Below are all the books Boomer covered! Here's the link to our second channel if you want to ask him directly: th-cam.com/video/VeIhVwFDees/w-d-xo.html& (Genki 1) amzn.to/3fzSxDL (Minna no Nihongo 1) amzn.to/2xO9byq (Minna no Nihongo wkbk) amzn.to/2AbOmxK (Minna no Nihongo II) amzn.to/2Le7OMC (Kanji Look & Learn) amzn.to/2YQO0Hb (Chuukyuu e Ikou) amzn.to/2LjNidq (Shin Kanzen Master - Kanji) amzn.to/3fzTdJj (Tobira - Main Text) amzn.to/3dzOENw (Tobira - Kanji) amzn.to/2Lk3Baa (Nihongo So Matome - N2) amzn.to/2WjLAPC (Shin Kanzen Master - N2 Reading) amzn.to/2xReEER (Ryugakusei no Tame no Chokai Training) amzn.to/2YNHocJ (TRY! N2) amzn.to/2AkB1U9
KemushiChan ロレッタ hi i wanted to ask what book should I buy or get, because you see I'm not a native English speaker but I do understand a lot and I'm from the Middle East. I also no both hiragana and katakana so where should I go next. I hope u reply thanks。oh I also don't know that many kanji but my plan to learn them was to learn the most used ones is that a good way for learning kanji? If not what do u recommend. ありがとうございます❤️
Wow Boomer has done amazing! I remember watching his first videos when he started Japanese for the first time and he’s already studying N2! すごい！ Keep it up! 👏
@@LSGSWE yeah I'm super jealous! Though he did go to a language school in Japan and was surrounded by the language every day AND has an amazing partner who's practically fluent
I don’t speak Japanese but it’s obvious how much more comfortable Boomer is with speaking the language than he was in previous videos and it seems that he’s put a lot of work into it. It’s actually inspired me to dive back into my target languages! No pain no gain! 😂. Good luck with your N3 results!
Non native English speaker here. I would still recommend Genki to my fellow non native English speakers. The wall of Japanese text that hits you upon opening Minna no Nihongo is way more intimidating than the English in Genki. Also most people who will try to learn Japanese will probably have learned English first and a lot of the learning materials and references out there are in English anyway. When I started learning Japanese I was quickly overwhelmed with and intimidated by Minna no Nihongo - Genki however was really enjoyable to me. Granted, it did feel really slow sometimes, but that doesn't stop you from learning.
- I think it depends on region, but MNN in my region comes in pairs -- the Japanese-only version that you mentioned, plus an "English Translation and Notes" book. Together, they function similarly to Genki. - But I agree, Genki's English organization and explanation is better than MNN's. - However, MNN's audio CDs are better in a sense that they talk in natural speed while Genki seems to slow it down a bit, which sounds unnatural at times.
Here I am, watching Beginner Textbooks video instead of studying for N2 rip And then, a wild N2 book pile appeared halfway through the video lol My little input: I started learning Japanese when I was 17 and we used Genki and I had no trouble following the grammar explanations even though English's not my first language, so don't hesitate to pick it up. Just putting this out there because I found Minna no Nihongo to be slightly on the boring side
Omg I remember watching Boomer's progress videos from the previous years and it warms my heart to see him speaking 😄 It gives me hope that I can continue to improve because I am also studying for n3 right now.
Sometimes, libraries, like one in my area, have online resources (such as Mango) for free with a "library card"/library membership, which may be free do to libraries being tax-payer-funded in certain areas. I'm on my Mango Japanese journey now.
I really feel glad for this kind of content. Being Brazilian we struggle with a lot of channels that instead of trying to guide us through the books options, they try to sell their own courses which is a little bit annoying if you're trying to study Japanese by yourself. Thanks for the effort, and let's give our best!
I’m Japanese and of course I speak Japanese. English is not my first language so I know how hard to learn new language :((( !! But his Japanese is actually pretty good and I’m happy you guys have leaned my language :) 私も英語頑張る！お互いがんばろーっ😊
i'm using genki 1 with workbook, self teaching until i can read my chapter 1 copy of Promised Neverland. That's my goal. After that, the world is OYSTER
I must buy all the things! I've just found your channel, thank you so much for everything you've done! I'd love to visit Japan, but I'm trying to learn at least the basics of the language so I can get around and not be a burden on others first. I really appreciate your channel, and will have to watch more videos when I have the time to.
Omg they use とぶら！that’s so cool! So cool story, two of the writers of とびら, Emori Shoko and Hanai Yoshiro, are ACTUALLY my professors in college! So we use that book once we hit the 300 levels of Japanese! That’s awesome tho to see that people use it! Congratulations Boomer! You and Loretta give this Wisconsin boy some hope!
I like watching Japanese Ammo with Misa on TH-cam. Her videos are really well explained. Lately I've been using the Bunpo app which is really good at just giving you the idea on grammar. I also started wanikani a few days ago because although RTK was great i kind of lost motivation. I have mixed feelings about anki because i used it an hour a day over 4 months for chinese and didn't really get to basic speaking level. It's definitely a supplementary resource not a main one. Nice work on far surpassing my level btw.
Thanks. This is a great resource in and of itself. Knowing which books are more effective for certain groups of people will save a bunch of time, hassle, headache, and money.
I've been losing motivation lately due to too much English vocabulary, but your videos have cheered me up. Since even Japanese people cannot write kanji, they often use dictionaries. I have taught N1 to foreigners, and many of the words in N1 are not often used in everyday conversation, and it often feels like all the choices in the questions are correct.
