Complete Japanese: Teach Yourself Paperback – 25 Jun. 2010

This is very much a "first impressions" review - I have just started to learn Japanese, and purchased the Teach Yourself course along with the  Japanese from Zero! 1: Proven Techniques to Learn Japanese for Students and Professionals  (JFZ) first book to compare approaches.Teach Yourself Japanese is what I would describe as a traditional approach to language training - the gradual introduction of new vocabulary and grammar through various scenarios (shopping, asking directions) which give you a basic foundation in Part 1; and the development of more sophisticated structures and techniques in Part 2. This works very well for me as my own learning style is to want to understand the grammar thoroughly so I can develop my own use, rather than just memorise a selection of phrases without understanding what's behind their structure.I find the explanations thorough, consistent and easy to follow, and they build naturally. Grammar and vocabularly is thoroughly exercised so you can check your understanding before moving on to the next stage. I'd contrast this with the JFZ approach which I found a bit superficial, not always clear and sometimes out of sequence. The audio component is good as well, including reading passages, vocabularly, and exercise drills. Having audio support is essential for the development and checking of correct pronunciation, so it's good that the book and the CDs are in synchrony.The one drawback for me is that it defaults to romaji (Romanised script). Although it does develop kana and kanji, they're set out separately from the rest of the units in stand-alone sections. The explanation given is to allow those who want to develop their speaking skills to do so without having the added complication of the alphabets and character set, but I think it's reasonable to expect anyone who is serious enough about learning Japanese to buy this course to want to master both the spoken and the written elements of the language. So I would have preferred a progression from romaji through kana to kanji as the course progresses, rather than coping with Romanised script throughout.On that basis, I've given it a four-star and not a five-star review. However, that should not deter the serious student, as there are plenty of other products out there specifically designed to develop kana and kanji. For a relatively modest price, this course aims to take you to Common European Framework Level B2, which is an impressive level of achievement.It's not for the faint hearted or for someone wanting to spend 15 minutes a day memorising a few phrases! But if you're serious about learning, don't mind the lack of frills in the presentation, and are prepared to put in the time and effort to study hard, I would thoroughly recommend this product to you. Gambatte!

good for speaking but if you want to progress with hiragana as well go for the kanji version of Japanese for busy people

Fantastic quality - just like new with no creases, quick delivery too, thank you so much! :)

It is true. It teaches you to a good level, enough for a trip to Japan! Audio great, teaching strategies very effective

Seriously? When the CD dosnt follow the book?... yeah sadly no chance for anyone to learn then really :< sorry

Really fast delivery and perfect

There are a lot of typos in this, some may even affect your understanding of certain concepts. I only spotted them because I used other study materials. The fact that everything is romaji is a massive minus too, but I was learning the writing system with other materials so I didn't mind too much. This does contain quite a lot of grammar, in a well-presented way, and is good for reinforcing knowledge learnt elsewhere. But do not under any circumstances use this as your primary study material.

Broken down into nice easy sections; making it easy to follow, especially if you only have 5 mins to spare.The book that comes with it is great on its own or with the CDs.