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Japanese from Zero! 1: Proven Techniques to Learn Japanese for Students and Professionals 6th Edition

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 8,154 ratings

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This is the LATEST EDITION (Update 8.0)

Japanese From Zero!
is an innovative and integrated approach to learning Japanese developed by professional Japanese interpreter George Trombley and co-writer Yukari Takenaka.

The lessons and techniques used in this series have been taught successfully for over ten years in classrooms throughout the world. Using up-to-date and easy-to-grasp grammar, Japanese From Zero! is the perfect course for current students of Japanese as well as absolute beginners.

In Book 1 of the Japanese From Zero! series, readers are taught new grammar concepts, over 800 new words and expressions, and also learn the hiragana writing system.

Features of Book 1:
* Integrated Workbook with Answer Key
* Over 800 New Words and Expressions
* Learn to Read and Write Hiragana
* Easy-to-Understand Example Dialogues
* Culture Points about Japan
* Bilingual Glossaries with Kana and Romaji
...and much more!

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From the Publisher

Japanese From Zero! 1 Tanking You From Zero to Fluent! book detail banner
Japanese From Zero! 1

An Innovative Way to Learn Japanese!

Japanese From Zero! is an innovative and integrated approach to learning Japanese that has been used successfully for over 25 years by students all over the world.

Written for students of every level and background, Japanese From Zero! is the perfect course for current students of Japanese as well as absolute beginners.

Features of Book 1

  • Beginner Japanese Taught in an Easy Engaging Style
  • Multiple Examples for Every Concept Taught
  • Master Over 800 New Words and Expressions
  • Learn to Read and Write Hiragana
  • Explore Japanese Culture
  • Integrated Workbook with Answer Key

Designed to Help You Every Step of the Way - Achieve Your Japanese Learning Goals!

Learn to Speak Read Write Japanese

Learn to Speak, Read, and Write!

With lessons and exercises that cover everything you need to truly master Japanese, you’ll soon be reading, writing, and creating your very own Japanese sentences. Go beyond memorizing and start learning!

Self-Study Japanese

Perfect for Self-Study!

Created specifically for self-studiers, every lesson has been carefully designed to guide you step-by-step without the need for help from a teacher or tutor. It’s your very own classroom in a book!

Integrated Workbook and Activities Japanese

Integrated Workbook!

Reinforce the concepts you’ve learned, and take your Japanese to the next level with a variety of fun activities and exercises. With no need to buy a separate workbook, it’s like 2 books in 1!

Japanese From Zero! 1 Take your first step to learning Japanese! Book Detail Footer Image

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Trombley is a professional Japanese interpreter who over the past 16 years has interpreted for corporations such as Microsoft, IBM, NTT DoCoMo, Lucent Technologies, and in countries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In addition to Japanese, George has also co-authored the Korean From Zero! series and consulted on Chinese, French, and Spanish language books. Yukari Takenaka moved from Himeji, Japan to the United States, and taught Japanese for over 10 years while co-authoring custom lessons for students that eventually became the basis of the Japanese From Zero! book series. Prior to becoming an author, Yukari worked in Japan as a professional in the medical industry. She continues to write Japanese related materials to support her passion for teaching Japanese.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Learn From Zero; 6th edition (August 22, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0976998122
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0976998129
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.44 x 0.85 x 9.69 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 8,154 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
8,154 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's learning style suitable for beginners. They find the grammar explanations easy to understand, and the exercises make memorizing phrases easier. The book is described as fun, engaging, and inviting by customers. It moves at a good pace that allows them to learn the Kana at the same time. Customers find it effective and great for learning Japanese. Overall, they consider it a valuable resource and worth the money.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

646 customers mention "Learning style"613 positive33 negative

Customers find the book's learning style engaging and suitable for beginners. They find it a good self-study course with enough content to keep them engaged. The lessons are lighthearted and fun, making learning Japanese more enjoyable than memorizing vocabulary. The book also includes short videos of the author teaching different topics.

