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Japanese Is Not That Hard
(originally published as "Kanji Hell" but now completely re-written and reworked)
If you are a first time language learner or are looking for faster and simpler ways to learn Japanese and Japanese kanji, this book is for you. Learning Japanese seems so difficult, but with the right approach and language learning techniques, it's not. The Japanese language looks like the ultimate test with thousands of vocabulary words, grammar structures, and Japanese kanji to memorize, and many who accept the challenge end up quitting when things become too dull and boring. How do you learn Japanese when it's seemingly so hard to learn all this information and so easy to forget it?
Japanese Is Not That Hard begins by explaining why many language learners fail and then offers a clear solution to the problem. This book contains specific Japanese language learning methods and exercises that show you how to learn Japanese easily from any source at all. With this system of techniques, you will be able to quickly conquer Japanese language learning materials and even fun materials like manga and TV programs! Reading and writing the Japanese kanji will be no obstacle. Smart exercises can make even speaking Japanese and understanding it incredibly easy.
Learn Japanese the fast and simple way with this book!
If you are a first time language learner or are looking for faster and simpler ways to learn Japanese and Japanese kanji, this book is for you. Learning Japanese seems so difficult, but with the right approach and language learning techniques, it's not. The Japanese language looks like the ultimate test with thousands of vocabulary words, grammar structures, and Japanese kanji to memorize, and many who accept the challenge end up quitting when things become too dull and boring. How do you learn Japanese when it's seemingly so hard to learn all this information and so easy to forget it?
Japanese Is Not That Hard begins by explaining why many language learners fail and then offers a clear solution to the problem. This book contains specific Japanese language learning methods and exercises that show you how to learn Japanese easily from any source at all. With this system of techniques, you will be able to quickly conquer Japanese language learning materials and even fun materials like manga and TV programs! Reading and writing the Japanese kanji will be no obstacle. Smart exercises can make even speaking Japanese and understanding it incredibly easy.
Learn Japanese the fast and simple way with this book!
- GenresNonfiction
82 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2016
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 11, 2017
I kind of feel like the book was too long stressing on and on about the benefits of making Anki flashcards to quickly learn Japanese taking advantage you can import audio and video files into them. I'm personally very lazy making flashcards, but I'm certain other people think they are the best thing ever.
The book does have some good points regarding the benefits of the Heisig method to make kanji learning more feasible, the koohii website where you can make Heisig kanji flashcards and memorize them whenever you have the fancy. I also liked the part where you can import Japanese language subtitles for most anime and tv dramas to add to your video files. Some of the tv watching suggestions commented on this book was how I built vocabulary and eventually learned how to speak Spanish.
Despite the good general suggestions of the book, I feel like it left out the chance to nibble some freebie basic grammar and word building examples. It already assumes you know how to conjugate verbs and read fluent hiragana and are merely using this book as a plus add on with suggestions to other study methods to keep your interest. No suggestions to worthy beginner textbooks are given here.
The book has some good merits without spelling errors, good image formatting as well. It would have been a far better book if it just cut down on the endless diatribe of flashcard galore and added some actual Japanese learning material with added kanji as easter eggs.
The book does have some good points regarding the benefits of the Heisig method to make kanji learning more feasible, the koohii website where you can make Heisig kanji flashcards and memorize them whenever you have the fancy. I also liked the part where you can import Japanese language subtitles for most anime and tv dramas to add to your video files. Some of the tv watching suggestions commented on this book was how I built vocabulary and eventually learned how to speak Spanish.
Despite the good general suggestions of the book, I feel like it left out the chance to nibble some freebie basic grammar and word building examples. It already assumes you know how to conjugate verbs and read fluent hiragana and are merely using this book as a plus add on with suggestions to other study methods to keep your interest. No suggestions to worthy beginner textbooks are given here.
The book has some good merits without spelling errors, good image formatting as well. It would have been a far better book if it just cut down on the endless diatribe of flashcard galore and added some actual Japanese learning material with added kanji as easter eggs.
December 29, 2019
Not That Hard to Write One Good Book
The reviews for Japanese is Not That Hard and Fluent Japanese from Anime and Manga, both by Eric Bodnar, are going to be the same as these two books are so similar that I find myself questioning why the author felt the need to make them into two separate books. They are both very similar in structure and meaning to that same author's book simply called The Immersion Method. While The Immersion Method is about how to learn any language using the author’s unique language-learning method, these books—obviously—are specifically about learning Japanese. What that means is that these two books have examples in Japanese, reference other resources specific to learning Japanese, and discuss issues that are particular to learning Japanese, like tips for working with kanji.
The Fluent Japanese book is a bit longer than the Japanese is Not That Hard book, so if I were to choose one, I would pick the Fluent Japanese book. The Fluent book is similar in content to the author’s Fluent Korean book except, of course, for the specific language. So, for instance, both of the Fluent books have a tiny section on words that could be perceived as offensive, while the Japanese is Not That Hard book does not. The Fluent book also seems to have more links to a variety of Japanese language-learning resources that the other Japanese book does. There also seems to be more stress on learning the kanji as well as incorporating fun elements like anime and manga into your learning practice in the Fluent book. A whole chapter is dedicated to manga, as the author does see it as a good way in to learning how to read Japanese, which he admits can be frustrating for a Westerner.
If you have an interest in studying the Japanese language, either of these books would give you a solid method with some different practices that, combined, will help your fluency and ease with Japanese. Again, of the two, I recommend the Fluent Japanese from Anime and Manga book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
The reviews for Japanese is Not That Hard and Fluent Japanese from Anime and Manga, both by Eric Bodnar, are going to be the same as these two books are so similar that I find myself questioning why the author felt the need to make them into two separate books. They are both very similar in structure and meaning to that same author's book simply called The Immersion Method. While The Immersion Method is about how to learn any language using the author’s unique language-learning method, these books—obviously—are specifically about learning Japanese. What that means is that these two books have examples in Japanese, reference other resources specific to learning Japanese, and discuss issues that are particular to learning Japanese, like tips for working with kanji.
The Fluent Japanese book is a bit longer than the Japanese is Not That Hard book, so if I were to choose one, I would pick the Fluent Japanese book. The Fluent book is similar in content to the author’s Fluent Korean book except, of course, for the specific language. So, for instance, both of the Fluent books have a tiny section on words that could be perceived as offensive, while the Japanese is Not That Hard book does not. The Fluent book also seems to have more links to a variety of Japanese language-learning resources that the other Japanese book does. There also seems to be more stress on learning the kanji as well as incorporating fun elements like anime and manga into your learning practice in the Fluent book. A whole chapter is dedicated to manga, as the author does see it as a good way in to learning how to read Japanese, which he admits can be frustrating for a Westerner.
If you have an interest in studying the Japanese language, either of these books would give you a solid method with some different practices that, combined, will help your fluency and ease with Japanese. Again, of the two, I recommend the Fluent Japanese from Anime and Manga book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
August 29, 2022
I didn’t learn a single thing about Japanese with this book (no kana, no kanji, no grammar, nothing). The book doesn’t teach any of that.
The book makes two assumptions: 1) you’re already studying Japanese and are only struggling with memorizing kanji; and 2) you have quite a bit of time on your hands to prepare study materials and will be doing so on your computer (if you don't have a lot of time, the author proposes 45-90 minutes/day).
The author begins by talking about approaches that didn’t work for him - including apps - and then explains what did work for him - an app.
This is followed by a lengthy tutorial (including screenshots and all) on that app - Anki, a flashcards app - plus add-ons to that app and other companion apps - such as Audible - to help prepare study materials.
The second half of the book goes through a series of websites, tools, and suggestions for activities and schedules, plus some tips concerning the loss of motivation when you spend hours every day studying Japanese (it should be said that the author actually relocated to Japan to fully immerse himself in the language). Most of these (just like the Anki app) work for any language; only a couple of websites are exclusive to Japanese.
I do believe that the main problem with the book is the change of its name. It is currently available as “Japanese is not that hard”, whereas previously it was named “Kanji Hell: How to Keep Going in Learning to Read and Write Japanese” (and, judging by a cover I saw, before that it might have been “The Kanji Question: How to Stay Motivated in Learning to Read and Write Japanese”). Had the name not changed, I wouldn’t have picked it up. I thought the book was about Japanese, but it turned out to be a self-help book.
This was also the first time that I saw a link in a book asking me to review it on Amazon. This was halfway through the book. And then at the end of the book again.
The book makes two assumptions: 1) you’re already studying Japanese and are only struggling with memorizing kanji; and 2) you have quite a bit of time on your hands to prepare study materials and will be doing so on your computer (if you don't have a lot of time, the author proposes 45-90 minutes/day).