Thank you!!! I've been having a lot of fun with editing recently hahaha, trying to be a bit more subtle but stylish. 😭❤️It means so much that you liked it!
YES! Thank you both so much for this! 🙌 BOOMER: welcome back! I’m excited to “learn along” with you! Currently I’m about as good at Japanese as you were when you first started school. This really motivates me to focus more on my study!
You guys are awesome. Thank you for being that! Your videos are a useful resource for me in my Japanese culture journey. Best of luck to Boomer! Hope to hear from you guys again soon. Thank you guys so much 🖤
Thank you! This will surely come as a help to japanese studies I'll be doing once my school year starts. I have saved up quite a sum of money and I'm planning to invest in these books :)
9:44 Japanese for tourists. Thanks for this. Planning a trip to Japan ( when?) ; want to learn Japanese, but I have to concentrate on improving my French & Spanish. My library has Pimsleur but Japanese is probably in cassettes (!). After I visit Japan I'll decide whether to learn more of the language.Cheers..
i hear him say 300 for all those books and when i was in college, one of my textbooks would normally cost 50-100 per book....so im thinking, 300 dollars to get you to N2 is negligible!
Omg!!! I watched this two times. i took notes on the second watch.I have used Memrise before and had NO idea these books are on there. OMG OMG Thank you so much for this video!!! Super awesome and SPECIFIC study advice which I appreciate, most people aren't that specific in their videos and it was exactly what I am looking for cuz I have to pull a boomer and test out for Japanese placement in college in less than 18 months (trying to get to N3 level boomer style 😝 , I get to skip 2 semesters in a different foreign language I have no interest in if I pass!. Thank you!!!!
Boomaa-san, omedetou gozaimasu! I'm impressed with how fast you've advanced since you first moved to Japan! I need to get back to studying to take the N2 again, since I failed it several years ago and just haven't gotten back to it yet. Yoosh! Kore kara ganbaru-zo! Thanks for inspiring me. My husband found a Japanese for Tourists class being offered at a nearby high school. I would be thrilled if he took it. He already knows some words from our vacations to Japan. Keep up the good work to both of you! :)
I'm so proud of how far he has come. He must've really dedicated himself to learning Japanese over those past few years. It's good to know the books and their content. When I do buy books at some point at least I know what I'll prefer and what will be better for me.
I‘m 15 years old and at first I wanted to get „Minna no nihongo“ (in German, because I would feel more comfortable with it) but I wasn‘t very good in English at school (I‘m going to school in Luxembourg). So, now I got „Genki“ and I feel that I‘m getting better in English because I study everyday with Genki and I think that I made a good choice :)
I'm Italian and I used Genki 2 and sometimes I read something from the Minna no nihongo , but I have to say that personally Genki is way better than Minna , even because I think that the Minna no nihongo is a little bit outdated and " rusty ". Now for the N3 i'm using Tobira and try N3 which are simply amazing ! :)
Genki really helped me with my reading of Japanese, but it did get repetitive with the constant, "ジョンさんは...メアリーさんは..." as it was explaining things. I'm definitely gonna check out Minna no Nihongo though! Never heard of it before! And plus, you can get super-cheap used copies off of Amazon too! I saw the first MnN book used for like $5-ish when it's around $39 new! It might be a little rough around the edges, but it could save you some serious coin, especially if you're buying multiple books!
@@AndyLifeInVideo people say that it's helpful becouse it's only in japanese but the explanation are not really the best,no cultural note,not really pleasing for the eye. I started studying japanese at 11 I learned all the hiragana the I drop it then at 12 I restarted and learned also katakana,I stared to learn many,many kanji without gramar or vocab and stoped again till 14. This was the time I studied japanese the most BUT I only studied jlpt n5 grammar(not even the official list)and very few vocab now I am 16 and I finally started studying japanese in the correct way I use genki(study the vocab becouse I already know almost all the grammar of the 1 book) study from a awesome site(but it is only in Italian) study I grammar from jlpt (the official list from a jlpt book)and revise my last year note. I am finally seeing the difference and finally really starting to understand some real spoken japanese(I don't use japanese listening materials becouse the are too boring instead I watch a real japanese drama and it is more rewarding when I found out that I know this word or that I know the grammar even if I don't know the words) A good start is the most important thigh exspatialy for n5/n4 becouse after then you start to know witch grammars you have to learn and want to learn and which specify words th want to know Good luck P.s. I still have problem at speaking with native boecue of my lack of vocab and becouse I am shy;you should never be shy and even if it sound bold and a little disrespectful go at to completely stranger that you know for sure that they can speak japanese and ask the simple question(I live in rome where they are many tourist but I still can gather the courage to speak to any of them)
I keep wanting to learn Japanese but never really know where to start. This was useful! I have the 'Japanese from Zero! 1' book but I find all the hiragana/katakana/kanji difficult to wrap my brain around. I'm currently only learning German at B2/C1 level and whenever I try to speak Japanese it comes out with a weird Welsh/English/German accent haha!