"...Your vocabulary is shown in hiragana, katakana (when applicable, ie: with fruit : furuutsu) and kanji (if applicable).. then the meaning of the word..." Read more

"...One thing that I appreciate is that he gives you a quick rundown of the formal Japanese (so that you recognize it when it pops up), but then focuses..." Read more

"...This book is AMAZING. It walks you through learning the alphabet (Hirigana to be precise) and I like how it doesn’t make it too complicated to..." Read more

"...Im actually on the the third book for this course. It starts to introduce Kanji. Along with continued learning of hiragana and katakana...." Read more

466 customers mention "Ease of understanding"425 positive41 negative

Customers find the grammar easy to understand. They learn common words and numbers starting with the prefix. The book teaches basic sentence building and revisits concepts at each step, making it easier to memorize certain phrases. Readers appreciate the examples and reading comprehension exercises used by the author. The book explains concepts clearly without boring them with linguistic jargon or overly complex explanations for grammar rules. It teaches you how to speak in actual sentences, not memorize phrases.

"...The grammar is presented so that it's not overwhelming and make you think "oh my god I can't do this".. the lessons are short & not bogged down with..." Read more

"This book is amazing. George Trombley does a great job at explaining concepts...." Read more

"...It has lessons and activities, it has where you can practice hand writing and little test. Literally the best way you can learn in just one book...." Read more

"...issues still but this aurthor has given us one of the easiest Japanese courses to follow along that i have had...." Read more

111 customers mention "Fun to learn"111 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and effective for learning Japanese. They appreciate the stories, examples, and exercises that make it approachable.

"...If you get this series, you won't be disappointed. It's simple, fun and really is wonderful!" Read more

"...I just love how fun this book is and how delightful it has made me to want to continue and the confidence to learn Japanese...." Read more

"I found this book to be well-written, clear, and enjoyable. However, I've struggled to maintain a regular practice routine...." Read more

"...JFZ 1 is a refreshingly manageable and even entertaining book that leads the learner by small steps to a good knowledge of the language and culture...." Read more

99 customers mention "Pace"77 positive22 negative

Customers find the book's pace good. The grammar explanations are gradual and comfortable. They find it easy to give it 30-40 minutes per day and look forward to it. The way it moves on gradually is very helpful, as each chapter slowly builds up the structures.

"...think "oh my god I can't do this".. the lessons are short & not bogged down with stuff that you don't really need to know to just be able to talk..." Read more

"...Back to the book. PROS 1. Its main strength is its gradual, no pressure introduction to hiragana (one of the two phonetic alphabets), plus..." Read more

"...useful (as opposed to just memorizing words) and at a pace that really fits a busy schedule...." Read more

"...out there with the more casual, modern way it's written, the slower pace, and the way it hammers in one or two grammer points at a time instead of..." Read more

66 customers mention "Effectiveness"63 positive3 negative

Customers find the book effective for learning Japanese. They appreciate the useful examples, review, and practice. The book presents concepts in an easy-to-understand way. Readers also like the short tests after each lesson.

"...There are tests after each lesson, which are short, and I think that is great, because you can take your test & check the answers in the back of the..." Read more

"...and activities, it has where you can practice hand writing and little test. Literally the best way you can learn in just one book...." Read more

"...The Japanese from Zero system definitely works." Read more

"...The things I liked most: -George presents all concepts in a way that is easy to grasp and backs it up with example sentences...." Read more

49 customers mention "Value for money"46 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They find it helpful and mention that it provides a lot of free content, including shows and listening to native speakers. The book includes free online resources and offers a community for a low monthly cost.

