Portal:Japanese



Welcome to the Japanese Language Department. This page is mainly for the coordination of course development. If you're looking for actual courses, go to the Japanese stream page.

To do list

 * Complete requests
 * Go through Category:Japanese and see what material should be transwikied to Wikibooks.
 * Create a course maps for learning projects.
 * Restructure existing content.
 * Attract students

Useful materials

 * Japanese Wikibook
 * Japanese Index on English Wiktionary.
 * Commons:Stroke Order Project
 * Everyday Japanese phrases
 * Japanese pronouns
 * Portal:Japanese/Materials
 * Items found at Wiktionary
 * Items found at Wikipedia

Participants wanting to learn Japanese

 * 1) --Kaegwyn 2 August 2007 I know some Hirigana, some Katakans and several kanji. I am familiar with basica grammer, but I find it dificult to speak Japanese.
 * 2) --Balloonguy 20:14, 22 August 2006 (UTC) Know kana and some kanji. I also know very basic grammer.
 * 3) --Halyks 19:10, 6 September 2006 (UTC) Can count up to 10 and say "yes" in japanese, Native French with near-perfectly english. Willing to learn and *try* to help.
 * 4) --Theone06 04:13, 7 September 2006 (UTC)Did one semester of Japanese like to learn more.
 * 5) --Ce garcon 11:26, 18 September 2006 (UTC) Got a handle on kanji and kana, but need a broader vocab.
 * 6) --Axis_Mundi 04:40, 27 September 2006 (ECT) I have been studying Japanese at the college level for going on 3 years now. I have a basic grasp of grammar, limited vocabulary, and about 100 kanji under my belt on a good day.  My professor is a native speaker, which makes a huge difference, as well as 3 foreign exchange students which I meet with 3 times a week for class.  I have an entire bookshelf of Japanese language books in my house and could probably begin translating, provided I could use the books.  I am very iterested in helping to get the Japanese language portion of wikiversity off the ground.  Let me know if I can help.
 * 7) --Red-Potion 17:13, 20 October 2006 (UTC) I have little to no experiance with the language, but no shortage of want to learn it. Willing to contact more experianced people to point me in the direction of beginner guides to start me out.
 * 8) --Gabbie-chan 8:31 PM, 23 October 2006 (UTC) I know a little off of Anime including how to say Thank you, Your welcome, yes, Have a Safe trip, and a few songs ^_^
 * 9) --Gross 06:16, 25 October 2006 (UTC) I know Hiragana very well but poor in Katakana and only know some level 4 Kanji. Did took JLPT level 4 and passed. I know some basic grammar and some vocabulary and I would like to improve on both of them in verbal and written.
 * 10) --Absynthe 06:20, 26 October 2006 (UTC) Got Hiragana, most of Katakana, some Kanji. Six years studying the culture, now trying to get the language applied. Verbal is biggest weakness.
 * 11) --JoNNY 18:59, 26 October 2006 (UTC) I've known hiragana/katakana since I was in elementary school, I once knew plenty of kanji, but I haven't studied for a while and I've forgotten a lot.
 * 12) --Mitch 16:32, 29 October 2006 (MST) (UTC) I know the majority of the katakana, and I have a few hiragana down, but that's about it. I also know some very basic phrases such as "How are you/How do you do?", "Hello", "Good bye", "My name is (blank)", and "Do you speak English/Japanese?"
 * 13) NewBeginning 06:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC) I don't know the language at all, but I am interested in learning it. I know nothing of Katagana or Hiragana, and am pretty much a complete beginner when it comes to Asian languages. (I speak English with a little French, which I am in my second year of at my high school.)
 * 14) Electroswoosh 15:45, 1 November 2006 (UTC) I'm a Japanese major at UMass Amherst, currently in Intensive Intermediate 1. I know hiragana and katakana, some kanji, and enough grammar to make it through a conversation. However, since I'm currently studying Japanese rigorously, my skill level increases daily.
 * 15) kinain -- complete beginner, but would love to learn japanese 15, January, 2006
 * 16) arcticfox Know very little numbers and grammar, and some random vocab. 18 January, 2006
 * 17) GiroMech -- I am also pretty much an entire beginner. I'm familiar with a few hiragana, but that's about it.
 * 18) Acunvpurple -- I don't know a whole lot of Japanese, but I would love to learn.
 * 19) astaire510 -- Trying to learn Japanese on my own, but I'm sure it would go much smoother with some help.
 * 20) amthomas -- Learning Japanese slowly but surely. Took 2 intro courses at Uni, am now living in rural Japan teaching English & studying Japanese in my spare time. Have loads of resources/textbooks, and can help point people in the right direction on self-teaching methods, but I am still a beginner at the language and can't really teach anything in the traditional sense of the word.
 * 21) Lust -- Im a beginner, and I would like to learn the language completely. I can recognize about 30 total kana, and about 4 kanji. I know basic sentence structure too.
 * 22) Agari -- Would definitely like to learn the Japanese language, I know a bit, but not enough to have a simple conversation with a Japanese-speaker.
 * 23) all_one -- I can have kindergarten-level conversations in Japanese, but am hungry to learn more! 5-5-06
 * 24) Kuranes -- A friend and I are planning to attempt to learn Japanese over the summer, and I'm sure this would help greatly. 22, May, 2006
 * 25) Karmakat 04:54, 25 June 2006 (UTC) -- Beginner, but anxious to learn!
 * 26) Greyhatguitarist -- complete beginner, want to learn.
 * 27) DakeDesu 16:14, 02 August 2006 (MST) -- tried learning in the past, but had no peers to gauge my abilities against.
 * 28) Darkstar (08 August 2006) -- I've 1 year of university experience but I want to keep learning to not forget everything. I could help editing some basic stuff.
 * 29) Fogarty 19:31, 17 September 2006 -- I know some Japanese, mostly from studying on my own, including kanji and grammar, and have spent five years in Japan.
