097 4 I have been through japanese classes and i have some books and ive researchd sites to study this most were pay by month mind you , and you could find a few bits and pieces here and there but you usually get tired of doing all this so i took classes in college , this game is going over alot of things i had already went over but i havent been playing for too long and im already learning some words i didnt know . The stroke order is a little annoying but some words i write that are correct but look like chicken scratch are also accepted which is good i have some pretty bad handwritting . I was trying to teach my husband japanese and i only had flashcards and had to write out my own tests and things which is fine but him being so eager it took alot of my time so the gift was for him really and he loves it and says he learns alot . most of the games are pretty fun wack a mole is entertaining but isnt going to teach you too much but they have flash card games and sentence structure games which is nice . You can always go back to a lesson you dont think you learned well enough and play through the little games they have in the lessons which makes things pretty solid . I do have to say sometimes flashcards you have to turn down the sound because the chick says the word on the flashcard and if its just a symbol they are trying to get you to figure out it just gives it away when she says it . you can track how well you are doing in the game which doesnt really help me much but its fun to see where im at in the game . If you are interested in japanese at all this would be a great game for you at any level .
024 4 This is one of the better Japanese teaching programs which I have used over the years . It is more fun than most and gives you almost the same ability to improve your Japanese . Since I have purchased this learning program , I have studied more and learned much , some which is new and some which I had forgotten . It is still necessary to do other studying , but you can learn with this program . Unless you don't already have a Nintendo DS this learning game is inexpensive .
030 4 I got this game to practice japanese and still have a little of bit doing it . I am taking japanese college courses and while this game does have some flaws as pointed out by other reviewers , it does help remembering vocabulary and such . The mini games are alot of fun and along the way i learned some other words not taught in class that i can incorporate into my speech . The writing hiragana part is boring and not even fun , i wish i could skip it . Otherwise the game is great but it will NOT teach you japanese .
042 4 It does really well with the hands on teaching . The games are aimed at different ways of making sure that you understand the lesson , and keep on remembering the previous lessons . Sometimes , the lessons get mastered too quickly when I keep repeating a game until I know I got it right . Languages are hard . This is a good medium to give a boost to learning Japanese .
064 4 I'm Japanese and this Japanese DS Coach helped me brush up on my Japanese skills . Ever since I moved out of my Parents home my Japanese skills got a little rusty to a point where I was having difficulty communicating with my Mom . This Japanese Coach helped me with my basics and even helped me learn words I didn't know before like I never knew how to say the days of the week or the months in Japanese before but now I'm learning them . You learn alot using this coach and I think I'll purchase the spanish one next so I can learn to speak Spanish . I recommend this to anyone and to try the other language coaches as well .
071 4 Makes learning Japanese fun and easy . It's nice that you can go anywhere and take out your DS and study Japanese . It's a wonderful addition to the other collection of study books that I have , but this I have out more often then the books .
072 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I am a college student taking up Japanese and I bought this as a way to help me in my class . I also wanted something to help me not forget what I have learned in my Japanese class between semesters .
This was EXACTLY what I needed ! This game is relatively easy to follow and has great memorization games .
I would like to remind buyers that this alone will not be your ticket to learning Japanese though !
073 4 I am a college student taking up Japanese and I bought this as a way to help me in my class . I also wanted something to help me not forget what I have learned in my Japanese class between semesters .
This was EXACTLY what I needed ! This game is relatively easy to follow and has great memorization games .
I would like to remind buyers that this alone will not be your ticket to learning Japanese though !
095 4 I knew Japanese but have forgotten much of it . This game is a great way to review and recall , as well as learning some new stuff .
102 4 this game is helping me to learn Japanese in a fun and memory remembering way . It should be used with another source to help enhance the learning experience but overall a great way to learn another language !
104 4 This is a fun simple way to learn Japanese , however like everything else in life it needs time and energy . I reccomend it to students and video game developers to give you an edge in the industry .
125 4 This is a great product for people who have dabbled in the language before ; nothing , I think , can really take the place of actually being in a classroom , but as for adding to your vocabulary , brushing up on grammar rules , and learning new usages , it's really useful . I took a semester last fall at my local community college , and this game has helped build on that . However , like all self-study methods , in order to be effective , you have to be able to stick with it and manage your time well .
127 4 Got this for my 7 year old to start working on Japanese . Lots of great options . She can go at her own pace . She's not going to become fluent using this , but every little bit helps .
129 4 I would definitely recommend this for people who are serious about learning japanese . being able to compare your voice with the girl in the game really helps with the longer phrases . the writing games are my favorite , best way to remember your hiragana !
141 4 I purchased the game and I'm a beginner myself but it was such a fun and addicting game , so far I learned the hiragana and the katakana so for beginners who wants to learn the simple basics of Japanese try it out
144 4 I just purchased this 3 days ago and I can already read and write hirugana ( although I don't necessarily know WHAT i'm reading or writing yet ) and have learned and memorized a lot of Japanese words and phrases . Very effective , and lots of fun , HIGHLY recommended .
149 4 I bought this as a Christmas present for my husband . He really enjoys it , he plays it almost every night . He says it forces him to learn . I can't wait to try it too .
153 4 Very educational and fun . I learned a lot in a short amount of time . However , the instructor's explanation of verbs is confusing , not well explained and a little beyond the level of this program . Also , some of the stroke orders were off .
160 4 This is the best tool i've used so far . I have taken Japanese College classes which were great too . This blows rosetta stone out of the water . If you want to learn a language this is a good and fun way to start .
171 4 I've just started using this program and so far it's a great way to be introduced to Japanese . The games are fun , if a little monotonous after a while . Whack a mole is my favorite . The only part I haven't used yet is the writing practice . It's not really clear how to practice the strokes and whether they should be thick or thin ? It's difficult to reproduce the letters with the stylus . I think this product is great to start to learn common words and their pronunciation , not so great learning writing .
177 4 With the numerous errors in the game I would question whether this is good for any beginners . But on top of that anyone with a decent knowledge of Japanese has no use for it either . Being forced to go through lesson after lesson of words you already know without kana / kanji is incredibly boring . Learning from this will only teach you bad habbits . Not impressed at all .
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Hello ,
It seems that most who have written reviews here generally wrote them after completing only a handful of lessons . Since I'm currently up to lesson 70 after about two months of playing the game about 40 minutes a day , I think my observations may be helpful for those trying to figure out exactly how the program evolves as it introduces more complicated kanji and grammar .
Let me give a bit of background about myself first so that you can better guage where I'm coming from . I'm already fairly conversant ( though not fluent ) in Korean from studying it during college and have previously studied Japanese on-and-off a bit here and there in the last year . Since Korean shares extremely similar grammar with Japanese , along with many Chinese loan words and concepts , learning Japanese has come fairly quickly to me . In fact , the biggest obstacle for me in learning Japanese has been the fact that my work schedule ( 50 - 60 hours per week for a large law firm ) made it difficult for me to establish an effective , independent study routine .
And that's where this game came to the rescue . To a subway commuter , this thing is an absolute godsend . While it is impractical to try and work through a textbook on a subway ( at least here in NYC ) , this game allows me to pass my commute with a variety of different drills that really let me absorb and internalize the vocab . As people have said , this program is inadequate as a sole source of study material ; however , it has certainly filled a very important niche for me .
To expand on the above , here is a quick run down of pros and cons as I've observed them :
Pros :
- Vocabulary is generally presented in fairly sensible , interrelated chunks .
- The combination of games that all stimulate your memory in different ways - - in particular , flash cards , write cards , hit-a-word , and yomi - - are all extremely useful in drilling the words into your head . I find that my active recall of many of these words is lacking ; however , my passive recall is phenomenal .
- The kanji , one of my personal weak points during previous attempts at learning Japanese , is also well-organized and presented at a reasonable pace .
- The grammar sections are refreshingly well thought-out and the majority of the topics covered are supplemented by sufficient examples and lesson-specific games .
- The dictionary function is very useful as well , though I wish it would let you practice writing any word you selected .
Cons ( this is surprisingly long , especially given my 5 star rating , I know ; however , there are some annoying quirks to the game that may frustrate those who are not using it primarily to reinforce vocabulary ) :
- The biggest drawback for me is that the game does not constantly test you on all the vocabulary you've learned , even if you try to play the game with only the mastered option selected ; instead , the game will only test you on material from the previous 8 - 10 lessons or so . As you progress in the game , this means that the only way for you to review everything you've learned so far is to go back to each lesson individually - - a tedious process which involves paging through the lesson to the end and playing the two lesson-specific games . This limits your review in two very annoying ways : 1 ) you will be unable to continually train older vocab in all of the 12 different games ; 2 ) you will only be able to train older vocab against other older vocab in the same lesson . The second point is probably the most disingenuous and counterproductive because it lets your brain recall the lesson rather than internalize the vocabulary itself . You may not know a word very well , but you can recognize quickly every time when you only have to select it repeatedly against the same nine other vocabulary words in the same two games . I've found this an obstacle to refreshing or re-memorizing the older vocabulary because it only teaches you to have a passive command of a word relative to others in the lesson .
- Another big drawback is that the non-lesson-specific grammar games are atrocious at higher levels . Instead of drawing on the passages used in the lesson-specific grammar games , the general grammar games seem to pull 3 to 4 sentences from some other , seriously-lacking source . These other practice sentences ( use mostly in bridge builder , spelltastic , fill in the blank , and scrolls ) are rarely helpful . For example , I recently had a grammar game where three our of four of the questions revolved around fairly banal sentences using the word ikura , despite the fact that neither the word ikura nor the grammar employed in the sentences was at all relevant to anything I had studied in the past 15 - 20 lessons . This limitation relegates you again to going back to each lesson and playing the lesson-specific games for review .
- A smaller drawback that should be noted is that it does not teach you the competing Kanji pronunciations in terms of On and Kun ; which , from what I understand , will make it more difficult to truly master the Kanji later .
- Finally , as many have noted , the game is blotched with a few tiny programming errors here and there . This can be anything from a mis-conjugation in a lesson to even having a game freeze up ( only happened once ) when it seemingly drew a vocabulary word for which there was no information . Given the scope of the game , these things are relatively minor .
Overall , the game has been a huge boon to my studying and I highly recommend it to those looking for a mildly entertaining way to drill vocabulary and reinforce grammar . I currently have a private Japanese lesson every weekend where I review the concepts and vocabulary introduced in the game ( occasionally supplementing them with material from Japanese for Busy People ) and have found that this game can provide a solid foundation for self-learning but only if you are willing to review the material with a native speaker to ensure you are understanding it correctly .
Hope that was helpful . Good luck to all in their studies .
001 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Let me start by saying that I have been studying Japanese off and on for many years now . I learned some of the basic words and simple sentence structures as well as to read and write Katakana . However , I've never made a serious attempt to go beyond that , until now .
I have used many computer Japanese learning programs and found all of them to be totally inadequate . I was cautiously optimistic about this DS title , but for under $ [ . . . ] I decided to give it a try . Wow , I am impressed ! The lessons are well structured and introduce around 10 words per lesson ( from what I've seen so far ) , unlike books which want you to remember dozens and dozens of words right from the start . The voice quality is superb and ( unlike most other recordings I have heard ) does not speak so fast that you can't follow it . I love the feature where you can record your voice and compare it to the native speaker's , including comparing the wave forms . This helps you learn the correct timing and pace when speaking . The games are fun , but you need pretty fast reflexes for the whack-a-mole game unless you set it on easy .
This program does have a few flaws . The stroke order for a few of the kanas is off ( stroke order is VERY important in writing Japanese correctly ) . Also , hiragana is introduced too slowly in my opinion , but this is probably intentional as to not scare off people who have never written in Japenese . That being said , if you are serious about learning Japanese this shouldn't be your only resource anyways . I highly recommend
Easy Hiragana : First Steps to Basic Japanese Writing ( Passport Books )
and especially
Easy Katakana
.
Despite these minor issues , I think that any serious student of Japanese will benefit immensely from using this program . Motivation and determination are required to learn any language since it takes a huge investment of time and study . Using something that is as engaging as this will keep you interested . Plus , it is a game system after all , so if you need a break you can always pop in Zelda for a while ! ; )
002 4 Let me start by saying that I have been studying Japanese off and on for many years now . I learned some of the basic words and simple sentence structures as well as to read and write Katakana . However , I've never made a serious attempt to go beyond that , until now .
I have used many computer Japanese learning programs and found all of them to be totally inadequate . I was cautiously optimistic about this DS title , but for under $ [ . . . ] I decided to give it a try . Wow , I am impressed ! The lessons are well structured and introduce around 10 words per lesson ( from what I've seen so far ) , unlike books which want you to remember dozens and dozens of words right from the start . The voice quality is superb and ( unlike most other recordings I have heard ) does not speak so fast that you can't follow it . I love the feature where you can record your voice and compare it to the native speaker's , including comparing the wave forms . This helps you learn the correct timing and pace when speaking . The games are fun , but you need pretty fast reflexes for the whack-a-mole game unless you set it on easy .
This program does have a few flaws . The stroke order for a few of the kanas is off ( stroke order is VERY important in writing Japanese correctly ) . Also , hiragana is introduced too slowly in my opinion , but this is probably intentional as to not scare off people who have never written in Japenese . That being said , if you are serious about learning Japanese this shouldn't be your only resource anyways . I highly recommend
Easy Hiragana : First Steps to Basic Japanese Writing ( Passport Books )
and especially
Easy Katakana
.
Despite these minor issues , I think that any serious student of Japanese will benefit immensely from using this program . Motivation and determination are required to learn any language since it takes a huge investment of time and study . Using something that is as engaging as this will keep you interested . Plus , it is a game system after all , so if you need a break you can always pop in Zelda for a while ! ; )
003 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I can tell that a lot of people are in the same boat as me . They've been waiting for a DS program that teaches Japanese ( with an English-language interface ) for so long . They had such high hopes ! It has a cute sensei ! Whack-a-mole ! A thousand lessons ! Yeah , lots of romaji . . . but we can get past that !
Unfortunately , it also has some serious errors in the writing training . Specifically :
Incorrect hiragana : na mo ya yo
Incorrect katakana : e ka chi ne no hi me ya wa wo
In other words , about 15% of the basic kana characters are taught and / or graded wrong in this program . Count ' em , 14 kana have either wrong stroke order , wrong stroke direction , or wrong stroke count . AAAAAGHHHH ! How could they ?
No , really . . . seriously , how COULD they ? The correct stroke order for kana is in any number of reference books . You could choose from a dozen or more on Amazon . It's not some arcane 18 - stroke kanji - - we're talking about characters with four , three , two . . even , for pete's sake , ONE stroke . ( Katakana no should be drawn north-to-south , not the other way . )
The worst thing is , lots of people using this program are going to be brand-new to Japanese and won't even know they're being taught wrong .
Writing Japanese is not like writing English . You can write a t with the vertical line first or the cross stroke first , and nobody cares . But Japanese is not like that . Stroke order matters . Ironically , the animated Haruku-sensei harps on that point a lot .
Ya know , I read the reviews that said there were a few problems with stroke order , and I still bought MJC . I figured , what the heck , it's probably just one or two things , they're probably low-usage characters , whatever . Ack , wrong . I mean , some of these syllables are used a lot - - a LOT - - in Japanese . It's as though you were a non-English speaker being taught to write your Gs and Ss backwards and your Ns and Us upside down .
Oh well . . . apart from that , how did you like the play , Mrs . Lincoln ?
The interface is cute . I'm not crazy about most of the games I've unlocked so far . . . I find myself going to my three favorites again and again : flashcards ( set on hard , so you get only audio cues ) ; writing cards ; and multiple choice . Those three will actually teach you something ( word search in romaji ? ? really now ) . The placement test is not thorough enough - - I don't know the days of the week at all , but somehow I got skipped past that lesson .
The vocabulary seems fairly well chosen ( although they do start off with a strange selection of verbs - - I would never have put kagayaku [ glow ] , shinu [ die ] , or osu [ push ] among the first two dozen verbs to learn in a foreign language ) . I wish there were exercises that actually gave you practice conjugating verbs , but perhaps that comes later on in the program . The audio is nice , and the fonts are readable . There's a dictionary , which also subsets to your learned-words list , and lots of tracking info . There are slots for three players ( handy in my three-person household ) .
I dunno - - I STILL really want to love this program , but I'm afraid Ubisoft ( or whoever actually did the content ) did a crappy job with it . If they got that many kana wrong , how in the world is one to trust the kanji ? I'm going to bite the bullet and go buy Kakitori Kun 2 from an import house - - it's got a Japanese interface , but I'll figure it out eventually , and I'll be confident I'm learning how to write correctly .
P.S . Guess I should add . . . if your main goal is to speak Japanese , this program should be fine . I know that not everyone places as high a value on being able to write Nihongo correctly as I do .
[ EDITED TO ADD : The dictionary has a very nice feature : click on a verb and you'll get three pages of verb-specific info : formal and informal conjugations for non-past , past , neg non-past , and neg past ; a list of bases 1 - 5 plus - ta and - te ; and more conjugations ( volitional , imperative , etc . ) This is cool . Shame about the kana blunders , though - - they've poisoned the well . ]
004 4 I can tell that a lot of people are in the same boat as me . They've been waiting for a DS program that teaches Japanese ( with an English-language interface ) for so long . They had such high hopes ! It has a cute sensei ! Whack-a-mole ! A thousand lessons ! Yeah , lots of romaji . . . but we can get past that !
Unfortunately , it also has some serious errors in the writing training . Specifically :
Incorrect hiragana : na mo ya yo
Incorrect katakana : e ka chi ne no hi me ya wa wo
In other words , about 15% of the basic kana characters are taught and / or graded wrong in this program . Count ' em , 14 kana have either wrong stroke order , wrong stroke direction , or wrong stroke count . AAAAAGHHHH ! How could they ?
No , really . . . seriously , how COULD they ? The correct stroke order for kana is in any number of reference books . You could choose from a dozen or more on Amazon . It's not some arcane 18 - stroke kanji - - we're talking about characters with four , three , two . . even , for pete's sake , ONE stroke . ( Katakana no should be drawn north-to-south , not the other way . )
The worst thing is , lots of people using this program are going to be brand-new to Japanese and won't even know they're being taught wrong .
Writing Japanese is not like writing English . You can write a t with the vertical line first or the cross stroke first , and nobody cares . But Japanese is not like that . Stroke order matters . Ironically , the animated Haruku-sensei harps on that point a lot .
Ya know , I read the reviews that said there were a few problems with stroke order , and I still bought MJC . I figured , what the heck , it's probably just one or two things , they're probably low-usage characters , whatever . Ack , wrong . I mean , some of these syllables are used a lot - - a LOT - - in Japanese . It's as though you were a non-English speaker being taught to write your Gs and Ss backwards and your Ns and Us upside down .
