Accept this method for what it is and you will be very happy, September 9, 2004

To begin, a few comments to set the tone of this review... Yes, it is very expensive. Yes, it is audio only (which is the point). Yes, there is no explanation of the Japanese syllabaries. Yes, it is worth every penny.

Japanese I (3rd Edition) teaches you how to speak Japanese as a child would. When children are learning in the home, they are not assaulted from all angles with text books and written explanations. They learn by listening. Then, later in life, things like how to write the language they already know, and learning the reasoning behind the grammar picked up through speaking, all fall into place. As an adult, you can take extra advantage of this because of our enhanced ability to reason, and make deductions on what we already know.

This first level of the Pimsleur Japanese course focuses mostly on simple and essential phrases you will need to know to get around in Japan. You learn greetings, how to convey your mastery (or lack thereof) of the language, how to get to and from important places, counting (and money), and so on. Each lesson has a simple and logical progression, teaching you new things and then building upon the usage of what you just learned. The lessons also flow into each other, and usually have several minutes of review at the beginning of each one. They also make a point of bringing words you haven't used in a few lessons back into fresh memory by incorporating them into the new material you are learning. 100% mastery of each lesson is not necessary, as nearly everything you learn is reinforced repeatedly in following lessons. Being able to answer in about 80% of the situations is a more realistic goal. It is important to only do one lesson per day, although that one lesson can be reviewed repeatedly during the same day. Also, note taking or transcribing what you are hearing is discouraged as it will actually undermine the method used in this course.

So, I wholeheartedly recommend this course. It does exactly what it claims to do, which is help you learn to speak Japanese. If you are looking to do more than just speak the language, I still recommend this product, as hearing native speakers is invaluable. A few points to consider on your quest for fluency... It has become accepted among many modern educators that learning the kana (the syllable based writing of Japanese) as early as possible can make learning Japanese much easier. Knowing the kana helped me avoid thinking of the things I was learning in this course "in English", and instead I could visualize the words spelled out in Japanese in my head. This extra immersion was very helpful. The "readings" (extra audio to be listened to after the lessons) are also nice for insight into cultural differences and grammar in Japan. All in all, an excellent product!

Worth the money? I'm not sure., July 26, 2004

I am about half way through Pimsleur's Japanese I tapes. Although the real test will be when I arrive in Japan, I can already say that I have learned quite a bit. The Pimsleur format is great because it really helps with listening skills and pronunciation. I find the lessons easy to follow along with and I retain most of the vocubalary. I was previously working from the Japanese for Busy People book alone, and I can tell you that the Pimsleur tapes have saved me from mispronouncing a lot of the words I learned. All in all, I am quite pleased with the tapes.

However, I cannot say that they are worth the incredibly high price. They are, after all, little more than cassettes/CDs that consist of Japanese speakers repeating words and phrases. I cannot imagine why the price is so high. Were this product about a third of its present price, I would rate it 4 or 5 stars. My advice: buy it used, borrow from a friend, split the cost with someone, or check the library.

Pimsleur Japanese I, October 17, 2001

I bought the 4 tape version originally, then purchased this full version and find it a great way to begin a study of the Japanese language. This system does not require that you follow along with a study guide or write things so it is ideal to use during the wasted hours most of us use up while commuting to work. But, this is in no way a complete system. Although you will get a basic knowledge of the language, if you ever hope to become truly proficient in Japanese, you will need to buy several books to study from along with this course. Using the Pimsleur system and a few text books enables you to not only see and learn the correct structure of the language, but also (via the tapes) hear the spoken language in a logical progression of lessons. So, the bottom line is that this is a good starting point, but it must be supplemented with good text books and if at all possible, exposure to actual people fluent in Japanese.

a few tips, November 27, 2001

I'm currently using Pimsleur to learn Japanese and Cantonese, and I'm thrilled with my progress. Pimsleur has a truly effective system for learning language painlessly and effectively.

I've noticed, though, that on many Pimsleur reviews here on Amazon, people say they needed to listen to each tape 4-5 times before they felt they knew the material. Fortunately, that's not necessary. Here's how to make equal progress on just one listening: Each time you're prompted to come up with an answer on your own, *stop the tape* and give yourself time to think before you get interrupted by the soundtrack. If the tape gives you the answer before you've come up with an answer yourself, you haven't learned anything.

Irreplaceable., November 4, 2004

There have been a lot of attempts to create a Japanese audio course as well as Pimsleur has managed to, but they always fall short for various reasons. The lessons are executed without the necessity to read or write anything, which seperates them immediately from most any other "comprehensive" courses. With just a half hour a day, you'll be able to hold a very basic conversation with another person in Japanese - and you'll be preparing yourself for further study, too! I agree with other reviewers that the course has some faults: pricey, weird female voice, and the male voice is too fast. But since there really is no alternative to Pimsleur for its method and quality, these problems are irrelevant. Highly recommended to those who wish to develop a motivation for further study in Japanese and get used to hearing and speaking the language on a fundamental level.

Substitute for Classroom Instruction, September 10, 2004

I'm just completing the Level 1 CDs, which I use in conjunction with "Japanese for Everyone". The CDs were an acceptable substitute for the conversational aspect of a class. (A class would be ideal, but I couldn't find one.) The constant switching between English and Japanese prevents you from fully entering Japanese-language mode, but hey, what else can they do on audio CDs? There's the strong advantage of being able to listen in the car, but drive carefully; it took some practice before I could concentrate on both the road and the CDs.

I found it useful to listen to each lesson twice, the second time pausing the CD after each new phrase and writing it down (not while driving :-). This formed a more concrete memory and provided concise notes for later review. A pace of one lesson per day (or two days at most) is ideal; slower is almost as bad as going too fast.

Although the CDs are repetitive and don't teach a ton of vocabulary, they help to develop natural language patterns, correct grammar, and a decent accent.