 * 30) roytales 17:18, 30 September 2006 -- Intrested party in Japanese courses. Have some knowlage of the language and am currently learning on my own.
 * 31) Misheru 5 October 2006 -- Just started learning Japanese, so still at a beginners level. I know the Hiragana and Katakana, not more then 10 Kanji and the very basics of grammar and vocabulary, but still got a lot to learn.
 * 32) 瀬人様 15:14 21 September 2006 -- I already speak Japanese in quite a high level, but since I studied it on my own I somewhat missed parts of the basis. Furthermore, I still want to learn the older Japanese (so I could read original Japanese poems by Basho, Sora and the like) and more volcabulary and grammar. My e-mail is seto1@walla.co.il.
 * 33) chris9687 -- I only have beginners Japanese, but i'd love to improve it through this course.
 * 34) Elnole 01:31, 10 November 2006 (UTC) -- I've learn japanese by myself so far, i know 200 kanjis, i can't speak it and barely grasp newspapers.
 * 35) Hiroki -- Currently studying for Japanese Language knowledge test level 2 for next year. 現在私は「日本語能力試験2級」の勉強をしています. 来年受けるつもりです.
 * 36) Gross -- I have an intermediate level Japanese but I think I need to learn from basic, just to review myself.
 * 37) Tigerboyce -- I am just starting and learning at school too
 * 38) arttic00 i'm a complete beginner
 * 39) Kyerme -- I have studied a few books in years past, but I can recall little. I want to become proficient in Japanese.
 * 40) Pepperboi
 * 41) parag
 * 42) ashcatash5
 * 43) Kye 04:07, 6 May 2007 (UTC)--I am a beginner and willing to learn. I know a few words here and there, but no writing. I would like to help in any way I can.
 * 44) craasnibooi--I am about to take an intermediate Japanese class at the university level, but I would like to learn as much as I can here too.
 * 45) Zim 16:13, 27 May 2007 (UTC) -- Hi, I know only a couple of japanese words, but I would like to learn to speak and write as fluently as possible.
 * 46) --Silverpsycho13 19:06, 9 June 2007 (UTC) I've been wanting to learn Japanese for years but my high school doesn't offer it. Would love to take the Japanese Wikiversity course.
 * 47) --User:ForeheadKAT 4:25PM 2 July 2007 (UTC) I love the japanese culture and Im soooo excited to join everyone in this great adventure of Japanese knowledge!
 * 48) --Madambaster Like everyone else, I would be thrilled to learn the Japanese language.
 * 49) --User:Averlienb 12:57AM 20 September 2007 (UTC) I'm taking a Japanese course, and currently in Intermediate class. But I'm not the brightest bulb there, so I'm joining Japanese Wikiversity, hoping I can get better by learning here too :)
 * 50) --User: Zhenyeh 2243Hrs (+8 GMT) 05 November 2007 A total noob, i can understand chinese quite well, i hope it can help me in the Kanji part, but for the rest of the part i not so sure
 * User: 1FireFierce 9:00AM 5 April 2008 (UTC) I know how to write a little bit of Hiragana (I know a, i, u, and e. I can write and pronounce them all correctly. I'm working on 'o' right now.), and say a few words in Japanese, mainly greetings and essentials. I can pronounce the Japanese language clearly, as many people have said, and can write semi-neatly. I know the order of brushstrokes for writing. I've been usuing Japanese Wikiversity for a while, now, and I decided to sign up for this.
 * Retro eevee 04:04, 2 June 2008 (UTC) I wanna learn, too. I don't want to act like I'm proficient in anything, because I don't want to miss small important steps. I will learn from the basics and work my way up as if I had never known anything like kana or kanji.
 * User: maer 12:28am, 4th September 2008, (GMT +9:30) I want to learn Japanese. Brushing up and continuing from where I might have learnt a few years back.
 * User:ketaikeon 8 March 2008 I have studied Japanese on my own through various resources and have currently mastered all of JLPT4 vocabulary and basic grammar.
 * Lord-Siggaro 02:34, 7 October 2009 (UTC) I would like to learn some Japanese as well, even though I don't know a thing about it, but I am pretty eager to learn about it.
 * Tleonard 17:25, 28 December 2009 (GMT -8) I just started studying Japanese yesterday. I'm really not proficient in much yet. I can pronounce Japanese fairly well and say a few greetings.
 * User:Scorpio May 24, 2011 11:43 AM IST I am pretty impressed by the Japanese devotion to art and philosophy and their regular way of life. I want to learn Japanese too, though I don't know how to know hiragana from katagana and which is which, anyway. I'll start from scratch, and I have to install Japanese characters, too, right?
 * User:Renshuushi April 18, 2012 03:27 PM EST Been learning the language for about 4 years. Never took any real classes though, so I'll look forward to it, because I don't even know what level I know. Frustrating. I can read & write in kana and kanji. I'm currently practicing 3rd grade kanji. My speech and listening comprehension however... not that great, but it improves slightly each year it seems.
 * Saigō Miyamoto (discuss • contribs) 04:29, 20 November 2013 (UTC) konbanwa minnasan~ My name is Saigo~ (the name I go by, at any rate) I've always loved Japan. From music, manga, and food to the history of the country and its people. I have been learning Japanese casually for a few years but have been taking formal college level classes since fall of 2012 and am continuing my studies and am always on the lookout for ways to study and improve. I can fully write in and read kana and have learned roughly 100 kanji so far. I'm able to form basic sentences both written and verbal. When it comes to verbal conversation I tend to speak slowly and deliberately as it takes me a bit of thinking to get it all right first and I try my best to speak with the proper rhythm, pronunciation, and accent (which according to my sensei,who is a Japanese native, my accent is excellent, verging on native :3)and my listening comprehension is improving.

