In this podcast news segment, I reiterate some of the announcements that I’ve made on the blog regarding Kimberly Fraser’s upcoming posts and the podcasting panel at Anime North 2009. I apologize for the lack of new episodes. At this time, I am putting all of my energy and effort into finding new employment, which […]

TJL News – May 17, 2009

In this episode, we talk about how to start learning and retaining Japanese vocabulary. Vocabulary is a crucial part of any language learning process.  It gives you the “what” to say where grammar is the “how.”  Acquiring a full vocabulary in another language is a long journey, but one which can be very rewarding. Cast: Enrico […]

Episode 6 – Words, Words, Words

In this episode, we discuss how to start learning and mastering the most complicated part of the Japanese writing system, the kanji.  The kanji are the characters that were integrated into the Japanese language from Chinese.  Over time, these characters have diverged slightly from their Chinese counterparts and are now a separate entity unto themselves […]

Episode 5 – Getting Started with Kanji

In our first special episode, the cast from episode 4 (with Michael sitting in for Kimberly) welcomes Enrico back from his trip to Japan.  Enrico tells tales of his trip and answers some interesting questions.  Also, we comtemplate the idea of opening an Anne of Green Gables themed Tim Horton’s and ponder the Japanese legal […]

Special Episode 1 – Enrico’s Back

Greetings from Asakusa! =D This is the first “Free Talk” episode. The concept? Get the guest speakers together, put a topic related to Japan and/or the Japanese language on the table, and let the conversation flow! In this episode, I fish for travel advice from the rest of the cast as I plan my long-awaited […]

Episode 4 – Free Talk, Sept. 5/08

In this episode, we talk about how to start speaking Japanese, how to practice, and how to keep on improving. Cast: Enrico Bianco, Kimberly Fraser, Anton Khan, Mike Oetlinger Related links: http://buna.arts.yorku.ca/japanese/ (Japanese Studies at York University, including free course materials) http://www.language-exchanges.org/ (The Mixxer: language exchange via Skype) http://lang-8.com/ (Language exchange – get your writing […]

Episode 3 – Getting Conversational

In this episode, we talk about how to start learning and mastering the two syllabic alphabets of Japanese, hiragana and katakana. Cast: Enrico Bianco, Kimberly Fraser, Mary Kita, Mike Oetlinger Related links: http://www.realkana.com/ (online site for practicing kana) http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/Download.htm (many learning materials to download for beginners) http://lrnj.com/ (the Japanese-learning RPG I mention in the episode) […]

Episode 2 – Tackling the Kana

This is the first official episode of the podcast. In this episode, we discuss the things you may want to know if you’re considering taking the plunge and starting your own journey to learn Japanese.  Plus, we give some tips and tricks on how to get started, even on a tight budget. Cast: Enrico Bianco, […]

Episode 1 – So You Want to Learn Japanese?

In this pilot episode, I discuss the purpose and goals of the podcast, and introduce myself as a learner of Japanese. The podcast officially kicks off from episode 1, “So You Want to Learn Japanese?” Related links: http://www.japanesepod101.com/ (JapanesePod101, the podcast I mention in the episode)

Episode 0 – Introduction

A podcast about learning Japanese, created by Japanese learners, for Japanese learners.  We discuss study tips and tricks, books and other materials, Japanese courses, long-term memorization strategies, and other topics related to the study of Japanese and all things Japan.

Some info could be put on a website so there is more room for language. Not my first choice for jp podcast..

Sounds like a good idea: discussions about the methodology of learning Japanese. What we get, though, is a bit disjointed: Which do you think the student should start with?  I started with Hiragana. Well I started with Katakana and I think that's the way to go. No, I think you should start with Hiragana. How about mnemonics?  I've heard a lot of people use them but I didn't.  Then there are the discussions about a trip to Japan that one of them took:  Did you do/try/go to (insert unknown Japanese word here)?  Yes I did. What did you think about it?  OR No I didn't. Oh, I can't believe you went to Japan and didn't do (unknown Japanese word). WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?  Then there are the repetitive mentions of Anne of Green Gables. I don't know what that is either, but Canadians have it and Americans don't. So, there you have it. There is some useful information, but you have to wade through things like (unknown Japanese store X) is a lot like (unknown Canadian store Y). Good luck.

Good concept, needs work

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