New Site for Learning Practical Japanese

On June 1, the Agency for Cultural Affairs launched a new website for learning practical Japanese through video content. It is aimed primarily at people who have just moved to Japan and are learning the language for the first time or those who live in the country but have had no opportunity to study. Explanations and dialogue translations are available in English, simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

The main focus is on conversations in everyday situations. There are 18 topics, ranging from self-introduction and shopping for daily items to preparing for emergencies and going to a real-estate agent. Each video has scripts to follow in Japanese, rōmaji, and English, which can separately be turned on and off. There are also sections on key phrases and vocabulary, and a final video bringing together the sentence patterns in the topic. Other videos on the site give primers in Japanese sounds, scripts, and the structure of the language.

It is certainly worth taking a look at this site for the excellent, well-selected material, which is sure to help learners to navigate common situations in Japan. Note, however, that it can take some time for the videos to load, depending on the speed of your connection.

Website: Connect and Enhance Your Life in Japanese

(Originally published in English. Banner image courtesy the Agency for Cultural Affairs.)