"...They also have free shows you can watch & listen to people speaking Japanese.. This includes people from YouTube, like applemilk1988, Uminekomiami..." Read more

"...I definitely think you get a good deal for this as compared to other language learning programs..." Read more

"...He also has a 13 dollor subscription that give you a community to talk to more quizzes and games. You can ask him questions ...." Read more

"...I find this to be extremely valuable, and the sound quality is better than comparable files for Genki (a competing textbook)...." Read more

31 customers mention "Activity level"31 positive0 negative

Customers find the activities in the book engaging and helpful for learning. They say it has enough content to keep them busy but in a useful order. The activities help them remember what they read, making it great for beginners. The book covers grammar, reading, writing, and culture tips.

"...I’m able to easily grasp what it’s trying to tell me. It has lessons and activities, it has where you can practice hand writing and little test...." Read more

"...3. The book provides more exercises to check and solidify your knowledge than the web-based course. CONS 1...." Read more

"...different. This feels like a true, self study course with enough content to keep you busy but in an order that's useful..." Read more

"...It has a lot of exercises and repeats a lot of the vocab to really compound previous knowledge...." Read more

24 customers mention "Series quality"24 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series. They find the guide accompanied by a helpful YouTube video series that explains concepts clearly. The series has multiple books and is considered a good starter Japanese series. The book is easy to work through and complements the accompanying video series well.

"...This is a really good series if you're going the self-taught route and want something easy to stick with!" Read more

"...sort of situation you have found yourself in this is the perfect starter japanese series for you. I will be focusing on the two biggest..." Read more

"super easy to work through, and goes along with the video series perfectly" Read more

"This is a great book and series in general. I'm on book 3 right now, as well as Kanji From Zero! 1, but I have to write a bit about Book 1...." Read more

Easy to follow along
5 out of 5 stars
Easy to follow along
Growing up I Had a learning and speech delay but reading always has come easy to me.. Im 28 . I do have some issues still but this aurthor has given us one of the easiest Japanese courses to follow along that i have had. He also has a 13 dollor subscription that give you a community to talk to more quizzes and games. You can ask him questions . He has all on the videos upload on youtube as well. Im actually on the the third book for this course. It starts to introduce Kanji. Along with continued learning of hiragana and katakana. Highly recommend. There is a total of 5 books. Plus 2 extra for more kanji
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2009
    I love Japanese From Zero!

    JFZ is a good place to start learning, especially if you have no prior knowledge of Japanese and you cannot read or write any of the language (this includes anyone who is currently using romaji). This first book walks you through learning hiragana. By the time you get done with this book, you will know your hiragana front, back and sideways. You may even dream in hiragana. That's how good it is at reinforcing hiragana for you.

    The information is NOT presented in an overwhelming manner as it can be in a lot of other text books. The lessons are short, which makes it ideal for learning on your own, and being able to pace yourself. You can learn 1 lesson per week or 1 lesson per day. It's totally up to you. The book presents lessons with usable examples. By the time you complete lesson 5, you will know how to say hello, tell someone things that you like or don't like, be able to count, ask who someone is, what things are, ask someone what something is in English, and tell someone what one you want or don't want. You'll learn colors, some animals, etc. So you can say "I have an orange cat named Garfield." "I like to go shopping" "Japanese food is delicious" "That doesn't taste good" "My car is a purple and white Honda" "Sachiko and Toshiyo are my friends" etc lol And that's not even 1/4 the way into the book!!! They present information in a way that allows you to be able to insert whatever you want, instead of using very rigid sentences that can't be altered much. You begin thinking of all the things that you CAN say, which I think is pretty neat.

    You, of course, learn more as you progress through the series. It's more of a "what you need to know, when you need to know it" kind of book... They don't go into dipthongs and verb conjugation and all that other stuff that you don't really care about. They just say "this is how you say _______." Why people have a problem with that is beyond me. If you really wanted to study dipthongs and that kind of stuff, Japanese From Zero probably isn't for you. If you have a "I can do it" attitude and want a fun, simple way to learn Japanese, (learn how to read/write AND speak) and you don't really care what a dipthong is, then this is the series for you!

    As you progress through the book, the vocabulary list gets more & more useful, so you can ask people things and have a basic conversation. Enough to maybe start looking for a penpal and discussing things that you enjoy. I like how the book is set up, in that you get your writing practice, you get lots of vocabulary, and you get to learn how to write words that use the kana that you have just learned that are not in your vocabulary list. You get lots & lots of writing practice. There's even "blank" practice pages that you can copy & get more writing practice.

    The grammar is presented so that it's not overwhelming and make you think "oh my god I can't do this".. the lessons are short & not bogged down with stuff that you don't really need to know to just be able to talk with people. There are tests after each lesson, which are short, and I think that is great, because you can take your test & check the answers in the back of the book (YAY! No separate answer key to buy!) & see how you have done.. It is a nice confidence booster. Your vocabulary is shown in hiragana, katakana (when applicable, ie: with fruit : furuutsu) and kanji (if applicable).. then the meaning of the word is given.. but as you progress, the romaji gets less and less, so eventually you'll be reading hiragana. For things like "furuutsu" that are written in katakana, it's a good way to learn a little katakana while you're at it!

    In regards to sounds or having a CD... They have sound files on their website. I'm a member of the website AND I have the book. I like using them both. The website tells you how to say things and you get to hear different people say things at their normal talking speed. The forum has a lot of helpful people in it, and George will answer your questions himself. The website has flash games, online flashcards, and all sorts of resources available. They also have free shows you can watch & listen to people speaking Japanese.. This includes people from YouTube, like applemilk1988, Uminekomiami and Kemushichan. They also have their own shows, like Japanese Topics Mania, The George and Keiko Show, The George and Hisashi Show, George in Japan, George vs Chie, The George & Eri show, The YesJapan! Ask A Teacher Show, You SO Crazy Cooking Show and the 3 Guys In Japan Show.. As well as one that's called "The Super Sexy Sayaka Show." You can also transfer your unused credits from YesJapan to JapanFiles & download Japanese music. JapanFiles has a huge selection of music, everything from pop to metal to electronic stuff to jazz and etc.. They even have visual kei bands and some bands have free music videos you can download. So you get lots of stuff to listen to and watch in Japanese. On top of that stuff, the YesJapan forum has a ton of websites where you can get live streaming television shows, anime and etc from Japan for free, as well as online radio shows, and etc. There's LOTS of resources on that website.

    If joining the website is not your cup of tea.. The Japanese From Zero books are good companions for Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur's Japanese series, the "Let's Learn Japanese" videos & workbooks, LingQ, or anything else you would like to pair them up with, even other books, ie: Making Sense of Japanese: What the Textbooks Don't Tell You or All About Particles: A Handbook of Japanese Function Words.

