Japanese for Busy People - Kana Workbook: Kana Workbook (Japanese for Busy People)

Rating:
Summary: The most effective way to learn the Japanese writing system!
Review: 'Japanese for Busy People - Kana Workbook' is excellent! Anyone who is learning Japanese or is considering doing so will find this book a valuable tool. Designed to teach the basic Japanese writing system (Kana) as quickly and effectively as possible, it is easy to understand and is actually fun to use! This book can be used alone, or with the optional cassette, 'Japanese for Busy People - Kana Workbook Tape' for even greater effectiveness. While there are several other Kana teaching books available, this one has been tested by the Association for Japanese-Language Teaching (AJALT) and achieved excellent results. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Use along with Heisig's books for review!
Review: I must disagree with Bryan's review below. While this book is highly excellent, James W. Heisig's "Remembering the Hiragana/Katakana" is a much easier, quicker and effective way for memorization and mastery of the syllabaries. HOWEVER, why not use this for reinforcement once you've finished Heisig's book (and for help with dipthongs, etc, which Heisig doesn't explain at all)? That's what I'm doing. And of course, then move on the Japanese For Busy People I, but please make sure you get the KANA VERSION. Don't use romanji! You will thank me!

How anyone could actually learn Kana from a workbook like this, I don't know. It would take LOTS of drilling and memorization. With Heisig, it's effortless. This book is the best of the memorization school, so for that, four stars.

Also, please be sure to try Heisig's "Remembering the Kanji" books (three volumes) when you're ready to begin mastery of the tools of deeper written thought.

Rating:
Summary: Solid, but doesn't have enough material to go on its own
Review: The KANA WORKBOOK serves as a prelude to Kodansha's "Japanese For Busy People" volumes, one of the more consistent (but never really outstanding) language teaching series. It introduces first hirangana, the writing system used for some native Japanese words, and then katakana, which is used for foreign borrowed words. Though the reader is not expected to know anything about Japanese grammar, the book does teach some simple sentences, and all there are numerous exercises to write in real Japanese.

As a self-learner i was rather disappointed, because on their own the contents of KANA WORKBOOK are insufficient. There are simply not enough exercises to really hammer the material in. In a classroom situation, however, the instructor would presumably be using other methods of kana exercise and therefore the book would be a good fit there.

If you get the KANA WORKBOOK to start with the Japanese For Busy People series, be sure to get the Kana Version of JAPANESE FOR BUSY PEOPLE I instead of the usual romanised version. If a student already has a good grasp of kana, whether from this book or another like it, he or she will be able to start learning Japanese in a natural way, without the functional illiteracy that is an unfortunate result of learning through romanisation.

Rating:
Summary: Solid, but doesn't have enough material to go on its own
Review: The KANA WORKBOOK serves as a prelude to Kodansha's "Japanese For Busy People" volumes, one of the more consistent (but never really outstanding) language teaching series. It introduces first hirangana, the writing system used for some native Japanese words, and then katakana, which is used for foreign borrowed words. Though the reader is not expected to know anything about Japanese grammar, the book does teach some simple sentences, and all there are numerous exercises to write in real Japanese.

As a self-learner i was rather disappointed, because on their own the contents of KANA WORKBOOK are insufficient. There are simply not enough exercises to really hammer the material in. In a classroom situation, however, the instructor would presumably be using other methods of kana exercise and therefore the book would be a good fit there.

If you get the KANA WORKBOOK to start with the Japanese For Busy People series, be sure to get the Kana Version of JAPANESE FOR BUSY PEOPLE I instead of the usual romanised version. If a student already has a good grasp of kana, whether from this book or another like it, he or she will be able to start learning Japanese in a natural way, without the functional illiteracy that is an unfortunate result of learning through romanisation.

Rating:
Summary: Great Aid to Learning Kana
Review: There's two principal ways to learn kana. The first is through memorization of the syllabary in isolation. The second is through use of the syllabary in context. This book provides the reader with both means. The book starts with charts and writing exercises that teach the kana in isolation. This is satisfactorily handled, but doesn't provide mnemonic or associative techniques which some learners may prefer. Following this introductory material the book moves into teaching the syllabary in context, and here the book shines especially when used in conjunction with the text book "Japanese for Busy People I (Kana Version)."

Through emphasis on repetition and common sentence patterns, the book provides the reader with an excellent means to learn the Hiragana and Katakana through reading in context. The text provides question and answer sentence patterns written in Kana followed by translations in Romanji and English. Thankfully, generally the translations are situated in a manner that makes it easy for the reader to cover them when working with the Kana.

When used in conjunction with the text book "Japanese for Busy People I (Kana Version)" this book provides an effective and efficient means to learn Kana through reading real Japanese words and practicing common Japanese sentence patterns.

Rating:
Summary: Great Aid to Learning Kana
Review: There's two principal ways to learn kana. The first is through memorization of the syllabary in isolation. The second is through use of the syllabary in context. This book provides the reader with both means. The book starts with charts and writing exercises that teach the kana in isolation. This is satisfactorily handled, but doesn't provide mnemonic or associative techniques which some learners may prefer. Following this introductory material the book moves into teaching the syllabary in context, and here the book shines especially when used in conjunction with the text book "Japanese for Busy People I (Kana Version)."

Through emphasis on repetition and common sentence patterns, the book provides the reader with an excellent means to learn the Hiragana and Katakana through reading in context. The text provides question and answer sentence patterns written in Kana followed by translations in Romanji and English. Thankfully, generally the translations are situated in a manner that makes it easy for the reader to cover them when working with the Kana.

When used in conjunction with the text book "Japanese for Busy People I (Kana Version)" this book provides an effective and efficient means to learn Kana through reading real Japanese words and practicing common Japanese sentence patterns.