Here is a list of podcasts to help you learn Japanese in no particular order.
Japanese Pod 101
http://www.japanesepod101.com/
This is perhaps the most popular and professionally recorded podcast for learning Japanese. There is free and premium audio and video content which included lesson notes and other learning materials.
Japancast.net http://japancast.net/
Our competitors! A good homegrown podcast done by Paul and Hitomi Griswold. They regularly update their site and have plenty of content for you get your teeth into. Nice format and examples of Japanese from everyday life conversations and anime. Well worth listening to.
Osaka dialect 大阪弁 Japanese lesson in English http://mayumik.seesaa.net/
I enjoy listening to this podcast as I used to live in Osaka and I can get my fix of the Kansai dialect. The format is simple but effective. You can read the entire transcript of the podcast in Japanese with an English translation. A very good learning resource for learning real Japanese in context.
S-J-P Study Japanese Podcast http://sjp.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
From what I’ve heard so far it is hosted by native Japanese with no silly gaijin to mess things up. Minimal English so it’s quite a good immersion into Japanese. Perhaps good for low intermediate and above. Unfortunately they haven’t updated their website recently.
Japanese LingQ http://www.japaneselingq.com/
Podacsts are 100% ( from what I’ve heard so far) Japanese so good for total immersion if you are of an intermediate level. You have to sign up if you want to read the transcripts. It has some “revolutionary learning system” a rather questionable phrase in my humble estimation however it’s worth checking out.
Survival Phrases – Japanese http://survivalphrases.com/japanese/guest.php
Very professional – annoyingly so. It’s so produced and corporate that it sounds like a commercial. Waaay too much English. But maybe good for complete beginners in Japanese.
Nippon Voice Blog http://www.voiceblog.jp/nippon/
Hmm…Super zannen. I opened the page to find some long transcripts about Japanese culture. Great for reading and vocabulary BUT none of the mp3s were working. That’s probably something to do with the fact that the last entry was back in 2006.
If you know of any good podcasts for learning Japanese then feel free to post the urls in the comment section below. I’ll be sure to add it to the list here.
Waka sensei was kind enough to teach me Japanese outside on her sunny flower filled wooden deck. This week we studied the verb “Kariru” which means to borrow. This is a very useful word you can use in everyday conversation. Sorry about the noisy dog in the background.
Today Waka sensei teaches us about the word “あたりまえ”(atarimae) which has a few meanings including, obvious, of course and to take something for granted. This is quite a useful phrase that you will hear in daily conversation to express that a fact or answer to a question is obvious. It can also be used to express the idea of taking things for granted.
Hello again everyone and Learn Japanese Pod is back with a new free Japanese lesson podcast for your entertainment and edification. In this lesson Beb and I discussed the use of the word “寒い/samui or cold.
However, this word can also mean something is unfunny. Why? The idea is, when you hear a joke that is so bad, it sends shivers down your spine, hence “Samui!”. So it’s a great way to tell someone not to give up their day job.
Another word in Japanese that is used to describe something cold is “冷たい/tsumetai. Like Samui, this means cold however it is used to describe objects and liquids. Samui is usually used just to talk about temperature. For example you can say “kyou wa samui” or today it is cold. However you say “kono koucha ga tsumetai” or this tea is cold. Another possible use is “ano hito wa tsumetai” or that person is cold. (Standoffish/distant/unfriendly)
I got together with Beb and studied how to tell someone to cut it out in Japanese. We had a look a standard and kansai dialects and learned a few more useful phrases along the way. Some of these phrases can be a little frank so be careful when using them.
After a long absence Beb is back to teach us how to give an extended self introduction in Japanese. These introductions can be used for introducing yourself to groups of people for example when starting a new job or beginning a Japanese class.
Here is a compilation of all the self introduction lessons and videos we have posted previously. I thought it would be useful to group them together.
Holy energy saving lightbulbs ! It’s lesson #56 with Waka sensei and myself Alex to give you a lesson in saving energy in Japan although it can’t be said it happens much here. Maybe they are as bad as everyone else. But don’t give up friends, the polar bears are counting on us.
We also talked a little about the Japanese homes, double glazing and the death of the Nova Bunny. Quite a mixed bag this week.
