It's good, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first series..  I've been lingering over Japanese Basic I and II without having finished it yet, but it's helpful too. (the one with David Roberts)

Reply #8 - 2009 April 19, 10:54 pm
Katsuo M.O.D.
From: Tokyo Registered: 2007-02-06 Posts: 887 Website

squiggyflop wrote:

ive got lets learn japanese
info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let's_Learn_Japanese

Their latest series, "Erin's Challenge", mentioned at the bottom of the page you linked to, is quite entertaining. It's still being repeated on NHK.
The Japan Foundation (who make both programs) have more details エリンが挑戦！にほんごできます。 (Erin's Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese.)

You can buy the three textbooks for the series either with (2,400 yen each) or without (550 yen each) a DVD. Each DVD has over 3 hours of material, including some extras not shown on TV.

Reply #9 - 2009 April 20, 7:24 pm
squiggyflop Member
From: usa Registered: 2009-03-19 Posts: 27

Katsuo wrote:

squiggyflop wrote:

ive got lets learn japanese
info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let's_Learn_Japanese

Their latest series, "Erin's Challenge", mentioned at the bottom of the page you linked to, is quite entertaining. It's still being repeated on NHK.
The Japan Foundation (who make both programs) have more details エリンが挑戦！にほんごできます。 (Erin's Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese.)

You can buy the three textbooks for the series either with (2,400 yen each) or without (550 yen each) a DVD. Each DVD has over 3 hours of material, including some extras not shown on TV.

oooo there are textbooks for that one.. hmm perhaps for christmas next year ill get them with the money my mom usually sends me.. or ill just ask dad for them come december.. oh but then another year will go by without me getting the present ive been wanting for years (booty type house slippers with rubber soles).. i swear every year i tell myself that ill finally get the slippers and every year something comes up where i finish a text book or i need some learning aid and the slippers are replaced with something else.. i must sound so spoiled already talking about christmas and getting presents..

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