Interesting links for Japanese learning

An Introduction to Modern Japanese: Volume 1 Grammar Lessons (preview provided by Google books):

http://books.google.com/books?id=Gu3k3eiOXWAC&pg=PA237&lpg=PA237&dq=kono+aida+in+a+sentence&source=bl&ots=h9X-rzbU4o&sig=Mk56nlGPRu8SOVJ29j-uDcEzdSA&hl=en&ei=OAhvStvQEdOBkQWcqtnHBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result

Nihongo Day by Day
Nihongo wa muzukashikunai!?

http://nihongo.blogzine.jp/blog/

Nihongo o naraitai! (I want to learn Nihongo!)

I have realized recently that I want to learn Nihongo again. Taking advantage of my borrowed Internet connection, I googled for some useful learning materials and tools. Google listed down a lot of links but here are the ones which I found more useful:

1. Past exams
http://jlpt.biz/jlpt/jlptexamine.do?year=2006&level=3
The above address can be modified to specify the year and the level of the past exam you want to view. For example, if I want to get the past exam for 2008 JLPT Level 2, I would type this address on my browser: http://jlpt.biz/jlpt/jlptexamine.do?year=2008&level=2.

2. MP3’s for listening (Choukai) practice
http://rapidshare.com/files/103826057/JLPT_3_Audio_1997-2006.rar
I wasn’t able to download from the above site due to the slow Internet connection I had awhile ago but I think this is worth checking out next time.

3. Online Kanji flashcards
http://www.speedanki.com/
The best online kanji flashcard site I found so far. It allows you to mark the flashcard of a particular kanji as “read”, “mastered”, etc. I haven’t used all of its features yet but I have a very good feeling this is going to be a very useful tool.

4. Offline Kanji flashcard application
http://ichi2.net/anki/
Can’t access the Internet all the time (like me )? Well, if you can access the Net at least once and you’re just itching to have those nifty Kanji flashcards, go to the above site and download your very own Anki application. I don’t know if the site is related to the one mentioned in number 3 but the free app it offers is quite handy especially when you don’t have an Internet connection.

One downside I found with this app is that you need to download the decks you’ll need for your Kanji practice. Not to worry, though. There are a number of sites offering free Kanji decks. This app can also be used for memorizing other stuff as long as you have a deck of those “stuff”, which the app will load for you to guess and remember. One use I can think of for this app is for memorizing the periodic table. If you can download a deck of cards with the periodic table symbol on the front and which will later flash the element name, atomic weight, number of the element in the table, etc., you’ll have a very nice tool for memorizing all the elements from hydrogen to unnilquadium (sp?) or whatever latest element the scientists have discovered now. Anyway, that’s just a thought. It’s not like I would be using the periodic table in my profession. Hehehe.

5. JLPT study guide
http://www.jlptstudy.com/
The most comprehensive JLPT study guide I have found so far. The site comes with vocab lists, kanji lists, and common expressions lists for each JLPT level, as well as some practice exams.

6. Some online books
Ever heard of Google Books? If you haven’t, you should check it out! Google Books is a huge collection of book titles, some of which have a limited preview (read: free chapters from books you would otherwise have to buy from Amazon). You can even create your own library of “limited-preview” books so that you won’t have to search for those books again the next time you have to login. You can use Google Books to look for Nihongo books whose publishers have the marketing sense and/or are kind enough to offer a limited preview. One such book is “Japanese for Busy People“. I’m sure you’ll find other interesting books–Nihongo-related or otherwise–once you start googling on Google Books.

Try Google Books! You would be amazed at how much (academic?) information you’ll have at your fingertips. And the best thing about it is…it’s free! That’s why I just love Google! I wish some publishers would offer a full view of their books, though. Well, it’s “business is business” for them, I guess.

That’s all for now. Nihongo no benkyou ganbarimashou! (Let’s do our best in our Nihongo study!)

My first Japanese letter

The other day, our sensei gave us an assignment to write either a letter of invitation or a letter declining an invitation.

The assignment encouraged ( forced? ) me to write my first-ever Japanese letter.

For the assignment, I thought of writing a letter of invitation to Emma, my childhood friend. With sensei’s help, I was able to compose a letter inviting her to go to Bantayan Island with me.

Below is my letter:
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エッマさん、暑い日が続いていますが、いかがお過ごしですか。

私は元気に過ごしています。月曜日から金曜日まで会社で働いています。
休みは友達 といっしょにテレビをみて、ｍｐ３をきいて、いろいろ食べ物を作ります。ときどき、アヤラで映画をみます。私のセブでの人生はおだやかで楽しいです。

さて、夏休みのよていはもう決まりましたか。もしよろしかったら、セブへ遊び にいっらしゃいませんか。

エッマさんはＢａｎｔａｙａｎ　Ｉｓｌａｎｄをしっていますか。 Ｂａｎｔａｙａｎ　Ｉｓｌａｎｄはきれいな海があります。みんな行きたがるんですよ。ぜひ、一緒に行きましょう。

では、お返事をお待ちしています。

２００８年５月８日

Romaji:
Emma-san, atsui hi ga tsuzuite imasu ga, ikaga osugoshi desu ka.

Watashi wa genki ni sugoshite imasu. Getsuyoubi kara Kinyoubi made kaisha de hataraite imasu. Yasumi wa tomodachi to issho ni terebi o mite, mp3 o kiite, iroiro tabemono o tsukurimasu. Tokidoki, Ayara de eiga o mimasu. Watashi no Cebu de no jinsei wa odayaka de tanoshii desu.

Sate, natsu yasumi no yotei wa mou kimarimashita ka. Moshi yoroshikattara, Cebu e asobi ni irrashaimasen ka.

Emma-san wa Bantayan Island o shitte imasu ka. Bantayan Island wa kirei na umi ga arimasu. Minna ikitagarun desu yo. Zehi, issho ni ikimashou.

Dewa, ohenji o omachi shite imasu.

5/8/2008

(Rough) English translation:
Emma-san, hot days continue; how have you been?

As for me, I am fine. I work in the company from Mondays to Fridays. On restdays, I watch TV, listen to mp3, and cook various food with my friends ( for letter purposes only ). My life in Cebu is peaceful and enjoyable.

By the way, have you already decided on a summer vacation plan? If it is convenient/okay with you, why don’t you enjoy (literal translation of “asobu”) Cebu?

Emma-san, do you know about Bantayan Island? Bantayan Island has a beautiful sea. Everybody wants to go there. Let’s go there together by all means.

Well then, I am waiting for your reply.

5/8/2008
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The letter above is the first letter that I have written in Japanese.

Though I am having difficulty in our 2-kyuu class, being able to do stuff like writing a letter in Japanese sometimes makes me forget about the difficulty.