JapanForum.com  


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
(#1 (permalink))
Old
BakaTensei's Avatar
BakaTensei (Offline)
JF Old Timer
 
Posts: 141
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Send a message via MSN to BakaTensei
Genki Books - 10-20-2010, 01:59 PM

I'm thinking about buying the 1st genki book, CDs and workbook. I've read good things about it but would like to hear the opinions on people who have perhaps used it before?
Reply With Quote
(#2 (permalink))
Old
evanny's Avatar
evanny (Offline)
devil's advocate
 
Posts: 517
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: 11th dimension
10-20-2010, 02:02 PM

i like them. and as far as i know they are the best available.
Reply With Quote
(#3 (permalink))
Old
WingsToDiscovery's Avatar
WingsToDiscovery (Offline)
JF Noob
 
Posts: 905
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Azabu-juban, Tokyo
10-20-2010, 02:04 PM

I use it right now in class. It's really hard to go into great detail, but...
Positive: It will teach you all of the grammar/writing/vocab to form a solid command of Japanese.
Negative: It focuses solely on keigo, so everything you say will be super polite and unnatural. You'll have to relearn a lot of material to sound casual.

So basically, you'll be able to understand/speak/read/write Japanese, but you'll be talking like you're at a job interview all the time.


I'm not a cynic; I just like to play Devil's Advocate once in a while.
My photos from Japan and around the world:
http://www.flickr.com/dylanwphotography
Reply With Quote
(#4 (permalink))
Old
BakaTensei's Avatar
BakaTensei (Offline)
JF Old Timer
 
Posts: 141
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Send a message via MSN to BakaTensei
10-20-2010, 02:10 PM

I wouldnt use it just by itself though, like not for example I am currently learning of michel thomas audio cds which are teaching me quite a bit.

Do you think if I had another learning source it would weed out the problems of being overly formal?
Reply With Quote
(#5 (permalink))
Old
WingsToDiscovery's Avatar
WingsToDiscovery (Offline)
JF Noob
 
Posts: 905
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Azabu-juban, Tokyo
10-20-2010, 02:15 PM

To be honest, I don't know about the other sources you had in mind so really it's just up to whether or not you can find study materials with less formal speech. Like I said, Genki will teach you Japanese, so I'm totally in support of the books, but it's just a matter of if you can find any secondary sources that will fit these needs.


I'm not a cynic; I just like to play Devil's Advocate once in a while.
My photos from Japan and around the world:
http://www.flickr.com/dylanwphotography
Reply With Quote
(#6 (permalink))
Old
Columbine's Avatar
Columbine (Offline)
Busier Than Shinjuku Station
 
Posts: 1,466
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: United Kingdom
10-20-2010, 04:14 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by WingsToDiscovery View Post
I use it right now in class. It's really hard to go into great detail, but...
Positive: It will teach you all of the grammar/writing/vocab to form a solid command of Japanese.
Negative: It focuses solely on keigo, so everything you say will be super polite and unnatural. You'll have to relearn a lot of material to sound casual.

So basically, you'll be able to understand/speak/read/write Japanese, but you'll be talking like you're at a job interview all the time.
Keigo? Surely you mean ~ますform. Genki doesn't really get into actual keigo till the end of Genki II. Yes masu is too formal to be using with friends, but it's not keigo-level formality. You can easily use it wandering around your daily life without seeming weirdly polite and unnatural. It would be just as odd to be walking around speaking solely in casual speech, and even down-right off if you speak to your teachers/older people without masu.
Reply With Quote
(#7 (permalink))
Old
BakaTensei's Avatar
BakaTensei (Offline)
JF Old Timer
 
Posts: 141
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Send a message via MSN to BakaTensei
10-20-2010, 04:47 PM

yea, I'd rather be too polite than be rude =\ but I'm sure I'll learn from other sources what is appropriate and such especially when I feel confident enough to post in japanese on this forum as everyone is pretty helpful
Reply With Quote
(#8 (permalink))
Old
KyleGoetz's Avatar
KyleGoetz (Offline)
Attorney at Flaw
 
Posts: 2,965
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Texas
10-20-2010, 05:11 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Columbine View Post
Keigo? Surely you mean ~ますform. Genki doesn't really get into actual keigo till the end of Genki II. Yes masu is too formal to be using with friends, but it's not keigo-level formality. You can easily use it wandering around your daily life without seeming weirdly polite and unnatural. It would be just as odd to be walking around speaking solely in casual speech, and even down-right off if you speak to your teachers/older people without masu.
Polite language (teineigo) actually is considered keigo. At least according to both the English and Japanese wikipediae: 敬語 - Wikipedia
Reply With Quote
(#9 (permalink))
Old
Columbine's Avatar
Columbine (Offline)
Busier Than Shinjuku Station
 
Posts: 1,466
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: United Kingdom
10-20-2010, 06:43 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by KyleGoetz View Post
Polite language (teineigo) actually is considered keigo. At least according to both the English and Japanese wikipediae: 敬語 - Wikipedia
Not how most textbooks (genki included) label it though, so it's miss-leading if you say masu is keigo as everyone then thinks that it's super formal, super polite and totally out of place in the everyday, when it's more like... middling-polite. Talking-to-strangers polite not please-employ-me polite.
Reply With Quote
(#10 (permalink))
Old
Sinestra's Avatar
Sinestra (Offline)
ショ ン
 
Posts: 612
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Where ever Miyuki Sawashiro is
Send a message via AIM to Sinestra Send a message via Yahoo to Sinestra
10-20-2010, 06:46 PM

I am currently using them and i love the material very detailed and easy to follow.


Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




Copyright 2003-2006 Virtual Japan.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC6