So you're interested in the Japanese language. If you're an anime fan, this is definitely not a surprising thing. After all, at some point in your fandom, you're going to want to learn a little bit more about the native language that anime is created in. The Japanese language is one that, in my opinion, is a flowing language that, both on an audio and a reading level, posesses a rhythm and a structure that is very different from the English language or most other languages, for that matter. I think that this difference is what draws many anime fans to have a desire to learn about the language, and perhaps even become fluent in it. The other main reason would simply be to be able to understand what you're hearing. It seems to me that quite a few anime fans have been able to get by picking up a few common words or having great subtitle-reading skills, but it would be nice to understand what someone was saying and not have to rely on crutches like that, right?

This course is an introduction to the Japanese language - just enough to get your feet wet, but not intimidating enough that it might overwhelm you with too much depth. We'll be looking at some basic soundings that you can say to yourself (so don't be afraid to stumble over some), a few good words you need to know, and some common things about conversation that you may find helpful. We won't be covering writing Japanese - that's an entirely separate topic that should be tackled on its own.

Just something to keep in mind - take this class for the right reasons. As far as anime fandom is concerned, learning Japanese should not really be an exercise in "sounding cool" or "showing off" your knowledge of the Japanese language by peppering your native language with it. While it's nice to know a few things about the language, learning Japanese is like learning any other language and should be treated as such. Learning Japanese to supplement your existing knowledge is fine. Learning it because you are intrigued and interested in the language is fine as well. But learning it just to feel superior or better than your fellow anime fans really isn't. The people with the latter attitude are usually the ones who do not possess the drive to really learn about the language and who are the ones who sound silly when they attempt to speak it or use it. Hey, if you won't listen to me, try checking out this rather tongue-in-cheek/joking, yet somewhat true essay on learning Japanese.

So with that in mind, let's begin by taking a quick look at one of the most fundamental things to learn about Japanese language - how to pronounce it correctly.

>>Go to Lesson 2 - Sounding Japanese