learning japanese script

[Brian Jenkins]

Emma,

Most of the folks on this list are far more expert than I on the
language, but as one who is self-taught I can assure that it is quite
possible to learn both hiragana and katakana rather quickly (the two
syllabaries mirror each other). Most of your effort will be spent in
learning the kanji, as individual characters have /multiple
pronunciations and meanings...best learned  through memorization and
not-unreasonable amounts of effort and repetition.  As your kanji
comprehension grows, so grows your confidence.  Persistence and
enjoyment are the keys to successful language acquisition (and
learning in general, I suppose), so if you have possess these
qualities, you should be good to go.

Hiragana - used primarily for native Japanese words, grammatical
structures, articles, honorifics.
Katakana - primarily used for imported language, and sometimes for emphasis
Kanji - the Japanese syllabary is relatively small compared to the
number of concepts and words that need to be expressed, so using kanji
rather than hiragana avoids confusion for homophones as kanji indicate
meaning where hiragana only provides only pronunciation.

Hope this helps.

Brian Jenkins
Saitama, Japan

PS True experts, please amend/correct/clarify...I could probably use
as much advice and motivation as Ms. Newberry.

On 8/14/07, Emma Newbery <emmanewbery at hotmail.co.uk> wrote:
> Hello all.
>
> I have just embarked upon the long path of learning to read and write
> Japanese. I am using the 'Japanese for busy people' workbooks, and have been
> sailing through learning hiragana, but much to my dismay when i went to try
> out my new skill on www.amazon.jp i find all the sentences to be combination
> of hirigana, kanji and katakana. I realise to all you who know how to read
> japanese this is very obvious, but it there anyone out there to whom
> japanese is not their first language who can instill me with some confidence
> that it is possible to learn it all -  and why are there 3 forms within one
> sentence!
>
>
>
> Emma Newbery BA (hons), MA, PGCE
> Programme Leader
> BTEC National Diploma in Media Productions
> Blackpool and the Fylde College
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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