Need a break from kanji practice and memorising conjugation tables? Podcasts are one of the best ways to learn Japanese while unwinding at the end of the day.
…Our Top 30 Japanese Podcasts for Learners of All LevelsRead More »
Our Top 30 Japanese Podcasts for Learners of All Levels Read More »
Jiveworld (previously Lupa) is a podcast-style app that helps Latin American Spanish learners improve their listening comprehension. The company has partnered with NPR’s Radio Ambulante to republish fascinating stories and interviews full of cultural insights and natural Spanish. Then, they have added a bunch of learner-friendly features to help you understand what’s being said: variable speeds, partial transcripts and translations, definitions and more. The stories are what shine here. They represent diverse communities around Latin America, and the recordings are high quality. Most of our testers found their listening comprehension markedly improved after just a couple of weeks. However, Lupa could benefit from additional features, such as review activities, interactive quizzes and learner pathways. It’s also not suited to beginners, while lower-intermediate learners may struggle.
NOTE: LUPA IS NOW JIVEWORLD. WE UNDERSTAND THE APP HAS BEEN TOTALLY REDESIGNED AND IMPROVED, BUT HAVE NOT YET HAD OPPORTUNITY TO TEST IT OUT. This review applies to the old Lupa.
The quality is generally excellent, although the app is difficult to use with a screen reader.
Lupa’s stories are fascinating, if at times heavy-going, but there are no learning pathways and testers struggled to remember vocabulary.
Users found it to be an excellent use of their time but were divided over whether they would pay the subscription rate.
$12/month zero-commitment or $99/year charged in one lump sum
By signing up via the link below, the cost is $10/month or $84/year.
NOTE: LUPA IS NOW JIVEWORLD. WE UNDERSTAND THE APP HAS BEEN TOTALLY REDESIGNED AND IMPROVED, BUT HAVE NOT YET HAD OPPORTUNITY TO TEST IT OUT. The review applies to the old Lupa.
Listening comprehension is one of the trickiest things to improve as a learner. And the better you get at speaking Spanish, the more likely it is that the person you’re talking with will start using local slang and natural phrasing, like
hacer locha (laze about) or revolú (mess).
…Jiveworld (previously Lupa) Review – As Tested by 11 Spanish LearnersRead More »
Jiveworld (previously Lupa) Review – As Tested by 11 Spanish Learners Read More »
YouTube is a goldmine of Japanese language lessons and listening practice. Whether you’re looking for grammar breakdowns, non-textbook language, beginner vocabulary, or advanced-level Japanese debates on current affairs, you’ll find it here – and for free.
…Top 25 YouTube Channels For Learning Japanese – Beginner To AdvancedRead More »
Top 25 YouTube Channels For Learning Japanese – Beginner To Advanced Read More »
According to the BBC, Italian is the language of art, food, music, poetry, fashion – and even love (Just don’t tell the French). It will take you from romantic Venice with its sun-dappled canals to fashionable Milan. You’ll walk the same paths as emperors in Rome and take in the incredible coastlines of Sardinia. You’ll make friends around the world, from Italian nonnas to Erasmus students and language lovers.
…23 Best Online Italian Courses Compared: A ShowdownRead More »
23 Best Online Italian Courses Compared: A Showdown Read More »
Japanese is an undeniably tough language. But it is poetic, musical, fascinating, and learning it is worth all the effort. You’ll visit temples in Kyoto, and otaku towns in Tokyo, watch un-dubbed Studio Ghibli movies, and make Japanese friends all over the world.
…16 Best Online Japanese Courses: Kanji, Grammar, & MoreRead More »
16 Best Online Japanese Courses: Kanji, Grammar, & More Read More »
In order for you speak with confidence, understand hanzi characters and pinyin, and perhaps most importantly of all, enjoy learning Chinese, you need to find the right Mandarin course.
