The Cunning Linguist

"The Japanese writing system was introduced into Japan by the Chinese around the middle of the 6th century AD. The Chinese language is very different to Japanese in structure and so the writing system was gradually adapted to fit the structure of the Japanese language. There are now three scripts which make up the Japanese writing system (four if you include roman script): kanji, hiragana and katakana. The latter two are known collectively as kana."

"This book will make the reading and writing of Japanese accessible to you through a step-by-step approach which will help you to gradually build up your knowledge of Japanese script. It will show you that written Japanese can be interesting, challenging and also fun to learn. Units 1-4 introduce mainly kanji which developed from pictures of nature. Units 4 & 6-8 will teach you how to decipher more complex kanji giving you the tools to take your study further on completion of the book. Units 8 & 10 give you the chance to put your learning into practice through real-life examples of signs, notices and warnings, and also a number of reading passages. Unit 5 is devoted to hiragana and Unit 9 to katakana. There are lots of practice activities and ideas to help you learn and remember these two scripts. By the end of the book, you'll be able to read and write simple Japanese with confidence."

"Helen Gilhooly has lived and worked in Japan and has extensive experience of teaching Japanese and writing materials for learners of all ages. She has an MA and PGCE in Japanese and is currently the Language College Director of Aldercar Community Language College in Derbyshire. She is also a teacher trainer of Japanese at Nottingham University."

The Kana Workbook includes exercises for helping the student learn to recognize, pronounce, and write each Katakana. The student will learn one character at a time and move onto reading and writing words and simple sentences and practice pronunciation using a CD that comes with the book. The student will also learn interesting facts about Japanese characters, traditional Japanese tools and crafts, and English words that have originated in Japan by reading the notes, written in English, throughout the book.

This new text has been designed to met the special needs of the foreigner who wants to begin learning to read Japanese before having completed a first-year course in speaking the language. It presupposes no previous knowledge of the Japanese writing system. In twenty-five lessons it introduces katakana, hiragana, and 425 kanji, providing an excellent foundation for the use of available intermediate and advanced texts. Reading Japanese is designed to be used either as a classroom text or in self-study programs. It is coordinated with Beginning Japanese, by the same authors.