Oh well . . . apart from that , how did you like the play , Mrs . Lincoln ?
The interface is cute . I'm not crazy about most of the games I've unlocked so far . . . I find myself going to my three favorites again and again : flashcards ( set on hard , so you get only audio cues ) ; writing cards ; and multiple choice . Those three will actually teach you something ( word search in romaji ? ? really now ) . The placement test is not thorough enough - - I don't know the days of the week at all , but somehow I got skipped past that lesson .
The vocabulary seems fairly well chosen ( although they do start off with a strange selection of verbs - - I would never have put kagayaku [ glow ] , shinu [ die ] , or osu [ push ] among the first two dozen verbs to learn in a foreign language ) . I wish there were exercises that actually gave you practice conjugating verbs , but perhaps that comes later on in the program . The audio is nice , and the fonts are readable . There's a dictionary , which also subsets to your learned-words list , and lots of tracking info . There are slots for three players ( handy in my three-person household ) .
I dunno - - I STILL really want to love this program , but I'm afraid Ubisoft ( or whoever actually did the content ) did a crappy job with it . If they got that many kana wrong , how in the world is one to trust the kanji ? I'm going to bite the bullet and go buy Kakitori Kun 2 from an import house - - it's got a Japanese interface , but I'll figure it out eventually , and I'll be confident I'm learning how to write correctly .
P.S . Guess I should add . . . if your main goal is to speak Japanese , this program should be fine . I know that not everyone places as high a value on being able to write Nihongo correctly as I do .
[ EDITED TO ADD : The dictionary has a very nice feature : click on a verb and you'll get three pages of verb-specific info : formal and informal conjugations for non-past , past , neg non-past , and neg past ; a list of bases 1 - 5 plus - ta and - te ; and more conjugations ( volitional , imperative , etc . ) This is cool . Shame about the kana blunders , though - - they've poisoned the well . ]
005 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Well , it finally came out , and I bought it RIGHT away from my nearest game store . My Japanese coach is for the nintendo DS That helps you to learn Japanese . You learn to read kanji , write in Japanese , listen to Japanese , vocabulary , useful phrases . . . so far it seems to be worth the money I spent on it ( $30 ) .
The back of the case says that there are over 1,000 lessons , 1500 phrases , and close to 10,000 words in this game . I'm going to guess that at the moment , I know maybe 500 phrases , 300 kanji , and about 2500 words ( and that's all being generous I bet ) . I could potentially DOUBLE my Japanese knowledge of Japanese if I finish this game , so I'm excited .
Anyways , a quick game review . You start off the game by taking a placement test in Japanese . They ask you 50 questions , usually relating to a vocabulary word , or how to read a certain kana character . If you miss two , then it stops the quiz and calculates your starting level ( I scored 50 / 50 and moved directly to lesson 11 . ) The lessons are rather simple . It sticks to one type of topic , for example , using the desu form . The game gives you a couple of examples , introduces 10 new vocabulary , and then stops halfway thru to ask you if you want to practice what you have learned . This usually is in the form of a quiz / game , which are integral to leveling up , or unlocking the next lesson . Only after you fill up the mastery gauge of each vocab / phrase / character , will you be able to move on .
Having only just started , it seems like aside from mastering the romaji versions of the vocab through memory games and listening ( maybe 10 more types of games as well ) , you can also work on writing your hiragana and katakana , which will progressively become more difficult and become inserted into more of your lessons as you master them ( I can only assume that at a certain point , most of your lessons will be conducted entirely in Japanese , or at a level concurrent to your Japanese skill ) . It should also be noted that you can record your voice when learning new phrases , and listen to the game read them as well . There are also some really cool bonuses in the game too . There is a dictionary , phrasebook , and a really cool way to track your progress .
The game also tells you at what level you would be at if you lived in Japan . At the moment , I can express myself as much as a 1st Grader ( 363 words mastered ) , but that will change as I work my way through the game . This is a great game for anybody with a background in Japanese already and will help you to practice your weaker areas . Personally , I can't wait to get into practicing Kanji and learning some new words in preparation for the San-kyuu proficiency test this winter .
006 4 Well , it finally came out , and I bought it RIGHT away from my nearest game store . My Japanese coach is for the nintendo DS That helps you to learn Japanese . You learn to read kanji , write in Japanese , listen to Japanese , vocabulary , useful phrases . . . so far it seems to be worth the money I spent on it ( $30 ) .
The back of the case says that there are over 1,000 lessons , 1500 phrases , and close to 10,000 words in this game . I'm going to guess that at the moment , I know maybe 500 phrases , 300 kanji , and about 2500 words ( and that's all being generous I bet ) . I could potentially DOUBLE my Japanese knowledge of Japanese if I finish this game , so I'm excited .
Anyways , a quick game review . You start off the game by taking a placement test in Japanese . They ask you 50 questions , usually relating to a vocabulary word , or how to read a certain kana character . If you miss two , then it stops the quiz and calculates your starting level ( I scored 50 / 50 and moved directly to lesson 11 . ) The lessons are rather simple . It sticks to one type of topic , for example , using the desu form . The game gives you a couple of examples , introduces 10 new vocabulary , and then stops halfway thru to ask you if you want to practice what you have learned . This usually is in the form of a quiz / game , which are integral to leveling up , or unlocking the next lesson . Only after you fill up the mastery gauge of each vocab / phrase / character , will you be able to move on .
Having only just started , it seems like aside from mastering the romaji versions of the vocab through memory games and listening ( maybe 10 more types of games as well ) , you can also work on writing your hiragana and katakana , which will progressively become more difficult and become inserted into more of your lessons as you master them ( I can only assume that at a certain point , most of your lessons will be conducted entirely in Japanese , or at a level concurrent to your Japanese skill ) . It should also be noted that you can record your voice when learning new phrases , and listen to the game read them as well . There are also some really cool bonuses in the game too . There is a dictionary , phrasebook , and a really cool way to track your progress .
The game also tells you at what level you would be at if you lived in Japan . At the moment , I can express myself as much as a 1st Grader ( 363 words mastered ) , but that will change as I work my way through the game . This is a great game for anybody with a background in Japanese already and will help you to practice your weaker areas . Personally , I can't wait to get into practicing Kanji and learning some new words in preparation for the San-kyuu proficiency test this winter .
010 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
First of all , a little background so you know where this review is coming from : I currently live in Japan and have been studying the language off and on for the past 8 years . That said , I still have a lot to learn and while I can engage in basic everyday conversation , I am far from being fluent . I have many years experience both teaching and learning foreign languages in academic and professional environments .
This piece of software seems to be quite popular with folks who have never tried to study Japanese before , but if you have any sort of training in the language it is a waste of time . If you can read and understand the following sentence , I'd definitely recommend that you save your time and money and don't bother with this piece of software :
watashi wa nihongo wo benkyou shimasu .
I can overlook the minor flaws in kana stroke order , but what is ridiculous is the fact that even if you ace the beginning level placement test with a 50 / 50 ( 100% ) score , you only get placed up to lesson 11 - - learning overly simplistic vocabulary words like man , woman , and cat . The developers should have made the level placement test more diagnostic so that it could actually accurately assess ones true level . As it is , people with any sort of prior training in Japanese will have spend several days muddling through dozens of boring and useless lessons / minigames in order to unlock the higher levels which may be of actual use .
The game may give absolute beginners a very rudimentary introduction to Japanese , but even the teaching style leaves a lot to be desired and I believe beginning Japanese learners would actually get more out of visiting places like japanesepod101 ( a free Japanese language learning podcast site ) or buying a basic Japanese textbook like the Genki or Japanese For Busy People series and making flashcards to memorize their kana .
Japanese language training on the DS is a nice idea and I'd really love to see more language training software for the DS be made available in the future . However , My Japanese Coach is marred by a frustrating leveling system and a haphazard approach to learning the language .
011 4 First of all , a little background so you know where this review is coming from : I currently live in Japan and have been studying the language off and on for the past 8 years . That said , I still have a lot to learn and while I can engage in basic everyday conversation , I am far from being fluent . I have many years experience both teaching and learning foreign languages in academic and professional environments .
This piece of software seems to be quite popular with folks who have never tried to study Japanese before , but if you have any sort of training in the language it is a waste of time . If you can read and understand the following sentence , I'd definitely recommend that you save your time and money and don't bother with this piece of software :
watashi wa nihongo wo benkyou shimasu .
I can overlook the minor flaws in kana stroke order , but what is ridiculous is the fact that even if you ace the beginning level placement test with a 50 / 50 ( 100% ) score , you only get placed up to lesson 11 - - learning overly simplistic vocabulary words like man , woman , and cat . The developers should have made the level placement test more diagnostic so that it could actually accurately assess ones true level . As it is , people with any sort of prior training in Japanese will have spend several days muddling through dozens of boring and useless lessons / minigames in order to unlock the higher levels which may be of actual use .
The game may give absolute beginners a very rudimentary introduction to Japanese , but even the teaching style leaves a lot to be desired and I believe beginning Japanese learners would actually get more out of visiting places like japanesepod101 ( a free Japanese language learning podcast site ) or buying a basic Japanese textbook like the Genki or Japanese For Busy People series and making flashcards to memorize their kana .
Japanese language training on the DS is a nice idea and I'd really love to see more language training software for the DS be made available in the future . However , My Japanese Coach is marred by a frustrating leveling system and a haphazard approach to learning the language .
012 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Nov . 2 , 2008 :
Updating my review , I think if I could I'd have to knock this down another star . My initial happiness has been dashed . I just can no longer overlook the problems with stroke order , the uselessness of the romaji , the growing certainty that this is just a re-hashed French or Spanish game engine , and other quibbles . I'm at level 33 now and still there's too much romaji , when do I do kanji ? If you're determined to stick with it , and very carefully work hard from other sources to correct the problems with this game , then you might do OK but I think I'm going to start putting more time into my books and online resources . Man , they came so close to getting it right though , oh well , maybe next time ?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
original review , Oct . 16 , 2008 :
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I don't at all mean to be mean or anything , but I really doubt anyone will learn 75 words , 10 phrases , and 15 kana ( perhaps Cindy means she saw them ? ) from a raw start in Japanese in 2 hours using My Japanese Coach . Fantastic if you prove me wrong though . By learn , of course , I mean be able to use them relatively easily and well later on away from this software .
I got my copy yesterday , and yes , it's pretty fun , and yes , I'm sure you can learn something from it . I wish I'd had it when I was starting out & I also heartily recommend it for beginners . But for more advanced students , and busy adults , it's looking like it's going to take some patience to level up past the romaji ( I'm on lesson 17 , and still romaji everywhere , and darn those darned moles you gotta whack ! ) . I can't wait to finally get to working on some kanji ! I hope I get to work on some kanji . . .
Overall so far , to be honest , I'm kinda disappointed in it , it feels rushed . I don't like the whack-a-mole game and feel like I could better use my time to learn Japanese in a better way . The memory game is obnoxious as well . However , you can level up by playing the games you do like over & over it seems .
Some of the stroke orders for the kana are off , and this really shows up in the Fading Characters game , which also has some timing problems if you write really fast . I hate to be penalized when I'm writing in the correct stroke order so then have to switch to a wrong one to get through .
To the good , the feature to let you record your voice to compare it to a native speaker is fantastic . The dictionary also looks very good , though nothing can compete with the superb Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten . I really like some of the games , including the very addictive Word Search , if only it was in kana ! ! ! The Phrasebook feature looks fantastic , haven't really played with it yet . That + the dictionary might be enough reason to buy this if you're going to Japan .
Hope I'm not spoiling the fun here , I was waiting for a couple of months for my pre-order to come in , and I finally have it , and I'm glad ! I would say , if you're a DS owner & have any interest in studying Japanese , go ahead & get it , it's cheap enough so you won't regret it . If you're just starting to learn Japanese I would say definitely get it . In either case , it can only serve as a supplement to real lessons of some sort , and you need to learn hiragana & katakana as soon as possible , and then rapidly get started on kanji . Spending too much time on romaji is something you'll regret , a LOT , later on .
The game is pretty unique , and I sure hope we see more like it . I really hope Ubi will come out with a more polished , advanced version , that doesn't seem so aimed at kids .
Just don't expect too much from My Japanese Coach , and enjoy it for what it is . Oh , and like I mentioned , look out for stroke order , I've noticed that it expects the wrong order for yo , and in some of the games it accepts some really shoddy input that it should correct you on . I highly recommend the Manga de Kana & related books to help you learn kana , get a cheap 3x5 notebook to carry with it & you're in business . Now go learn some Japanese !
013 4 Nov . 2 , 2008 :
Updating my review , I think if I could I'd have to knock this down another star . My initial happiness has been dashed . I just can no longer overlook the problems with stroke order , the uselessness of the romaji , the growing certainty that this is just a re-hashed French or Spanish game engine , and other quibbles . I'm at level 33 now and still there's too much romaji , when do I do kanji ? If you're determined to stick with it , and very carefully work hard from other sources to correct the problems with this game , then you might do OK but I think I'm going to start putting more time into my books and online resources . Man , they came so close to getting it right though , oh well , maybe next time ?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
original review , Oct . 16 , 2008 :
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I don't at all mean to be mean or anything , but I really doubt anyone will learn 75 words , 10 phrases , and 15 kana ( perhaps Cindy means she saw them ? ) from a raw start in Japanese in 2 hours using My Japanese Coach . Fantastic if you prove me wrong though . By learn , of course , I mean be able to use them relatively easily and well later on away from this software .
I got my copy yesterday , and yes , it's pretty fun , and yes , I'm sure you can learn something from it . I wish I'd had it when I was starting out & I also heartily recommend it for beginners . But for more advanced students , and busy adults , it's looking like it's going to take some patience to level up past the romaji ( I'm on lesson 17 , and still romaji everywhere , and darn those darned moles you gotta whack ! ) . I can't wait to finally get to working on some kanji ! I hope I get to work on some kanji . . .
Overall so far , to be honest , I'm kinda disappointed in it , it feels rushed . I don't like the whack-a-mole game and feel like I could better use my time to learn Japanese in a better way . The memory game is obnoxious as well . However , you can level up by playing the games you do like over & over it seems .
Some of the stroke orders for the kana are off , and this really shows up in the Fading Characters game , which also has some timing problems if you write really fast . I hate to be penalized when I'm writing in the correct stroke order so then have to switch to a wrong one to get through .
To the good , the feature to let you record your voice to compare it to a native speaker is fantastic . The dictionary also looks very good , though nothing can compete with the superb Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten . I really like some of the games , including the very addictive Word Search , if only it was in kana ! ! ! The Phrasebook feature looks fantastic , haven't really played with it yet . That + the dictionary might be enough reason to buy this if you're going to Japan .
Hope I'm not spoiling the fun here , I was waiting for a couple of months for my pre-order to come in , and I finally have it , and I'm glad ! I would say , if you're a DS owner & have any interest in studying Japanese , go ahead & get it , it's cheap enough so you won't regret it . If you're just starting to learn Japanese I would say definitely get it . In either case , it can only serve as a supplement to real lessons of some sort , and you need to learn hiragana & katakana as soon as possible , and then rapidly get started on kanji . Spending too much time on romaji is something you'll regret , a LOT , later on .
The game is pretty unique , and I sure hope we see more like it . I really hope Ubi will come out with a more polished , advanced version , that doesn't seem so aimed at kids .
Just don't expect too much from My Japanese Coach , and enjoy it for what it is . Oh , and like I mentioned , look out for stroke order , I've noticed that it expects the wrong order for yo , and in some of the games it accepts some really shoddy input that it should correct you on . I highly recommend the Manga de Kana & related books to help you learn kana , get a cheap 3x5 notebook to carry with it & you're in business . Now go learn some Japanese !
014 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Hello ,
It seems that most who have written reviews here generally wrote them after completing only a handful of lessons . Since I'm currently up to lesson 70 after about two months of playing the game about 40 minutes a day , I think my observations may be helpful for those trying to figure out exactly how the program evolves as it introduces more complicated kanji and grammar .
Let me give a bit of background about myself first so that you can better guage where I'm coming from . I'm already fairly conversant ( though not fluent ) in Korean from studying it during college and have previously studied Japanese on-and-off a bit here and there in the last year . Since Korean shares extremely similar grammar with Japanese , along with many Chinese loan words and concepts , learning Japanese has come fairly quickly to me . In fact , the biggest obstacle for me in learning Japanese has been the fact that my work schedule ( 50 - 60 hours per week for a large law firm ) made it difficult for me to establish an effective , independent study routine .
And that's where this game came to the rescue . To a subway commuter , this thing is an absolute godsend . While it is impractical to try and work through a textbook on a subway ( at least here in NYC ) , this game allows me to pass my commute with a variety of different drills that really let me absorb and internalize the vocab . As people have said , this program is inadequate as a sole source of study material ; however , it has certainly filled a very important niche for me .
To expand on the above , here is a quick run down of pros and cons as I've observed them :
Pros :
- Vocabulary is generally presented in fairly sensible , interrelated chunks .
- The combination of games that all stimulate your memory in different ways - - in particular , flash cards , write cards , hit-a-word , and yomi - - are all extremely useful in drilling the words into your head . I find that my active recall of many of these words is lacking ; however , my passive recall is phenomenal .
- The kanji , one of my personal weak points during previous attempts at learning Japanese , is also well-organized and presented at a reasonable pace .
- The grammar sections are refreshingly well thought-out and the majority of the topics covered are supplemented by sufficient examples and lesson-specific games .
- The dictionary function is very useful as well , though I wish it would let you practice writing any word you selected .
Cons ( this is surprisingly long , especially given my 5 star rating , I know ; however , there are some annoying quirks to the game that may frustrate those who are not using it primarily to reinforce vocabulary ) :
- The biggest drawback for me is that the game does not constantly test you on all the vocabulary you've learned , even if you try to play the game with only the mastered option selected ; instead , the game will only test you on material from the previous 8 - 10 lessons or so . As you progress in the game , this means that the only way for you to review everything you've learned so far is to go back to each lesson individually - - a tedious process which involves paging through the lesson to the end and playing the two lesson-specific games . This limits your review in two very annoying ways : 1 ) you will be unable to continually train older vocab in all of the 12 different games ; 2 ) you will only be able to train older vocab against other older vocab in the same lesson . The second point is probably the most disingenuous and counterproductive because it lets your brain recall the lesson rather than internalize the vocabulary itself . You may not know a word very well , but you can recognize quickly every time when you only have to select it repeatedly against the same nine other vocabulary words in the same two games . I've found this an obstacle to refreshing or re-memorizing the older vocabulary because it only teaches you to have a passive command of a word relative to others in the lesson .
