Colloquial Japanese provides a step-by-step course in Japanese as it
is written and spoken today. This new edition has been completely
rewritten by experienced teachers; it combines an accessible approach
with a thorough treatment of the language, equipping learners with the
essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in
Japanese in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the
language is required.
Key features include:
- progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing
skills
- jargon-free explanations of grammar, with key structures presented
through user-friendly diagrams
- Coverage of the different writing systems of Japanese: hiragana,
katakana and kanji
- an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises
- realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of
scenarios
- useful vocabulary lists throughout the text
- additional resources available at the back of the book, including a
full answer key, a grammar summary, a verb/adjective list with
conjugation aid, bilingual glossaries and English translations of
dialogues
Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Japanese will be an
indispensable resource both for independent learners and for students
taking courses in Japanese.
Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in
MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native
speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the
book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.
Supplementary exercise sheets for hiragana, katakana and kanji and two
additional units can also be found here. These additonal units cover
more advanced features of Japanese and incorporate a wide assortment of
supporting exercises.
By the end of this course, you will be at Level B1 of the Common
European Framework for Languages and at the Intermediate-Mid on the
ACTFL proficiency scales.