    If you get this series, you won't be disappointed. It's simple, fun and really is wonderful!
    89 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2018
    This book is amazing. George Trombley does a great job at explaining concepts. One thing that I appreciate is that he gives you a quick rundown of the formal Japanese (so that you recognize it when it pops up), but then focuses on how you'll most hear / be using it. He also just has a general demeanor of teaching in a down to earth manner. This removes some of the rigid feeling and droll of merely grinding through coursework. He also implements a "progressive" hiragana technique. This is a great idea. As you progress through the chapters, you pick up a new grammar concept, a list of new words, and 5-10 new Hiragana per chapter. The new Hiragana you learn will replace the "romaji" (english alphabet) until you are reading in complete Hiragana. This is a wonderful mechanism for learning as he eases you into everything rather than having massive knowledge dumps which feel discouraging. This book is not filled with a lot of filler and redundant information as other books can be. However, I would appreciate having extra examples or additional explanation of nuances like that you would find on the website / youtube version. For this reason I would highly encourage combining this with their website/youtube channel. Also, I'm a visual learner, so having the visual audio reinforcement really helps me excel.
    Something that you have to understand as a language student is that learning another language is not a passive activity; it takes hard work, dedication, and immersion. There is no other way to learn another language, so do not pay money to scam artists who will tell you otherwise. I have browsed through other Japanese learning programs like JapanesePod101 (which I don't feel is the best for actually learning Japanese), and have thus far found Japanese From Zero! to be the best there is.
    This book also does a really good job on worksheets. Again, I would recommend combining this with George Trombley's online resources so you can receive a few more helpful examples, pronunciation, and Japanese nuances. If you are debating between just doing online versus this book, realize that you will miss out on the worksheets which I feel are done better in the book. I definitely think you get a good deal for this as compared to other language learning programs (way better and cheaper than Rosetta Stone if that is on your mind).
    Is this book perfect? No. For instance, there are a few cases where a new Hiragana which you, as the student, have not learned yet will be slipped into text. It is, in my opinion the best book out there and prefer over Genki. As per my personal recommendation, you should make flashcards of words outside of the books. The books build a fantastic foundation, but you really need to build up your vocab on your own. It's pretty easy to find some word lists out there. However, I would work on those vocab lists after this book or when you are able to use it in a sentence. Learning words is MUCH easier when you can them in a sentence because then you aren't memorizing meaningless scribbles.
    This book consists of 13 chapters and gives you the basic structure of the Japanese Language. Everyone is different, but I would have a "focused study" a couple hours a day (you need to be practicing your and phrases throughout the day) and was able to get through this book in about a month. After completing it, my vocab was still relatively small, but I could pick out words and phrases people were saying. Certain topics people talked about, I could get the gist of what they were saying. Most topics though, I could only pick out small parts. Also remember that this is just book 1, so don't expect perfect fluency upon its completion. So far I have been very pleased with this book and my progress so far. Learning a language can definitely be daunting, especially when it is something as foreign as an Asian language. This series has definitely kept at bay that anxiety. Sometimes I have to remind myself of how far I've come and the things I do know rather than focusing on what I have yet to learn. George Trombley is very encouraging in his teaching. "Even dust when piled up becomes a mountain"

    As a little bit of my personal background, I have learned Portuguese as a second language and lived their several years. My experience in learning it was horrible, solely because I did not have anyone take the time to give me that down-to-earth explanation of how Portuguese functioned. I then made a friend who gave me that explanation I desperately needed. At this point in my Portuguese, I understood what people were saying but I could not speak very well myself. This friend transformed my Portuguese within a week so I sounded like a native and I could be considered "fluent". That friend to me in Portuguese is equivalent to how I feel George Trombley is for Japanese.

    ありがとう ございます
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2024
    As someone who struggles learning another language and has always wanted to learn Japanese I always found it so hard to figure out where to start. After numerous failed attempts I found this book and decided to give it one myself one last chance. This book is AMAZING. It walks you through learning the alphabet (Hirigana to be precise) and I like how it doesn’t make it too complicated to understand. I’m able to easily grasp what it’s trying to tell me. It has lessons and activities, it has where you can practice hand writing and little test. Literally the best way you can learn in just one book. I’m taking ja lessons from a Japanese tutor as well and I feel like this book is able to provide me the basic and fundamentals I need in order to understand my classes well. I now can understand Hirigana so much better and I really do thank this book for helping me on my journey. If you had a difficult time trying to find the right book to start learning Japanese, look no further. I’m so excited to finish this book and I’ll be purchasing the next book to learn my Katakana:)
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2024
    Growing up I Had a learning and speech delay but reading always has come easy to me.. Im 28 . I do have some issues still but this aurthor has given us one of the easiest Japanese courses to follow along that i have had. He also has a 13 dollor subscription that give you a community to talk to more quizzes and games. You can ask him questions . He has all on the videos upload on youtube as well. Im actually on the the third book for this course. It starts to introduce Kanji. Along with continued learning of hiragana and katakana. Highly recommend. There is a total of 5 books. Plus 2 extra for more kanji
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to follow along
    Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2024
    Growing up I Had a learning and speech delay but reading always has come easy to me.. Im 28 . I do have some issues still but this aurthor has given us one of the easiest Japanese courses to follow along that i have had. He also has a 13 dollor subscription that give you a community to talk to more quizzes and games. You can ask him questions . He has all on the videos upload on youtube as well. Im actually on the the third book for this course. It starts to introduce Kanji. Along with continued learning of hiragana and katakana. Highly recommend. There is a total of 5 books. Plus 2 extra for more kanji
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Lara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfeito
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 10, 2024
    Gente, melhor livro pra quem quer começar aprender Japonês. O material é bem didático, e ainda tem as aulas no YouTube sobre cada capítulo do livro. Conforme você vai avançando no livro, junto você aprende a ler e escrever em hiragana (alfabeto japonês). 10/10

