Self Taught Japanese: Recent Episodes
Locksleyu
Informal discussions about techniques for learning Japanese and Japan's culture, as well as reviews of Japanese media (manga, anime, novels, etc.). Other related topics include Japanese grammar, expressions, pronunciation, linguistics and translation.
In episode 16 I talk about a recent trip to Osaka, Japan, using a recording that I made in my hotel room the 2nd day of my trip. I talk about things such as an experience at the airport, in a Japanese taxi, and my encounter with a surprisingly long shopping arcade.
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with other episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
(Note: after finishing everything I realized that I accidentally said “Episode 15” at the beginning of the recording, but it’s the proper episode. You can tell it isn’t episode 15 since the music is different.)
In episode 15 I go over the important word “you” that is a common way to compare one thing to another, as well as a more casual variant of it. I give several example sentences, and have a mini quiz at the end to test your knowledge.
Finally, I mention a useful phrase about making a wish or prayer.
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with other episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
(I recorded a short intro/outro on my newly purchased Yamaha grand piano, which you can find more info about here)
In episode 14 I go over the potential tense (“to be able to”), including the conjugation for each verb category and a more verbose way to express the same thing. I also talk about the negative potential form, and ask a few questions involving using the potential form to make basic sentences, as well as listening comprehension with simple sentences using that form.
I also go over a casual expression that can be used to ask “really?”, and some related phrases.
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
If you are interested in my new podcast about Japanese culture, titled “Japanese: Musings on All Things Japanese”, which covers topics like calligraphy and Aikido, you can check it out on here.
In episode 13 of my new podcast for beginner/intermediate students of Japanese I decided to take a break from grammar and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of studying Japanese as a foreign language, something I’ve seen much discussion about online. While I want to get back to grammar in the next episode, please let me know if you want more episodes like this talking about non-grammar topics.
At the end I also talk about a few ways to ask someone to wait for you.
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
In episode 12 of my new podcast for beginner/intermediate students of Japanese I go over the following:
- An introduction to “ne”, a particle that imparts a sense of friendliness and connection with another person
- Introduction of a few new words and mini-quizzes to test your knowledge
- A few ways to say goodbye
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
- Introduction to the “te” form (one of the most important forms in the language)
- Conjugation rules for each verb type
- A few ways the “te” form can be used (including to make a polite request)
- Four expressions for apologizing (in various levels of politeness)
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
- Introduction to i-adjectives (how to use them in a sentence, and conjugation)
- Learn a few i-adjectives (small, large, etc.)
- An expression for saying you hope something happens (which can be a mild suggestion).
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
- The “mo” particle (and some particle combinations)
- Words for languages (Japanese, Spanish, etc.) and the “go” prefix
- Words for relative days (Today, tomorrow, etc.)
- How to ask someone if they are OK
(This episode also includes a newly-recorded intro and ending theme on piano, by yours truly.)
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
In the 8th episode of my new Podcast about learning Japanese for beginners, I cover the following topics:
- The past tense (including conjugation rules for different verb types)
- A few new vocabulary words and short questions to test your knowledge
- A useful expression to make a suggestion
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
In the 7th episode of my new Podcast about learning Japanese for beginners, I touch on the following topics:
- Learning to count 0-99
- A quiz to test your knowledge of vocabulary, particles, and verb conjugation from the previous episodes
- A pair of useful expressions that are very important when eating
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
In the 6th episode of my new Podcast about learning Japanese for beginners, I talk about the following topics:
- Introduction of the “de” particle
- A new question word, and a few more vocabulary words
- Another use for the “ga” particle
- An expression that is useful for daily life (to order a beer, or anything else…)
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with all the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
In the 5th episode of my new Podcast about learning Japanese for beginners, I touch on the following topics:
- The negative verb tense (conjugation rules, usage, etc.)
- Another use of the “wa” particle
- A few new vocabulary words
- A greeting you can use in daily life
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
In the 4th episode of my new Podcast about learning Japanese, I touch on the following topics:
- The two verbs for existence (“aru” and “iru”)
- Introduction to the “ni” particle, and one common use of it
- Introduction to the “ga” particle
- A common greeting
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
In the 3rd episode of my new Podcast about learning Japanese, I touch on the following topics:
- Introduction to first person pronouns
- Using the particle “yo”
- Vocabulary words related to drinks or drinking (“coffee”, etc.)
- Using people’s names in a sentence.
- A common greeting
You can also hear this episode on Spotify here (along with the previous episodes).
I’m always open to feedback and requests for things to cover. You can email me at “selftaughtjapanese [at] gmail.com”.
