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by AutoModerator
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Hello everyone, I would like to hear your opinion on the beginner levels of the Minna no Nihongo (MNN) textbooks, especially the grammar books if you have used them.
When I was learning Japanese at a language school, they decided to use these books instead of Genki for the beginner level because most of the students were not at school; Genki is more for school students and MNN fits university and adult learners better (so I am told).
While it seemed to cover everything a beginner would need to learn Japanese, I was very glad to have teachers as certain things were ambiguous or poorly explained. Did everyone else have this feeling?
The purpose of this post is to get a feel as to whether a supplemental guide to the grammar book based on what I learnt at the language school would also interest be of any interest.
Any and all feedback is welcome!
Here to recommend the book *The Japanese Written Word*.
It features eight sections, each focusing on an aspect of Japanese life or writing genres/styles. Some selected sections: Family Matters then and Now, Conversations, Ecology and Nature, Light Literature, and Poetry.
Each story or essay is in a left-right layout, with vocab words on the left for the page on the right. It also has a unique format where the right-hand side pages alternate between original text, romaji pronunciation, then translation. On the romaji and translated pages, the left-hand page features small excerpts related to the reading such as author background or culture notes.
The first section at least was really well selected for early-intermediate learners, and it felt really great to be reading actual Japanese literature. The first essay in Conversations was fairly difficult (for me). It was an excerpt of Honda Soichiro’s “Do What You’re Good At”, talking about the success of the Honda motor company.
Anyways I highly, highly recommend this reader for anyone that wants some support going into “real” Japanese essays and literature.