- Another big drawback is that the non-lesson-specific grammar games are atrocious at higher levels . Instead of drawing on the passages used in the lesson-specific grammar games , the general grammar games seem to pull 3 to 4 sentences from some other , seriously-lacking source . These other practice sentences ( use mostly in bridge builder , spelltastic , fill in the blank , and scrolls ) are rarely helpful . For example , I recently had a grammar game where three our of four of the questions revolved around fairly banal sentences using the word ikura , despite the fact that neither the word ikura nor the grammar employed in the sentences was at all relevant to anything I had studied in the past 15 - 20 lessons . This limitation relegates you again to going back to each lesson and playing the lesson-specific games for review .
- A smaller drawback that should be noted is that it does not teach you the competing Kanji pronunciations in terms of On and Kun ; which , from what I understand , will make it more difficult to truly master the Kanji later .
- Finally , as many have noted , the game is blotched with a few tiny programming errors here and there . This can be anything from a mis-conjugation in a lesson to even having a game freeze up ( only happened once ) when it seemingly drew a vocabulary word for which there was no information . Given the scope of the game , these things are relatively minor .
Overall , the game has been a huge boon to my studying and I highly recommend it to those looking for a mildly entertaining way to drill vocabulary and reinforce grammar . I currently have a private Japanese lesson every weekend where I review the concepts and vocabulary introduced in the game ( occasionally supplementing them with material from Japanese for Busy People ) and have found that this game can provide a solid foundation for self-learning but only if you are willing to review the material with a native speaker to ensure you are understanding it correctly .
Hope that was helpful . Good luck to all in their studies .
015 4 Hello ,
It seems that most who have written reviews here generally wrote them after completing only a handful of lessons . Since I'm currently up to lesson 70 after about two months of playing the game about 40 minutes a day , I think my observations may be helpful for those trying to figure out exactly how the program evolves as it introduces more complicated kanji and grammar .
Let me give a bit of background about myself first so that you can better guage where I'm coming from . I'm already fairly conversant ( though not fluent ) in Korean from studying it during college and have previously studied Japanese on-and-off a bit here and there in the last year . Since Korean shares extremely similar grammar with Japanese , along with many Chinese loan words and concepts , learning Japanese has come fairly quickly to me . In fact , the biggest obstacle for me in learning Japanese has been the fact that my work schedule ( 50 - 60 hours per week for a large law firm ) made it difficult for me to establish an effective , independent study routine .
And that's where this game came to the rescue . To a subway commuter , this thing is an absolute godsend . While it is impractical to try and work through a textbook on a subway ( at least here in NYC ) , this game allows me to pass my commute with a variety of different drills that really let me absorb and internalize the vocab . As people have said , this program is inadequate as a sole source of study material ; however , it has certainly filled a very important niche for me .
To expand on the above , here is a quick run down of pros and cons as I've observed them :
Pros :
- Vocabulary is generally presented in fairly sensible , interrelated chunks .
- The combination of games that all stimulate your memory in different ways - - in particular , flash cards , write cards , hit-a-word , and yomi - - are all extremely useful in drilling the words into your head . I find that my active recall of many of these words is lacking ; however , my passive recall is phenomenal .
- The kanji , one of my personal weak points during previous attempts at learning Japanese , is also well-organized and presented at a reasonable pace .
- The grammar sections are refreshingly well thought-out and the majority of the topics covered are supplemented by sufficient examples and lesson-specific games .
- The dictionary function is very useful as well , though I wish it would let you practice writing any word you selected .
Cons ( this is surprisingly long , especially given my 5 star rating , I know ; however , there are some annoying quirks to the game that may frustrate those who are not using it primarily to reinforce vocabulary ) :
- The biggest drawback for me is that the game does not constantly test you on all the vocabulary you've learned , even if you try to play the game with only the mastered option selected ; instead , the game will only test you on material from the previous 8 - 10 lessons or so . As you progress in the game , this means that the only way for you to review everything you've learned so far is to go back to each lesson individually - - a tedious process which involves paging through the lesson to the end and playing the two lesson-specific games . This limits your review in two very annoying ways : 1 ) you will be unable to continually train older vocab in all of the 12 different games ; 2 ) you will only be able to train older vocab against other older vocab in the same lesson . The second point is probably the most disingenuous and counterproductive because it lets your brain recall the lesson rather than internalize the vocabulary itself . You may not know a word very well , but you can recognize quickly every time when you only have to select it repeatedly against the same nine other vocabulary words in the same two games . I've found this an obstacle to refreshing or re-memorizing the older vocabulary because it only teaches you to have a passive command of a word relative to others in the lesson .
- Another big drawback is that the non-lesson-specific grammar games are atrocious at higher levels . Instead of drawing on the passages used in the lesson-specific grammar games , the general grammar games seem to pull 3 to 4 sentences from some other , seriously-lacking source . These other practice sentences ( use mostly in bridge builder , spelltastic , fill in the blank , and scrolls ) are rarely helpful . For example , I recently had a grammar game where three our of four of the questions revolved around fairly banal sentences using the word ikura , despite the fact that neither the word ikura nor the grammar employed in the sentences was at all relevant to anything I had studied in the past 15 - 20 lessons . This limitation relegates you again to going back to each lesson and playing the lesson-specific games for review .
- A smaller drawback that should be noted is that it does not teach you the competing Kanji pronunciations in terms of On and Kun ; which , from what I understand , will make it more difficult to truly master the Kanji later .
- Finally , as many have noted , the game is blotched with a few tiny programming errors here and there . This can be anything from a mis-conjugation in a lesson to even having a game freeze up ( only happened once ) when it seemingly drew a vocabulary word for which there was no information . Given the scope of the game , these things are relatively minor .
Overall , the game has been a huge boon to my studying and I highly recommend it to those looking for a mildly entertaining way to drill vocabulary and reinforce grammar . I currently have a private Japanese lesson every weekend where I review the concepts and vocabulary introduced in the game ( occasionally supplementing them with material from Japanese for Busy People ) and have found that this game can provide a solid foundation for self-learning but only if you are willing to review the material with a native speaker to ensure you are understanding it correctly .
Hope that was helpful . Good luck to all in their studies .
016 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I have been teaching myself Japanese for about 3 years now . I am now enrolled in a college course and I just received this game on the 16th of October .
I really like how this game reinforces what I am learning in class . The vocabulary is pretty much where I am in class ( of course there are more words in class ) . I really like how the game assesses your knowledge before you start playing , so you can start at a place that is comfortable for you . But , you can always go back and review previous lessons .
The mini-games are fun and while some people don't care for whack-a-mole , I think it is quite challenging when you have to read the word in kana and then whack the correct word .
I am still in the process of unlocking games , but I think this is a great paperless way to supplement learning Japanese in the classroom .
017 4 I have been teaching myself Japanese for about 3 years now . I am now enrolled in a college course and I just received this game on the 16th of October .
I really like how this game reinforces what I am learning in class . The vocabulary is pretty much where I am in class ( of course there are more words in class ) . I really like how the game assesses your knowledge before you start playing , so you can start at a place that is comfortable for you . But , you can always go back and review previous lessons .
The mini-games are fun and while some people don't care for whack-a-mole , I think it is quite challenging when you have to read the word in kana and then whack the correct word .
I am still in the process of unlocking games , but I think this is a great paperless way to supplement learning Japanese in the classroom .
018 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
My Japanese Coach is a great study tool for beginners and intermediate learners . I started studying japanese in college from the beginners levels to the intermediate level . I've read a great deal of comments about the game , I would like to say that My japanese Coach is simply a study tool / guide it is not meant for people to reach fluency but a simple tool to get beginners oriented with the japanese writing system , speach , and vocab . This game is not meant for people who've had 8 years or 6 years of training , know over 500 vocabulary , or is at an advanced level . So for those of you who are in this category i suggest you not buy it you should go to japan , you'll benefit more with a real world experience in order to enhance your skills rather than using a computer game . If you have such experience my question is why buy the game in the first place ? but anyway this is a great tool , japanese is a hard language to learn but anyone can learn it with the right tools . I understand the frustration of all the romaji but the game is encouraging you to learn outside the game , don't expect this game to do all the work for you . Also i see a few issues with the stroke order but remember this is a program it's not 100% flawless thats why you should use textbooks on hirgana , katakana , and kanji for learning the correct stroke order . Trust me doing this will ensure you that you actually go practice the writing rather than just using the Ds game . Taking classes , hiring a tutor , joining a japanese club , or if you know some or can find some international japanese students to conversate with then those are all great tools to use as well along with the game . For intermediate level individuals this game should be more of a tool for retaining memory for the things you should already know . I gave this game 5 stars because out of all the other programs i've used My Japanese Coach teaches GRAMMAR ! ! ! a great deal of other programs do not , they simply focus on memorization . I love that it includes grammar . It's the best tool i've ever used , it's worth the money especially if your serious about learning japanese . Ganbatte ! ! !
019 4 My Japanese Coach is a great study tool for beginners and intermediate learners . I started studying japanese in college from the beginners levels to the intermediate level . I've read a great deal of comments about the game , I would like to say that My japanese Coach is simply a study tool / guide it is not meant for people to reach fluency but a simple tool to get beginners oriented with the japanese writing system , speach , and vocab . This game is not meant for people who've had 8 years or 6 years of training , know over 500 vocabulary , or is at an advanced level . So for those of you who are in this category i suggest you not buy it you should go to japan , you'll benefit more with a real world experience in order to enhance your skills rather than using a computer game . If you have such experience my question is why buy the game in the first place ? but anyway this is a great tool , japanese is a hard language to learn but anyone can learn it with the right tools . I understand the frustration of all the romaji but the game is encouraging you to learn outside the game , don't expect this game to do all the work for you . Also i see a few issues with the stroke order but remember this is a program it's not 100% flawless thats why you should use textbooks on hirgana , katakana , and kanji for learning the correct stroke order . Trust me doing this will ensure you that you actually go practice the writing rather than just using the Ds game . Taking classes , hiring a tutor , joining a japanese club , or if you know some or can find some international japanese students to conversate with then those are all great tools to use as well along with the game . For intermediate level individuals this game should be more of a tool for retaining memory for the things you should already know . I gave this game 5 stars because out of all the other programs i've used My Japanese Coach teaches GRAMMAR ! ! ! a great deal of other programs do not , they simply focus on memorization . I love that it includes grammar . It's the best tool i've ever used , it's worth the money especially if your serious about learning japanese . Ganbatte ! ! !
020 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Starter , I have next to none Japanese experience , the only phrases I know are the very basic . After trying out the other My * * * Coach from Ubisoft and enjoyed them , I am excited to purchase the new installment on Japanese . So far I'm really impressed with the language programs by Ubisoft and My Japanese Coach is no exception . The best feature would be the ability to record yourself and compare to native speaker , this is especially important IMO when learning a language . The DS format gives you a very casual feel which makes learning fun and easy . It's obvious that one would not be able to master a foreign language from just one DS game , but My Japanese Coach will definitely teach you plenty of words and phrases that will get you by some basic conversations .
021 4 Starter , I have next to none Japanese experience , the only phrases I know are the very basic . After trying out the other My * * * Coach from Ubisoft and enjoyed them , I am excited to purchase the new installment on Japanese . So far I'm really impressed with the language programs by Ubisoft and My Japanese Coach is no exception . The best feature would be the ability to record yourself and compare to native speaker , this is especially important IMO when learning a language . The DS format gives you a very casual feel which makes learning fun and easy . It's obvious that one would not be able to master a foreign language from just one DS game , but My Japanese Coach will definitely teach you plenty of words and phrases that will get you by some basic conversations .
022 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This is one of the better Japanese teaching programs which I have used over the years . It is more fun than most and gives you almost the same ability to improve your Japanese . Since I have purchased this learning program , I have studied more and learned much , some which is new and some which I had forgotten . It is still necessary to do other studying , but you can learn with this program . Unless you don't already have a Nintendo DS this learning game is inexpensive .
023 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This is one of the better Japanese teaching programs which I have used over the years . It is more fun than most and gives you almost the same ability to improve your Japanese . Since I have purchased this learning program , I have studied more and learned much , some which is new and some which I had forgotten . It is still necessary to do other studying , but you can learn with this program . Unless you don't already have a Nintendo DS this learning game is inexpensive .
025 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I was pretty excited when I first heard of this as many others were . At the time , I was an intermediate level speaker of Japanese ( somewhere between JLPT 3 and 2 ) . I thought this would be a supplement to what I have learned and enforce old topics and learn new ones . Sadly this was not anything close to that . I don't really mind that they teach with romaji , that is easier for beginning learners ( plus in major cities they now have translations / romaji everywhere ) .
What I couldn't stand was the pace . It was sluggish . I got a perfect on the placement test and I think it started me off at lesson 11 . Lesson 11 was pertaining to information taught in my 101 class . So basically the program expects that no user will have a knowledge greater than one semester of a college course . So I figured it couldn't possibly take long to get up to where I want to get to . Once again I was mistaken . You HAVE to play the vocab games and get the words correct a certain amount of times before you can move to the next lesson . I got to around level 19 and it was still 101 material . I got frustrated because I had spent at least a couple hours just trying to get to the correct level I need to be at and I was still not even a quarter way there .
So if you're looking for a simplified way to learn Japanese from scratch , this wouldn't be a horrible tool . From what I saw , it's easier to use than Rosetta Stone ( Don't get me started on that program . ) As others noted Kanji stroke order is not enforced so it's essentially useless for that . I don't say that to be anal-retentive about stroke order , but learning correct stroke order is a must if you want to learn higher level Kanji . I was disappointed that they enforce poor handwriting of hiragana . For example in hand writing ki and sa should not be connected at the bottom . If you don't connect them in the software , it doesn't recognize it . I know the technology exists because I use
Kanji Dictionary : Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten
and that has no problem recognizing characters .
There are many complaints of stroke order of the hiragana . Personally I have seen so many people write kana so many different ways I hardly noticed ( other than the ki and sa thing ) IE so is sometimes written with 2 even 3 strokes . Likewise to is sometimes 1 ( ok I guess that's just laziness though ) . For hiragana stroke order / count I don't consider as crucial as kanji so this is passable ( it might just make you look a little awkward ) . From what I saw Kanji stroke order looked acceptable .
So bottom line : Good for absolute beginners . Bad for experienced speakers . This software will not make you fluent in Japanese , it might give you a nice foundation for the language though . To be fluent without immersion it takes a long time and hard study .
026 4 I was pretty excited when I first heard of this as many others were . At the time , I was an intermediate level speaker of Japanese ( somewhere between JLPT 3 and 2 ) . I thought this would be a supplement to what I have learned and enforce old topics and learn new ones . Sadly this was not anything close to that . I don't really mind that they teach with romaji , that is easier for beginning learners ( plus in major cities they now have translations / romaji everywhere ) .
What I couldn't stand was the pace . It was sluggish . I got a perfect on the placement test and I think it started me off at lesson 11 . Lesson 11 was pertaining to information taught in my 101 class . So basically the program expects that no user will have a knowledge greater than one semester of a college course . So I figured it couldn't possibly take long to get up to where I want to get to . Once again I was mistaken . You HAVE to play the vocab games and get the words correct a certain amount of times before you can move to the next lesson . I got to around level 19 and it was still 101 material . I got frustrated because I had spent at least a couple hours just trying to get to the correct level I need to be at and I was still not even a quarter way there .
So if you're looking for a simplified way to learn Japanese from scratch , this wouldn't be a horrible tool . From what I saw , it's easier to use than Rosetta Stone ( Don't get me started on that program . ) As others noted Kanji stroke order is not enforced so it's essentially useless for that . I don't say that to be anal-retentive about stroke order , but learning correct stroke order is a must if you want to learn higher level Kanji . I was disappointed that they enforce poor handwriting of hiragana . For example in hand writing ki and sa should not be connected at the bottom . If you don't connect them in the software , it doesn't recognize it . I know the technology exists because I use
Kanji Dictionary : Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten
and that has no problem recognizing characters .
There are many complaints of stroke order of the hiragana . Personally I have seen so many people write kana so many different ways I hardly noticed ( other than the ki and sa thing ) IE so is sometimes written with 2 even 3 strokes . Likewise to is sometimes 1 ( ok I guess that's just laziness though ) . For hiragana stroke order / count I don't consider as crucial as kanji so this is passable ( it might just make you look a little awkward ) . From what I saw Kanji stroke order looked acceptable .
So bottom line : Good for absolute beginners . Bad for experienced speakers . This software will not make you fluent in Japanese , it might give you a nice foundation for the language though . To be fluent without immersion it takes a long time and hard study .
027 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I previously studied Japanese , and this has been a great review program . My cousin who never studied Japanese has enojoyed learning it with this game as well .
028 4 I previously studied Japanese , and this has been a great review program . My cousin who never studied Japanese has enojoyed learning it with this game as well .
029 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I got this game to practice japanese and still have a little of bit doing it . I am taking japanese college courses and while this game does have some flaws as pointed out by other reviewers , it does help remembering vocabulary and such . The mini games are alot of fun and along the way i learned some other words not taught in class that i can incorporate into my speech . The writing hiragana part is boring and not even fun , i wish i could skip it . Otherwise the game is great but it will NOT teach you japanese .
031 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I took most of my college's first course in Japanese , but I had to leave school 3 / 4 of the way in . I took my book home , and I also bought this game as a for extra learning .
I think it works pretty well as a supplement . It doesn't cover as much grammar as a book , but it did have a few things that I didn't learn in class ( though I probably would have learned these things later on ) . The games are nothing too exciting , but they do help me pace myself when I'm learning . They also help me keep words in mind by reusing the ones I've learned recently . They do have a couple of problems , though . For one , you can't choose the words you want to learn or practice . I got so sick of it throwing the easy and useless word bonnetto ( bonnet ) at me over and over . Also , most of the games only work on vocabulary and kanji . The ones that do contain grammar are very limited , so if you want to work on certain grammar points , it's best to just go read that lesson again . Most of the lessons are clear , though a couple are a little confusing .
This game does contain all of the everyday kanji you'll need to know for reading Japanese , which is a nice feature . However , you'll probably want to find a good book kanji website , too ( [ . . . ] ) , because sometimes this game gets the stroke order just plain wrong . Also , the game doesn't always give you all the pronunciations .
You can access all the words in the game through a Dictionary , which I find very useful . One of the problems here , though , is that the definitions are very brief . For example , the definition of the word retsu is row . What kind of row ? Like rowing a boat ? Or a row of vegetables ? It helps if you know some kanji . They do appear with the definitions , and that can help you work out a definition . For example , if you wanted to know if the word kanzensaishokushugisha for vegan was being used as an adjective or a noun , you could figure out that it was a person from the kanji mono / sha at the end .
This game comes nowhere near to replacing a class or books . It is good for teaching you new vocabulary and kanji and helping you practice them . It's nice that it's portable , because you can pull it out anytime you need to remind yourself of something or just have some time to kill . I'd most recommend it to Japanese students who want to learn extra material .
