Japanese is thought to be one of the more difficult languages to learn for a native English speaker. It takes some amount of dedication and time to learn the language. Studies say that depending on several factors like your original language, how much time you devote daily to learn the language, etc. one can decide how difficult it is to learn Japanese. Again contrary to this popular belief, many linguists agree that spoken Japanese is comparatively easier to master than other languages, because it has only five vowels and thirteen consonants. In this blog, I will discuss a few points why Japanese is easy to learn for some people and why it is difficult for others. 

1. Multibhashi

Multibhashi is one of the most famous language learning apps available. The platform is popular in India even in other countries too. Multibhashi is an app to learn languages in the most effective and innovative manner through the medium of audio-visual training sessions and app-based learning. It is a leader in providing learning solutions in various spheres. The company also offers the Japanese language. Multibhashi has the most professional staff for the Japanese language. All the staff are professionally trained in Japanese and have a good mutual understanding with their trainees.

 

2. Marugoto Japanese Course

These are good beginner-level online courses.

The course is designed according to JF. The standard for Japanese-Language Education. You will learn to communicate in Japanese. You can pursue a level based on your requirement. It is a bit more test-oriented.

The Japan Foundation is an organization that promotes the Japanese language and culture around the world. They have a few different courses where you can learn Japanese free online. They run a course called ‘Marugoto’ which is the best general beginner course that you can find for free. 

Who can take this course: The course is well suited for beginners who are just starting out and would like an online self-study course, which is more structured and formal than the other courses on this list. You submit assignments online and even get a certificate at the end. There is also an online noticeboard for students where you can chat about your experience learning Japanese with other students across the world.

 

3. Italki

Italki is a language-learning software that connects you with a Japanese tutor for a one-hour video chat. While a lot of programs out there might include a side feature that allows you to connect face-to-face with your tutor or a native speaker, italki’s affordability, flexibility, and ease of use earn it the crown for practicing speaking.

 Your tutor will be a freelancer with varying levels of teaching experience; the more expensive teachers (who sometimes charge as much as $60 an hour) will have taught at language schools or have a teaching certificate and be able to explain grammar to you. The inexpensive educators (for as low as $4 an hour) are for 60 minutes of casual conversation with a native speaker or someone with high proficiency.

 

4. Duolingo

These are good beginner-level online courses. I’m mentioning this resource because it is a great little application to supplement your Japanese learning on the go in bite-size pieces. It is worth checking out. Now I need to mention that Duolingo is a good practice tool at a beginner’s level. It will not teach you a language in its entirety, just keep that in mind. With that out of the way, it is a good resource to learn a lot of words. It also manages to solidify your foundations for grammar and syntax and perhaps some pronunciation as well. Duolingo is very easy to use, intuitive UI, and user-friendly lesson content. So definitely give this little tool a go.

1. Japlang : 

The instructor forces you to give a rating on google right after the first class (Hence all the 5 stars!) Though the institute is okayish for N5, I’d suggest you steer clear by N4. The instructor lacks in-depth knowledge of the language, can’t handle students’ questions, and follows no methodic approach to the course except for byhearting Minna no Nihongo textbook. The 1st and 2nd lessons of MNN would be taught for weeks together till the expected batch size is achieved. This leaves no time to visit important lessons i.e. 20–25, which left us underprepared for the N5.

 

2. (JLS) : 

Joined this after a lot of thought. The teachers are highly qualified. Also one of the oldest Jap institutes in the city. But the teaching is painfully monotonous and the instructors use rote learning a lot. The emphasis is on finishing the syllabus than on explaining the concept. They make you write and rewrite kana and kanji in the class (Those who want the feels of kindergarten, go ahead!). They keep increasing the fee for every batch. The batch size is too large for equal participation. Provides good learning material though.

 

3. NILI : 

The instructor is knowledgeable. The teaching methodology is good. The fee is really on the expensive side. The batch size dwindles by N3, so no issues with that. The duration of the classes is a bit stretched out.

 

4. ABK Bangalore Chapter : 

My favorite among the lot. The instructors are highly knowledgeable. The methodology is amazing. Each lesson is explained with a lot of anecdotes, references to regional languages, etc. Follows MNN but gives equal importance to a lot of other study material. Pro in conducting online classes as the students are from different parts of India and abroad. The fee is reasonable. No additional charges for textbooks, study material, and model question papers. The sensei really encourages the students to do well and answers our questions even after class hours. I loved learning the nuances of the language here due to the structured approach. Batch size is restricted to 7–8 to enable better participation

When you use all of the tools available to you, learning Japanese with some guidance becomes simpler. Use the various lists of ideas for learning Japanese provided by various institutions and online platforms as a jumping-off point. The sky’s the limit if you want to be creative!