Good games that teach Japanese?

[Soldier Blue]

Okay, so I was wondering what is a good game that teaches Japanese for a beginner in the language like me? So far I've had my eye on Japanese Coach for the DS...any recommendations?

[Czernobog]

Japanese Coach has some errors in it which if I iirc are related to conjugation. It could give you a poor foundation to work on but I haven't actually tried the game so don't take my word for it.

Here's a pretty good Top 5 DS games for learning Japanese article:

http://www.tofugu.com/2011/10/10/top-5- ... -japanese/

[Sideroller]

I don't know of any games per se - but there's a great program called Anki that allows you to make your own flashcards with sound, pictures, and videos. You download sets for Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji.

So far it's been pretty helpful. If you're able to use video or sound - that's very good for improving your pronunciation.

I don't really use my DS so I haven't tried any of the learning games on it.

EDIT: I see the above link Czernborg posted also mentions using Anki with the games listed. So there yuh go.

[Czernobog]

I will second Anki. It is an insanely good SRS (spaced repetition system) which allows you to load up decks other people have created or create your own for specific needs. I use the Android app to practice my kanji. ~20 minutes a day and I get great results.

[Inazuma]

Educational language games are one way, but normal games are good too. Just import some Japanese games and play them! Learn as you go.

Watch anime in Japanese, without subtitles. That works great too. Learn the language from observation and context.

[Czernobog]

Educational language games are one way, but normal games are good too. Just import some Japanese games and play them! Learn as you go.

Watch anime in Japanese, without subtitles. That works great too. Learn the language from observation and context.

Inazuma is absolutely correct. Really try to enter into the language raw if you can. It can be difficult and intimidating at first, but eventually you sort of start to watch things the way you did when you were a little kid. You start to take in a lot more visually, which helps you understand contextually. It's worked wonders for me.

[Inazuma]

When I first decided to learn Japanese, I tried things like watching subtitled anime and beginner level college classes. While they did help me to learn some of the basics (mostly vocabulary), it was nothing compared to when I started immersing myself in raw anime and playing online Japanese games.

Of course it was very difficult at first. I only knew some of the basics, so for the most part I felt pretty useless. I could barely read the basic characters, but it was very slow. An item would drop, and before I could even read the first few characters of it, someone would have picked it up. I didn't even know how to form simple sentences so I couldn't even communicate with anyone, outside of a few random words I knew. But after a few months of doing it, I got faster and better at reading. I was able to say simple things and ask some questions.

After sticking with it for a few years, it felt completely normal to me and I had fully adjusted to it. I was watching raw anime and understanding it just fine. And I was playing online Japanese games, while having conversations with other players, and I felt totally relaxed and confident about myself.

English subtitles and textbooks and stuff are handy but it's slow and difficult to learn that way. If you can actually go live in Japan, that would be best. If you can't, you can make your own virtual Japan by surrounding yourself with Japanese games, TV, music, etc., and learn Japanese the same way you learned your first language.

[Pingfa]

^ Exactly what Khatz at alljapaneseallthetime.com recommends. I recommended anyone who is learning a language to check that site out (most of the content applies to languages in general). At the very least it'll provide inspiration.

[hashiriya1]

Japanese Coach on DS is absolute garbage. Some of the high school kids I tutor use it and I told them to get rid of it. If you must use a game, get some TOEIC software for DS. It's supposed to help Japanese people learn English, but it can go the other way too. If you are a super beginner, get English programs aimed for elementary to jr high school students. There's a ton of them out there on DS. New Horizon is one. I recommended this one to my younger students.






Try not to rely on anime too much because that's not how people usually talk in the real world. I can tell when people learned their Japanese from anime. Live action dramas and movies about realistic situations work much better.

[Inazuma]

Try not to rely on anime too much because that's not how people usually talk in the real world. I can tell when people learned their Japanese from anime. Live action dramas and movies about realistic situations work much better.

うるせー！アニメをバカにするなっ！

アニメから日本語を覚えたこの俺様はなぁ、てめぇの下手糞喋り方よりず～っと上だ。　アニメのおかげでこんなにぺらぺらになった。てめぇなんかと比べて天才だ！

つ～か、生まれた日から天才だった。めっちゃくちゃ強くて格好良くて頭がいいの俺の日本語はもう世界一なんだよ、バカヤロー。死ね！