032 4 I took most of my college's first course in Japanese , but I had to leave school 3 / 4 of the way in . I took my book home , and I also bought this game as a for extra learning .
I think it works pretty well as a supplement . It doesn't cover as much grammar as a book , but it did have a few things that I didn't learn in class ( though I probably would have learned these things later on ) . The games are nothing too exciting , but they do help me pace myself when I'm learning . They also help me keep words in mind by reusing the ones I've learned recently . They do have a couple of problems , though . For one , you can't choose the words you want to learn or practice . I got so sick of it throwing the easy and useless word bonnetto ( bonnet ) at me over and over . Also , most of the games only work on vocabulary and kanji . The ones that do contain grammar are very limited , so if you want to work on certain grammar points , it's best to just go read that lesson again . Most of the lessons are clear , though a couple are a little confusing .
This game does contain all of the everyday kanji you'll need to know for reading Japanese , which is a nice feature . However , you'll probably want to find a good book kanji website , too ( [ . . . ] ) , because sometimes this game gets the stroke order just plain wrong . Also , the game doesn't always give you all the pronunciations .
You can access all the words in the game through a Dictionary , which I find very useful . One of the problems here , though , is that the definitions are very brief . For example , the definition of the word retsu is row . What kind of row ? Like rowing a boat ? Or a row of vegetables ? It helps if you know some kanji . They do appear with the definitions , and that can help you work out a definition . For example , if you wanted to know if the word kanzensaishokushugisha for vegan was being used as an adjective or a noun , you could figure out that it was a person from the kanji mono / sha at the end .
This game comes nowhere near to replacing a class or books . It is good for teaching you new vocabulary and kanji and helping you practice them . It's nice that it's portable , because you can pull it out anytime you need to remind yourself of something or just have some time to kill . I'd most recommend it to Japanese students who want to learn extra material .
033 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I like My Japanese Coach . It has fun learning exercises that help take some of the tedium out of drilling words and sentence structure . The Fading Characters minigame is a good way to practice writing kana .
I just wish the program explained verb bases a little better . It tells you how to conjugate them but I still have no idea what base to use for which situation .
I've come across some program glitches in the Bridge Builder exercises . It askes you to click on word blocks and drag them into the proper order but sometimes the slots that are supposed to receive the word blocks aren't active so it doesn't let you snap the words into place .
I would have liked more games that let you practice writing kanji , especially after you've mastered the kana . All in all , I feel this game is a good value for the money .
034 4 I like My Japanese Coach . It has fun learning exercises that help take some of the tedium out of drilling words and sentence structure . The Fading Characters minigame is a good way to practice writing kana .
I just wish the program explained verb bases a little better . It tells you how to conjugate them but I still have no idea what base to use for which situation .
I've come across some program glitches in the Bridge Builder exercises . It askes you to click on word blocks and drag them into the proper order but sometimes the slots that are supposed to receive the word blocks aren't active so it doesn't let you snap the words into place .
I would have liked more games that let you practice writing kanji , especially after you've mastered the kana . All in all , I feel this game is a good value for the money .
035 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Hello I'm an autistic 21 year old adult gamer .
This game is great . See I've never taken a language before to study but I love educational learning games like this . What can say I still like learning stuff . Anyway's I bought this game because in a short while I'm getting a couple of Japanese DS games off ebay . My Japanese Coach is really working well for me I'm learning a lot of Japanese which is really cool and awesome . I'm already on Lesson 9 . Buy this game if you want to learn Japanese !
Happy Gaming !
036 4 Hello I'm an autistic 21 year old adult gamer .
This game is great . See I've never taken a language before to study but I love educational learning games like this . What can say I still like learning stuff . Anyway's I bought this game because in a short while I'm getting a couple of Japanese DS games off ebay . My Japanese Coach is really working well for me I'm learning a lot of Japanese which is really cool and awesome . I'm already on Lesson 9 . Buy this game if you want to learn Japanese !
Happy Gaming !
037 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Simply Amzing . This game piqued my interest at first when I watched the video somewhere on Amazon.com , and it captivated me within minutes of first strating up my game .
Not only will you learn to read , write , and speak Japanese when you play this game , you'll enjoy learning it . During each of the lesson portions you will receive instruction on the Japanese language that is simplified to make the transition to a different word and alphabet structure a smooth and easy one .
The Words and phrases being coached for each lesson can be clicked on the touch-screen to here the pronuciation ( Excellent for Audial / Mimicry Learners like myself ) when the Hear is selected ( default ) .
You can also select Speak then click the word / phrase to go into the compare mode . Here you can hear the selection then RECORD yourself speaking using the built in DS Mic ( or a peripheral one : p ) , play it back , and play it back simultaneously with Haruka's ( your coach's ) example so you can compare side by side . . . with you ears .
Finally you can select Write and click on your selection . . . THIS IS PARAMOUNT for Japanese ( and the Chinese version ) . With the Spanish version you at least are intimately familiar with the English Aplhabet ( I hope ) and therefore the writing simply becomes a matter of memorizing new words . Japanese has THREE APLHABETS : Hiragana ( Characters for Japanese words ) , Katakana ( for foreign words , mostly english and names ) , and Kanji which is abeast I have yet to tame . BUT herein lies the beauty of the DS's Touch screen , you can practice WRITING the characters including stroke order . * sidenote : it won't break it down into each stroke , but it will show you the order * You can either trace the example on the pad , or clear it off and try from memory and then drop the trace down on top of it to compare .
This Feature of learning the writing portion alone makes this game worth the investment . The only slight downside is that you have to go to each lesson where you learned the alphabets in thirds or quarters per lesson to practice each set of characters this way . There isn't a function to practice all the characters in one module . But it's really doesn't take more than 10 seconds to get to a different set to drill .
Further to help you practice , test , and retain what you've been taught , you play games such as Word Search , Flashcards , Fading Characters ( it lets you trace the characters 1 or 2 times then has you write it from memory ) . New games unlock as they become applicable . For instance Fading characters unlocks when you start learning the Japanese characters , and other ones for vocabulary and sentence structure respectively .
Finally the feature that makes this game a true value at only $ XX.xx - the Dictionary and phrasebook . While it may not be as vast and complete as some of the paperback or even digital versions , it let's you search by content ( social , traveling , dining , etc . ) , word , or even Favorites you've marked for quick reference .
This feature gives you the translation , Japanese AND Romaji ( english letters to Japanes sounds ) , AND AND AND it Pronounces it for you verbally . This means that at the very least , this Game makes a great traveling companion for visitors to Japan because even if you don't know the language , you can search for the phrases you need , see them written ( for street-side comparison ) , hear the pronunciation so that you can be understood by locals , or as a last resort , hand them the headphones and tap the phrase you need to convey to them and hte game will say it for you XD
Anyone learning Japanese that owns a DS . . . no you know what ? Even if you don't have a DS : BUY one and buy this game . This will help as a Supplimentary Study aid , a dictionary , a translator , and a teacher . I wish I could give this 6 stars .
The only real drawback on this game : you still have to practice Japanese to Learn . I mean , what is that about ? I didn't just magically learn it ?
The hardest part for me was getting over the weird / lazy feeling of learning a SECOND ( not to mention THIRD ) Alphabet . You can't learn Japanese by just playing this game straight through because the mastery points used to evaluate whether you learned the material aren't completely fool-proof , and you still need to continue using and practicing the language to really learn it . In the end I think the best thing to help me learn in addition to this game would be to live in Japan with a Family for like . . . ever . So I'll let you know how that turns out if they release a version with a teleporter or a free ticket / accomodations to Japan : P
Until then , this will still be a great way to learn Japanese in as little as 15min at a time .
038 4 Simply Amzing . This game piqued my interest at first when I watched the video somewhere on Amazon.com , and it captivated me within minutes of first strating up my game .
Not only will you learn to read , write , and speak Japanese when you play this game , you'll enjoy learning it . During each of the lesson portions you will receive instruction on the Japanese language that is simplified to make the transition to a different word and alphabet structure a smooth and easy one .
The Words and phrases being coached for each lesson can be clicked on the touch-screen to here the pronuciation ( Excellent for Audial / Mimicry Learners like myself ) when the Hear is selected ( default ) .
You can also select Speak then click the word / phrase to go into the compare mode . Here you can hear the selection then RECORD yourself speaking using the built in DS Mic ( or a peripheral one : p ) , play it back , and play it back simultaneously with Haruka's ( your coach's ) example so you can compare side by side . . . with you ears .
Finally you can select Write and click on your selection . . . THIS IS PARAMOUNT for Japanese ( and the Chinese version ) . With the Spanish version you at least are intimately familiar with the English Aplhabet ( I hope ) and therefore the writing simply becomes a matter of memorizing new words . Japanese has THREE APLHABETS : Hiragana ( Characters for Japanese words ) , Katakana ( for foreign words , mostly english and names ) , and Kanji which is abeast I have yet to tame . BUT herein lies the beauty of the DS's Touch screen , you can practice WRITING the characters including stroke order . * sidenote : it won't break it down into each stroke , but it will show you the order * You can either trace the example on the pad , or clear it off and try from memory and then drop the trace down on top of it to compare .
This Feature of learning the writing portion alone makes this game worth the investment . The only slight downside is that you have to go to each lesson where you learned the alphabets in thirds or quarters per lesson to practice each set of characters this way . There isn't a function to practice all the characters in one module . But it's really doesn't take more than 10 seconds to get to a different set to drill .
Further to help you practice , test , and retain what you've been taught , you play games such as Word Search , Flashcards , Fading Characters ( it lets you trace the characters 1 or 2 times then has you write it from memory ) . New games unlock as they become applicable . For instance Fading characters unlocks when you start learning the Japanese characters , and other ones for vocabulary and sentence structure respectively .
Finally the feature that makes this game a true value at only $ XX.xx - the Dictionary and phrasebook . While it may not be as vast and complete as some of the paperback or even digital versions , it let's you search by content ( social , traveling , dining , etc . ) , word , or even Favorites you've marked for quick reference .
This feature gives you the translation , Japanese AND Romaji ( english letters to Japanes sounds ) , AND AND AND it Pronounces it for you verbally . This means that at the very least , this Game makes a great traveling companion for visitors to Japan because even if you don't know the language , you can search for the phrases you need , see them written ( for street-side comparison ) , hear the pronunciation so that you can be understood by locals , or as a last resort , hand them the headphones and tap the phrase you need to convey to them and hte game will say it for you XD
Anyone learning Japanese that owns a DS . . . no you know what ? Even if you don't have a DS : BUY one and buy this game . This will help as a Supplimentary Study aid , a dictionary , a translator , and a teacher . I wish I could give this 6 stars .
The only real drawback on this game : you still have to practice Japanese to Learn . I mean , what is that about ? I didn't just magically learn it ?
The hardest part for me was getting over the weird / lazy feeling of learning a SECOND ( not to mention THIRD ) Alphabet . You can't learn Japanese by just playing this game straight through because the mastery points used to evaluate whether you learned the material aren't completely fool-proof , and you still need to continue using and practicing the language to really learn it . In the end I think the best thing to help me learn in addition to this game would be to live in Japan with a Family for like . . . ever . So I'll let you know how that turns out if they release a version with a teleporter or a free ticket / accomodations to Japan : P
Until then , this will still be a great way to learn Japanese in as little as 15min at a time .
039 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I am also a student of Japanese , but it has been many years since I have taken Japanese classes . I was fortunate to have a two tutors and only four students , so I learned my Kana well . That is the only bug I have with this game - - the kana strokes are off , and I get so irritated when it buzzes me and I know I am drawing the Kana correctly ! But the teacher is a lovely person , and she gets so excited when you do well on your test or games . I enjoy the bits of Japanese information that come at the beginning of each lessons , too - - this is great if you love all things Japan . The games are incredible , because they force you to think quickly , and they are so random . With standard class / teacher learning , there's lessons and there's paper tests . If I had something like this when I first started learning , it is so much better than flash cards or writing endlessly on paper . I also like that it ( so far ) doesn't bog you down with Katakana . . . I learned Katakana first , then Hiragana . Since Katakana isn't really used as much ( for Foreign word , e.g . ) , the Hiragana really serves you well . I do wish I was learning a little more Kanji , but I'm only on lesson 11 . I will definitely consult my Kanji dictionary , and I recommend , if you buy this game , get a work book for Kana and Kanji and make sure the stroke order is correct ( this game can be off ) . Stroke order is crucial . . especially when looking up a Kanji that you don't know .
040 4 I am also a student of Japanese , but it has been many years since I have taken Japanese classes . I was fortunate to have a two tutors and only four students , so I learned my Kana well . That is the only bug I have with this game - - the kana strokes are off , and I get so irritated when it buzzes me and I know I am drawing the Kana correctly ! But the teacher is a lovely person , and she gets so excited when you do well on your test or games . I enjoy the bits of Japanese information that come at the beginning of each lessons , too - - this is great if you love all things Japan . The games are incredible , because they force you to think quickly , and they are so random . With standard class / teacher learning , there's lessons and there's paper tests . If I had something like this when I first started learning , it is so much better than flash cards or writing endlessly on paper . I also like that it ( so far ) doesn't bog you down with Katakana . . . I learned Katakana first , then Hiragana . Since Katakana isn't really used as much ( for Foreign word , e.g . ) , the Hiragana really serves you well . I do wish I was learning a little more Kanji , but I'm only on lesson 11 . I will definitely consult my Kanji dictionary , and I recommend , if you buy this game , get a work book for Kana and Kanji and make sure the stroke order is correct ( this game can be off ) . Stroke order is crucial . . especially when looking up a Kanji that you don't know .
041 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
It does really well with the hands on teaching . The games are aimed at different ways of making sure that you understand the lesson , and keep on remembering the previous lessons . Sometimes , the lessons get mastered too quickly when I keep repeating a game until I know I got it right . Languages are hard . This is a good medium to give a boost to learning Japanese .
043 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Wow , what a great game / learning tool for learning Japanese . It takes the knowledge you already know and puts you in the correct lesson ( Mine was chapter 8 ) . My niece in Jr . High has also been using it and loving it . Sure beats blowing up and shooting up things / people . Also love the dictionary and writing lessons for Hiragana , Katakana and Kanji . Thanks for finally making it .
044 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Wow , what a great game / learning tool for learning Japanese . It takes the knowledge you already know and puts you in the correct lesson ( Mine was chapter 8 ) . My niece in Jr . High has also been using it and loving it . Sure beats blowing up and shooting up things / people . Also love the dictionary and writing lessons for Hiragana , Katakana and Kanji . Thanks for finally making it .
045 4 Wow , what a great game / learning tool for learning Japanese . It takes the knowledge you already know and puts you in the correct lesson ( Mine was chapter 8 ) . My niece in Jr . High has also been using it and loving it . Sure beats blowing up and shooting up things / people . Also love the dictionary and writing lessons for Hiragana , Katakana and Kanji . Thanks for finally making it .
046 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
The DS stylus has so much potential here to teach the correct way to draw the Kanji , but unfortunately the stroke order is not enforced . You are allowed to freely use any stroke order you want without being penalized . I keep hearing how important stroke order is , so I feel I should point this out . Also , there are times when I get a correctly written kanji marked as incorrect , just because I may not have been keeping adequate pressure on the touch screen .
The grammar lessons are vital and are taught well , however there are no games that reinforce the grammar rules . This game badly needed some kind of verb-adjective conjugation game .
Speaking of mini games , you will probably find yourself only using 2 of the 12 mini-games ( mult choice and flash cards ) . These 2 games do a great job of converting vocabulary to your long term memory . The other 10 games are too heavily polluted with romaji . I already spent months prior to wean myself off romaji , and this game continuously forces you to look at romaji in its mini games .
My high rating of this game is because this is a million times more preferable to reading a textbook and grading your own answers to your quizzes . It is a large boost of confidence to see your grade level continue to rise . In the end , it will always come down to brute force memorization of 10000 words to really learn Japanese . . . but this DS game is a good diversion .
047 4 The DS stylus has so much potential here to teach the correct way to draw the Kanji , but unfortunately the stroke order is not enforced . You are allowed to freely use any stroke order you want without being penalized . I keep hearing how important stroke order is , so I feel I should point this out . Also , there are times when I get a correctly written kanji marked as incorrect , just because I may not have been keeping adequate pressure on the touch screen .
The grammar lessons are vital and are taught well , however there are no games that reinforce the grammar rules . This game badly needed some kind of verb-adjective conjugation game .
Speaking of mini games , you will probably find yourself only using 2 of the 12 mini-games ( mult choice and flash cards ) . These 2 games do a great job of converting vocabulary to your long term memory . The other 10 games are too heavily polluted with romaji . I already spent months prior to wean myself off romaji , and this game continuously forces you to look at romaji in its mini games .
My high rating of this game is because this is a million times more preferable to reading a textbook and grading your own answers to your quizzes . It is a large boost of confidence to see your grade level continue to rise . In the end , it will always come down to brute force memorization of 10000 words to really learn Japanese . . . but this DS game is a good diversion .
048 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I recently bought MJC for the Nintendo DS and I have learned a great deal of Japanese so far . It clearly teches you to pronounce words and phrases and helps you with sentence structures .
The only thing about the game that I do not like so much is writing the kana / kanji . It's not sensative enough to my strokes , causing it to thing that just any squiggly line I draw is a character . This makes it hard to remember exactly how to draw or what characters are which , because it accepts so many wrong answers . Overall , 4 / 5 Stars
049 4 I recently bought MJC for the Nintendo DS and I have learned a great deal of Japanese so far . It clearly teches you to pronounce words and phrases and helps you with sentence structures .
The only thing about the game that I do not like so much is writing the kana / kanji . It's not sensative enough to my strokes , causing it to thing that just any squiggly line I draw is a character . This makes it hard to remember exactly how to draw or what characters are which , because it accepts so many wrong answers . Overall , 4 / 5 Stars
050 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
It's not going to teach you Japanese but it really will coach you through it . This product is especially good for beginners . The games are fun and really do help with retention . It's easy to navigate through the different elements of the game , as well . It is perfect for coaching you along in your studies , but you will need to supplement it if you really want to learn Japanese . The games make it fun and each lesson is concise . The lessons are not exhaustive , so you will need another source of study material , but this is a fun way to reinforce what you are learning .
My only criticisms would be for some functionality and the format of some of the questions . For example , it is so sensitive that even the lightest of extra taps on the screen will be picked up . That means your kana may be counted as wrong if you make a tiny extra tap when you touch the stylus to the screen . Also , some of the multiple choice questions will ask you to find the correct match for a romaji word , for example , and give you the same romaji word as the answer . I'm not sure what that's going to teach you ! Having said that , these flaws don't occur that often and aren't enough to prevent my enjoying the game . I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is studying Japanese .