Experienced Participants

 * Xlbnushk 17:53, 28 October 2006 (UTC) -- I've lived in Japan for almost six years. I've mastered hiragana and katakana, and know enough kanji to be able to read a typical Japanese newspaper without looking anything up. My speech and writing skills aren't even close to those of a native speaker, but given time to think about it, I can formulate coherent thoughts in Japanese. My dad has spent half his life in Japan, and has written over a dozen different books about the language. All that is to say that I'm very familiar with it. I'd prefer for somebody else to handle the organization (of lessons, etc.), so that I could focus on content, but I can do a little bit of both if necessary. Contact me on my user page if I can help...
 * Electroswoosh 15:54, 1 November 2006 (UTC) I'm currently studying Japanese in college under an intensive program, as my focus. I've completed a year and a half after this semester, leaving me able to have a basic conversation. I also know hiragana and katakana, and upwards of 75 kanji (though I should know more...it's my weak point). I have a firm grasp on all the grammar I've learned so far, since (for me, anyway) it's so simple. Because I'm currently majoring in Japanese in school, I improve every day. Feel free to contact me if you need any help.
 * -- I added some Kanji to your proposed course. I believe studying Japanese in Japanese is a key to success.
 * -- I too am currently earning a Japanese degree. I'll contribute where I can.
 * -- I'm another one majoring in Japanese at university. I'd love to help out.

The last of these has the most recent edit in January 2008. --Swift 11:21, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

Department News

 * 19 November 2007 Restructuring stalled
 * 28 March 2007 Restructuring started!
 * 7 November 2006 Department created!

Other departments
Alphabetical List:
 * Arabic
 * Chinese
 * French
 * Italian
 * Portuguese
 * Spanish

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