The author begins by talking about approaches that didn’t work for him - including apps - and then explains what did work for him - an app.
This is followed by a lengthy tutorial (including screenshots and all) on that app - Anki, a flashcards app - plus add-ons to that app and other companion apps - such as Audible - to help prepare study materials.
The second half of the book goes through a series of websites, tools, and suggestions for activities and schedules, plus some tips concerning the loss of motivation when you spend hours every day studying Japanese (it should be said that the author actually relocated to Japan to fully immerse himself in the language). Most of these (just like the Anki app) work for any language; only a couple of websites are exclusive to Japanese.
I do believe that the main problem with the book is the change of its name. It is currently available as “Japanese is not that hard”, whereas previously it was named “Kanji Hell: How to Keep Going in Learning to Read and Write Japanese” (and, judging by a cover I saw, before that it might have been “The Kanji Question: How to Stay Motivated in Learning to Read and Write Japanese”). Had the name not changed, I wouldn’t have picked it up. I thought the book was about Japanese, but it turned out to be a self-help book.
This was also the first time that I saw a link in a book asking me to review it on Amazon. This was halfway through the book. And then at the end of the book again.
January 13, 2020
This book is a collection of pieces of advice from the author’s experience of how we should approach the project of learning a new language. Although he focuses on learning Japanese, more of these pieces of advice can be used for any language as well.
The worst enemy of a person trying to learn a language is boredom. When we learn a language, we try to look the unknown words up in a dictionary and after a short period of time, we are bored. We want to understand every single word we read or hear, and we don’t realize that even in our own mother tongue sometimes we find words we don’t know, but we go on reading or listening without feeling antsy. So why do we feel stressed when we come across a word we don’t understand in another language? No idea. We need to learn to get the gist of the sentence even though we don’t understand every single word in it.
Being a teacher myself, I agree with a lot of things he says in this book. For example, about learning from what you like, if you like books, read them; if you like films, watch them; if you like comics, read them.
The worst enemy of a person trying to learn a language is boredom. When we learn a language, we try to look the unknown words up in a dictionary and after a short period of time, we are bored. We want to understand every single word we read or hear, and we don’t realize that even in our own mother tongue sometimes we find words we don’t know, but we go on reading or listening without feeling antsy. So why do we feel stressed when we come across a word we don’t understand in another language? No idea. We need to learn to get the gist of the sentence even though we don’t understand every single word in it.
Being a teacher myself, I agree with a lot of things he says in this book. For example, about learning from what you like, if you like books, read them; if you like films, watch them; if you like comics, read them.
February 3, 2020
Learning a new language is all about memorizing vocabulary and there is no real magic bullet to overcome that. There are multiple ways to approach it and different things work for different people. This book lays our an approach that worked for the author and might work for others. That's about it.
As someone who has studied Japanese in the past, I am always looking for new materials to refresh my skills and expand upon them. While this book offered some possible advice in that regard, it did not meet my expectations as it was too generic and lacking in specifics. It is more about how to learn than actual instruction.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
As someone who has studied Japanese in the past, I am always looking for new materials to refresh my skills and expand upon them. While this book offered some possible advice in that regard, it did not meet my expectations as it was too generic and lacking in specifics. It is more about how to learn than actual instruction.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
December 29, 2019
People are not the same, so why do we insist on one method to learn a language? Eric Bodnar definitely did not think so and teach us how to mix and match different resources to create a method that works for each of us.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 30, 2019
This book has a lot of info about how to learn a language, especially Japanese. The author tells us his experience learning languages and the best way to do it, according to him, is trying to enjoy. If you are learning a language and you are not enjoying the experience, then something is wrong, something is not working.
This is not a book with grammar, kanjis, etc.
This is not a book with grammar, kanjis, etc.
December 31, 2019
This book does offer some good ideas on how to learn Japanese and it does offer fun ideas that make learning fun. Overall, I did find some parts of the book frustrating but worth the trouble.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 1, 2020
Great little book for getting you set up to learn Japanese and excel in your efforts. Periodically I wish the Kanji used in the book was better described for beginners, but other than that, it’s very well thought out. 😊
November 22, 2020
If only it would be as easy as reading this book
September 14, 2021
This book introduced some useful and interesting techniques to employ in learning Japanese. It's a very quick read, but it gets right to the point
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews