Here are the best resources for this dive broken down by beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
This Japanese Resource Handbook Below
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Japanese - Resources
Resources
Busuu
1 Break Diver Vote
Busuu is probably the most comprehensive language learning app on the market. This app teaches Japanese down to the nitty gritty grammatical nuances and really helps you to gain comfort using the language. One of its best features is that you can get feedback from native speakers on written and spoken exercises. Download from your phone's app store.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Living Language
1 Break Diver Vote
Living Language offers a very comprehensive course of self study, through both online courses and self-study textbooks. You can sign up online, or buy the self-study textbooks and audio on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble bookstores. Each set comes with three textbooks: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Break Diving Japanese Fluency Project
0 Break Diver Votes
The Japanese Fluency Project is a program of Break Diving (this website). We all work together to improve our foreign language skills in hundreds of languages. Visit www.breakdiving.org for more information about our not-for-profit corporate mission, and then visit breakdiving.io to join our inspiring worldwide community! We look forward to meeting you.
Category: Other Apps & Websites
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Clozemaster
0 Break Diver Votes
Clozemaster helps you to learn language in context. According to Clozemaster, learning a language through mass exposure to vocabulary in context is one of the best ways to build proficiency. The site/app uses well-structured fill-in-the-blanks and spaced repetition to ensure you retain new words.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Duolingo
0 Break Diver Votes
Duolingo is a popular language-learning platform that includes both a website and a mobile app. It offers over 94 different language courses, including Japanese. Duolingo teaches the basics of Japanese, including some basic vocabulary and grammar. However, there is no way you will truly learn a language through Duolingo. It is best used as an introduction to a language and as a refresher to keep your skills up and to potentially build some new vocabulary. Note: their podcast on Apple Podcasts is excellent!
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
FluentU
0 Break Diver Votes
FluentU is a video learning site that helps you learn through real video conversations, similar to Yabla. Try it for 14 days free (as of this review).
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Forvo
0 Break Diver Votes
Forvo is a fascinating tool that shows how words are pronounced in various foreign languages. Just type the word you’re looking for into the Forvo search bar, and voilà, you’ll hear it spoken by multiple native speakers. This is excellent for pronunciation. Note: it will take you a few minutes to figure out how the tool works, but it's worth spending a few minutes to master how it works.
Category: Other Apps & Websites
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Glossika
0 Break Diver Votes
Glossika improves your fluency through a highly repetitive ‘listen and repeat’ approach. It uses an adaptive learning algorithm and structured content to help you improve. Definitely not a conventional course but you’ll be amazed at how effective it is at improving your fluency if you use it daily.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Hello Talk
0 Break Diver Votes
Hello Talk links you together with language partners to help you practice your Japanese skills. Worth taking a look at.
Category: Other Apps & Websites
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
iLanguages
0 Break Diver Votes
A website that will teach you the basics of Japanese vocabulary, phrases, grammar with audio, flashcards, and quizzes. The site provides Japanese writing with English translation along with the Japanese pronunciation that can help you learn the foundation of Japanese.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
Imabi
0 Break Diver Votes
Includes material from beginner’s basics, to classical Japanese, to Heian-era pronunciation. It's totally free and the contents are good for someone who can learn from reading.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Internet Polyglot
0 Break Diver Votes
Internet Polyglot is an awesome site that offers a huge variety of free games to help you improve your Japanese vocabulary.
Category: Other Apps & Websites
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Japanese Level Up
0 Break Diver Votes
It has a unique adventure-driven backdrop, similar to that of an RPG or video game, which makes learning more fun. It serves as a sort of outline for Japanese language students, giving advice and strategies along the way. If you want more in-depth materials, you can pay for the premium version.
