A Japanese Journey

So this is supposed to be my review of Rocket Japanese but truth be told, I have no idea where to begin. The Japanese languages has got just as many intricate and complex layers as the culture itself. Even the country Japan conjures images of peaceful shrines and snow capped mountains while at the same time is also a land of bullet trains, karaoke and high tech gadgets.

I'm not even sure at this point that I can review Rocket Japanese in one blog posts so I may have to branch out and do a series of blogposts related to this theme. I guess if I am looking for a place to start, I should start at the beginning. This is a language that I felt pretty excited to review because of my previous experience with other Rocket Languages products. No matter how difficult the language is reputed to be, Rocket Languages has somehow always finds a way to break down even the hardest of languages into something that is feasible and fun. And Rocket Japanese was no different.

Due to the complexity of the japanese language and culture, I decided to develop a learning plan for tackling this language. For those of you who aren't familiar, Japanese has 3 writing systems. The three writing systems are hiragana, katakana, and romanji. I decided for now to just focus on romanji and when I felt comfortable with that, I would then set aside a season and a time for tackling the other two writing systems.

What I love about Rocket Japanese is that with each unit, they also have grammar and cultural lessons as well. So you can actually create a plan on how you're going to map out your language learning. For now I've decided just to focus on doing the audio lessons with a sprinkle of cultural units on the side. I'm not planning a trip to Japan anytime soon so there is no rush to try and learn everything as fast as I can. The way that I see it, Japanese is a big beautiful steak that I can just cut into tiny pieces that is meant to be chewed and swallowed nice and slow (and perhaps washed down with a good dose of sake? LOL)

In true Rocket Languages style, you have your two hosts who take you through the program. For Rocket Japanese, our hosts are Kenny and Sayaka who led the way with humour and heart. Together the help you digest some of the more difficult aspects of Japanese grammar and culture. Bit by bit they help unravel the mysteries of this ancient culture and it is amazing how with just a few sprinklings of wit and wisdom, a language and a culture that once seemed foreboding is now friendly and feasible.

This may just seem like a very general review but in the coming weeks and months, I'll be updating you as my journey unfolds to learn this fascinating culture and language and will be able to give you more detailed blogposts on the technical aspects of what it is like to learn Japanese using Rocket Japanese.

Mata ne!