More than 20 years ago, I met someone who spoke fluent Japanese, but who understood very little English. Communication was difficult. After she returned to Japan, I was determined to learn to speak Japanese.
I went to the University of Hawaii (U.H.) Bookstore and scanned through the textbook assigned to students taking beginning Japanese. I was uncomfortable with the type of rōmaji （ローマ字） used - it seemed unnatural, like something contrived by a linguist.
I then looked through the trade book section and found a couple of concise beginning Japanese textbooks - both from the same publisher in Japan. They were also in ローマ字, but of the more familiar Hepburn style. I began an intensive study using them, along with the language-learning skills I developed from my study of French. My goal was not mere rote-memorization, I practiced thinking in Japanese.
When she returned to Hawaii months later, everyone was surprised that we could actually converse, albeit on a basic level. I bought an Japanese-English / English-Japanese dictionary to look up words not covered in the textbooks.
After 3 years and we went our separate ways. I gave away my Japanese textbooks; I don't know what happened to the dictionary.
More than 10 years ago, I met someone who (coincidentally?) also spoke Japanese, but understood very little English. Having practiced thinking/speaking in Japanese years earlier, sentence patterns came back to me, after 7 years of disuse - like riding a bicycle?
Wanting to brush up anyway, maybe even improve, I revisited U.H. Bookstore, but times had changed and I could no longer find either of the tried-and-true textbooks which had helped me more than a decade before.
Almost 2 years ago, I took a beginning Japanese course. They used a textbook utilizing a modified Hepburn system, with which I was comfortable. I was lucky, the teacher was excellent and I progressed smoothly through the course, and even studied ahead, easily finishing the book before the course concluded, just one-third way through the book.
The above can be considered background (pre-sequel) to a message I posted two summers ago, Making the Transition from Rōmaji to Kana. If you haven't already done so, please read it, then return here and continue below...
Now the sequel... Since the time I wrote "Making the Transition from Rōmaji to Kana", I finished studying all three (kana) volumes in the series.
When I say "finished", I do not mean to imply that I have mastered everything covered, just that I have finished a first run through for understanding. Real pratice (for fluency) still lay ahead.
As I was readying myself for this next stage, the publishers came out with updated, completely rewritten versions of the textbooks. The vocabulary was different, updated, the explanations and practice sections much improved.
I am currently going through another iteration of reading for understanding - but I am also focusing more on improving my writing of native Japanese script.
I avoid books written in ローマ字, opting for native Japanese script. Thus my Japanese-English / English-Japanese dictionary presents Japanese in hiragana （ひらがな）, katakana （かたかな） and kanji （かんじ）.
In terms of courses, I skipped two, and recently began again with the one covering the first part of the new Volume II; I finished it to my satisfaction. I have enough confirmation that my self-studies have been on track, so rather than take the next course in the series (continuing with Volume II), I am now taking a course in basic Japanese reading and writing. (I am concurrently finishing Volume II on my own.)
I am enjoying this course very much. The instructor is the same (excellent) one I had two summers ago in beginning Japanese. She stresses correct form and explains the relationships among かたかな, かんじ and ひらがな (in that order). It is a unique approach, and one that I truly appreciate.
This course, which is helping to strengthen my foundation in writing and reading (in that order) is more useful to me, as most of my study of Japanese has been been, and will continue to be, on my own.
Which brings me to questions people often pose to me, in one form or another - "How much Japanese have you taken?" or "How long have you been studying Japanese." I'm not sure how to answer these in a way they will understand, as these questions are framed in stereotypes and assumptions regarding how they (and thus others) would study and learn Japanese...
I consider the study of Japanese more than a hobby, it is my passion, a lifetime project... Although I never expect to ever "arrive", I am deriving immense enjoyment from the journey itself, even the little detours along the way...
Raymond T. Kaya
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
www.reikialoha.com/raymond