Good video! Minna also has other supplementary reading materials that incorporate those grammar points, though I'm not sure if it's dependent on where you live. I'm an American living in Taiwan and there's one publisher for the minna series though there's also another publisher that has their own textbook series that's quite popular in uni's here. They both seem to have all sorts of extra books beyond textbooks and grammar guides. I'm currently going through Tobira (love it!) and there's also a series called Dekiru which is all in Japanese, even the grammar points. If you live in Japan, you can get that series from kinokuniya bookstores (they have them in Taiwan too, but I don't know if they have stores outside of Asia,...there's always buying online), maybe Tsutaya stores also have it. No English whatsoever which is good. That series is split up into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. It seems more partner-work oriented though. Shinkanzen is fantastic as a review material. I'd also recommend the "dictionary of ___japanese grammar" series by japan times. You can buy it bundled through amazon for around 100 usd. Pretty great reference source. I think it's just in english though. Good luck to Boomer for working towards N2!
Thanks to Boomer for the struggle and the share! Here's a link to our second channel for more Japanese: th-cam.com/video/VeIhVwFDees/w-d-xo.html& Here's a link to Jenn (osharegirl)'s video about learning Japanese as an adult, on JET, and more: th-cam.com/video/BH85gdNEJnU/w-d-xo.html
This really helps a lot because I have some if these and have been looking at almost all the other books listed for N3 as well. :) thanks for the info!!!
I got some small Japanese lessons by a native speaker just for my own learning and she let me keep her book “ゼロからスタートにほんご会話” which is all in Japanese (so no need to search for your native language). It’s simple grammar and vocab exercises but it forces you to read and think in Japanese. My teacher did help me a lot but eventually I could do some of the tasks in my own. There’s also a tape and reading practice :) very good book
As someone who has tried self strudy a few times, but now has a tutor (but I am still in the early stages of learning) I think it depends on how you are learning. If you are self studying then Genki is useful. If you are in a class or have a tutor, then (personally) Minna No Nihongo is more useful as it helps to immerse you in the language. Like I said, I am still very early in my study
Thanks for the advice! :3 I went to my local library, but they had zero books on Japanese. It was kinda disheartening, but since you can order books in, that's what I'm going to do. I kinda feel like I'll be using them, but I hope it'll help future Japanese seeking learners as well😊
I love pimsler!!!! I am using along side learning Japanese online. I’m able to say basic things and I felt very accomplished very fast. It was very encouraging.
Thanks for the info on teaching Japanese! I love this video! 2人ともめちゃくちゃ日本語が上手！ Hi! Everyone studying Japanese! 日本語は漢字が難しいけど、努力すれば必ず伸びると思う。 「継続は力なり」 I’ll do my best to study English, so let's do our best together! How to pronounce: Keizoku wa chikara nari Literal translation: Continuance is power Meaning: If you continue doing something, that’ll be your strength. It encourage you not to give up what you’re doing even though you cannot see the light at the moment.
I've found the Japanese from Zero series to be a great place to do just what the book says (I started it based on recommendations after hating Genki, Elementary Japanese, JFBP, and most other beginner textbooks and apps. (Duolingo sucks) and I've found it easy to understand and it does a fantastic job of driving home new grammar and vocab by using them in various practice sections (The reading and translation sections are great to just read over and over) Still, the polyglot focused LingQ is probably better overall, but it's not geared towards 100% beginners, or even upper beginner, so I'll be moving to that after finishing JFZ4 unless JFZ5 magically releases before I finish 4.
I have Japanese as a major in university. Here we use Minna no Nihongo 1+2 in the first 2,5 semester (I think it's also because we get a 50% discount on the books, since my senseis did the translation for the German version), then we switch to Tobira. One thing about Minna no Nihongo. There are actually 3 books. Textbook, Grammar and Kanji. But I agree with you on that minna no nihongo is lacks the explainations. If I hadn't have native teachers I would propably be at a loss sometimes on how to use soe words.
I doubled down on Elementary Japanese from Tuttle Publications. The reason I chose this one over Genki, is because Genki is stupidly expensive in my country (€94 for book 1) and also because Genki is made for classrooms and I'm a self-learner. Therefore there are few exercises and no answers for the exercises so if you don't have someone to check your stuff, it's not recommended
As a Japanese,his accent is actually close to native japanese speakers. If i wasn't born in japan, it would take and cost me a lot of time to be able to speak japanese... but you're almost there. keep it up:)
I'm also at language school in Japan. For the first 8 months my class worked through みんなの日本語 1 and 2. And now we are using 中級へ行こう (I too hate that book), 新完全マスター文法 N3, and also studying N3 kanji. In a few weeks times, my class will be starting 中級から学ぶ日本語 and 漢字マスター N2. The books are included in my school fees, and overall I'm pretty happy with my progress after 10 months.
Genki really helped a lot, the beginning is a bit rusty when i still had to learn the kana but it became much easier as i went. I've never used Minna no Nihongo but considering you guys said it doesn't have cultural notes i think i will stick with Genki. Also having the support of Duolinguo with everyday practise made it so that i could keep up with my Japanese even if i either could'nt have my books Always with me or just didn't feel like studying. One more book i use is Learning the Kanji for the main primitives and a few more, i should pick it back up but i'm a lazy student.
P.S. i'm not a native english speaker nor do i live in a english speaking country (Italy) but i'm comfortable enough with my english to use the Genki with ease. I think they made it seem like you need super good english for Genki but you really just need to be ok.
I have Minna no Nihongo and Genki I, the first one I bought for my course and the second one I bought for myself, and I have to say that Genki is the BEST, I just love it
My Japanese class in Mexico required Monna no Nihongo, it's quite popular here. Then, in Kyoto, I started with Genki and was way easier and more understandable than Minna, I think Minna series were overwhelming for me. The next semester, among some other books, we were given 中級へ行こう, I don't know whether the book is good or not, but our teacher was excellent and I think I've learned more from him than any other teacher, he made grammar very easy to understand.