Category: Other Apps & Websites
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
JapanesePod101
0 Break Diver Votes
This is a popular Japanese course that includes downloadable podcast-styled lessons, videos, grammar explanations, and a vocabulary database and dictionary. Premium members gain access to PDF lessons, grammar reviews, dialogue audio, and interactive learning.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Language Drops
0 Break Diver Votes
Language Drops is a language-learning website/app with a colorful layout that's a lot of fun. Teaching solely vocabulary (which is unique in itself), Drops starts with basic vocab and expands to offer highly advanced vocab beyond the scope of most other courses and books. For example: spaceship, garlic, riot police, and political coup. Note: unless you pay, you are limited to 5 minutes per day. If you can afford it, upgrade to the lifetime plan. Or, just be sure to do your 5 minutes every single day.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Language Learning with Netflix
0 Break Diver Votes
This is a Chrome extension that allows you to learn Japanese by watching movies or shows on Netflix. It displays two sets of subtitles: one in your native language and the other in a language of your choice. Keep in mind that you do need a Netflix subscription in order to use this resource.
Category: Video
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
LingoDeer
0 Break Diver Votes
LingoDeer is similar to Duolingo. Some say that they prefer LingoDeer to Duolingo, so if you don't like Duolingo, give this a try.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
LingQ
0 Break Diver Votes
LingQ is similar to Yabla. They describe the service as surrounding yourself with meaningful input that matters to you. You can start at an easy level and work your way up. It features a range of entertaining materials, such as YouTube videos, news broadcasts, blog posts, and Netflix shows. You can choose the topics that interest you and build your language lessons around subjects that will keep you motivated.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Linguee
0 Break Diver Votes
Linguee is a dictionary used to translate between Japanese and English words. Aside from giving helpful information about verb conjugation, the site also allows you to search for the vocabulary word in real Japanese articles, so you can translate phrases more accurately.
Category: Other Apps & Websites
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Mango
0 Break Diver Votes
Mango Languages helps you to study foreign language by adapting to how you learn using smart technology. Compare your own recordings with those of native speakers. Mango also gives tips on Japanese culture.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Memrise
0 Break Diver Votes
A language-learning website/app that uses repetition and proven memory techniques to help you learn faster. Good for getting started and learning vocabulary. They also offer native speaker videos which are often pretty cool.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Michel Thomas [language]
0 Break Diver Votes
Michel Thomas Japanese is an audio course with a variety of levels to which you can commit. In some ways, it is similar to Pimsleur in that it is all audio. Many language learners like the Michel Thomas approach. Helpful for developing your ear in the language.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Mondly
0 Break Diver Votes
Mondly lets you learn Japanese through matching games and fill in the blank activities. The first few lessons are free.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
NHK News Web Easy
0 Break Diver Votes
You can learn to read Japanese and Japanese culture at the same time! It's a site with news translated real-life stories into simplified Japanese for Japanese youths and non-native Japanese speakers, but it would also be great resource for Japanese learners.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Pimsleur
0 Break Diver Votes
Pimsleur is a good option if you want to listen to complete audio or focus on learning conversational Japanese. You’ll hear a series of phrases that get broken down and repeated to you slowly. You then repeat and participate in conversations. It's perfect for learning on the go, and the app even has a driving mode so you can learn while commuting without looking at the screen. The downsides are that the lessons can feel slow sometimes, and there are no books or grammar.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Project Gutenberg
0 Break Diver Votes
Project Gutenberg is an online library of over 60,000 free electronic books. This link will take you to a list of openly accessible Japanese books.
Category: Other Books & Resources
Skill Levels:
- Advanced
Rocket Languages
0 Break Diver Votes
Rocket Japanese doesn’t follow a "cookie-cutter" approach. It's designed to get you using your new language quickly, correctly, and confidently with audio and written content for all levels.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Rosetta Stone
0 Break Diver Votes
Rosetta Stone is a language-learning website/app that’s widely known and respected, but sometimes criticized because it only teaches you with pictures, when you could more quickly learn by having them just tell you that it's an apple using your native language. It features a TruAccent speech recognition program that helps you work on pronunciation. Keep in mind that the program does require payment.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
Sticky Study
0 Break Diver Votes
Sticky Study is fantastic for learning Japanese vocabulary at any level.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
WaniKani
0 Break Diver Votes
WaniKani uses a slightly rigid learning structure, starting with elementary-level kanji, radicals, and vocabulary. It also supplies entertaining mnemonic devices to help you recall the meanings and readings of kanji. While levels one through three are for free, it’ll cost you $10 a month for access to levels four and higher.
Category: Self-Study
Skill Levels:
- Beginner
Japanese - Resources
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