Japanese, Part 1: Basic Sounds, Phrases, and Characters

In this course, Yuki Sasaki Caldwell—an experienced instructor of Japanese Language in the Department of Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies at the University of Georgia (UGA)—teaches you the building blocks you need to begin your study of Japanese. Learn the five vowel and 15 consonant sounds of Japanese, only two of which differ significantly from English. Unlike the English alphabet, each Japanese character can represent a syllable, not just a single sound. Get an introduction to the three Japanese writing methods—hiragana, katakana, and kanji—and begin exploring how and when to use each.

This course was created by The Great Courses. We are pleased to host this training in our library.