I like linguistics a lot but don’t know anything at all about Japanese. I want to encourage an interest in languages in a family friend who is 9 years old and expressed interest in learning Japanese.
Are there any good age-appropriate resources for a 9 year old to get started with Japanese?
I wonder if audio-based courses might be better. From what little I know, the writing system of Japanese is fairly complicated and I don’t want it to be discouraging right out of the gate.
Thanks for any help
4 comments
Listening > speaking > reading > writing
A tutor who teaches by playing might also help
I don’t really have a good answer for you but my 8 year-old niece loves this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXhTAEOb1U&t=99s
there are youtube channels that teach Japanese through stories might be a good way to keep a 9 year old entertained just search YouTube they should Pop up.
I agree that it makes sense not to immediately start with reading, but if you do want to introduce it, use the [Hiragana Books](https://jpf.org.au/classroom-resources/hiraganabooks1/) by the Japan Foundation!
They only introduce 1 or 2 characters per book e.g. the first one only has あ and か. All vocabulary can be understood through pictures. I found it perfect for young learners who can’t memorize all characters in a day.