Hi guys! I have some advice on getting those books as well. Even if your local library does not have the books be sure to ask them about inter library loans! I got Genki 1 and Genki 2 from a library almost 100 miles away and was able to keep them for almost 6 months. I highly recommend this with any library if you don't care about owning the books.
Greeting from Los Angeles California :) Omg! First of all. - I am so impressed with Boomers Japanese level. Amazing how much he has learned in such a short time and i guess that has to do with the fact that you guys live and breathe japanese all day!. So jealous!!!. I have been studying on and off for 5 years (@ The Japan Foundation Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Lingual School) and I’m still a beginner :(. Thanks for sharing your experience and explaining the books. I have a few different books from school and others i just ordered from amazon. I wish i could be in class everyday but i have to work and my class is only once a week. I try to watch/listen to as many Japanese TV shows and Series on Amazon Prime and NHK. Work in progress! And I’m just doing it for fun. Anyways - Good luck with N2 exam!!! Seems like you are heading in the right direction and doing very well in Japan. All the best!
I got so mad at myself recently. Ive spent so much money on materials and I recently checked my library’s online resources to find the full Pimsleur series and grammar books just _available_
There is so many books and new learners get confused after watching so many videos. Personally I believe that reading single book many times give more clearity. Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing 🤗👍👍👍
Below are all the books Boomer covered!
Here's the link to our second channel if you want to ask him directly: th-cam.com/video/VeIhVwFDees/w-d-xo.html&
(Genki 1) amzn.to/3fzSxDL
(Minna no Nihongo 1) amzn.to/2xO9byq
(Minna no Nihongo wkbk) amzn.to/2AbOmxK
(Minna no Nihongo II) amzn.to/2Le7OMC
(Kanji Look & Learn) amzn.to/2YQO0Hb
(Chuukyuu e Ikou) amzn.to/2LjNidq
(Shin Kanzen Master - Kanji) amzn.to/3fzTdJj
(Tobira - Main Text) amzn.to/3dzOENw
(Tobira - Kanji) amzn.to/2Lk3Baa
(Nihongo So Matome - N2) amzn.to/2WjLAPC
(Shin Kanzen Master - N2 Reading) amzn.to/2xReEER
(Ryugakusei no Tame no Chokai Training) amzn.to/2YNHocJ
(TRY! N2) amzn.to/2AkB1U9
KemushiChan ロレッタ hi i wanted to ask what book should I buy or get, because you see I'm not a native English speaker but I do understand a lot and I'm from the Middle East. I also no both hiragana and katakana so where should I go next. I hope u reply thanks。oh I also don't know that many kanji but my plan to learn them was to learn the most used ones is that a good way for learning kanji? If not what do u recommend. ありがとうございます❤️
@@popcorn101cheese5 Probably Minna no Nihongo + Kanji look and Learn is a good start!
You guys talk about the N3 series before the N2 books, but we should study the N2 and then the N3 series, right?
@@sofiarosado1225 From low to high = N5 -> N1
Hi, are you a half?))
i know there are pdfs but i find physical books more inspiring and convenient
Im cringing at their physical price-- but I also prefer physical for the same reasons! :(
You guys realize there are online services that you can send PDFS to and they will print them to books. Just putting it out there 😜
@@masterasia4175 calling fbi
@@Ethecks *flees into the shadows*
It's hard to read from screen... My eyes hurts...but I am broke
the year is 2020 and I have forgot that Boomer is an actual name
What an underrated comment
Seriously I feel the same.
Same
I have never heard that name before in my life... I thought he was joking...
@@MrQwerty2524 Wait! That's an actual name??
It's so heartwarming seeing Boomer speak Japanese since I remember the first Japanese video made with him 😂
Timestamps
1:34 Genki 1 around 3000Y 3/4
2:48 Minna No Nihongo 1 2500Y& 2000Y 3/4
4:14 Minna No Nihongo 2 2500Y& 2000Y 3/4
5:28 Kanji look and learn 1800Y
N3 Materials
6:25 Chukyuu e ikou
7:04 Shin Kanzen Master series
7:50 とびら
N2
8:13 Nihongo sou matome vocab 1200Y
8:18 Shin Kanzen Master listening 1600Y
8:26 Nihongo no Bojinsha reading 1800Y
8:31 Try!N2 grammar 1800Y
9:08 Genki vs Minna no Nihongo
Thank youuu
I'm trying to understand this video without subtitles >~
Good luck, my dude!
ガンバッテ!!
i always find easier to understand non native speaking japanese
Yeah, me too ^^
@@kemushichan it's not impossible but you speak really fast.
Wow Boomer has done amazing! I remember watching his first videos when he started Japanese for the first time and he’s already studying N2! すごい！ Keep it up! 👏
How long ago was that?
@@cabaniukm5949 2 or 3 years ago
@@LannasMissingLink woah that's not a long time. He seems to be able to hold a conversation already :0
@@LSGSWE yeah I'm super jealous! Though he did go to a language school in Japan and was surrounded by the language every day AND has an amazing partner who's practically fluent
Lanna's Missing Link that’s basically what you need
I don’t speak Japanese but it’s obvious how much more comfortable Boomer is with speaking the language than he was in previous videos and it seems that he’s put a lot of work into it. It’s actually inspired me to dive back into my target languages! No pain no gain! 😂. Good luck with your N3 results!
Non native English speaker here. I would still recommend Genki to my fellow non native English speakers. The wall of Japanese text that hits you upon opening Minna no Nihongo is way more intimidating than the English in Genki. Also most people who will try to learn Japanese will probably have learned English first and a lot of the learning materials and references out there are in English anyway. When I started learning Japanese I was quickly overwhelmed with and intimidated by Minna no Nihongo - Genki however was really enjoyable to me. Granted, it did feel really slow sometimes, but that doesn't stop you from learning.
- I think it depends on region, but MNN in my region comes in pairs -- the Japanese-only version that you mentioned, plus an "English Translation and Notes" book. Together, they function similarly to Genki.
- But I agree, Genki's English organization and explanation is better than MNN's.
- However, MNN's audio CDs are better in a sense that they talk in natural speed while Genki seems to slow it down a bit, which sounds unnatural at times.
Here I am, watching Beginner Textbooks video instead of studying for N2 rip
And then, a wild N2 book pile appeared halfway through the video lol
My little input: I started learning Japanese when I was 17 and we used Genki and I had no trouble following the grammar explanations even though English's not my first language, so don't hesitate to pick it up. Just putting this out there because I found Minna no Nihongo to be slightly on the boring side
Im the same lol
I love this feedback! Thank you so much and GOOD LUCK ON N2 !!!
@@nekoshaoran good luck on the exam !
@@kemushichan Thank you ☺️
I mean would みんなの日本語 teach you useful things like tonkatsu isn't fish? Or to not confuse McDonalds and Mos Burger?
Omg I remember watching Boomer's progress videos from the previous years and it warms my heart to see him speaking 😄 It gives me hope that I can continue to improve because I am also studying for n3 right now.
Wutevaperson He has an amazing woman who had mastered the language so it is like you having your private tutor living with 😂
As a librarian I really appreciate that you recommended going to the library 😂
As a mom of two,who's self teaching,yes !! Going to the library is very important,for privacy and to really get into it
Sometimes, libraries, like one in my area, have online resources (such as Mango) for free with a "library card"/library membership, which may be free do to libraries being tax-payer-funded in certain areas. I'm on my Mango Japanese journey now.
Libraries rule-especially the well designed ones with great architecture :)
I really feel glad for this kind of content. Being Brazilian we struggle with a lot of channels that instead of trying to guide us through the books options, they try to sell their own courses which is a little bit annoying if you're trying to study Japanese by yourself. Thanks for the effort, and let's give our best!
My issues with some of these books are the accompanying CDs, I haven’t had a CD on my laptop since before 2011.
Yes, why is there no download link!
The audio files are usually available on the publisher’s website.
Genki is free online and all audio files are free available on reddit
@@rattlehead001 uP
You must have Apple garbage.
Go go go Boomer! 💪💪💪
This dude literally makes me smile each time he appears he seems so genuinely kind ?!
You’re going to nail that JLPT 😎
"I spent 14,580....." thought he was going to say dollars and nearly had a heart attack
Glad the algorithm led me to y’all after several months of plateauing at n5 level
I’m Japanese and of course I speak Japanese. English is not my first language so I know how hard to learn new language :((( !! But his Japanese is actually pretty good and I’m happy you guys have leaned my language :) 私も英語頑張る！お互いがんばろーっ😊
Your English is actually really good!
You're really good
I hope you continue learning English!
i'm using genki 1 with workbook, self teaching until i can read my chapter 1 copy of Promised Neverland. That's my goal. After that, the world is OYSTER
Good luck!!
I must buy all the things! I've just found your channel, thank you so much for everything you've done! I'd love to visit Japan, but I'm trying to learn at least the basics of the language so I can get around and not be a burden on others first. I really appreciate your channel, and will have to watch more videos when I have the time to.
I never realized how quick and fluid your Japanese is since I usually use subtitles. I followed most of the Japanese without them though.
Omg they use とぶら！that’s so cool! So cool story, two of the writers of とびら, Emori Shoko and Hanai Yoshiro, are ACTUALLY my professors in college! So we use that book once we hit the 300 levels of Japanese! That’s awesome tho to see that people use it! Congratulations Boomer! You and Loretta give this Wisconsin boy some hope!
I like watching Japanese Ammo with Misa on TH-cam. Her videos are really well explained. Lately I've been using the Bunpo app which is really good at just giving you the idea on grammar. I also started wanikani a few days ago because although RTK was great i kind of lost motivation. I have mixed feelings about anki because i used it an hour a day over 4 months for chinese and didn't really get to basic speaking level. It's definitely a supplementary resource not a main one. Nice work on far surpassing my level btw.
Thanks. This is a great resource in and of itself. Knowing which books are more effective for certain groups of people will save a bunch of time, hassle, headache, and money.
You two are my inspiration in life. I aspire to be this put together and accomplished. Love ya'll
Seconded
I've been losing motivation lately due to too much English vocabulary, but your videos have cheered me up.
Since even Japanese people cannot write kanji, they often use dictionaries.
I have taught N1 to foreigners, and many of the words in N1 are not often used in everyday conversation, and it often feels like all the choices in the questions are correct.
I'm taking the first JLPT this year on december, you guys were my inspiration, greetings from Ecuador!! 💖💖
I hope it goes well!
Oooo good luck!!!
@@ifesjournalthank you so much!!
@@kemushichan thank youuu!! Ily!!
Did you pass?
bit unrelated, but i really enjoyed the editing in this! it's so smooth and still fun
Thank you!!! I've been having a lot of fun with editing recently hahaha, trying to be a bit more subtle but stylish. 😭❤️It means so much that you liked it!
I really enjoyed Tobira as a textbook. I feel like I learned more from it than I did from other textbooks that I had used before.
YES! Thank you both so much for this! 🙌
BOOMER: welcome back! I’m excited to “learn along” with you! Currently I’m about as good at Japanese as you were when you first started school. This really motivates me to focus more on my study!
I'm using Try! N5 rn and I really like it!!! Also just bought Heisig's kanji book which I've heard very good things about
Boomer’s arms though 😩
He’s freaking HOT!
@Chika so?
@@user-gs9cr9jl7d gae
@Chika so?
@Chika 😂 You guys are still confused by men admiring men? That’s so 90s. Please move on.
You guys are awesome. Thank you for being that! Your videos are a useful resource for me in my Japanese culture journey. Best of luck to Boomer! Hope to hear from you guys again soon. Thank you guys so much 🖤
Thank you! This will surely come as a help to japanese studies I'll be doing once my school year starts. I have saved up quite a sum of money and I'm planning to invest in these books :)
9:44 Japanese for tourists.
Thanks for this. Planning a trip to Japan ( when?) ; want to learn Japanese, but I have to concentrate on improving my French & Spanish. My library has Pimsleur but Japanese is probably in cassettes (!).
After I visit Japan I'll decide whether to learn more of the language.Cheers..
i hear him say 300 for all those books and when i was in college, one of my textbooks would normally cost 50-100 per book....so im thinking, 300 dollars to get you to N2 is negligible!
Right?! To me Im like... 20 bucks each is more like a novel than a textbook.... AND im grateful!
久しぶりです！！！！！ and wish his luck as one of students learning how to teach Japanese to foreigners!
Omg!!! I watched this two times. i took notes on the second watch.I have used Memrise before and had NO idea these books are on there. OMG OMG Thank you so much for this video!!! Super awesome and SPECIFIC study advice which I appreciate, most people aren't that specific in their videos and it was exactly what I am looking for cuz I have to pull a boomer and test out for Japanese placement in college in less than 18 months (trying to get to N3 level boomer style 😝 , I get to skip 2 semesters in a different foreign language I have no interest in if I pass!. Thank you!!!!
11:10 - this is what I did. Just went online and practiced writing hiragana and katakana repeatedly. That pretty much did it for me.
Boomaa-san, omedetou gozaimasu! I'm impressed with how fast you've advanced since you first moved to Japan! I need to get back to studying to take the N2 again, since I failed it several years ago and just haven't gotten back to it yet. Yoosh! Kore kara ganbaru-zo! Thanks for inspiring me. My husband found a Japanese for Tourists class being offered at a nearby high school. I would be thrilled if he took it. He already knows some words from our vacations to Japan. Keep up the good work to both of you! :)
Im on book 2 on the Japanese From Zero books. I highly recommend it
THANKS! 😍
This video has inspired me so much, I'm learning by myself after this I would definitely check the Minna no Nihongo books!
I'm so proud of how far he has come. He must've really dedicated himself to learning Japanese over those past few years. It's good to know the books and their content. When I do buy books at some point at least I know what I'll prefer and what will be better for me.
I‘m 15 years old and at first I wanted to get „Minna no nihongo“ (in German, because I would feel more comfortable with it) but I wasn‘t very good in English at school (I‘m going to school in Luxembourg). So, now I got „Genki“ and I feel that I‘m getting better in English because I study everyday with Genki and I think that I made a good choice :)
You do you. All of this is IMO, so thanks for sharing your experience with Genki as a non-native English speaker.
I just moved cross country and haven’t properly studies my second language in over a month. Thank you for inspiring me to get back into it 👏💕
1st :), Little Brother Wins! Pimsleur for me :), Tokyo 2020 Olympics!
Hahah I love you!!!
Great and useful video. Thanks! Boomer has improved a lot on his Japanese 😱😱😱 and he looks more confident too.
I´m studing Japanese for myself, like English, so these tips are very usefull. Thanks
I'm Italian and I used Genki 2 and sometimes I read something from the Minna no nihongo , but I have to say that personally Genki is way better than Minna , even because I think that the Minna no nihongo is a little bit outdated and " rusty ".
Now for the N3 i'm using Tobira and try N3 which are simply amazing ! :)
Congrats to Boomer on passing his N3! Will he be doing a review of his language school whenever he finishes?
Genki really helped me with my reading of Japanese, but it did get repetitive with the constant, "ジョンさんは...メアリーさんは..." as it was explaining things.
I'm definitely gonna check out Minna no Nihongo though! Never heard of it before! And plus, you can get super-cheap used copies off of Amazon too! I saw the first MnN book used for like $5-ish when it's around $39 new! It might be a little rough around the edges, but it could save you some serious coin, especially if you're buying multiple books!
I don't really recommend minna no nihongo
@@S_T_fania - Why's that?
@@AndyLifeInVideo people say that it's helpful becouse it's only in japanese but the explanation are not really the best,no cultural note,not really pleasing for the eye.
I started studying japanese at 11 I learned all the hiragana the I drop it then at 12 I restarted and learned also katakana,I stared to learn many,many kanji without gramar or vocab and stoped again till 14.
This was the time I studied japanese the most BUT I only studied jlpt n5 grammar(not even the official list)and very few vocab now I am 16 and I finally started studying japanese in the correct way
I use genki(study the vocab becouse I already know almost all the grammar of the 1 book) study from a awesome site(but it is only in Italian) study I grammar from jlpt (the official list from a jlpt book)and revise my last year note.
