Learn in Your Car Japanese Level One [With Listening Guide]

by Henry Raymond

Look ma, no textbooks! The Learn in Your Car series treats you like a child--in the best possible way--starting with one-word phrases ("please," "good-by"), counting exercises, and simple nouns... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Audio Cassette
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560151374
• ISBN13: 9781560151371
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Penton Overseas
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.1" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Very good audio set

For the price, this is much better than other ones out there, like Living Language and the CDs that went with some textbooks I've had, because it speaks the English AND the Japanese for each word/phrase being taught. You really can learn in your car. It has a good variety of lessons, lots of material (although there are a few strange items thrown in). I don't recommend the audio download since you don't get a booklet with the written phrases, and that would have been really helpful since sometimes it's hard to catch all the sounds. Also, I wouldn't want to lose even an ounce of clarity in the download quality. I recommend this over starting with a textbook approach, or at least do audio and written study together, because speaking and listening are the most important part of learning a language. Having read a book doesn't help you a bit when you are out in Japan trying to understand what people are saying to you.

Helping me immensely

I'm a US citizen currently residing in Japan (US military). I've purchased several books and audio instructions to help me learn enough Japanese to get by while I'm here, and nothing has really helped until these CDs. Awesome and wonderful for the beginner!

Successful casual downtime Japanese study while driving my car

This program is not at all what I expected. It's simple and straightforward. I put the CDs on my iPod and practice while I'm driving and when I am able to at work. I have learned so much in such a short time. It is great because it's not necessary to sit down with a textbook or a pad of paper. Also included is a tiny booklet with all the translations which helps when I briefly review it from time to time. I also listen to Pimsleur's Japanese which is entirely different covering separate ground. I'm happy to add more depth to my study with another beginner's study aid. I recommend these CDs to anyone wanting to start learning Japanese or improve their skills.

Great idea / product, but has a flaw

I would give this 5 star rating if it weren't the lack of grammar features in the beginning. My commuting to and from work takes almost two hours a day. That's the reason why I bought this product (I have both CD and cassette tape versions as each of my two cars have CD player and tape player only). I have tried two other products for learning Japanese before, but they were absolutely useless as I had to have a book in front of me while listening. This product allows you to listen to the tape or CD in the car while driving. Every word or phrase is pronounced in English first, then in Japanese twice in pure Japanese accent - with pauses in between so you can practice pronouncing it, too. It is a simple method, but it works amazingly well. Remember the most efficient way of learning a language (at least in the entry level) is by speaking and listening, not reading from a book. It also comes with a small book that describes meaning and pronunciation of every word / phrase used in the audio feature. One can easily review it after or before listening to the tape / CD.So what is the flaw? This does not give you grammar review in the beginning (only have completed first CD so can't tell you for the rest) so it can be confusing for some listeners at first. Japanese and English do not have the same arrangement or order when it comes to lining up subject, verb and objective. I wish this is discussed more in the beginning.

Best I've found to date.

If your goal is to communicate verbally while traveling and you prefer to learn from interaction and practice rather than studying a book, this is an excellent resource. This gave me enough skills to get around Japan and greatly added to the enjoyment of my trip. If you have the impression that 'everyone' speaks English in Japan, then don't leave Tokyo. My simple interactions opened a lot of doors and made folks happy to deal with me rather than ignoring the tourist. It also made folks more comfortable to try a little English, after they heard my efforts at Japanese. Between the two it worked out great.The tapes covered all the standard phrases dealing with travel and they can take you a long way. 'Denshya no eki, a doko des ka?' or 'Where is the train station?' got me out of a lot of trouble, everytime I got lost doing walking tours in the countryside. I've also used the German tapes and have just ordered the French. I've bought many a language book and so far these are my favourite.