Irasshai questions

[mo2]

Can someone post a link to the text and workbook for the first year?  Is there a TM and, if so, is it necessary?  Is there an answer key at least?  What other resources have you found to be helpful?  I'm assuming a Japanese-English dictionary would be useful. 

 

Also, at what pace did you complete the lessons?  On the website, Japanese I has 73 lessons and Japanese II has 63 lessons.  Did you do 2 lessons a week?   I haven't seen the books yet, so I don't know how much material is covered in each lesson. 

 

Most importantly, can my 9th grader and I learn this together, with neither of us having any previous Japanese experience?

 

Thanks in advance. 

Edited May 31, 2016 by mo2

[elegantlion]

Can someone post a link to the text and workbook for the first year?  Is there a TM and, if so, is it necessary?  Is there an answer key at least?  What other resources have you found to be helpful?  I'm assuming a Japanese-English dictionary would be useful. 

 

Also, at what pace did you complete the lessons?  On the website, Japanese I has 73 lessons and Japanese II has 63 lessons.  Did you do 2 lessons a week?   I haven't seen the books yet, so I don't know how much material is covered in each lesson. 

 

Most importantly, can my 9th grader and I learn this together, with neither of us having any previous Japanese experience?

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

This is the link to the textbook. The workbook and answer key are listed under it. This is the dictionary ds has. He even took it to Japan, although he said a smaller one for travel would have been better. Irasshai is technically a three year program, so book 1 gets you through all of year 1 and part of year 2. 

 

We did about a lesson a week, going through the text and workbook in addition to the video and video worksheet. 

 

We started together with no knowledge of the language or writing systems. I felt it was a good way to start and gauge interest. We each had our own text and workbook, although you could get by with one textbook and two workbooks. The answer key was helpful. 

 

I was nervous about starting, but it's a gentle introduction. Ds was so excited to learn Japanese, I hoped it wouldn't be too complicated and just make him frustrated. It didn't. We did not finish Irasshai, but instead moved to a few other program, like Genki, because ds was eager for something more challenging. 

 

Irasshai does a good job of introducing hiragana and katakana, but it doesn't introduce kanji until later. If you want to supplement, there are some kanji workbooks (which we did not use) or the white rabbit flashcards are well done. 

[Mom22ns]

Exactly what ElegantLion said. Ds did it by himself and at first I graded (using the linked key). Then we switched to him using the key himself to learn more from the mistakes. You do want all three pieces, the textbook, workbook and TM. Used with the videos it is one of the best homeschool language programs I have ever run across.

 

Ds got to somewhere in the third year before starting Japanese at the local State U in 11th grade. They used Ghenki (which he hated) and did things in a different order, but Irasshai definitely gave him a good start and a solid foundation.

[MerryAtHope]

We also found that about a lesson per week was a good pace. Ds did not finish all of the lessons in the 3 years he worked on Japanese, but he got through the majority and learned a lot. I agree that you want the textbook, workbook, and TM. I also printed the video checksheets online and had my son do those as well. Each week, he would read the textbook, watch the video, do the workbook assignment, and complete the checksheet. I only corrected the checksheets as we got farther into the program, and he corrected the workbook on his own. I thought I would learn it with him, but after 10 or so lessons, I decided this was going to be his thing and not mine! I did have him practice dialogue etc... as he got farther along. This was a good program for him.

[mo2]

Thank you all!  Elegantlion, that was exactly the info I was looking for.  I'm glad so many have found success with this program. 

[staceyd71]

Hi, I went to Amazon to purchase the books for this course but two are only in the Japanese edition. The teacher book and level two workbook. The others are in English edition. I did call Amazon and the lady said that all they have. Did anyone else have this problem?

[mo2]

Hi, I went to Amazon to purchase the books for this course but two are only in the Japanese edition. The teacher book and level two workbook. The others are in English edition. I did call Amazon and the lady said that all they have. Did anyone else have this problem?

 

I was wondering about this too, but when I clicked on the "Look Inside" feature, the book seems to be writtin in English.  I'm still a little confused, but maybe this is just an error made by Amazon?

[MerryAtHope]

Hi, I went to Amazon to purchase the books for this course but two are only in the Japanese edition. The teacher book and level two workbook. The others are in English edition. I did call Amazon and the lady said that all they have. Did anyone else have this problem?

 

 

I was wondering about this too, but when I clicked on the "Look Inside" feature, the book seems to be writtin in English.  I'm still a little confused, but maybe this is just an error made by Amazon?

 

I didn't even notice something like that when I ordered, LOL! Really, how could it make any sense? This is a program for English speakers (the videos and online worksheets are all in English!) to learn Japanese. Japanese speakers wouldn't need it. I think this is an Amazon mistake. But for kicks, I brought up my past orders. Here are ISBN numbers you can use to make sure you get the right thing:

 

Workbook Volume 1: ISBN-13: 978-1419685590

Textbook Volume 1: ISBN-13: 978-1419685552

Teacher's Guide: ISBN-13: 978-1439226681

Textbook Volume 2: ISBN-13: 978-1419685576

Workbook Volume 2: ISBN-13: 978-1419685606

 

HA! LOL, sure enough TB volume 2 says it's the "bilingual edition" and Workbook volume 2 says it's the "Japanese edition." But the cover is written in English! And the Look inside is in English. Amazon just doesn't know.

Edited June 2, 2016 by MerryAtHope

[staceyd71]

I thought it was weird too that why I called Amazon. I tried to tell the lady it has to be a mistake but she assured me it wasn't. But I do realize now it is a mistake. She wasn't talking good English and I could barely understand her so I just gave up lol.

Thanks, Stacey

[staceyd71]

Merry, Do you think if my son did a lesson a day he could finish the course faster?

How did you schedule it?

Thanks, Stacey

[MerryAtHope]

Merry, Do you think if my son did a lesson a day he could finish the course faster?

How did you schedule it?

Thanks, Stacey

 

Why do you want him to finish faster? I'd have him go at a pace that helps him retain what he's learning, and let him get as far as he can. Irasshai is a 3-year course. Do you have this PDF file on How to Use Irasshai Components? Read through that for ideas on how to teach. On the top of the 2nd page it says:

 

 

PLEASE NOTE

Irasshai was originally designed as a two-year program which was later developed into a three year

program. You will notice that the video lessons and textbooks and workbooks are still

organized in the original two-year format, however there are comprehensive review lessons at the

three-year course pacing cut-off points (after Volume 1 Lesson 49 and after Volume 2 Lesson 20).

There are no corresponding video lessons for the comprehensive review lessons; they are

textbook and workbook lessons only.

 

 

 

They have a suggested schedule of 2 videos/lessons per week, which, if you did it for 36 weeks would likely get you through the whole course in 2 years. For an adult or an advanced high-schooler, that might be doable. For us, 1 lesson over 4 days was plenty. My son might have gone slightly faster in the beginning, but as he got into the meat of things, that pace was too quick. We usually school 4 or 4.5 days per week from mid-July through the end of May, so ds did about 40 or so lessons a year. He did spend extra time on the reviews. My son got through 130 lessons in 3 years, and I was very happy with what he accomplished, even though he didn't finish all of the lessons. 

 

I can't imagine finishing a 3 year course in less than a year, which is what a student would do if he did a lesson per day. 

 

HTH some!