「Nipponosis」にようこそ!

Greetings and welcome to Nipponosis!  There are many people that are seeking to learn a language on their own and they will hear about programs to help them learn, such as Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur. Out of these two you've most likely heard about Rosetta Stone much more often. But is Rosetta Stone really the best way to learn as it is so often advertised? Maybe it is a good option, but to truly be able to speak a language it will require at least some level of immersion. Granted that is what they say their program offers it may not provide everything a person needs to learn(Lets face it, true immersion would require a plane trip to Japan). On top of that not everybody learns in the same fashion. There are some people that are great learners by physically doing something; who would love to learn by moving to another country. There are some that need visuals; whom which Rosetta Stone would be a good alternative. Then there are auditory learners; whom would prefer a program more like Pimsleur or Michel Thomas which explains everything and is basically an auditory lesson through and through. For Rosetta stone to boast so highly that it is simply the best is seems to be no more than the actuality being that Rosetta Stone put out the most funds in advertising to me. I say this because I honestly do not believe that there is a single one perfect program when it comes to understanding another language and culture. Both language and culture are to be known if one is to travel to the the country of the language being studied because there will be mannerisms and body language trends that will be mixed into communication as well. So blatantly speaking may not be enough to really construe a thought that you feel as well as understanding what natives are saying to you beyond their words. Now it may seem like I really dislike Rosetta Stone, but it's not so much that as there may be other alternatives to it which could be more cost effective with a little help from the good folks around the world that would be more than happy to teach a little something for free or a much lower price considering that RS can be priced beyond $700.00 USD. Here I would like to share what I know, who I know of, and what you can do to better the experience of learning Japanese by not getting bored. Lets face it doing one thing can be boring, no matter how good it is, variation is a necessity for human beings. For example, if you had a nice juicy steak(assuming this is something you enjoy) all day everyday, chances are that by the end of a months time you would heavily desire something else to eat. Same goes with learning. Stagnation will cause a distress; and boredom will lead to giving up on what you once craved so badly.

Comments (6)

On 29 December, 2011 16:06 , Heskew said...

nice, i really wish i knew japanese, great posts.

 
On 29 December, 2011 16:07 , Anonymous said...

Very very very followable :) Very good idea too, learning a language as a community. Best of luck.

 
On 29 December, 2011 16:40 , InfinitePlans said...

Will be really interesting too follow this and see what methods you will be using.

 
On 29 December, 2011 23:19 , BusterDraco said...

I totally agree! I tried learning Viet on Rosetta Stone at school, but it quickly became stale, and I no longer wanted to do it.

 
On 06 January, 2012 08:57 , WeiseGuy said...

I've been trying to learn a language forever. Can't wait to see some of your ideas.

 
On 23 January, 2012 17:35 , Anonymous said...

Guess who?
Did you know that I love you? 8D
I'm going to keep reading this because it's interesting. :D
In your about me, where you have the Japanese part, write your name in katakana instead of how it is. It makes life more funtastical. 8D