I am finally seeing the difference and finally really starting to understand some real spoken japanese(I don't use japanese listening materials becouse the are too boring instead I watch a real japanese drama and it is more rewarding when I found out that I know this word or that I know the grammar even if I don't know the words)
A good start is the most important thigh exspatialy for n5/n4 becouse after then you start to know witch grammars you have to learn and want to learn and which specify words th want to know
Good luck
P.s. I still have problem at speaking with native boecue of my lack of vocab and becouse I am shy;you should never be shy and even if it sound bold and a little disrespectful go at to completely stranger that you know for sure that they can speak japanese and ask the simple question(I live in rome where they are many tourist but I still can gather the courage to speak to any of them)
Remember Genki is for beginners so if you get through both, then I would move into “The intermediate approach to Japanese”
I don’t recommend it either, it’s kinda tedious, it’s hard to explain, someone here said visually unpleasant, i think that is what im trying to say
I keep wanting to learn Japanese but never really know where to start. This was useful! I have the 'Japanese from Zero! 1' book but I find all the hiragana/katakana/kanji difficult to wrap my brain around. I'm currently only learning German at B2/C1 level and whenever I try to speak Japanese it comes out with a weird Welsh/English/German accent haha!
These are great resources! Will be sharing the video with my friends who are studying/have studied Japanese. Thanks!
Good video!
Minna also has other supplementary reading materials that incorporate those grammar points, though I'm not sure if it's dependent on where you live. I'm an American living in Taiwan and there's one publisher for the minna series though there's also another publisher that has their own textbook series that's quite popular in uni's here. They both seem to have all sorts of extra books beyond textbooks and grammar guides.
I'm currently going through Tobira (love it!) and there's also a series called Dekiru which is all in Japanese, even the grammar points. If you live in Japan, you can get that series from kinokuniya bookstores (they have them in Taiwan too, but I don't know if they have stores outside of Asia,...there's always buying online), maybe Tsutaya stores also have it. No English whatsoever which is good. That series is split up into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. It seems more partner-work oriented though.
Shinkanzen is fantastic as a review material.
I'd also recommend the "dictionary of ___japanese grammar" series by japan times. You can buy it bundled through amazon for around 100 usd. Pretty great reference source. I think it's just in english though.
Good luck to Boomer for working towards N2!
WOW, great video. Thanks for all the info and reviews, it really helped!!!
Thank you for making this. Been wanting to learn Japanese forever and did not know where to start.
Thanks to Boomer for the struggle and the share!
Here's a link to our second channel for more Japanese: th-cam.com/video/VeIhVwFDees/w-d-xo.html&
Here's a link to Jenn (osharegirl)'s video about learning Japanese as an adult, on JET, and more: th-cam.com/video/BH85gdNEJnU/w-d-xo.html
Hello Loretta, what do you use for editing your videos?
This really helps a lot because I have some if these and have been looking at almost all the other books listed for N3 as well. :) thanks for the info!!!
I have the Genki textbook and workbook, do you recommend getting Minna no Nihongo as well?
my parents recently got Genki 1 and the workbook and I love it
Two beautiful people, excellent video.
You and Boomer are awesome! :) thanks for another helpful video!
I got some small Japanese lessons by a native speaker just for my own learning and she let me keep her book “ゼロからスタートにほんご会話” which is all in Japanese (so no need to search for your native language). It’s simple grammar and vocab exercises but it forces you to read and think in Japanese. My teacher did help me a lot but eventually I could do some of the tasks in my own. There’s also a tape and reading practice :) very good book
やばい、みんなの日本語めっちゃ懐かしい❗️
It's やばい、yes
Thanks for the video guys! It was super helpful! It's so confusing know what books to choose when so many are recommended.
ok Boomer. thank you for the review this helped me choose what i wanted to get
As someone who has tried self strudy a few times, but now has a tutor (but I am still in the early stages of learning) I think it depends on how you are learning. If you are self studying then Genki is useful. If you are in a class or have a tutor, then (personally) Minna No Nihongo is more useful as it helps to immerse you in the language. Like I said, I am still very early in my study
Thanks for the advice! :3 I went to my local library, but they had zero books on Japanese. It was kinda disheartening, but since you can order books in, that's what I'm going to do. I kinda feel like I'll be using them, but I hope it'll help future Japanese seeking learners as well😊
Rip wallet 😢
Currently going through Genki 1&2. I agree with boomer, it should use less romanji and more kanji
im so happy to find this channel
I am glad Pimsleur was mentioned. I was able to travel around in Japan fine with what I'd learned from Pimsleur.
Japanese from Zero is the language book learning hero!!!
I love pimsler!!!! I am using along side learning Japanese online. I’m able to say basic things and I felt very accomplished very fast. It was very encouraging.
I'm excited my Japanese from zero book is on the way!
エレベーター !!! I kept on reading it as “Elephant” XD My Sensei drew little elephants next to it when I got it wrong cuz he thought it was funny lol
Alao japanese from zero is great! You can get their books digital for around $10 each and they have an online course as well as a youtube video series
Thanks for the info on teaching Japanese!
I love this video!
2人ともめちゃくちゃ日本語が上手！
Hi! Everyone studying Japanese!
日本語は漢字が難しいけど、努力すれば必ず伸びると思う。
「継続は力なり」
I’ll do my best to study English, so let's do our best together!
