I just started using Rosetta Stone to supplement my self directed Japanese language study. Today I completed Lesson 1 of unit 1 from the course Japanese 1.
Rosetta Stone was much more than I expected. It creates a good balance between each of the necessary language skills: speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, grammar.
My personal favorite sections are speaking. Rosetta Stone utilizes the built in microphone in my macbook and uses voice detection and audio analysis to gauge the correctness of your pronunciation. The feature is spot on and it really helps because spoken Japanese is my weakest language area.
The vocabulary was a good selection of basic words and phrases. Hello (こんにちは), goodbye (さようなら), girl(女の子), boy(男の子), man(男の人), woman(女の人). Also with phrases like “the boys are reading books” (男の子たちは本を読んでいます).
There were two instances where I continually had difficulties pronouncing words. the “hito” in “otokonohito” (おとこのひと – man) and the word “ryouri” (りょうり – to cook) used to trip me up quite a bit. Through pronunciation practice I have a much better handle.
It is also worth mentioning the ability to learn characters in kanji with furigana (kanji with small hiragana above to show pronunciation). It surprises me but I am starting to understand pairings of kana as words in themselves rather than translating them into romaji in my mind. Eventually I will see the kana for 男の子 and know that it means boy.
On to lesson two!
Logging you in...
terae7 · 816 weeks ago
PD. I comment you the following not to make you mad, or to correct you meanly. I tell you the following for you to learn a little bit.
こんにちは, doesn't just mean; "Hello", it is actually only used in the afternoon (for example in spanish we say; "Buenas tardes" instead), you can search for the greetings phrases in japanese, because there are some, that can be useful for you to learn.
For example; おひお ごさいます、 こにちは、こんばんは .
I hope my comment was useful, and please if you have any doubt, please mail me.
terae7@gmail.com
ryanthewired 43p · 816 weeks ago
Mystic · 803 weeks ago
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
terae7 · 803 weeks ago
It would be like:
"otokonoheeto"
Also pronounce the vowel "o" not as "ow" but as in the word "comb".
Practice more and more with the Rosetta's Listening, is really good.
Thank you for asking me for help and please do it again when you need to.
You should someday try Spanish
Bye take care.
ryanthewired 43p · 803 weeks ago
It seems to me like ひ (hi) syllable is just barley pronounced. Making it a really short sound, almost whispered.
Keep practicing.