Japanese for a 1st grader?

[Slache]

My son can read and write fluently in English and Spanish and has begun learning Greek. He wants to add Japanese to the list but I don't know *anything* about Japanese. He wants to be able to read, write and speak it. What do I do?

[Susan in TN]

Go live in Japan for a few years.

 

:D

Edited July 14, 2017 by Susan in TN

[73349]

For writing, there's a good free app called Kanji Study. (It enforces correct stroke order and direction.) It's designed by Chase Colburn. I have it for Android, but I think it's on itunes also.

 

Some things I've checked out from our library that look like they'll be useful: Sing and Learn Japanese; the Pimsleur CDs meant for adults, which seem like a good start for conversation; and some kids' books that introduce kanji (Kanji de Manga and Crazy for Kanji).

 

:lurk5:  for other answers, as we plan to start Japanese in about a year.

Edited July 14, 2017 by whitehawk

[mathnerd]

Duolingo has a japanese language learning app now.

[luuknam]

My son can read and write fluently in English and Spanish and has begun learning Greek. He wants to add Japanese to the list but I don't know *anything* about Japanese. He wants to be able to read, write and speak it. What do I do?

 

 

Tell him he'll also have to learn to understand it (as in, listening), or you won't teach it to him.

[Slache]

Go live in Japan for a few years.

 

:D

Are you funding this?

 

For writing, there's a good free app called Kanji Study. (It enforces correct stroke order and direction.) It's designed by Chase Colburn. I have it for Android, but I think it's on itunes also.

 

Some things I've checked out from our library that look like they'll be useful: Sing and Learn Japanese; the Pimsleur CDs meant for adults, which seem like a good start for conversation; and some kids' books that introduce kanji (Kanji de Manga and Crazy for Kanji).

 

:lurk5:  for other answers, as we plan to start Japanese in about a year.

Read Fluent Forever. It's changing the way I think about language study.

 

Duolingo has a japanese language learning app now.

It's too fast-paced. Maybe later though. Thanks!

 

Tell him he'll also have to learn to understand it (as in, listening), or you won't teach it to him.

Gug. I don't want to learn it, too!

[Black-eyed Suzan]

I've just finished Fluent Forever. It really is inspiring. :) Did you see his comments about learning Japanese?

 

https://fluent-forever.com/logograms/

 

I second Pimsleur - it is a good pronunciation tutorial because it teaches the words step-by-step (and last syllable first like Fluent Forever recommends) and has basic phrases. A native speaker complimented my son's second language accent and he learned pronunciation solely from Pimsleur. Our library has them, so check there first.

 

Do you have any Saturday school options nearby? Or co-ops? A native speaking tutor might make things easier for you.

[zejh]

My daughter (not quite 5) has developed an interest in Japanese... Right now she goes to a Mandarin immersion preschool, so I don't want to pile things on just yet. Where we live, there's a Saturday Japanese school just a mile from our house, and when she's a bit older, I might try that if she's still interested. It's a long shot depending where you live, but worth seeing if there are any live classes, even if it's just for adults and just very basic. For me, something about interactions with people even if we barely get past personal introductions is useful. If there's any kind of big university nearby, that's a good place to check. Even if they don't offer classes, checking with the grad student associations can be a good way to find a native tutor, particularly spouses of students.

 

A suggestion that doesn't depend on where you live, Little Pim videos are definitely on the young side for first grade, but for something as difficult as Japanese, probably a good introduction. The Pim comes from Pimsleur (I believe it was developed by his daughter). I found the Mandarin ones very useful for my own understanding. You should be able to try out the first episode free online. I've found that overlearning some basic vocabulary is really helpful when there are almost no words in common. (Mandarin and Japanese are very different, aside from what Japanese borrowed from Chinese, but both have in common not having much in the way of words similar to English, the way you'll find in German or French. If you've studied something like German or French or Spanish, it really is a whole different level of work to pick up something unrelated.)

 

I also liked Fluent Forever. Another thing to look into, which I haven't actually tried, is glossika. I think they have several different Japanese courses, including one aimed at Western teenagers. Again, I haven't personally tried it, and it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they have some unusual languages available, in case anyone has kids getting really weird interests. (Having tried to teach myself Hungarian with only a Berlitz phrasebook when I was younger, I am kind of jealous of kids these days...)

[rdj2027]

Just on a side note, if he wants to learn to write, I would start him with Hiragana and Katakana before Kanji as they have fewer strokes.  Yes, stroke order is important so should he decide on writing, make sure he does it correctly.  There are many youtube videos aimed at young children so that may be a place to start.

 

I absolutely second living in Japan :lol: