Best Apps for Total Japanese Beginners.

Best Apps for Total Japanese Beginners. by willardroad

willardroad says: After many false starts, I have made up my mind to really learn Japanese. This means learning both the spoken and written language, a huge challenge. I've been buying Japanese apps right and left, trying them, and keeping the winners. This list is about those that made the grade, the keepers. It's for those who know NOTHING about Japanese and are starting from scratch.

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willardroad's picks

iStart Japanese ~ Mirai Language Systems Focused on spoken Japanese, this app has a double use, as a read-along app, or as just audio. You can sit and read it with no sound, but it's better to play the audio and read along. Better still, i like that you can set it to Play in audio mode and then listen in the car -- you don't absolutely have to be looking at the screen, in other words. Mirai, creators of this app, are located in Japan and all the Japanese audio is done by native speakers. There's plenty of repetition, much needed for learning any new language and especially for Japanese. The lite version was good, so I shelled out for the paid version and have been VERY satisfied. Excellent Japanese starter app.
Lingolook JAPAN Who wants to walk around a foreign country holding a phrase book?? That just screams "TOURIST!" to everyone who lives there. This app is basically a phrase book on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Now you can be a total Japanese language newb but still look cool, because you're walking around holding your spiffy Apple mobile gadget instead of your beat-up phrase book. This is not an app for actually learning Japanese, but it does serve as a good companion to your studies. Mostly, it's a phrase book and a good one at that. If it gets you out of just one embarrassing situation, or helps you get where you're going in Japan even once, it was worth the price. And yes, you can learn from it... of course. But it's less of a Teacher and more of a Dumbass Avoidance app. Get it.
Momo's Learning Japanese Childish, loud, hysterically funny, but totally effective, this "kiddie" app is just good ol' fun packaged as a teaching app for kids. The point is to learn the Japanese characters, collectively called "kana," by actually drawing them with your finger or stylus. It's brain-dead simple, but that's the whole point! Every time you get a character right, it shouts encouraging phrases, so maybe use earphones if you're on the train or bus. Kids absolutely love this thing, and I have to admit I do, too. The interface is great, the teaching method works, and you WILL learn the kana characters this way. Great educational fun.
Kanachan's Kana Reference Table Great tool for learning the kana -- hiragana, katakana -- the phonetic characters of the Japanese "alphabet." The interface is excellent, and you can dive right into learning without delay. It works like a big flip-card table, with the added advantage of audio -- you tap a character and a native speaker pronounces that character for you. The kana have variants you need to learn, and they are also available with the tap of an icon. You have a choice of "skins" and fonts as well, to get used to alternative kana appearances. Terrific well-done app, a must-have for any beginner in Japanese.
Study Japanese for iPad Nice interface, interesting audio, and an effective teaching technique all served to pique my interest when I began using this app. The secret to learning the Japanese characters, called hiragana, katakana, and kanji, is memorization. This app drills you, but in a way I find oddly relaxing and easy. Ok, so it's not raucous like the Momo app, and doesn't drill your head with a diamond bit like the KanaFlip app, but it's quite effective in its own way. Well worth its place on your language Short List.

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Discussion

Gokunama

I've also made a learning Japanese app list, geared more towards the intermediate though. I would recommend iKana Touch to any beginner. Click on my name, then on my curated list of Japanese learning.

sharakarasic

I love to see these Japanese (and other language learning) lists! Gokunama's list is here: http://www.appolicious.com/curated-apps/657-best-japanese-language-learning-apps and also see all language learning lists, so far featuring apps for Japanese, Chinese, French, Twi, Indonesian, German, Spanish, Greek, Balinese, Tibetan, Zulu, Taiwanese: http://www.appolicious.com/curated-apps?curated_term=languages. I love to study Chinese and my current favorite Chinese learning app is 5000 Chinese Audio Flashcards: http://www.appolicious.com/education/apps/63122-5000-chinese-audio-flashcards-daniel-cota

Associated Apps: 5000 Chinese Audio Flashcards

sharakarasic

Also see: Human Japanese. Wonderful Japanese learning app for beginners.

Associated Apps: Human Japanese

difint

Whether you are a complete beginner or a native speaker you may enjoy our free app KanaBattle. This is a great way for testing your recognition of katakana and hiragana in a fun tournament-style game. It is also upgradable to full Joyo Kanji support to take your skills to the next level. Check out @KanaBattle on Twitter for a new Kanji every hour.

Associated Apps: KanaBattle