Course description

This course takes you from your very first Japanese sounds to reading both kana scripts and holding simple, polite conversations about yourself, food, shopping, travel and everyday life. It's written for adults in the UK who are starting Japanese from scratch, whether for travel, work, a love of Japanese films and comics, or simple curiosity.

Every lesson is written in plain English and explains each grammar word the first time it appears. Hiragana and katakana are taught fully, a row at a time, with romaji beside every Japanese word, so you can read and say everything without audio while you learn the scripts. You'll practise out loud from the start, with short dialogues, sentences to read aloud and a practical task in every lesson. The grammar is kept to what beginners need: polite です and ます forms, the main particles, adjectives, counters, the te form for requests, and a handful of useful kanji.

There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons, and each section ends with a short quiz. You follow Fern, a graphic designer from Durham, as she learns Japanese for her first trip to Japan, practises with a language exchange partner in Osaka, and finally makes the trip. Every section has a practice pack with a worksheet, example answers, extra practice with answers, a word list, dialogue scripts and flashcards, plus printable kana charts and writing grids, kanji cards, verb tables, role-play scripts and a printable phrase sheet where they help.

What you'll learn

• Sounds and hiragana: the five vowels, beats, long vowels and double consonants, and all 46 basic hiragana, with the little marks and small っ, taught with romaji alongside.
• Combined sounds and katakana: combined sounds such as きょ and しゃ, the particles は, へ and を, the whole katakana chart, borrowed words, and writing your name in katakana.
• First conversations: greetings and polite words, introducing yourself with はじめまして, です and じゃ ありません, questions with か, countries, jobs, and これ, それ and あれ.
• Numbers, prices, dates and time: numbers to a million, prices in yen, telling the time, days, months and dates, and your first kanji: the numbers, 円, 日, 月 and 年.
• Verbs and daily life: polite masu verbs in the present and past, the particles を, に, へ, で and と, your daily routine, and invitations with ませんか and ましょう.
• Food and drink: food and drink words, ordering at a café and a restaurant, counting with ひとつ and ふたつ, explaining an allergy, and describing food with adjectives.
• Shopping: あります and います, prices and paying, colours, sizes and trying things on, the counters まい, ほん and こ, and the convenience shop till.
• Getting around: directions, trains and tickets, buses and taxis, checking in at a hotel or guesthouse, and what to say if you're unwell or need help.
• Everyday conversation: hobbies and likes, family words, the te form for requests and permission, saying what you want to do, and small talk with ね and よ.
• Review and final projects: a kanji, sign and phrase review, your own spoken and written self-introduction, a role-play script to act out, and how to keep learning.

Who it's for

Adult beginners in the UK: complete beginners, and anyone who knows a few words and wants a structured start. It suits travellers to Japan, people who work with Japanese colleagues, fans of Japanese films, comics and food, and anyone who'd like to learn a new language and a new script for its own sake.

What this course is, and isn't

This is a text-based course with no audio or video: pronunciation is taught with romaji and plain descriptions. It teaches standard, polite Japanese, with a short look at casual speech. It teaches a handful of kanji, not the full set, and it doesn't lead to a qualification. It doesn't recommend any apps, books or brands. The story and characters are fictional.

What will I learn?

• Read and write all of hiragana and katakana, including the little marks, small characters and long vowels
• Pronounce Japanese clearly, with even beats, long vowels and double consonants, using romaji as a guide
• Greet people, introduce yourself and use polite desu and masu Japanese with confidence
• Use numbers, prices in yen, the time, days and dates, and read the number kanji
• Talk about your daily routine, the past and your plans with polite verbs and the main particles
• Order at a café and a restaurant, explain a food allergy and describe food
• Shop for clothes and souvenirs, count things with the common counters, and pay in cash or by card
• Ask the way, take trains, buses and taxis, check into a hotel or guesthouse and ask for help
• Make requests and ask permission with the te form, and say what you want to do
• Recognise a handful of useful kanji and signs, and hold short, friendly everyday conversations

Frequently asked questions