051 4 It's not going to teach you Japanese but it really will coach you through it . This product is especially good for beginners . The games are fun and really do help with retention . It's easy to navigate through the different elements of the game , as well . It is perfect for coaching you along in your studies , but you will need to supplement it if you really want to learn Japanese . The games make it fun and each lesson is concise . The lessons are not exhaustive , so you will need another source of study material , but this is a fun way to reinforce what you are learning .
My only criticisms would be for some functionality and the format of some of the questions . For example , it is so sensitive that even the lightest of extra taps on the screen will be picked up . That means your kana may be counted as wrong if you make a tiny extra tap when you touch the stylus to the screen . Also , some of the multiple choice questions will ask you to find the correct match for a romaji word , for example , and give you the same romaji word as the answer . I'm not sure what that's going to teach you ! Having said that , these flaws don't occur that often and aren't enough to prevent my enjoying the game . I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is studying Japanese .
052 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I like most of the mini games quite well . I have a few minor nits . I wish the word search wasn't timed . I don't do those quickly in English , so I lose points when I know the word but can't find it fast enough . I don't see the point of the whack-a-mole game . The concentration game is addicting . I could play it all day long , and it's basically flash cards . The fade out writing is perfect for learning kana and kanji . So is the word card for learning to write words .
There are a few minor bugs ( lesson 20 conjugates Tabemasu to the negative form as Nomimasu ) . Overall , it's rock solid .
Don't use this alone . It's not enough . As a supplement , however , you'd be hard pressed to find better . Any Japanese student should have this for the way it gets you to drill words and have fun doing it .
053 4 I like most of the mini games quite well . I have a few minor nits . I wish the word search wasn't timed . I don't do those quickly in English , so I lose points when I know the word but can't find it fast enough . I don't see the point of the whack-a-mole game . The concentration game is addicting . I could play it all day long , and it's basically flash cards . The fade out writing is perfect for learning kana and kanji . So is the word card for learning to write words .
There are a few minor bugs ( lesson 20 conjugates Tabemasu to the negative form as Nomimasu ) . Overall , it's rock solid .
Don't use this alone . It's not enough . As a supplement , however , you'd be hard pressed to find better . Any Japanese student should have this for the way it gets you to drill words and have fun doing it .
054 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
While I , too , noticed a problem with stroke order recognition in the writing portion of the program , I over all found this program to be a nice accompaniment to my Japanese class . I ordered this program at the same time I hired a private tutor to teach me japanese language and calligpahy . My teacher is real strict on handwriting samples and so I am a little frustrated when the DS game disagrees with my more perfect writing sample . Aside from that each lesson is a small and easy step forward , reinforcing lessons I have with my teacher . The games are fun , but like another reviewer I also favor the multiple choice , sentence structure game , memory game , and the writing game . I really never play whack - a - mole or romanji word search .
This game did start me on verb tenses before my teacher reached this point and she was pleasantly suprised . We were able to fly through a couple of lessons because of this little program . Also invaluable is the speed that the japanese is spoken on the DS game , and the recording features .
Over all I would highly recommend this as a first tool in learning Japanese . I would also recommend taking a Japanese language class at the same time !
055 4 While I , too , noticed a problem with stroke order recognition in the writing portion of the program , I over all found this program to be a nice accompaniment to my Japanese class . I ordered this program at the same time I hired a private tutor to teach me japanese language and calligpahy . My teacher is real strict on handwriting samples and so I am a little frustrated when the DS game disagrees with my more perfect writing sample . Aside from that each lesson is a small and easy step forward , reinforcing lessons I have with my teacher . The games are fun , but like another reviewer I also favor the multiple choice , sentence structure game , memory game , and the writing game . I really never play whack - a - mole or romanji word search .
This game did start me on verb tenses before my teacher reached this point and she was pleasantly suprised . We were able to fly through a couple of lessons because of this little program . Also invaluable is the speed that the japanese is spoken on the DS game , and the recording features .
Over all I would highly recommend this as a first tool in learning Japanese . I would also recommend taking a Japanese language class at the same time !
056 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This was well worth the money ! I can actually write a few simple sentences in Japanese ( Hiragana not Kanji yet ) and I've only had this game for a month . It is defintely an excellent tool . I will not go so far as to say that you will not require additional lessons outside of this game to get the full experience of the Japanese language but if you don't want to drop 400 dollars for Rosetta Stone before you even know if you're up to learning Japanese this is the way to go !
057 4 This was well worth the money ! I can actually write a few simple sentences in Japanese ( Hiragana not Kanji yet ) and I've only had this game for a month . It is defintely an excellent tool . I will not go so far as to say that you will not require additional lessons outside of this game to get the full experience of the Japanese language but if you don't want to drop 400 dollars for Rosetta Stone before you even know if you're up to learning Japanese this is the way to go !
058 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I already had a rudimentary grasp of the Japanese language , but this game , in the four days I've had it , has already greatly increased my retention of what I had previously learned elsewhere and doubled my vocabulary . I'd been looking around , for quite some time , for the best way I could learn Japanese without needing to take daily , time consuming classes , when I found My Japanese Coach . It covers all three alphabets , grammar , cultural notes , and can help with my pronunciation ! This is by far the best system I have found for learning Japanese .
059 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I already had a rudimentary grasp of the Japanese language , but this game , in the four days I've had it , has already greatly increased my retention of what I had previously learned elsewhere and doubled my vocabulary . I'd been looking around , for quite some time , for the best way I could learn Japanese without needing to take daily , time consuming classes , when I found My Japanese Coach . It covers all three alphabets , grammar , cultural notes , and can help with my pronunciation ! This is by far the best system I have found for learning Japanese .
060 4 I already had a rudimentary grasp of the Japanese language , but this game , in the four days I've had it , has already greatly increased my retention of what I had previously learned elsewhere and doubled my vocabulary . I'd been looking around , for quite some time , for the best way I could learn Japanese without needing to take daily , time consuming classes , when I found My Japanese Coach . It covers all three alphabets , grammar , cultural notes , and can help with my pronunciation ! This is by far the best system I have found for learning Japanese .
061 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I bought My Japanese Coach for my daughter after she had used a free trial of Rosetta Stone . Comparing the two , she much preferred the DS Japanese Coach . She says it is more helpful because it uses some English rather than complete immersion , as with Rosetta Stone , which left her stranded sometimes . Also , having something as portable as a DS meant she used it more frequently . Of course the kicker is the price . With Rosetta Stone at 100 ' s of dollars when our free trial ran out , and Japanese Coach at $20 + , it was not a difficult choice .
063 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I'm Japanese and this Japanese DS Coach helped me brush up on my Japanese skills . Ever since I moved out of my Parents home my Japanese skills got a little rusty to a point where I was having difficulty communicating with my Mom . This Japanese Coach helped me with my basics and even helped me learn words I didn't know before like I never knew how to say the days of the week or the months in Japanese before but now I'm learning them . You learn alot using this coach and I think I'll purchase the spanish one next so I can learn to speak Spanish . I recommend this to anyone and to try the other language coaches as well .
065 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I've been studying japanese for about 3 - 4 years and I picked this up just on a whim . I've tried many of the various programs out there including Rosetta , Pimsleur and BYKI . I must say that this is one of the best for the LEAST amount of money . I am so pleased with this program . It's entertaining and has extensive vocabulary , grammar and many different learning exercises / games . It does cover reading and writing of hiragana , katakana and Kanji . I especially like how it tracks your progress so you stay engaged and motivated by the whole process .
In short , I'm blown away by this software that is so under the radar in the Japanese study community .
Rob
Ps . I wanted to mention that I don't work for this company . I'm adding this because my review is so favorable .
066 4 I've been studying japanese for about 3 - 4 years and I picked this up just on a whim . I've tried many of the various programs out there including Rosetta , Pimsleur and BYKI . I must say that this is one of the best for the LEAST amount of money . I am so pleased with this program . It's entertaining and has extensive vocabulary , grammar and many different learning exercises / games . It does cover reading and writing of hiragana , katakana and Kanji . I especially like how it tracks your progress so you stay engaged and motivated by the whole process .
In short , I'm blown away by this software that is so under the radar in the Japanese study community .
Rob
Ps . I wanted to mention that I don't work for this company . I'm adding this because my review is so favorable .
067 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
(
What's this ?
)
This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Since I'm seriously considering studying in Japan for college either next fall or the year after that , I knew I needed to start somewhere . Picking up a good-sized book is all well and good , but taking some of them ( often slightly oversized from what I've seen ) everywhere is a little overwhelming at times . So , in addition to the book I purchased ( Japanese the Manga Way , which I strongly suggest if you're serious about learning the language ) I picked this up to take with me wherever I go so I can practice on my breaks at work , while I'm eating lunch , etc .
So let's start with the basics .
Starting up is a snap . It's self-explanatory and is one of the easiest things of the entire game . However , regarding file management , I found it difficult to figure out how to delete files . This was mostly due in part to how far ahead the placement test put me . The instruction manual doesn't tell you how to do this and it's not from the main menu , but rather in the options section of the menu once you actually get into your file .
Speaking of the placement test , that's the next thing . If you know a little Japanese , that's all well and good , and even better if you feel that you just want to move on . But I personally feel it should give you the option for a placement test or not , because not only in the earlier lessons did I come to find that there were certain words I didn't know , I wanted to be able to practice writing them and speaking them . ( on that note , the speaking and comparison feature is absolutely wonderful . Possibly one of the best features of the game , granted you have enough peace and quiet to do so )
The lessons themselves are rather short , but even when you would take a foreign language class in high school , the reality is you would only cover a maximum of about 3 pages in a single day out of your textbook on average . That said , I recommend taking your time and don't rush yourself . You'll just find yourself ending up worse and possibly confused later on . Their point is well explained , however , and the games only help pound the terms into your head ( for the most part and depending on the game played ) .
Only being on lesson 8 - 9 so far , I don't have even half of the games unlocked , so I really can't comment on any of the later ones . However , just to mention the initial three , there's a word search , a whack-a-mole equivalent , and a multiple choice test . The word search is generally useless , listing the English word at the top and you have to search for the Japanese term in it's place . This might be effective , but you instead focus so intently on the words your looking for , chances are the intention of focusing on their meaning gets lost . The whack-a-mole game on easy and medium difficulties is pretty useless , but once you try hard , it's almost like playing fast-paced multiple choice . Watch what you're hitting ! And the multiple choice test is just that , possibly the best of the first three games .
The next two unlocked are as useful both as the multiple choice , if not moreso . Fading characters is the absolute most effective way to really practice learning how to write Japanese at a fast speed , though beginners should start with the in-lesson training . While it may be true that some of the brush stroke sequences are supposedly off ( so far I've yet to really notice anything ) if you're going to learn the language and use it in the future , either you'll figure it out on your own through a different source or possibly through a native speaker . Being , from what I've read elsewhere , only about 30 or so stroke sequences are off , which isn't a big number at all and is , in my opinion , not something to really worry about . The next game after that tests your memory of how to write words , a true test to how well you've learned and been paying attention . Hard , but possibly one of the most useful tools on the cartridge in getting you extremely familiar with the language .
The best thing about all the games is you can set them to Open mode , which uses only words you haven't mastered yet , unless you've , say , only got 3 words left to master , in which case the other 7 words will be replaced with mastered words from any lesson ; or you can set it to mastered , which will only give you words you mastered . Again , a great way to effectively test yourself in the later lessons .
The dictionary is wonderfully helpful as well , but I'd personally prefer a book-version dictionary instead . It would probably be more helpful , beneficiary and you can actually compare and contrast with this game to see where it got romaji spelling wrong or where it got kana / kanji wrong .
All in all , the game is a wonderful tool for learning , but it's just that . The unfortunate thing is that it really doesn't do too much to make it really all that interesting and fun , which is sad because it's a great tool for learning . It becomes boring after a short while , and I never find myself completing more than one lesson at a time .
The best thing of all is that hopefully this will be the start of a new trend of games . Think about it , it could be potentially possible to take an entire college course ( at the very least homework-wise ) on a DS game , thanks largely in part to the touch screen .
Bottom line : if you're serious about picking up Japanese , pick this up . It's more for starters , but even more intermediate learners may find something here or , if not , can keep up on their studies on the go and brush up on the basics . Practice makes perfect after all .
068 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Since I'm seriously considering studying in Japan for college either next fall or the year after that , I knew I needed to start somewhere . Picking up a good-sized book is all well and good , but taking some of them ( often slightly oversized from what I've seen ) everywhere is a little overwhelming at times . So , in addition to the book I purchased ( Japanese the Manga Way , which I strongly suggest if you're serious about learning the language ) I picked this up to take with me wherever I go so I can practice on my breaks at work , while I'm eating lunch , etc .
So let's start with the basics .
Starting up is a snap . It's self-explanatory and is one of the easiest things of the entire game . However , regarding file management , I found it difficult to figure out how to delete files . This was mostly due in part to how far ahead the placement test put me . The instruction manual doesn't tell you how to do this and it's not from the main menu , but rather in the options section of the menu once you actually get into your file .
Speaking of the placement test , that's the next thing . If you know a little Japanese , that's all well and good , and even better if you feel that you just want to move on . But I personally feel it should give you the option for a placement test or not , because not only in the earlier lessons did I come to find that there were certain words I didn't know , I wanted to be able to practice writing them and speaking them . ( on that note , the speaking and comparison feature is absolutely wonderful . Possibly one of the best features of the game , granted you have enough peace and quiet to do so )
The lessons themselves are rather short , but even when you would take a foreign language class in high school , the reality is you would only cover a maximum of about 3 pages in a single day out of your textbook on average . That said , I recommend taking your time and don't rush yourself . You'll just find yourself ending up worse and possibly confused later on . Their point is well explained , however , and the games only help pound the terms into your head ( for the most part and depending on the game played ) .
Only being on lesson 8 - 9 so far , I don't have even half of the games unlocked , so I really can't comment on any of the later ones . However , just to mention the initial three , there's a word search , a whack-a-mole equivalent , and a multiple choice test . The word search is generally useless , listing the English word at the top and you have to search for the Japanese term in it's place . This might be effective , but you instead focus so intently on the words your looking for , chances are the intention of focusing on their meaning gets lost . The whack-a-mole game on easy and medium difficulties is pretty useless , but once you try hard , it's almost like playing fast-paced multiple choice . Watch what you're hitting ! And the multiple choice test is just that , possibly the best of the first three games .
The next two unlocked are as useful both as the multiple choice , if not moreso . Fading characters is the absolute most effective way to really practice learning how to write Japanese at a fast speed , though beginners should start with the in-lesson training . While it may be true that some of the brush stroke sequences are supposedly off ( so far I've yet to really notice anything ) if you're going to learn the language and use it in the future , either you'll figure it out on your own through a different source or possibly through a native speaker . Being , from what I've read elsewhere , only about 30 or so stroke sequences are off , which isn't a big number at all and is , in my opinion , not something to really worry about . The next game after that tests your memory of how to write words , a true test to how well you've learned and been paying attention . Hard , but possibly one of the most useful tools on the cartridge in getting you extremely familiar with the language .
The best thing about all the games is you can set them to Open mode , which uses only words you haven't mastered yet , unless you've , say , only got 3 words left to master , in which case the other 7 words will be replaced with mastered words from any lesson ; or you can set it to mastered , which will only give you words you mastered . Again , a great way to effectively test yourself in the later lessons .
The dictionary is wonderfully helpful as well , but I'd personally prefer a book-version dictionary instead . It would probably be more helpful , beneficiary and you can actually compare and contrast with this game to see where it got romaji spelling wrong or where it got kana / kanji wrong .
All in all , the game is a wonderful tool for learning , but it's just that . The unfortunate thing is that it really doesn't do too much to make it really all that interesting and fun , which is sad because it's a great tool for learning . It becomes boring after a short while , and I never find myself completing more than one lesson at a time .
The best thing of all is that hopefully this will be the start of a new trend of games . Think about it , it could be potentially possible to take an entire college course ( at the very least homework-wise ) on a DS game , thanks largely in part to the touch screen .
Bottom line : if you're serious about picking up Japanese , pick this up . It's more for starters , but even more intermediate learners may find something here or , if not , can keep up on their studies on the go and brush up on the basics . Practice makes perfect after all .
069 4 Since I'm seriously considering studying in Japan for college either next fall or the year after that , I knew I needed to start somewhere . Picking up a good-sized book is all well and good , but taking some of them ( often slightly oversized from what I've seen ) everywhere is a little overwhelming at times . So , in addition to the book I purchased ( Japanese the Manga Way , which I strongly suggest if you're serious about learning the language ) I picked this up to take with me wherever I go so I can practice on my breaks at work , while I'm eating lunch , etc .
So let's start with the basics .
Starting up is a snap . It's self-explanatory and is one of the easiest things of the entire game . However , regarding file management , I found it difficult to figure out how to delete files . This was mostly due in part to how far ahead the placement test put me . The instruction manual doesn't tell you how to do this and it's not from the main menu , but rather in the options section of the menu once you actually get into your file .
Speaking of the placement test , that's the next thing . If you know a little Japanese , that's all well and good , and even better if you feel that you just want to move on . But I personally feel it should give you the option for a placement test or not , because not only in the earlier lessons did I come to find that there were certain words I didn't know , I wanted to be able to practice writing them and speaking them . ( on that note , the speaking and comparison feature is absolutely wonderful . Possibly one of the best features of the game , granted you have enough peace and quiet to do so )
The lessons themselves are rather short , but even when you would take a foreign language class in high school , the reality is you would only cover a maximum of about 3 pages in a single day out of your textbook on average . That said , I recommend taking your time and don't rush yourself . You'll just find yourself ending up worse and possibly confused later on . Their point is well explained , however , and the games only help pound the terms into your head ( for the most part and depending on the game played ) .
Only being on lesson 8 - 9 so far , I don't have even half of the games unlocked , so I really can't comment on any of the later ones . However , just to mention the initial three , there's a word search , a whack-a-mole equivalent , and a multiple choice test . The word search is generally useless , listing the English word at the top and you have to search for the Japanese term in it's place . This might be effective , but you instead focus so intently on the words your looking for , chances are the intention of focusing on their meaning gets lost . The whack-a-mole game on easy and medium difficulties is pretty useless , but once you try hard , it's almost like playing fast-paced multiple choice . Watch what you're hitting ! And the multiple choice test is just that , possibly the best of the first three games .
The next two unlocked are as useful both as the multiple choice , if not moreso . Fading characters is the absolute most effective way to really practice learning how to write Japanese at a fast speed , though beginners should start with the in-lesson training . While it may be true that some of the brush stroke sequences are supposedly off ( so far I've yet to really notice anything ) if you're going to learn the language and use it in the future , either you'll figure it out on your own through a different source or possibly through a native speaker . Being , from what I've read elsewhere , only about 30 or so stroke sequences are off , which isn't a big number at all and is , in my opinion , not something to really worry about . The next game after that tests your memory of how to write words , a true test to how well you've learned and been paying attention . Hard , but possibly one of the most useful tools on the cartridge in getting you extremely familiar with the language .
