After having spent 10 days in Japan last September with my wife and dedicating ourselves to visiting again as soon as it’s feasible, we decided it was probably time to get serious about learning the language since we sort of stumbled by knowing only the most basic of basics. Going a step further than just speaking the language, I’ve made it one of my personal goals in 2010 to attempt the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level 5 examination—possibly Level 4, depending where I’m at—in December. While normally I’d be content with Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur if I wanted the basics, the JLPT demands a considerable amount of emphasis on reading and comprehension in addition to vocabulary. So, what’s a guy with finite funds and very little real-world immersion opportunity to do?
Poring over sites for the past month and a half, I’ve found some low-cost (and free) alternatives that offer a great deal of immersion, a wide variety of learning methods, and the chance to interact with native speakers from the comfort of my home office. Here’s what I currently use:
- LiveMocha: Very close in method to Rosetta Stone, with a twist; people native or fluent in your target language will provide feedback on your speaking and writing abilities. Think of it as social learning. And it’s free to start.
- Lang-8: For learning how to write/type in your target language. Native speakers help correct your work and explain why. All they ask is that you return the favor. Again, social learning.
- Smart.fm: Flash cards, memorization. Lots of different sets to choose from. Or, hell, make your own. The “Mastering Hiragana” and “Mastering Katakana” sets have been nothing short of fantastic.
- EduFire: Has a lot of language instructors (with decent testimonials) online that charge fairly little.
- The JLPT Study Page: Contains an absolute wealth of information taken from prior tests, specifically JLPT Level 2 to Level 4.
- WWITV and KeyholeTV Japan: These are two great resources for immersing yourself in local television using the target language. The latter provides a bunch of live TV and radio stations in Japan.
Furthermore, if I want to speak conversationally with native speakers of the language, I can either befriend someone through one of the above social learning sites or hit up The Mixxer. If I want to practice reading, it’s not as if there are a shortage of Japanese sites out there. And while I’m not sure about what’s available for other languages, Rikaichan offers excellent inline translation support for Japanese and several others.
If any readers have additional resources, I’d be glad to hear them.
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