LEARN TO READ IN JAPANESE

The design of this Japanese Reader ,is based on our belief that the most enjoyable and efficient way to learn to read in Japanese is to dive in and start reading sentences ,almost immediately, learning new kanji as you go. In order to make this approach workable, we introduce about ten new kanji at the beginning of each chapter and then ask you to take a quick pre-test on their pronunciations before starting to read. We include in each chapter only kanji characters that you know ,or are in the process of learning, and we provide immediate feedback ,about your reading accuracy in the form of same-page romaji equivalents and translations. ,Although it might seem impractical to start reading practice before you have learned Japanese characters very well, this approach is firmly grounded in a study technique known as ,Active Recall, which can be defined as &ldquo,learning by answering questions.&rdquo, Active Recall is the basis of flashcard learning ,generally, and it is highly effective for building strong memories, compared to more passive study methods.When you try to read one of the Japanese sentences in this book, you are essentially asking yourself two questions