…19 Best Online Courses for Learning Mandarin ChineseRead More »
19 Best Online Courses for Learning Mandarin Chinese Read More »
Free
Fun fact: miageru means to raise your eyes upwards, to admire, or to respect. Yet it’s not entirely clear why this course is named Miageru, or who is supposed to be looking up to whom (or what). Miageru contains basic, easy-to-understand explanations for beginner-level Japanese kana and grammar. It also has games to help you drill kana, kanji, vocabulary, and grammar. However, you’ll only learn how to recognize kana and kanji, not how to write them. While a useful tool, Miageru is not the most well-organized platform. There’s no learning pathway, for example, and neither is there a section on essential Japanese phrases (greetings, directions, etc.). When we tried it out, there was no way to even learn how to say hello and introduce yourself. To study kanji, you have to select sentences that you’re interested in learning. Studying a kanji in a sentence isn’t a bad idea: learning things in context will help you remember them. Yet this system does mean that you might learn things in an odd order. Miageru claims it’s a replacement for Japanese courses and includes everything you need to know for JLPT N5. We’re not convinced because it misses out a lot of essential phrases. However, it’s a helpful supplementary resource for drilling beginner Japanese alongside a course or textbook.
Miageru Mini Review: Useful for Drilling Beginner Japanese Read More »
From $25/volume
If you’re looking for an easy introduction to Japanese, you might like Japanese From Zero! It is engagingly written and has lots of information about Japanese culture, but it teaches the language at a snail’s pace. In fact, it reminds us of storybooks designed to teach young children foreign languages, in that it mixes kana with romaji. You’ll see words written half in hiragana, half in romaji. And the entire first textbook won’t teach you any katakana or kanji at all. There’s also an accompanying video course, YesJapan (review), which contains a ton of useful material. Ironically, in this course, kana and kanji are used. For serious learners, we think there are better textbooks out there, such as Genki and Minna no Nihongo. But if you’re looking for the textbook equivalent of Duolingo, you might like Japanese From Zero! It’s an easy, fun way to learn the language while never feeling overwhelmed. You’ll make extremely slow progress – but it will still be progress.
Japanese From Zero! Mini Review: Slow, Easy, Fun Textbooks Read More »
From $35 per volume
Minna no Nihongo, along with Genki, is one of the most recommended Japanese textbooks you can find – and it lives up to expectations. There are two beginner-level (shokyu) volumes that roughly correlate to A1–A2 or N5–N4 and two intermediate-level (chokyu) volumes that should take up to N2. Each textbook contains 25 chapters and will teach you grammar, vocabulary, and more. They also come with a CD. Minna no Nihongo’s main selling point, especially at the beginner level, is that it’s generally more in-depth than other popular textbooks. Compared to Genki, it has more vocabulary and grammar, more exercises, and more accompanying workbooks, including ones specifically for kanji, reading, and writing. That said, many students are put off by the lack of English in the main textbook. They are entirely in Japanese. You can buy the official Translation and Grammar Notes for each level in a variety of languages, including English, Mandarin, and Spanish. While purchasing two separate texts can be annoying, it also has its positives: you’re pushed to try to understand the Japanese first, plus it makes it more accessible for people who don’t have English as a first language. You should also learn the kana before getting started with Minna no Nihongo. If you’ve yet to study this, apps like Skritter (review), Scripts (review), and LingoDeer (review) will help you pick it up. If you’re planning to move to Japan, or want to learn the language as thoroughly as possible, then Minna no Nihongo is a great starting point. You’ll get a strong understanding of the grammar and learn a lot of vocabulary. However, if you’re looking for an easier entry point or don’t want to buy the official translation, check out our review of Genki.
Minna no Nihongo Mini Review: Thorough Japanese Textbooks Read More »
3,780¥/month
Wasabi is an online Japanese school that also publishes an impressive amount of free resources for beginner and intermediate learners. This includes grammar guides, graded readers with audio recordings, video lessons, and other self-study materials. The online classes are one-to-one and typically taught in Japanese, although they will allocate you a teacher who speaks English if you request it. You need to purchase the classes in monthly packs, with a minimum of two per month. There’s no upper limit. Meanwhile, you can study by yourself without classes using their self-study materials – although, of course, you’ll miss out on the practice opportunities and personalized feedback. These materials are written in English and contain clear, easy-to-follow breakdowns of Japanese grammar, pronunciation, and more. There are no exercises, however, so you’ll have to drill the material on your own. Whether you take classes with them or not, Wasabi is worth bookmarking. There’s an enormous amount of free, quality resources for beginner and intermediate-level Japanese students. You could use them to supplement courses and textbooks or even to structure your independent studies.
Wasabi Mini Review: Japanese Classes & Self-Study Lessons Read More »