    Quanto ao serviço de entrega do amazon, 2/10. O entregador deixou na calçada (rua), e depois entrou em contato. Ele ainda assinou como se tivesse sido entregue. Podiam ter pego a minha encomenda, ou estragado pois estava chovendo.
    Customer image
    Lara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfeito
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 10, 2024
    Gente, melhor livro pra quem quer começar aprender Japonês. O material é bem didático, e ainda tem as aulas no YouTube sobre cada capítulo do livro. Conforme você vai avançando no livro, junto você aprende a ler e escrever em hiragana (alfabeto japonês). 10/10

    Quanto ao serviço de entrega do amazon, 2/10. O entregador deixou na calçada (rua), e depois entrou em contato. Ele ainda assinou como se tivesse sido entregue. Podiam ter pego a minha encomenda, ou estragado pois estava chovendo.
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  • Annie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Recomendado
    Reviewed in Mexico on March 11, 2024
    Recomendado como introducción para el aprendizaje del idioma japonés, tiene muchas actividades, va de lo simple a lo complejo y tiene buena dinámica de inserción de nuevo vocabulario y escritura japonesa progresiva.

    No es un libro infantil, es más para adolescentes y adultos. Se puede complementar el aprendizaje al avanzar de nivel los libros de niveles posteriores.
  • altamont498
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2024
    A fun way to learn how to speak Japanese, very entertaining and gives you plenty of insider knowledge that you might not learn otherwise.
  • Dayna
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend
    Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2021
    I highly recommend this book if you’re a complete beginner in Japanese. I would even use this book to freshen up on my Japanese later down the line.

    I was a complete beginner when I first started this book, only knowing hiragana and katakana before hand which this book helped reinforce. I also worked on Genki 1 and writing Kanji while going through JFZ1. I also watched his videos on YouTube as I went through each chapter and used Duolingo every morning for at least 30 minutes minimum. A lot of people don’t like Duolingo but I find it really reinforces the information and has even helped me complete the chapters in the book.

    Luckily, I found a few Japanese people on YouTube who I really like watching and they also helped reinforce the information by hearing them say the words you learn in the book.
    The channel is: ぶりちゃんねる (burichanneru)

    If you like Jujutsu Kaisen, they voice act as the characters.

    I wouldn’t recommend using this book as your only resource though. I would get information from other sites/places while working in this book as well as immersing yourself in the language through music, tv, movies, etc. (If you’re serious about learning).

    Time: I started this book at the very beginning of august. It took me a little over two months to complete but that was dedicating hours of my day to work in the book. I worked on it every day. Obviously it’ll take more time to complete if you don’t have as much free time.

    I personally like this book a lot more than Genki as that book is too fast and doesn’t give as much information as this one does. The slow, progressive teaching seems to work a lot better than just being thrown in.

    I also bought the second JFZ because of how much I enjoyed this one and plan on purchasing 3 and Kanji from zero once I complete JFZ2.

    CONS: there has been a few cons and downsides to learning this progressively.

    1.I’m too hard on myself and found myself frustrated that I still couldn’t express myself in Japanese, even after completion. I realize it’s highly unrealistic to get that far in only a few months.

