Just started...

[fragilefigure]

Okay, so I have just begun with the Genki book (last night, to be exact) and it seems to be going very quickly. I am almost done learning hiragana and have not even started on katakana, so I am not very far in my studies, but I was still taken aback by how well it expects me to know hiragana by the first lesson. At least, it seems that way to me.

Should I be at a high standard in my hiragana and katakana before I even open up this text book? Or should I just try to plow through as I am still solidifying my knowledge?

[ピーター]

Doesn't Genki have romaji for the first lesson? I seem to recall it having romaji for all kana in the first lesson, and romaji for katakana in the second. I think it's definitely worth learning your hiragana as well as possible before you start, but don't get too worked up about katakana. Maybe go through all the katakana, but don't get worried if you can't recall some and have to look it up as you go along.

[phreadom]

Genki I has romaji for basically all kana (hiragana and katakana) up to the end of the 2nd chapter. That's the first 53 pages of the textbook.

It also shows furigana for all new kanji until you should be able to recognize them etc.

[Curry_Girl]

Genki is a set. If you havn't purchased the work book with it this might be why it surprised you. You don't need the work book, but it hs a section in the back to practice. Sme with the text book. In the back of both books, there is another twelve sections dedicated to writing. Each one will go with the grammar sections.