Japanese Simplified (Hugo)

I cannot recommend this book enough! If you are thinking of learning Japanese you may glance at this book, pass it up and go looking for the more recognised commercial courses. Don't! Admittedly, the title smacks of a gimmick "...In Three Months" but I don't think you are meant to take this literally, although with the right mindset you may be able to work your way through it in that time. This book used to be marketed under the title "Japanese Simplified" which may also be misleading and it certainly doesn't do this course justice. What do you get? In short, you get a useful 1000 or so word vocabulary which is, for the most part, presented in sentences rather than in word lists. All the basic, idiomatic grammar points are covered in a no-nonsense way. In fact, the focus is on grammar rather than on vocabulary. You learn the vocabulary through the example sentences in each grammar section. You get the chance to consolidate your knowledge with translation exercises, and finally, in each chapter you get a couple of idiomatic dialogues with language and culture notes. In short, I think this is the best course you could choose if you want to learn spoken Japanese and you are serious about it. That is an important point, because if you are serious, you will be motivated to work through the grammar. Don't fall into the trap of believeing you don't need grammar. To study a language properly you need the grammar. If you want a book that will teach you the Japanese writing system then this book is not for you, although it does include an appendix with basic street signs etc, and hiragana. This is what the "Simplified" in the original title means. You will learn god spoken Japanese here. Finally, if you really want to study a language properly you need tapes, and HUGO provides! There is a four tape series with this book that I strongly recommend you buy, especially if you are studying on your own. The only negative comment I have to make is about the English announcer on the tapes. If the tapes are the same as the original version, then you will feel as though you are a little child being admonished by an old fashioned public school headmaster! I find it irritating the way the voice talks down to you but maybe HUGO have changed that for the version you see here. Still, all in all, a very good programe.

This book is one that I have found very useful for learning the language, especially with the cassettes. It is a no-nonsense approach that provides many sentences to illustrate the context and meaning of a word or structure. Although the vocabulary may be considered limited by some people I think that it constitues a great approach to learning the spoken language seriously. It can give a great head-start before or whilst working on the script from other sources and by the end of the course the student can expect to have a reasonable working knowledge of the language.

If you want to be able to say what's on your mind in Japanese, this would be the book to buy. The Hugo "three months" series is the best I've found to comprehensively understand most grammar and vocabulary you'd find in normal conversation.While other series require you to buy serveral books, beginning-intermediate-or advanced, you can work through all three levels at you own pace in this single book. It's intense, but more satisfying than your average language course.You won't be fluent in 3 months, but you'll know the language well enough that people will think you've been living in Japan much longer.