The best thing about all the games is you can set them to Open mode , which uses only words you haven't mastered yet , unless you've , say , only got 3 words left to master , in which case the other 7 words will be replaced with mastered words from any lesson ; or you can set it to mastered , which will only give you words you mastered . Again , a great way to effectively test yourself in the later lessons .
The dictionary is wonderfully helpful as well , but I'd personally prefer a book-version dictionary instead . It would probably be more helpful , beneficiary and you can actually compare and contrast with this game to see where it got romaji spelling wrong or where it got kana / kanji wrong .
All in all , the game is a wonderful tool for learning , but it's just that . The unfortunate thing is that it really doesn't do too much to make it really all that interesting and fun , which is sad because it's a great tool for learning . It becomes boring after a short while , and I never find myself completing more than one lesson at a time .
The best thing of all is that hopefully this will be the start of a new trend of games . Think about it , it could be potentially possible to take an entire college course ( at the very least homework-wise ) on a DS game , thanks largely in part to the touch screen .
Bottom line : if you're serious about picking up Japanese , pick this up . It's more for starters , but even more intermediate learners may find something here or , if not , can keep up on their studies on the go and brush up on the basics . Practice makes perfect after all .
070 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Makes learning Japanese fun and easy . It's nice that you can go anywhere and take out your DS and study Japanese . It's a wonderful addition to the other collection of study books that I have , but this I have out more often then the books .
074 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This game is really addictive for me , so I don't get out of the habit of studying Japanese . I play at least a little every day . Unlocking new lessons , games , and ranks is a goal that keeps me interested ( which makes it more useful than many textbooks ) , although I find it important to review mastered words often too .
The way it teaches the rules about verbs is a little confusing , but in the Reference part you can easily find any verb and review a chart of the conjugations ( I like that because I'm mostly a visual learner ) . Like with any language , or perhaps any area of study for that matter , it helps a lot to have a variety of things to practice from , so I sometimes print out physical homework for myself to supplement the verb conjugation part of the game .
Nonetheless , this game is my main form of study as I can't take a formal class and I think it does a really good job staying interesting , teaching vocab , and using the touchpad for kana writing practice . I've tried a few online learning resources and a couple of books , but I usually get bored and feel like I haven't learned anything . But this game is pretty awesome since 1 ) it makes you want to keep playing to see what you get next , and 2 ) it uses sound , touch , and visuals to help your memory and drill things in .
I think this game would probably be especially good for tactile learners ( learn by doing ) and people who have a short attention span ( since the lessons are pretty short and you can get right to the variety of games ) .
075 4 This game is really addictive for me , so I don't get out of the habit of studying Japanese . I play at least a little every day . Unlocking new lessons , games , and ranks is a goal that keeps me interested ( which makes it more useful than many textbooks ) , although I find it important to review mastered words often too .
The way it teaches the rules about verbs is a little confusing , but in the Reference part you can easily find any verb and review a chart of the conjugations ( I like that because I'm mostly a visual learner ) . Like with any language , or perhaps any area of study for that matter , it helps a lot to have a variety of things to practice from , so I sometimes print out physical homework for myself to supplement the verb conjugation part of the game .
Nonetheless , this game is my main form of study as I can't take a formal class and I think it does a really good job staying interesting , teaching vocab , and using the touchpad for kana writing practice . I've tried a few online learning resources and a couple of books , but I usually get bored and feel like I haven't learned anything . But this game is pretty awesome since 1 ) it makes you want to keep playing to see what you get next , and 2 ) it uses sound , touch , and visuals to help your memory and drill things in .
I think this game would probably be especially good for tactile learners ( learn by doing ) and people who have a short attention span ( since the lessons are pretty short and you can get right to the variety of games ) .
076 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I found myself wanting it to do better drills , there is very little drilling , especially on the kana , to help memorize them . You are expected to drill yourself and then pass the test thing .
Other than that , I've been enjoying it so far , but I will definitely try the Mind Your Language series when it comes out for Japanese in the UK .
077 4 I found myself wanting it to do better drills , there is very little drilling , especially on the kana , to help memorize them . You are expected to drill yourself and then pass the test thing .
Other than that , I've been enjoying it so far , but I will definitely try the Mind Your Language series when it comes out for Japanese in the UK .
078 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
To sum up what I'm about to say , this game is a fun way to learn Japanese , has a lot of cool features , and is definitely worth the money . However , it has enough flaws and mistakes that I highly recommend not using it as your sole source of study .
Disclaimers : After about 6 years of study and 3 trips to Japan , I'm fairly fluent in the language , so I'm coming at this as someone who already knows Japanese and is testing the game out for a friend . I only got the game yesterday , so I don't know how effective it is as a long-term tool . I'm still on lesson 50 , so I can't comment on levels beyond that .
First , let's start with the good points . This game has A LOT of content . One thousand lessons , several thousand vocabulary words , lots of kanji . It really takes advantage of the DS hardware , allowing you to not only write with the stylus and record your voice with the microphone , but also to compare it to an actual native speaker . It has a built-in dictionary and phrasebook . And it's all on the DS , so you can pick it up and take it anywhere . This is a game I wish I had when I first started studying Japanese .
There are , however , several mistakes in this game , so I'd be wary of relying on it completely for your Japanese learning . For example , onion is defined as negi , when the real word is tamanegi ( negi only refers to green onions ) . Airport is given as hikoujou , which may technically be correct , but the word kuukou is much more common . However , these kinds of mistakes are rare ( one in a few hundred words ) .
The writing system teaches the stroke order incorrectly . This may or may not matter to you , but it annoys the heck out of me when it calls my characters incorrect when I write them with the correct stroke order . I showed a Japanese friend the part where they write katakana no from bottom to top , and she said , What ? ? That's just wrong !
The game suffers from relying too much on romaji , especially in the beginning . You will almost never see romaji in Japan , so why does this game waste so much time on it ? There are even two romaji minigames : the word search and the spelling game , neither of which are very useful .
But the biggest problem with the game in my perspective is the lack of relevant context for what you're learning . When you study vocabulary with this game , the focus is on learning the English translation for the words , not how they're actually used in Japan . For example , the word stunned is in the dictionary as kizetsu sareta . What it doesn't tell you is that those words can only be used to mean stunned in the sense of knocked unconscious . So if you're stunned but still standing , this isn't the phrase you'd choose . Since words rarely translate well literally between English and Japanese , I'd recommend a good dictionary with lots of example phrases if you want to the language properly .
A final note - I would not recommend this to experienced Japanese students seeking a review . The placement exam at the beginning only skips you past the first 10 lessons , and no further . I really wish there was some way to skip the next 100 , but the only option is to go through them one by one , playing through the minigames as they quickly go from interesting to tedious . But if you've got the patience to get through that , go ahead and give the game a try .
079 4 To sum up what I'm about to say , this game is a fun way to learn Japanese , has a lot of cool features , and is definitely worth the money . However , it has enough flaws and mistakes that I highly recommend not using it as your sole source of study .
Disclaimers : After about 6 years of study and 3 trips to Japan , I'm fairly fluent in the language , so I'm coming at this as someone who already knows Japanese and is testing the game out for a friend . I only got the game yesterday , so I don't know how effective it is as a long-term tool . I'm still on lesson 50 , so I can't comment on levels beyond that .
First , let's start with the good points . This game has A LOT of content . One thousand lessons , several thousand vocabulary words , lots of kanji . It really takes advantage of the DS hardware , allowing you to not only write with the stylus and record your voice with the microphone , but also to compare it to an actual native speaker . It has a built-in dictionary and phrasebook . And it's all on the DS , so you can pick it up and take it anywhere . This is a game I wish I had when I first started studying Japanese .
There are , however , several mistakes in this game , so I'd be wary of relying on it completely for your Japanese learning . For example , onion is defined as negi , when the real word is tamanegi ( negi only refers to green onions ) . Airport is given as hikoujou , which may technically be correct , but the word kuukou is much more common . However , these kinds of mistakes are rare ( one in a few hundred words ) .
The writing system teaches the stroke order incorrectly . This may or may not matter to you , but it annoys the heck out of me when it calls my characters incorrect when I write them with the correct stroke order . I showed a Japanese friend the part where they write katakana no from bottom to top , and she said , What ? ? That's just wrong !
The game suffers from relying too much on romaji , especially in the beginning . You will almost never see romaji in Japan , so why does this game waste so much time on it ? There are even two romaji minigames : the word search and the spelling game , neither of which are very useful .
But the biggest problem with the game in my perspective is the lack of relevant context for what you're learning . When you study vocabulary with this game , the focus is on learning the English translation for the words , not how they're actually used in Japan . For example , the word stunned is in the dictionary as kizetsu sareta . What it doesn't tell you is that those words can only be used to mean stunned in the sense of knocked unconscious . So if you're stunned but still standing , this isn't the phrase you'd choose . Since words rarely translate well literally between English and Japanese , I'd recommend a good dictionary with lots of example phrases if you want to the language properly .
A final note - I would not recommend this to experienced Japanese students seeking a review . The placement exam at the beginning only skips you past the first 10 lessons , and no further . I really wish there was some way to skip the next 100 , but the only option is to go through them one by one , playing through the minigames as they quickly go from interesting to tedious . But if you've got the patience to get through that , go ahead and give the game a try .
080 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
We live in Japan and while it's helpful to know a little , it sure helps more to be able to read hiragana and have a light conversation . I'm learning things from this little game that books weren't teaching me and I can use the things I've learned everyday to amuse my Japanese friends . I love it , you can create three profiles ( so my husband , myself and my daughter ) can all have fun learning . My daughter is taking Japanese and is actually enjoying learning more from this game than her class ! Great starter for learning Japanese ! I recommend it !
081 4 We live in Japan and while it's helpful to know a little , it sure helps more to be able to read hiragana and have a light conversation . I'm learning things from this little game that books weren't teaching me and I can use the things I've learned everyday to amuse my Japanese friends . I love it , you can create three profiles ( so my husband , myself and my daughter ) can all have fun learning . My daughter is taking Japanese and is actually enjoying learning more from this game than her class ! Great starter for learning Japanese ! I recommend it !
082 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
(
What's this ?
)
This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
For 29 bucks , for a language tool , its worth every penny .
It is actually a very good supplement to books and pimsleur .
What I like :
- fun and various ways to learn hiragana and katakana ( flash cards , multiple choice , hit-a-word , etc )
- inexpensive ( this is a bargain compared to other language tools out there )
- very refreshing ( various games available and much fun to learn vs using books and audio cd ) .
What I dislike :
- there is no option to write complete sentences in hiragana / katakana .
- limited vocabulary . . but for 29 bucks , it's worth every penny .
I look forward to more language products from Ubisoft . Hopefully , they will release Japanese advanced level .
083 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
For 29 bucks , for a language tool , its worth every penny .
It is actually a very good supplement to books and pimsleur .
What I like :
- fun and various ways to learn hiragana and katakana ( flash cards , multiple choice , hit-a-word , etc )
- inexpensive ( this is a bargain compared to other language tools out there )
- very refreshing ( various games available and much fun to learn vs using books and audio cd ) .
What I dislike :
- there is no option to write complete sentences in hiragana / katakana .
- limited vocabulary . . but for 29 bucks , it's worth every penny .
I look forward to more language products from Ubisoft . Hopefully , they will release Japanese advanced level .
084 4 For 29 bucks , for a language tool , its worth every penny .
It is actually a very good supplement to books and pimsleur .
What I like :
- fun and various ways to learn hiragana and katakana ( flash cards , multiple choice , hit-a-word , etc )
- inexpensive ( this is a bargain compared to other language tools out there )
- very refreshing ( various games available and much fun to learn vs using books and audio cd ) .
What I dislike :
- there is no option to write complete sentences in hiragana / katakana .
- limited vocabulary . . but for 29 bucks , it's worth every penny .
I look forward to more language products from Ubisoft . Hopefully , they will release Japanese advanced level .
085 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
If you've used , or seen the other Coach programs , this follows along the same lines . I really like that these programs test your knowledge first , then start you appropriately in order to expedite your study and not place you at the beginning if it is not needed .
While I can't say the accent / audio from the speakers is like listening to a native speaker , it is pretty darn convenient to use whenever you have a free moment . The program recommends you use a headset and I agree .
I live in Japan several months at a time each year and while I've used Pimsleur in the beginning and other books , this will help to supplement my learning with a good combination of reading , listening , speaking and writing . I haven't gotten to the middle yet , but I enjoy learning different languages and I do find it fun to use with the games and tests .
Even if you'll only spend a week in a particular country , you'll get so much more out of it , if you know more going in . ( Don't wait for the flight over ! )
P.S . With the other ' Coach ' programs I enjoyed the refresh on what I had learned in the past . This might be a fun way for others that know Japanese , to do so as well .
086 4 If you've used , or seen the other Coach programs , this follows along the same lines . I really like that these programs test your knowledge first , then start you appropriately in order to expedite your study and not place you at the beginning if it is not needed .
While I can't say the accent / audio from the speakers is like listening to a native speaker , it is pretty darn convenient to use whenever you have a free moment . The program recommends you use a headset and I agree .
I live in Japan several months at a time each year and while I've used Pimsleur in the beginning and other books , this will help to supplement my learning with a good combination of reading , listening , speaking and writing . I haven't gotten to the middle yet , but I enjoy learning different languages and I do find it fun to use with the games and tests .
Even if you'll only spend a week in a particular country , you'll get so much more out of it , if you know more going in . ( Don't wait for the flight over ! )
P.S . With the other ' Coach ' programs I enjoyed the refresh on what I had learned in the past . This might be a fun way for others that know Japanese , to do so as well .
087 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I just got the game yesterday , played for two hours and I learned around 75 words and 10 phrases and how to write 15 kana . The variety of games help to keep the learning process fun and the speak tool helps you make sure your pronunciation is correct . This is a great tool for anyone wanting to learn Japanese .
089 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Ok , so if you read the title of this review , you basically already know how I feel .
I picked this up ( rented , thank goodness ) to see how it was and if I could maybe learn some language while at work since I have a lot of downtime to wait . After playing it for about 30 minutes , I was done with it .
I don't think I'd have cared so much if it didn't force you to do the mini-games until you obtain a mastery score for a certain word . And certain mini-games didn't really force me to learn anything at all . For instance , the Word Find puzzle just made me remember that the days of the week end in - youbi . Which , it's great to have learned anything - - but it didn't help me learn what day is which .
I can see how someone might enjoy this game , and be able to learn a bit from it , since it does give pronunciations , but it also lacks the romanji all-together , it seems . Going from spoken word to the symbols is . . . well , kinda rough . For the most part , I'd suggest trying some books and other software to learn from . But , this is still usable as a decent supplemental teacher .
090 4 Ok , so if you read the title of this review , you basically already know how I feel .
I picked this up ( rented , thank goodness ) to see how it was and if I could maybe learn some language while at work since I have a lot of downtime to wait . After playing it for about 30 minutes , I was done with it .
I don't think I'd have cared so much if it didn't force you to do the mini-games until you obtain a mastery score for a certain word . And certain mini-games didn't really force me to learn anything at all . For instance , the Word Find puzzle just made me remember that the days of the week end in - youbi . Which , it's great to have learned anything - - but it didn't help me learn what day is which .
I can see how someone might enjoy this game , and be able to learn a bit from it , since it does give pronunciations , but it also lacks the romanji all-together , it seems . Going from spoken word to the symbols is . . . well , kinda rough . For the most part , I'd suggest trying some books and other software to learn from . But , this is still usable as a decent supplemental teacher .
091 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I just got this game in the mail to help me speak basic Japanese with friends at school . They are all thrilled and i get a lot of help from them if I need it . I was hoping this game would help me a lot , but it is a tad overwhelming for students who don't already know any Japanese . I thought the starting lessons were a bit too hard for first time Japanese students . Never the less , you have to learn the basics before you move on to the other lessons ! My advice would be to take the lesson seriously and really remember the new vocabulary they throw at you in each lesson . If it feels overwhelming at first , just take it slow !
092 4 I just got this game in the mail to help me speak basic Japanese with friends at school . They are all thrilled and i get a lot of help from them if I need it . I was hoping this game would help me a lot , but it is a tad overwhelming for students who don't already know any Japanese . I thought the starting lessons were a bit too hard for first time Japanese students . Never the less , you have to learn the basics before you move on to the other lessons ! My advice would be to take the lesson seriously and really remember the new vocabulary they throw at you in each lesson . If it feels overwhelming at first , just take it slow !
093 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I knew Japanese but have forgotten much of it . This game is a great way to review and recall , as well as learning some new stuff .
094 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I knew Japanese but have forgotten much of it . This game is a great way to review and recall , as well as learning some new stuff .
096 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I have been through japanese classes and i have some books and ive researchd sites to study this most were pay by month mind you , and you could find a few bits and pieces here and there but you usually get tired of doing all this so i took classes in college , this game is going over alot of things i had already went over but i havent been playing for too long and im already learning some words i didnt know . The stroke order is a little annoying but some words i write that are correct but look like chicken scratch are also accepted which is good i have some pretty bad handwritting . I was trying to teach my husband japanese and i only had flashcards and had to write out my own tests and things which is fine but him being so eager it took alot of my time so the gift was for him really and he loves it and says he learns alot . most of the games are pretty fun wack a mole is entertaining but isnt going to teach you too much but they have flash card games and sentence structure games which is nice . You can always go back to a lesson you dont think you learned well enough and play through the little games they have in the lessons which makes things pretty solid . I do have to say sometimes flashcards you have to turn down the sound because the chick says the word on the flashcard and if its just a symbol they are trying to get you to figure out it just gives it away when she says it . you can track how well you are doing in the game which doesnt really help me much but its fun to see where im at in the game . If you are interested in japanese at all this would be a great game for you at any level .
098 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
After almost 2 years , I'm trying to relearn Japanese on my own ( as you can see by this review's title ) . Thinking it would make a great supplemental tool , I snatched up My Japanese Coach without looking up the reviews in advance . Trust me when I say this will never happen again . Going through the first 29 lessons of this learning game , you get a clear picture of what to expect from the remaining 71 .
With the help of a kimono-clad virtual host , you learn various Japanese words and phrases through sound , speech and writing while testing your knowledge in a growing number of minigames . Mastering words in the minigames unlock the next lesson , a real detriment for those with advanced knowledge of the language . Another problem with MJC is that it starts off teaching random words and doesn't even cover ' kana , ' or Japanese characters , and writing them until Lesson 6 , as though assuming the player has some grasp of Japanese . Speaking of writing , a little experimentation confirms that MJC has issues with the stroke order of kana . And MJC's point system makes it so you can grind with the minigames and unlock each lesson while you hardly learn anything . If that's not enough to dissuade you , the main game's so dependent on the romanization of the language that the player becomes dependent on it too .