    2. There’s no audio or anything to hear the words and how they’re pronounced by native speakers. Although the pronunciation is quite straightforward and I did find natives through YouTube, it’s still a little frustrating if you’re just starting out, I still feel insecure about speaking but that’ll work itself out over time.
    If you’re an auditory learner, I suggest recording yourself speaking and play it back.

    Also, I highly recommend journaling and marking your progress. It’s very exciting going back and reading your notes and seeing how far you’ve come. Don’t focus on the outcome though or get stuck on how much progress you’re making/not making. Focus on what you’re learning/have learned and really enjoy the process. Remind yourself why you’re learning this language and understand learning a language is a lifelong journey :). Even your native one.

    Again, I highly, highly recommend this book. It makes the learning fun and enjoyable :).

    Edit:

    I love how George and Yukari added culture clips and talk about important facts. Very appreciated!
    Customer image
    Dayna
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend
    Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2021
    I highly recommend this book if you’re a complete beginner in Japanese. I would even use this book to freshen up on my Japanese later down the line.

    I was a complete beginner when I first started this book, only knowing hiragana and katakana before hand which this book helped reinforce. I also worked on Genki 1 and writing Kanji while going through JFZ1. I also watched his videos on YouTube as I went through each chapter and used Duolingo every morning for at least 30 minutes minimum. A lot of people don’t like Duolingo but I find it really reinforces the information and has even helped me complete the chapters in the book.

    Luckily, I found a few Japanese people on YouTube who I really like watching and they also helped reinforce the information by hearing them say the words you learn in the book.
    The channel is: ぶりちゃんねる (burichanneru)

    If you like Jujutsu Kaisen, they voice act as the characters.

    I wouldn’t recommend using this book as your only resource though. I would get information from other sites/places while working in this book as well as immersing yourself in the language through music, tv, movies, etc. (If you’re serious about learning).

    Time: I started this book at the very beginning of august. It took me a little over two months to complete but that was dedicating hours of my day to work in the book. I worked on it every day. Obviously it’ll take more time to complete if you don’t have as much free time.

    I personally like this book a lot more than Genki as that book is too fast and doesn’t give as much information as this one does. The slow, progressive teaching seems to work a lot better than just being thrown in.

    I also bought the second JFZ because of how much I enjoyed this one and plan on purchasing 3 and Kanji from zero once I complete JFZ2.

    CONS: there has been a few cons and downsides to learning this progressively.

    1.I’m too hard on myself and found myself frustrated that I still couldn’t express myself in Japanese, even after completion. I realize it’s highly unrealistic to get that far in only a few months.

    2. There’s no audio or anything to hear the words and how they’re pronounced by native speakers. Although the pronunciation is quite straightforward and I did find natives through YouTube, it’s still a little frustrating if you’re just starting out, I still feel insecure about speaking but that’ll work itself out over time.
    If you’re an auditory learner, I suggest recording yourself speaking and play it back.

    Also, I highly recommend journaling and marking your progress. It’s very exciting going back and reading your notes and seeing how far you’ve come. Don’t focus on the outcome though or get stuck on how much progress you’re making/not making. Focus on what you’re learning/have learned and really enjoy the process. Remind yourself why you’re learning this language and understand learning a language is a lifelong journey :). Even your native one.

    Again, I highly, highly recommend this book. It makes the learning fun and enjoyable :).

    Edit:

    I love how George and Yukari added culture clips and talk about important facts. Very appreciated!
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    Customer image Customer image
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  • Layla
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a lifesaver!
    Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on November 8, 2024
    I was literally overwhelmed by the language, I didn't know how to start and what to do exactly and I never bought a textbook to learn a language before so I hesitated a bit. I'm glad that I gave it a shot! If you're an absolute beginner this book is really fun and useful, I highly recommend it!
    Note: you'll see more hiragana in each lesson. As I said, it's for absolute beginners so it starts all in romaji but then the author starts adding the hiragana letters that you already learned in the lesson.