How to pronounce: Keizoku wa chikara nari
Literal translation: Continuance is power
Meaning: If you continue doing something, that’ll be your strength. It encourage you not to give up what you’re doing even though you cannot see the light at the moment.
Thank you for this book i need this for studying japanese thank you!!
Wow, congrats on your amazing progress Boomer!
I've found the Japanese from Zero series to be a great place to do just what the book says (I started it based on recommendations after hating Genki, Elementary Japanese, JFBP, and most other beginner textbooks and apps. (Duolingo sucks) and I've found it easy to understand and it does a fantastic job of driving home new grammar and vocab by using them in various practice sections (The reading and translation sections are great to just read over and over) Still, the polyglot focused LingQ is probably better overall, but it's not geared towards 100% beginners, or even upper beginner, so I'll be moving to that after finishing JFZ4 unless JFZ5 magically releases before I finish 4.
I have Japanese as a major in university. Here we use Minna no Nihongo 1+2 in the first 2,5 semester (I think it's also because we get a 50% discount on the books, since my senseis did the translation for the German version), then we switch to Tobira.
One thing about Minna no Nihongo. There are actually 3 books. Textbook, Grammar and Kanji. But I agree with you on that minna no nihongo is lacks the explainations. If I hadn't have native teachers I would propably be at a loss sometimes on how to use soe words.
It took me a bit before I realized I didn't understand anything and needed the CC xD Your videos are so enjoyable!
I doubled down on Elementary Japanese from Tuttle Publications. The reason I chose this one over Genki, is because Genki is stupidly expensive in my country (€94 for book 1) and also because Genki is made for classrooms and I'm a self-learner. Therefore there are few exercises and no answers for the exercises so if you don't have someone to check your stuff, it's not recommended
As a Japanese,his accent is actually close to native japanese speakers. If i wasn't born in japan, it would take and cost me a lot of time to be able to speak japanese... but you're almost there. keep it up:)
OH thank you so much for this video cause i want to learn japanese but I didnt know which textbook is good. I loved the video!!!!!
When I attended Kanda Gaigo in Makuhari we used Genki as well. Great series. Thanks for the video.
I'm also at language school in Japan. For the first 8 months my class worked through みんなの日本語 1 and 2. And now we are using 中級へ行こう (I too hate that book), 新完全マスター文法 N3, and also studying N3 kanji. In a few weeks times, my class will be starting 中級から学ぶ日本語 and 漢字マスター N2. The books are included in my school fees, and overall I'm pretty happy with my progress after 10 months.
Genki really helped a lot, the beginning is a bit rusty when i still had to learn the kana but it became much easier as i went. I've never used Minna no Nihongo but considering you guys said it doesn't have cultural notes i think i will stick with Genki. Also having the support of Duolinguo with everyday practise made it so that i could keep up with my Japanese even if i either could'nt have my books Always with me or just didn't feel like studying. One more book i use is Learning the Kanji for the main primitives and a few more, i should pick it back up but i'm a lazy student.
P.S. i'm not a native english speaker nor do i live in a english speaking country (Italy) but i'm comfortable enough with my english to use the Genki with ease. I think they made it seem like you need super good english for Genki but you really just need to be ok.
I have Minna no Nihongo and Genki I, the first one I bought for my course and the second one I bought for myself, and I have to say that Genki is the BEST, I just love it
Love that you have the Lord of the Rings extended edition dvd's on your shelves.
I know what it is you saw.... For it is also in MY mind....
My Japanese class in Mexico required Monna no Nihongo, it's quite popular here. Then, in Kyoto, I started with Genki and was way easier and more understandable than Minna, I think Minna series were overwhelming for me. The next semester, among some other books, we were given 中級へ行こう, I don't know whether the book is good or not, but our teacher was excellent and I think I've learned more from him than any other teacher, he made grammar very easy to understand.
今年JLPT N3試験受けるつもりです。みんなの日本語の本IIを使えます
very useful! thank you so much for this video:)
Hi guys! I have some advice on getting those books as well. Even if your local library does not have the books be sure to ask them about inter library loans! I got Genki 1 and Genki 2 from a library almost 100 miles away and was able to keep them for almost 6 months. I highly recommend this with any library if you don't care about owning the books.
Amazing video..
Thank you guys!
Greeting from Los Angeles California :)
Omg! First of all. - I am so impressed with Boomers Japanese level. Amazing how much he has learned in such a short time and i guess that has to do with the fact that you guys live and breathe japanese all day!. So jealous!!!.
I have been studying on and off for 5 years (@ The Japan Foundation Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Lingual School) and I’m still a beginner :(.
Thanks for sharing your experience and explaining the books. I have a few different books from school and others i just ordered from amazon. I wish i could be in class everyday but i have to work and my class is only once a week. I try to watch/listen to as many Japanese TV shows and Series on Amazon Prime and NHK. Work in progress! And I’m just doing it for fun.
Anyways - Good luck with N2 exam!!! Seems like you are heading in the right direction and doing very well in Japan. All the best!
I know this is random, but Kemushi looks sooo great in this shade of green.
I got so mad at myself recently. Ive spent so much money on materials and I recently checked my library’s online resources to find the full Pimsleur series and grammar books just _available_
Rip
Girl your Japanese is amazing and smooth
Oh my gosh! I’m Japanese and I can understand everything what u guys said!!
There is so many books and new learners get confused after watching so many videos. Personally I believe that reading single book many times give more clearity. Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing 🤗👍👍👍
日本語勉強してる外国人って本当に上手いと思います。皆さん、これからも頑張って下さいね