I can honestly say from personal experience that one can learn more from the most boring , underfunded college language course than from MJC . Of course , no video game can truly supplement real-world learning . With a built-in dictionary and phrasebook included in the game , I still recommend it if only to build up your vocabulary .
This review will be revised with further testing of the product .
This game is rated E for Everyone .
099 4 After almost 2 years , I'm trying to relearn Japanese on my own ( as you can see by this review's title ) . Thinking it would make a great supplemental tool , I snatched up My Japanese Coach without looking up the reviews in advance . Trust me when I say this will never happen again . Going through the first 29 lessons of this learning game , you get a clear picture of what to expect from the remaining 71 .
With the help of a kimono-clad virtual host , you learn various Japanese words and phrases through sound , speech and writing while testing your knowledge in a growing number of minigames . Mastering words in the minigames unlock the next lesson , a real detriment for those with advanced knowledge of the language . Another problem with MJC is that it starts off teaching random words and doesn't even cover ' kana , ' or Japanese characters , and writing them until Lesson 6 , as though assuming the player has some grasp of Japanese . Speaking of writing , a little experimentation confirms that MJC has issues with the stroke order of kana . And MJC's point system makes it so you can grind with the minigames and unlock each lesson while you hardly learn anything . If that's not enough to dissuade you , the main game's so dependent on the romanization of the language that the player becomes dependent on it too .
I can honestly say from personal experience that one can learn more from the most boring , underfunded college language course than from MJC . Of course , no video game can truly supplement real-world learning . With a built-in dictionary and phrasebook included in the game , I still recommend it if only to build up your vocabulary .
This review will be revised with further testing of the product .
This game is rated E for Everyone .
100 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
this game is helping me to learn Japanese in a fun and memory remembering way . It should be used with another source to help enhance the learning experience but overall a great way to learn another language !
101 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
this game is helping me to learn Japanese in a fun and memory remembering way . It should be used with another source to help enhance the learning experience but overall a great way to learn another language !
103 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This is a fun simple way to learn Japanese , however like everything else in life it needs time and energy . I reccomend it to students and video game developers to give you an edge in the industry .
105 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
For background , I got this as sort of a side project . I watch a bit of anime , read a bit of manga , so I figured picking up Japanese might be fun and potentially useful ( obviously I understand the kind of undertaking this is , but experience has taught me that learning and memorization are some of my strongest skills ) .
The choice of vocabulary starting off seems mostly fine , if occasionally strange ( the choice of verbs in particular ) . I kind of wish it would drop the use of romaji faster . Also , the font for displaying the kana is just a hair too small , at least on a DS lite ( can't speak for a DSi , I know the screen's a bit bigger on them ) , since sometimes strokes blend together , and it is difficult to pick out the dakuten and handakuten on some characters ( for the uninitiated , these are small markings , either a pair of ticks or a small circle at the top right of a character , which modifies the consonant sound somehow ) .
I've read complaints about stroke order issues . While the mistakes may be there , it's also pretty straightforward to figure out the general procedure for moving through the strokes of a character correctly , or at least correctly enough to reproduce the character smoothly and recognizably ( this could however just be my lack of experience talking , and my penmanship is also horrible in any language ) .
For all that , seems like with some effort and a lot of time , you could get a lot out of this . I've been sort of generating reference material as I go ( at least partly so I get practice writing the kana on PAPER , since it's a far cry from writing them very large on a touch screen ) , and this extra practice lets me remember everything better as well as having something to look back through when I need it ( since tracking down a specific lesson can be kinda clunky ) .
106 4 For background , I got this as sort of a side project . I watch a bit of anime , read a bit of manga , so I figured picking up Japanese might be fun and potentially useful ( obviously I understand the kind of undertaking this is , but experience has taught me that learning and memorization are some of my strongest skills ) .
The choice of vocabulary starting off seems mostly fine , if occasionally strange ( the choice of verbs in particular ) . I kind of wish it would drop the use of romaji faster . Also , the font for displaying the kana is just a hair too small , at least on a DS lite ( can't speak for a DSi , I know the screen's a bit bigger on them ) , since sometimes strokes blend together , and it is difficult to pick out the dakuten and handakuten on some characters ( for the uninitiated , these are small markings , either a pair of ticks or a small circle at the top right of a character , which modifies the consonant sound somehow ) .
I've read complaints about stroke order issues . While the mistakes may be there , it's also pretty straightforward to figure out the general procedure for moving through the strokes of a character correctly , or at least correctly enough to reproduce the character smoothly and recognizably ( this could however just be my lack of experience talking , and my penmanship is also horrible in any language ) .
For all that , seems like with some effort and a lot of time , you could get a lot out of this . I've been sort of generating reference material as I go ( at least partly so I get practice writing the kana on PAPER , since it's a far cry from writing them very large on a touch screen ) , and this extra practice lets me remember everything better as well as having something to look back through when I need it ( since tracking down a specific lesson can be kinda clunky ) .
107 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Apart from small bugs ( Memory Game and the second page of Subjects does not come up at level 11 , stylos stops writing randomly ) I found the game to be very good .
You can only move on to the next level if you get enough master points , which means that you get a good dose of practice every time .
Very good for practicing Hiragana writing , overall happy with the product despite the little bugs
108 4 Apart from small bugs ( Memory Game and the second page of Subjects does not come up at level 11 , stylos stops writing randomly ) I found the game to be very good .
You can only move on to the next level if you get enough master points , which means that you get a good dose of practice every time .
Very good for practicing Hiragana writing , overall happy with the product despite the little bugs
109 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This is a great game that gets you practicing the words you never knew and the ones you just couldn't seem to hold onto . So far I'm on level 15 and it's still a bit on the beginner's side , but hopefully it will get into more difficult words as well . Either way , definitely worth buying !
111 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I have been studying japanese on and off over the past few years and I have tried NUMEROUS methods , most of them quite boring . I have been waiting for this one to come out for quite some time now and when I learned that finally there was a nintendo DS game to learn japanese I immediately bought it . I have to say that it's THE BEST method so far that I have experienced . It thoroughly reviews all aspects of learning japanese such as the hiragana , the katakana , the kanjis , the pronunciation , learning the native speaking accent , the grammar and the vocabulary . A very complete method and very entertaining as well : - ) exactly what I was looking for . . . I highly recommend it for anyone who has a strong desire to learn japanese and is fed up with the traditional language course format .
112 4 I have been studying japanese on and off over the past few years and I have tried NUMEROUS methods , most of them quite boring . I have been waiting for this one to come out for quite some time now and when I learned that finally there was a nintendo DS game to learn japanese I immediately bought it . I have to say that it's THE BEST method so far that I have experienced . It thoroughly reviews all aspects of learning japanese such as the hiragana , the katakana , the kanjis , the pronunciation , learning the native speaking accent , the grammar and the vocabulary . A very complete method and very entertaining as well : - ) exactly what I was looking for . . . I highly recommend it for anyone who has a strong desire to learn japanese and is fed up with the traditional language course format .
113 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
If you're a beginning Japanese student , go and purchase this . If you've been dabbling for a few years , go and purchase this . I hesitated on this for a while and last week read the ten page review posted on here and decided to buy this . When I started the program it wanted me to take a test to asses my skill level . I have been dabbling in Japanese for a few years but decided to skip the placement test and start from ground zero . . . you can never have enough grounding in the basics .
Don't listen to the people that complain about stroke order , boring games , not rigorous enough , etc . I am only on lesson 7 , however I am thoroughly impressed . You get plenty of practice writing and reading hiragana and katakana through the learning portion and the games segment . It also has a phrase dictionary which has the phrases in hiragana and romaji and a native speaker saying the phrases . At any time you can practice previous material . I have several books devoted to practicing hiragana , katakana and Kanji and this definitely makes them obsolete . Instead of lugging a book with me to work and scribbling in the pages during lunch break , I just take my DS and write on that .
Anyway , quit listening to the naysayers and go get this . I bought it used for $24.95 . . . it's not like I'm buying a car for $20,000 and really need to make a careful informed decision . Even if it turns out to be nothing more than writing and vocabulary practice ( and I don't see that as being the case ) this has been worth it .
114 4 If you're a beginning Japanese student , go and purchase this . If you've been dabbling for a few years , go and purchase this . I hesitated on this for a while and last week read the ten page review posted on here and decided to buy this . When I started the program it wanted me to take a test to asses my skill level . I have been dabbling in Japanese for a few years but decided to skip the placement test and start from ground zero . . . you can never have enough grounding in the basics .
Don't listen to the people that complain about stroke order , boring games , not rigorous enough , etc . I am only on lesson 7 , however I am thoroughly impressed . You get plenty of practice writing and reading hiragana and katakana through the learning portion and the games segment . It also has a phrase dictionary which has the phrases in hiragana and romaji and a native speaker saying the phrases . At any time you can practice previous material . I have several books devoted to practicing hiragana , katakana and Kanji and this definitely makes them obsolete . Instead of lugging a book with me to work and scribbling in the pages during lunch break , I just take my DS and write on that .
Anyway , quit listening to the naysayers and go get this . I bought it used for $24.95 . . . it's not like I'm buying a car for $20,000 and really need to make a careful informed decision . Even if it turns out to be nothing more than writing and vocabulary practice ( and I don't see that as being the case ) this has been worth it .
115 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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My daughter is taking Japanese in school and thought this would be the perfect augmentation to her classes and found that it was very limited and she lost interest very quickly with the software . May be good for someone who is only looking for very basic knowledge . Otherwise , it was easy to use and fun .
116 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
My daughter is taking Japanese in school and thought this would be the perfect augmentation to her classes and found that it was very limited and she lost interest very quickly with the software . May be good for someone who is only looking for very basic knowledge . Otherwise , it was easy to use and fun .
117 4 My daughter is taking Japanese in school and thought this would be the perfect augmentation to her classes and found that it was very limited and she lost interest very quickly with the software . May be good for someone who is only looking for very basic knowledge . Otherwise , it was easy to use and fun .
118 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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Granted , there are numerous little flaws in this game like stroke orders and conjugation , but the fact
that it is so portable and comes with handy features like a dictionary and phrase book make it a great
item to ADD to your Japanese educational library .
It may take you a while to work through the levels and get to the better materials but for a product that costs
so little , it is a must have . You can always refresh your knowledge with books and other computer software but for anybody with
idle time on their hands who want to learn Japanese , you will really like this item . . . despite it's flaws !
Ganbarimaus !
119 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Granted , there are numerous little flaws in this game like stroke orders and conjugation , but the fact
that it is so portable and comes with handy features like a dictionary and phrase book make it a great
item to ADD to your Japanese educational library .
It may take you a while to work through the levels and get to the better materials but for a product that costs
so little , it is a must have . You can always refresh your knowledge with books and other computer software but for anybody with
idle time on their hands who want to learn Japanese , you will really like this item . . . despite it's flaws !
Ganbarimaus !
120 4 Granted , there are numerous little flaws in this game like stroke orders and conjugation , but the fact
that it is so portable and comes with handy features like a dictionary and phrase book make it a great
item to ADD to your Japanese educational library .
It may take you a while to work through the levels and get to the better materials but for a product that costs
so little , it is a must have . You can always refresh your knowledge with books and other computer software but for anybody with
idle time on their hands who want to learn Japanese , you will really like this item . . . despite it's flaws !
Ganbarimaus !
121 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I found this game in a used gaming store this past weekend . I've been studying Japanese for a while now ( recently taking up the torch again ) and thought it would be something fun at work .
It begins with a multiple question quiz and if you get two wrong together , it stops the quiz right there . I'm not certain if that is the best way to go about it . You might know 20 words and just get lucky or are just lucky to begin with . Regardless , where it stops is which lesson it begins you at . Everything up to then is considered mastered by the program .
There are ( guessing ) around 260 lessons and 12 games to play . As you get higher , you unlock more games and lessons .
The thing I loath about this is the writing . A lot of people have mentioned this ( stroke order and whatnot ) but I dislike it for another reason . I don't know about you but my handwriting on this types of things has always been horrible . There is no clear when you're doing the games and any accidental touch to the screen counts as a stroke . The game doesn't particularly care about how the character looks either , as long as it's in the right squares ( the character input as four boxes . ) They show you one way of stroke order , but I found I could put the characters in a different way . It's just frustrating .
The lessons are interspersed with the games and you can't go onto the next lesson until you've mastered the words in the lesson . You master by doing the games , which throws in all the words you've mastered with an emphasis on the words you've had that particular lesson . So , you don't really jump from lesson to lesson . There is some time inbetween .
Also , in the lessons , there are places were you can record your voice speaking the words to compare with a native speaker . You can even play them together for a more realistic gauge . If they do teach Kanji , I'm not at that point in the game .
Finally , it comes with a dictionary , phrasebook , a where you are section , and a sketchpad .
This is a nice game . It's not a one stop language learning kit but honestly , if you think you can find one , good luck to you . I bought this to take to work when I'm on my breaks and / or lunch . I think it's comparable to a language learning book .
122 4 I found this game in a used gaming store this past weekend . I've been studying Japanese for a while now ( recently taking up the torch again ) and thought it would be something fun at work .
It begins with a multiple question quiz and if you get two wrong together , it stops the quiz right there . I'm not certain if that is the best way to go about it . You might know 20 words and just get lucky or are just lucky to begin with . Regardless , where it stops is which lesson it begins you at . Everything up to then is considered mastered by the program .
There are ( guessing ) around 260 lessons and 12 games to play . As you get higher , you unlock more games and lessons .
The thing I loath about this is the writing . A lot of people have mentioned this ( stroke order and whatnot ) but I dislike it for another reason . I don't know about you but my handwriting on this types of things has always been horrible . There is no clear when you're doing the games and any accidental touch to the screen counts as a stroke . The game doesn't particularly care about how the character looks either , as long as it's in the right squares ( the character input as four boxes . ) They show you one way of stroke order , but I found I could put the characters in a different way . It's just frustrating .
The lessons are interspersed with the games and you can't go onto the next lesson until you've mastered the words in the lesson . You master by doing the games , which throws in all the words you've mastered with an emphasis on the words you've had that particular lesson . So , you don't really jump from lesson to lesson . There is some time inbetween .
Also , in the lessons , there are places were you can record your voice speaking the words to compare with a native speaker . You can even play them together for a more realistic gauge . If they do teach Kanji , I'm not at that point in the game .
Finally , it comes with a dictionary , phrasebook , a where you are section , and a sketchpad .
This is a nice game . It's not a one stop language learning kit but honestly , if you think you can find one , good luck to you . I bought this to take to work when I'm on my breaks and / or lunch . I think it's comparable to a language learning book .
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My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This is a great product for people who have dabbled in the language before ; nothing , I think , can really take the place of actually being in a classroom , but as for adding to your vocabulary , brushing up on grammar rules , and learning new usages , it's really useful . I took a semester last fall at my local community college , and this game has helped build on that . However , like all self-study methods , in order to be effective , you have to be able to stick with it and manage your time well .
124 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This is a great product for people who have dabbled in the language before ; nothing , I think , can really take the place of actually being in a classroom , but as for adding to your vocabulary , brushing up on grammar rules , and learning new usages , it's really useful . I took a semester last fall at my local community college , and this game has helped build on that . However , like all self-study methods , in order to be effective , you have to be able to stick with it and manage your time well .
126 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Got this for my 7 year old to start working on Japanese . Lots of great options . She can go at her own pace . She's not going to become fluent using this , but every little bit helps .
128 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I would definitely recommend this for people who are serious about learning japanese . being able to compare your voice with the girl in the game really helps with the longer phrases . the writing games are my favorite , best way to remember your hiragana !
130 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
well first off i must point out several things
some of the kana are WRONG . . look japanese must be written in a certain way . . this game can mess you up later when you try to write . . but you can skip the fading characters game so its not a big deal as long as you get a good workbook . .
the vocab is ok . . however its not reviewed enough . . you see one word for one day and you might not have it come up in the study games for a long time . . which is upsetting when it finally comes up and you dont remember it . .
i love the bridge builder game . . its actually very helpful to me . .
the game also starts slow . . if you arent a total beginner get ready for a long boring review the first week . . but whatever . . reviewing is a good thing right ?
all and all worth the money but not as great as i had hoped . .
131 4 well first off i must point out several things
some of the kana are WRONG . . look japanese must be written in a certain way . . this game can mess you up later when you try to write . . but you can skip the fading characters game so its not a big deal as long as you get a good workbook . .
the vocab is ok . . however its not reviewed enough . . you see one word for one day and you might not have it come up in the study games for a long time . . which is upsetting when it finally comes up and you dont remember it . .
i love the bridge builder game . . its actually very helpful to me . .
the game also starts slow . . if you arent a total beginner get ready for a long boring review the first week . . but whatever . . reviewing is a good thing right ?
all and all worth the money but not as great as i had hoped . .
132 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This game is great ! It's very fun and interactive which really helps for learning . And has already taken me further than books I have used . Very helpful for those who want to broaden their Japanese : )
133 4 This game is great ! It's very fun and interactive which really helps for learning . And has already taken me further than books I have used . Very helpful for those who want to broaden their Japanese : )
134 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I bought this for my 12 year old daughter who has a passion for manga so wanted to learn some basic Japanese . It is an easy to use game that is fun to use , and you can make quick progress with it . The games make the practice interesting , and having the voice coach is really useful . You can practice writing Japanese , and although not 100% accurate with some characters it is again quick and fun to learn from . This is a great game for anyone interested in Japanese who wants to learn basics without being too concerned about accuracy . Certainly a good introduction .
136 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This game is amazing . I had my doubts when I shelled out $40 for it , but after playing it , I would spend much more . There are SO many lessons , and not only do you learn words and grammar , but you also learn kana and kanji . In one hour , I learn more words and phrases than I would in most classroom settings . I am thoroughly pleased .
137 4 This game is amazing . I had my doubts when I shelled out $40 for it , but after playing it , I would spend much more . There are SO many lessons , and not only do you learn words and grammar , but you also learn kana and kanji . In one hour , I learn more words and phrases than I would in most classroom settings . I am thoroughly pleased .
138 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I've always wanted to learn a bit of Japanese so when I saw this product was available , I jumped on it ! My son and I have been going through the lessons , testing each other . The lessons make it very easy for you to learn things in a progressive ways . Colors , numbers , days of the week , and small sentences step you along . You also get a chance to get familiar with the Japanese characters by writing the symbols for the words you learn ! You even get to listen to the Japanese pronunciations . A voice meter shows how the voice should look if it's pronounced properly . Then you get a chance to say the words yourself , with your voice being on the meter . Then both the japanese pronunciation and your own are compared ! Very useful tools . Lots of fun too - games are used to help you recognize words . We're really enjoying it !
