A great way to get started on learning a new language is through simple translations and amusing visual aids. This method is especially useful for children and it can also be good for adults who are looking for a small stepping-stone to increase their vocabulary. Let’s Learn Japanese: Picture Dictionary is a great book to use at home (if you are a parent) or even in a group classroom setting.
Overview
The book is quite simple and was created for children, especially elementary school students. Throughout the book there are over 1,500 words to be learned and plenty of topics covered. Topics relating to school, life at home, restaurants, transportation and other relevant topics are covered throughout this book. The book offers a wide variety of colorful images in each page so learners are visually attracted upon first glance. Each word is accompanied by a picture along with its name in English, Romaji (Japanese written in the Roman alphabet) and Japanese (either Katakana, Hiragana or Kanji). This makes it easy to recognize, read and understand each new word. Although the book is designed for young children, adults can also use the book to drill themselves and learn new Kanji or Hiragana characters. Along with teaching simple words, the book also goes over several adjectives, numbers, verbs and phrases. This book could even be used to teach elementary Japanese students some English!
Let’s Learn Japanese can also be used as supplementary material. Since there aren’t any listening exercises or grammar activities, this book would not be very useful as the main course material in a class. From personal experience, I can also say that elementary school teachers can use this book for guessing games or for Kanji and Hiragana review.
Pros:
· Very colorful design that will capture young learner’s attention.
· Teaches very relevant words that are useful in everyday life.
· Can be used for group and private lessons.
· Can help students of all ages learn common Kanji and Hiragana.
Cons:
· Sometimes the Kanji characters aren’t written out in Hiragana or Katakana.
· The book does not provide any listening or grammar activities.
· Pronunciation and intonation is not focused on.
Recommended For:
· Classrooms of young students who speak English and are learning Japanese (or the other way around).
· Absolute beginner students.
· Students who are looking for an easy way to learn some basic Japanese characters.
· Elementary school teachers.
"Let’s Learn Japanese Picture Dictionary is an excellent resource for everyone. From kids to adults, everyone can benefit from this book!"
Overall, this picture dictionary is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by its childish design which seems like it would only help children. Let’s Learn Japanese Picture Dictionary is an excellent resource for everyone. From kids to adults, everyone can benefit from this book! Adults who have a basic knowledge of the Japanese writing system can use this book along with another course book to increase their knowledge of basic Kanji characters. This book is very versatile and can be used by students of all ages. Let’s Learn Japanese is a fantastic book and offers a different approach to enhancing students’ vocabulary!