After getting a good response on Twitter to the first Episode of my new Podcast about learning Japanese grammar, I decided to record and produce the second episode. In this episode, I focus on:
- Basic Japanese word order
- Nouns and verbs in Japanese
- Dictionary tense
- A few simple vocabulary words
- Basic introduction to particles (and discussion of “wa” and “o” particles)
- Introduction of a common phrase you can use in everyday life
My goal is that after this episode, those who have little to no Japanese should be able to start making basic sentences.
I also added the podcast so that it is available on Spotify (after getting a request for this), which you can find here.
I am already planning the 3rd episode that will have a format similar to the 2nd, but I am always open to feedback for things I can change or add to the content.
Recently I was inspired to start a new podcast about teaching Japanese grammar, and this is the first episode. It’s targeted at beginning students but will also be helpful to intermediate ones as well. I’ll be talking about grammar fundamentals, and also introducing various words and expressions to help make complete sentences that are easy for anyone to understand.
In this first episode I will talk a bit about what inspired me, the importance of grammar, and what sorts of topics I will be covering.
I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you think as feedback will help me drive the podcast content.
Update: after getting request from a user I put this podcast on Spotify, you can see it here.
In this podcast I talk about how Japanese “variety shows” (バラエティ番組 – “baraeti bangumi”) are a great way to help refine your Japanese language and cultural knowledge, especially if you are not living in Japan.
I recommended the show “ホンマでっか” (honma dekka) which you can see an episode of here. Also I mentioned “Youは何しに日本へ” which you can see of an episode here.
This is another show I have seen a few times that is pretty interesting.
Variety show rankings over time which show 270 different shows: http://ranking.yonelabo.com/variety/
The shows are ranked from highest (“1位” = “1st place”) to lowest. Try cutting and pasting any variety show names into Youtube, and you should be able to find some of them to watch. For example, 3rd place ranking is “世界の果てまでイッテQ!”, for which you can see an episode here. I have heard this is a good show but haven’t seen it myself.
In this podcast I give a detailed explanation of the verb 知る (“shiru”) which means “To know” in Japanese.
I talk about some of the main verb conjugations, and then give some examples which can be used in daily conversation (ex: 知るわけない, “shiru wake nai”)
Dictionary form: 知る (shiru)
Negative form: 知らない (shiranai)
Masu form: 知ります (shirimasu)
Te-form: 知って (shitte)
Past (ta) form: 知った (shitta)
Potential form: 知れる (shireru)
Volitional form: 知ろう (shirou)
“maybe ~”: 〜かもしれない（~ka mo shirenai) [also written as かも知れない]
In Episode 6 of the Self Taught Japanese podcast I review a great language learning app for the iPhone: Memrise
It works for Japanese as well as many other foreign languages, and a great deal of the content is completely free.
I also tell a brief anecdote about a recent experience regarding the expression 終了しました.
In this episode I’ll talk about a few things that I feel make learning Japanese especially difficult, and a few that make it hard.
Also I give an explanation of some of the Japanese phrases I have been using in the beginning and ending of the podcasts.
You can now see this podcast listed on Apple iTunes here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/self-taught-japanese/id1176829167
In this episode I talk about some of the pros and cons of using Anime to learn Japanese, and also some suggestions to use it efficiently as a learning resource.
I also talk about three anime series that I recommend (technically the last is not a series, however).
- Kimi ni todoke
- Time of Eve（full review here)
- Shelter (See on Youtube here)
In this episode I talk about using Japanese podcasts as a tool for Japanese learning. I talk about their many advantages (and a few disadvantages), and also two of my favorite podcasts involving “Chin san” from back around 10 years ago when I first got into podcasts.
- Dogcast
- Bonchicast
Also I give some suggestions for beginners who want to start listening to podcasts even though they may lack the necessary vocabulary.
See this page which shows all the articles from my blog about podcasts and contains reviews to several more recent podcasts that I recommend.
In this episode I will briefly talk about a few ways I studied Japanese and important things to prioritize in your own studies (keeping motivated, fundamentals like grammar, etc.)
This is the first episode of a new podcast whose content will roughly mirror my blog: discussions about learning Japanese self-taught, Japanese culture, and other linguistic stuff.
In this first episode, I talk about how I went to a Buddhist Temple in Portland and celebrated Shichi-go-san (七五三) with my son.
The picture is of the bag which contained 千歳飴 (chitose ame candy) that I received there.
You can access a new RSS feed that just tracks the podcast here: http://selftaughtjapanese.com/feed/podcast
(Note: This is a re-post of the first episode since I have gotten a new plugin to manage a independent Podcast RSS feed)