Introduction

This website was created for people who want to become fluent in Japanese. If that sounds like you, then you are in the right place. If you are not sure, bookmark this page just in case. Otherwise, maybe OLiSPIELS.com will appeal to you.

Years ago, when I first considered studying Japanese, I hit the Googles and did search on the Japanese language. One article remains with me today. This is where I started my journey, so I recommend that you read it before proceeding.

Done? Then let’s get started… Have you ever heard:

“Japanese is too hard”
“Japanese has too many Kanji”
“Japanese is a conspiracy from outer space”
“Japanese can’t even read Japanese”

STOP reading right here because it’s ALL true!
Quit now! Learn Spanish instead.
Go to OLiSPIELS.com and be done with it!

- – - – - 5 – - – - -

- – - – 4 – - – -

- – - 3 – - -

- – 2 – -

- 1 -

0

That should have weeded out the losers. We don’t want them around wasting bandwidth anyways, right? Right! The truth is JAPANESE IS EASY! “How can that be true?” because “I’ve read that…” and “I’ve been studying for…” also “My parents/friends/teachers and Grandma Carol says…” Stop right there, and say it with me, “Japanese is Easy!” Now keep saying it until you believe it.

Still not convinced that Japanese is easy?

• Over 130,000,000 people speak Japanese. (Hold that thought)
• Ask a Korean girl, she’ll say Japanese is easy! (Hold that thought)
• Ask a Chinese guy, he’ll say Japanese is not hard. (Hold that thought)
• Did you know that Japanese has very simple grammar? (You’re thinking, it’s super hard)
• Japanese is damn easy to pronounce? (Finally, you agree with me)

The truth is, Japanese is different, it is not difficult. Korean has the same grammar, so Koreans think its easy. Chinese has the same characters, so the Chinese think its not hard.

• If English is your first language, ask yourself, is Spanish hard?
• If Polish is your first language, ask yourself, is Russian hard?
  

YOU: I see where you are going with this, but what about the Kanji?
ME: Kanji are easy too. Kanji are easy once you know them.
YOU: Isn’t that a catch-22, how can they be easy?
ME: Kanji are easy, they just take some time to learn.

So there you have it – Japanese is a very different language from English, and it takes a long time to learn!

Now you have completed the three prerequisites needed to learn Japanese.

1. DESIRE TO LEARN JAPANESE
   
2. KNOWLEDGE THAT JAPANESE IS NOT HARD
   
3. BELIEF THAT ‘YOU’ CAN BECOME FLUENT IN JAPANESE
   

YOU: I agree with you. But, if Japanese is ‘easy’ then I’m stoopid ‘cuz I cant learnd it.
ME: Wow, my friend. Don’t say that. Is English you first language? Are you able to understand me? Can you express your wants, needs, likes, and dislikes in English? Then you must be smart enough to learn Japanese!

Please see what Elizabeth Baba has to say about English.

If you have been taking classes and do not see the results you want, maybe the problem is the classes! Maybe the classes you took suck! Maybe watching anime with subtitles doesn’t teach Japanese! Maybe the methods you’ve been using suck! Maybe your textbooks/cds/dvds all suck. Or maybe they don’t?!

Either way, using my guide an average (English as-a-first-language) person can go from zero-Japanese to fluency in 2-3 years. These methods were not created by me. I merely applied them in a systematic way to produce the best results.

see Guide to Learning Japanese and Method Overview for details

FURTHER READING How Long will it Take to Learn Japanese? Guide to Learning Japanese Remembering the Kanji Method Language Proficiency Scales School Supplies How Much will it Cost to Learn Japanese? English is Hard too! by Elizabeth Baba Interview with Professor James Heisig

don't you think NIHONGOCENTRAL.COM is awesomeness?
click the banner to support with a DONATION via a secure PayPal payment