139 4 I've always wanted to learn a bit of Japanese so when I saw this product was available , I jumped on it ! My son and I have been going through the lessons , testing each other . The lessons make it very easy for you to learn things in a progressive ways . Colors , numbers , days of the week , and small sentences step you along . You also get a chance to get familiar with the Japanese characters by writing the symbols for the words you learn ! You even get to listen to the Japanese pronunciations . A voice meter shows how the voice should look if it's pronounced properly . Then you get a chance to say the words yourself , with your voice being on the meter . Then both the japanese pronunciation and your own are compared ! Very useful tools . Lots of fun too - games are used to help you recognize words . We're really enjoying it !
140 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I purchased the game and I'm a beginner myself but it was such a fun and addicting game , so far I learned the hiragana and the katakana so for beginners who wants to learn the simple basics of Japanese try it out
142 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I just purchased this 3 days ago and I can already read and write hirugana ( although I don't necessarily know WHAT i'm reading or writing yet ) and have learned and memorized a lot of Japanese words and phrases . Very effective , and lots of fun , HIGHLY recommended .
143 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I just purchased this 3 days ago and I can already read and write hirugana ( although I don't necessarily know WHAT i'm reading or writing yet ) and have learned and memorized a lot of Japanese words and phrases . Very effective , and lots of fun , HIGHLY recommended .
145 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I love learning languages so I am having a great time playing it . . . Hopefully , what I am learning is correct . . . . .
So no matter what the nay sayers may say it is fun game . . . .
146 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I love learning languages so I am having a great time playing it . . . Hopefully , what I am learning is correct . . . . .
So no matter what the nay sayers may say it is fun game . . . .
147 4 I love learning languages so I am having a great time playing it . . . Hopefully , what I am learning is correct . . . . .
So no matter what the nay sayers may say it is fun game . . . .
148 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I bought this as a Christmas present for my husband . He really enjoys it , he plays it almost every night . He says it forces him to learn . I can't wait to try it too .
150 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This was a gift for my boyfriend . He absolutely loves it ! He says nothing but good things about it . He says it's as if he was in his high school spanish class . He loves the format of the game , the way they introduce new vocabulary in sets and then make you play the various games using those words until you've mastered them . He thinks this method of practice works well for him . He also enjoys the freedom of the game , in which you can just play for fun outside of the lessons at any time . A + . It was a great purchase and i would definitely recommend any of the My _ _ _ _ Coach games .
151 4 This was a gift for my boyfriend . He absolutely loves it ! He says nothing but good things about it . He says it's as if he was in his high school spanish class . He loves the format of the game , the way they introduce new vocabulary in sets and then make you play the various games using those words until you've mastered them . He thinks this method of practice works well for him . He also enjoys the freedom of the game , in which you can just play for fun outside of the lessons at any time . A + . It was a great purchase and i would definitely recommend any of the My _ _ _ _ Coach games .
152 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Very educational and fun . I learned a lot in a short amount of time . However , the instructor's explanation of verbs is confusing , not well explained and a little beyond the level of this program . Also , some of the stroke orders were off .
154 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Ever come out of a language class trying desperately to remember how to pronounce one of the vocab words ? Teachers just don't have time to give you the repetition you need and want . Studying with your buddy doesn't help much . Chances are his pronunciation is as bad as yours . And , how do you integrate reading , writing and speaking without getting so frustrated you want to toss in the towel ? If you're studying Japanese , My Japanese Coach is the answer . Want to hear a word 45 times ? No prob . Want to review the last lesson or the last vocab ? It's there , as close as the touch of a button . Plus , those tests you used to hate ? Well with My Japanese Coach , the tests are games that come at you as both challenging and fun . Replay as many times as you want , until you feel comfortable about moving on . Worried about transitioning from Romanji to katakana or hiragana ? My Japanese Coach brings you along with baby steps that give you confidence and ensure your knowledge is solid and lasting . Think of having to hire a real live Japanese speaker to help you like this ! The answer to most of your beginning Japanese anxieties are put to rest with My Japanese Coach . Get the game ! Plug it in and really enjoy learning Japanese . This ain't your tedious high school language class . Matter of fact , high school ought to issue this game and skip the test books .
155 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Ever come out of a language class trying desperately to remember how to pronounce one of the vocab words ? Teachers just don't have time to give you the repetition you need and want . Studying with your buddy doesn't help much . Chances are his pronunciation is as bad as yours . And , how do you integrate reading , writing and speaking without getting so frustrated you want to toss in the towel ? If you're studying Japanese , My Japanese Coach is the answer . Want to hear a word 45 times ? No prob . Want to review the last lesson or the last vocab ? It's there , as close as the touch of a button . Plus , those tests you used to hate ? Well with My Japanese Coach , the tests are games that come at you as both challenging and fun . Replay as many times as you want , until you feel comfortable about moving on . Worried about transitioning from Romanji to katakana or hiragana ? My Japanese Coach brings you along with baby steps that give you confidence and ensure your knowledge is solid and lasting . Think of having to hire a real live Japanese speaker to help you like this ! The answer to most of your beginning Japanese anxieties are put to rest with My Japanese Coach . Get the game ! Plug it in and really enjoy learning Japanese . This ain't your tedious high school language class . Matter of fact , high school ought to issue this game and skip the test books .
156 4 Ever come out of a language class trying desperately to remember how to pronounce one of the vocab words ? Teachers just don't have time to give you the repetition you need and want . Studying with your buddy doesn't help much . Chances are his pronunciation is as bad as yours . And , how do you integrate reading , writing and speaking without getting so frustrated you want to toss in the towel ? If you're studying Japanese , My Japanese Coach is the answer . Want to hear a word 45 times ? No prob . Want to review the last lesson or the last vocab ? It's there , as close as the touch of a button . Plus , those tests you used to hate ? Well with My Japanese Coach , the tests are games that come at you as both challenging and fun . Replay as many times as you want , until you feel comfortable about moving on . Worried about transitioning from Romanji to katakana or hiragana ? My Japanese Coach brings you along with baby steps that give you confidence and ensure your knowledge is solid and lasting . Think of having to hire a real live Japanese speaker to help you like this ! The answer to most of your beginning Japanese anxieties are put to rest with My Japanese Coach . Get the game ! Plug it in and really enjoy learning Japanese . This ain't your tedious high school language class . Matter of fact , high school ought to issue this game and skip the test books .
157 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This game seemed like a Dream come True . . .
However Theirs one Princible problem
Wa uses , í the charachter their using for it looks like ho
Likely a rushed development
in addition to that this is no fault of their own I fully understand but I feel any hopeful buyer must remember . . . the game stylus Language learning system uses some kind of AI to determine the acceptable paramaters I've found cases where I accidently Wrote the wrong charachter because I forgot and it said it was right and case I thought I did pretty ogod and it said it was wrong . .
be wary of that
on the pluss side I like Harukas demeaner a LOT
158 4 This game seemed like a Dream come True . . .
However Theirs one Princible problem
Wa uses , í the charachter their using for it looks like ho
Likely a rushed development
in addition to that this is no fault of their own I fully understand but I feel any hopeful buyer must remember . . . the game stylus Language learning system uses some kind of AI to determine the acceptable paramaters I've found cases where I accidently Wrote the wrong charachter because I forgot and it said it was right and case I thought I did pretty ogod and it said it was wrong . .
be wary of that
on the pluss side I like Harukas demeaner a LOT
159 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This is the best tool i've used so far . I have taken Japanese College classes which were great too . This blows rosetta stone out of the water . If you want to learn a language this is a good and fun way to start .
161 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Apart from the flaws in the kana writing system as mentioned by other reviewers , I found this to be a pretty nice game . The mastery points system is designed to force you to practice new words at least three times before it's considered mastered , which I found to be a nice alternative to my eh . . . I've got 90% of these words memorized , I'm doing something else approach that I end up taking when learning from a textbook .
That being said , this game has progressed very slowly for me because of how much Japanese I already know . I've been told by my Japanese teachers that I probably know enough to pass the nikyuu proficiency test , and I've had three years of college-level Japanese . My current aim is to expand my vocabulary so I can speak the language better , so when I heard there were nearly 1,000 lessons with 10 vocabulary words each , my interest was definitely piqued in this game . I finally picked it up when I heard that there was a placement test that would give you a head start if you did well enough .
The problem is that the placement test only allows you to skip the first ten lessons of the game even if you get everything correct . It does you mastery credit for 107 words , the content of those first ten lessons , but considering there are supposedly about 10,000 vocabulary words in the game , I was sorely disappointed at how little I was able to skip . So here I am slugging through basic words like onna no hito and neko - at least three times each , thanks to the mastery points system - and I'm bored out of my skull . I would say the material I was able to skip was covered in the first semester of my first year high school Japanese class . If you're much beyond that , you'll probably find the beginning of the game pretty boring too .
I'm not giving up on the game , because I know that advanced vocabulary is in there - I'm just irritated I have to go through so much busywork to get to it all .
162 4 Apart from the flaws in the kana writing system as mentioned by other reviewers , I found this to be a pretty nice game . The mastery points system is designed to force you to practice new words at least three times before it's considered mastered , which I found to be a nice alternative to my eh . . . I've got 90% of these words memorized , I'm doing something else approach that I end up taking when learning from a textbook .
That being said , this game has progressed very slowly for me because of how much Japanese I already know . I've been told by my Japanese teachers that I probably know enough to pass the nikyuu proficiency test , and I've had three years of college-level Japanese . My current aim is to expand my vocabulary so I can speak the language better , so when I heard there were nearly 1,000 lessons with 10 vocabulary words each , my interest was definitely piqued in this game . I finally picked it up when I heard that there was a placement test that would give you a head start if you did well enough .
The problem is that the placement test only allows you to skip the first ten lessons of the game even if you get everything correct . It does you mastery credit for 107 words , the content of those first ten lessons , but considering there are supposedly about 10,000 vocabulary words in the game , I was sorely disappointed at how little I was able to skip . So here I am slugging through basic words like onna no hito and neko - at least three times each , thanks to the mastery points system - and I'm bored out of my skull . I would say the material I was able to skip was covered in the first semester of my first year high school Japanese class . If you're much beyond that , you'll probably find the beginning of the game pretty boring too .
I'm not giving up on the game , because I know that advanced vocabulary is in there - I'm just irritated I have to go through so much busywork to get to it all .
163 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
Great product if you own a DS and want to learn Japanese . listen , record , and compare your pronunciation with a japanese speaker . learn to read and write hiragana & kanji .
165 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This game is not going to make you fluent , however , it will serve as an INCREDIBLE supplement to your Japanese learning . The lessons are bit-sized , the games reinforce learning , and you're can spend 15 minutes with this every couple days and really make progress ! I have a couple of other Japanese books and while I use them as well , this game is easy to pick up and get lost in !
The only real knock I have on it is that I wish there was a game that did nothing but quizzed you on hiragana and katakana . Learning Japanese characters can be a challenge for those of us who have only used the English alphabet .
Also , I wished there was more control in some of the games so that you could define what you want to be quizzed on . That could help you smooth out your problem areas .
Still overall , this is a fun , educational game that will make you excited about learning Japanese !
166 4 This game is not going to make you fluent , however , it will serve as an INCREDIBLE supplement to your Japanese learning . The lessons are bit-sized , the games reinforce learning , and you're can spend 15 minutes with this every couple days and really make progress ! I have a couple of other Japanese books and while I use them as well , this game is easy to pick up and get lost in !
The only real knock I have on it is that I wish there was a game that did nothing but quizzed you on hiragana and katakana . Learning Japanese characters can be a challenge for those of us who have only used the English alphabet .
Also , I wished there was more control in some of the games so that you could define what you want to be quizzed on . That could help you smooth out your problem areas .
Still overall , this is a fun , educational game that will make you excited about learning Japanese !
167 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This game , while having its down sides , is a great study aid . I don't suggest using to learn Japanese from scratch , but as a refresher course its great . It covers some of the most basic words , and sentence structure . And the stroke order for the characters are very picky . Other than that I suggest this game highly for anyone who has had formal Japanese lessons ! I don't think it would really help if you have no prior background in the language !
Its a great study aid , but if you really want to learn the language do a study abroad ! That is the most fail proof way to master a language ! All the study in the world will not compare to actually spending time in the presence of a native speaker everyday ! : ) Otherwise enjoy !
168 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
This game , while having its down sides , is a great study aid . I don't suggest using to learn Japanese from scratch , but as a refresher course its great . It covers some of the most basic words , and sentence structure . And the stroke order for the characters are very picky . Other than that I suggest this game highly for anyone who has had formal Japanese lessons ! I don't think it would really help if you have no prior background in the language !
Its a great study aid , but if you really want to learn the language do a study abroad ! That is the most fail proof way to master a language ! All the study in the world will not compare to actually spending time in the presence of a native speaker everyday ! : ) Otherwise enjoy !
169 4 This game , while having its down sides , is a great study aid . I don't suggest using to learn Japanese from scratch , but as a refresher course its great . It covers some of the most basic words , and sentence structure . And the stroke order for the characters are very picky . Other than that I suggest this game highly for anyone who has had formal Japanese lessons ! I don't think it would really help if you have no prior background in the language !
Its a great study aid , but if you really want to learn the language do a study abroad ! That is the most fail proof way to master a language ! All the study in the world will not compare to actually spending time in the presence of a native speaker everyday ! : ) Otherwise enjoy !
170 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
I've just started using this program and so far it's a great way to be introduced to Japanese . The games are fun , if a little monotonous after a while . Whack a mole is my favorite . The only part I haven't used yet is the writing practice . It's not really clear how to practice the strokes and whether they should be thick or thin ? It's difficult to reproduce the letters with the stylus . I think this product is great to start to learn common words and their pronunciation , not so great learning writing .
172 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
When I first heard that there was going to be a Japanese language Coach game for the Nintendo DS , I thought that by now the developers and publishers of this series would have learned from their previous mistakes .
Well , unfortunately I was was wrong . I got this game as a gift from my older brother during christmas . He knows that I love learning languages and that in high school I was teaching my self how to speak Japanese . Well , I came to an abrupt stop during my senior year because my parents didn't want me learning Japanese . As you can see some people can be racists and stereotype others without even realizing it . Also , just a little bit more background knowledge of me , I'm a major in video game development . . .
Anyways , 3rd year of college . My brother thought I would like this game and purchased it for me . We were both excited about this game , but were highly disappointed . I wasn't expecting too much due to what we heard on the reviews of the other games , but this is highly ridiculous . The point system is flawed and you don't really learn the vocabulary by the time you get to the next level . Most of the games are boring and half done by the developers , almost like they didn't care about the game and slacked off . The concept of the Rank , baby , high schooler , adult , is even more flawed . Stroke orders are messed up and vocabulary choice is poor . The lesson map makes you go through a detailed area surrounding Tokyo and then completely zooms out after lesson thirty . What if I want to learn a lesson that features the Ainu people ? Oh , I forgot . No one cares about native people .
Gamers should be learning from the JLPT just like students . They're not fools , they deserve to know . The rank system should have also been based on the JLPT to give people a more accurate understanding of their proficiency . Why waste time learning random words if it's not going to help you understand ? The way that this game tries to teach grammar is also questionable . They try to stuff so much in just a paragraph of text and expect beginners to understand it . There is so much that the developers left out of this game , that it shouldn't have even been released .
Maybe one day , someone will release a better Japanese language game for the DS . I'm sure of one thing though : if it's good , it ain't a My Coach game .
173 4 When I first heard that there was going to be a Japanese language Coach game for the Nintendo DS , I thought that by now the developers and publishers of this series would have learned from their previous mistakes .
Well , unfortunately I was was wrong . I got this game as a gift from my older brother during christmas . He knows that I love learning languages and that in high school I was teaching my self how to speak Japanese . Well , I came to an abrupt stop during my senior year because my parents didn't want me learning Japanese . As you can see some people can be racists and stereotype others without even realizing it . Also , just a little bit more background knowledge of me , I'm a major in video game development . . .
Anyways , 3rd year of college . My brother thought I would like this game and purchased it for me . We were both excited about this game , but were highly disappointed . I wasn't expecting too much due to what we heard on the reviews of the other games , but this is highly ridiculous . The point system is flawed and you don't really learn the vocabulary by the time you get to the next level . Most of the games are boring and half done by the developers , almost like they didn't care about the game and slacked off . The concept of the Rank , baby , high schooler , adult , is even more flawed . Stroke orders are messed up and vocabulary choice is poor . The lesson map makes you go through a detailed area surrounding Tokyo and then completely zooms out after lesson thirty . What if I want to learn a lesson that features the Ainu people ? Oh , I forgot . No one cares about native people .
Gamers should be learning from the JLPT just like students . They're not fools , they deserve to know . The rank system should have also been based on the JLPT to give people a more accurate understanding of their proficiency . Why waste time learning random words if it's not going to help you understand ? The way that this game tries to teach grammar is also questionable . They try to stuff so much in just a paragraph of text and expect beginners to understand it . There is so much that the developers left out of this game , that it shouldn't have even been released .
Maybe one day , someone will release a better Japanese language game for the DS . I'm sure of one thing though : if it's good , it ain't a My Coach game .
174 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
hey Yo - bought My Japanese Coach to reinstall lost brain-cell data . My Japanese Coach is not a game as such , but if it makes it easier for you to learn by thinking its a game then WTF , who am I to block your learning process . if you spend 30 minutes a day with the yer Coach the learning curve is like no sweat . 4 learning basic Japanese My Japanese Coach is worth a ton of money . has a cute female voice and avatar - sooo cool ( kokkui in Japanese - not in the lessons so far ) . if you are wannabe otaku - this is tha thing . hey - buy a new Nintendo DSi and tha Coach . WOH ! ! that funny little guy with tha glasses on the front of the case says it all , Learning IS fun ! ! Buy it ! ! NOW ! !
175 4 hey Yo - bought My Japanese Coach to reinstall lost brain-cell data . My Japanese Coach is not a game as such , but if it makes it easier for you to learn by thinking its a game then WTF , who am I to block your learning process . if you spend 30 minutes a day with the yer Coach the learning curve is like no sweat . 4 learning basic Japanese My Japanese Coach is worth a ton of money . has a cute female voice and avatar - sooo cool ( kokkui in Japanese - not in the lessons so far ) . if you are wannabe otaku - this is tha thing . hey - buy a new Nintendo DSi and tha Coach . WOH ! ! that funny little guy with tha glasses on the front of the case says it all , Learning IS fun ! ! Buy it ! ! NOW ! !
176 4 This review is from :
My Japanese Coach ( Video Game )
With the numerous errors in the game I would question whether this is good for any beginners . But on top of that anyone with a decent knowledge of Japanese has no use for it either . Being forced to go through lesson after lesson of words you already know without kana / kanji is incredibly boring . Learning from this will only teach you bad habbits . Not impressed at all .
