JfE --> Integrated Approach?

[Triddy]

Heh, I feel bad. It seems like all I do is come to this board to ask questions

I'm making good progress through "Japanese For Everyone". It's taking me about a week and a half for a chapter, and I'm retaining 95% of what is in the book. So I figure it's time to start planning ahead and look into a new textbook.

So, my question is: Is it possible (Easy) to go straight from the end of Japanese for Everyone into An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese? Will I have some issues with unexplained grammar points? Should there be a step in between? Or should I forget Integrated Approach altogether and go to something else? I'd like to do at least 1 more text book before I make the jump to reading real Japanese.

[Disco]

I recommend Genki, it's what I use. I tried a bunch of other textbooks, but nothing helps me retain EVERYTHING like Genki. Genki has pictures (woo), dialogue, great practice, easy to understand lessons. It's a two book series and is adapted very well for self-study. By the end of the second one, I'd say you'd be ready for the JLPT 3. I don't think you will have any issues moving between the two textbooks.

[Triddy]

Thank you for the reply, Disco.

Japanese For Everyone takes you nearly as far as both Genki's do. Everything in the book would be repeated material for me, unforunately.

[Disco]

would Japanese for everyone be better? Because my progress is sure and steady but SLOWWwwwwwwwwwww. Well I suppose the only way to learn faster would be to move to Japan -_@

[leonl]

would Japanese for everyone be better? Because my progress is sure and steady but SLOWWwwwwwwwwwww. Well I suppose the only way to learn faster would be to move to Japan -_@

Not necessarily, JFE(Japanese for Everyone) and Genki cover roughly the same material, but they cover it in a complete different order. Each chapter of JFE is very dense(information wise) So you would actually move slower in JFE than you would in Genki. Then there is the matter of the supplemental material, both courses have supplemental material; but the supplemental stuff for Genki is easily available in The Japan Shop, whereas you will have to do some hunting for the JFE material. Specifically the workbook and the kanjibook pretty much have to be special ordered because the used ones on amazon are ridiculously priced, though I hear Amazon Japan and White Rabbit Express could help you. The audio material, which is on cassette tapes is hard to find and way over priced, and although I don't condone piracy a quick internet search on some torrent sites will give you what you want. To make a long story short stick with the book you have right now, JFE is a good book, but since Genki is much more popular you'll have an easier time getting help.

[monkeykoder]

Each chapter of JFE is very dense(information wise) So you would actually move slower in JFE than you would in Genki.

Are you just saying each "chapter" will take longer or the material will take longer to get through because it's written so densely?

[furrykef]

It just means each chapter has more new stuff in it. The book has a "faster" pace from chapter to chapter, so you may want to slow down to compensate.

[two_heads_talking]

Well I suppose the only way to learn faster would be to move to Japan -_@

Well,Immersion definately puts a rush order on learning. the nice thing is you are surrounded by the native language and not English, that alone makes it priceless.. Having learned Japanese by getting a few months of general, basic japanese and then living there for 2 years, I can say, it was definately something I appreciated and hated at the same time.

[Triddy]

Heh, this got a little bit off topic.

For those of you wondering about JfE, I'd recommend it. In the second half, vocab order has become a bit inconsistant (It will use a word in a sentence 3 pages before it's introduced, for example) but if you don't mind dictionaries that isn't even a problem. The explainations are usually clear, and the exercises plentiful.

But back to the original question, will I be okay for Integrated Approach right from finishing JfE, or there something else I need? I'd like to order another book as soon as possible.

[leonl]

Heh, this got a little bit off topic.

For those of you wondering about JfE, I'd recommend it. In the second half, vocab order has become a bit inconsistant (It will use a word in a sentence 3 pages before it's introduced, for example) but if you don't mind dictionaries that isn't even a problem. The explainations are usually clear, and the exercises plentiful.

But back to the original question, will I be okay for Integrated Approach right from finishing JfE, or there something else I need? I'd like to order another book as soon as possible.

Yes. In fact even if you're not the first chapter of the intergrated book is sort of a review of sorts. From my quick glance through it goes over about one hundred kanji you should already know from genki or jfe, in addition to the grammar it teaches