Textbook recommendations for self-study

Japanese Language Resources
1

Hello :green_heart:

What textbooks are you using for self-studying?

I am currently studying for N3 and have bought so many workbooks/textbooks but can’t stick with one. Honestly, I thrive in a classroom setting with a teacher and classmates, but it is impossible for me to join a class while working full time. So I am trying to figure out a better way to self-study.

I have used Genki 1 and 2 and quit toward the beginning of 2. I think Genki is well suited for university students who are taking a Japanese class, but I’m an adult who lives/works in Japan. I could finish Genki 1 because I took a beginner Japanese class at university so it was mainly review.

Then I picked up Shin Kaizen Master for N4. At this time I was still reviewing things I learned in university classes so it was fine.

Now I’m preparing for N3. I tried Shin Kaizen N3 and So-matome workbooks, but the material is no longer review and these textbooks aren’t working for me. I think they are well suited for someone in a Japanese class, who has a Japanese tutor, or can effectively use online resources without getting frustrated. I find the grammar explanations are not sufficient so I spend a lot of time finding more thorough explanations online. I am frustrated by the amount of time I have to spend looking for examples and explanations. However, I think these books have great practice questions.

So what textbooks or resources do you use for self-studying, especially grammar? I’m considering purchasing A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. If I purchased this then I would use it as a reference for the workbooks I already have. Has anyone used this? I strongly prefer books/textbooks/workbooks to online resources. I don’t mind spending money but I don’t want to spend a lot of time checking additional resources.

Please help :smiling_face_with_tear:

2

Uhh that is a hard request.
I suspect you are not necessarily interested in the exact N3 material but more generally in improving your Japanese.

So when it comes to detailed explanations you probably won’t find a more thorough book than the dictionary of basic japanese. But it is exactly that a reference book and I think it is even harder to learn something out of it without any other materials.
You still can’t ask it questions like you would a be able with a teacher, so there will certainly be times you are still confused even after reading the entries.

Personally I really like the Try! N3 book. Maybe you can have a look if it seems okay to you the next time you are in a book shop. It’s not really detailed but I like the excercises and feel it gives a nice overview of each JLPT levels points.

Otherwise my only recommendation that might help you is to look for a tutor online. Maybe meeting once a week with questions and topics you want to talk about can help you to clarify points and give you more structure. You still won’t have other classmates but it might still help.

3

Haha I wanted to write the exact same things :laughing:

I used the Try! N3 in class but I think it is also good for self-study. It has an initial text, then it highlights a few grammar points per chapter, explains them and has exercises, and you can get audio as well. In class we first studied the grammar and finally listened to and then read the text, I thought that was a nice idea.

A Dictionary of Basic / Intermediate Grammar is really good if you want to know in-depth things. At least the Basic one only uses normal kanji text and then romaji (instead of kana) though, that’s a bit annoying.
There was even a book club for it here in the forums, you can check it out to get an impression. A Dictionary of Japanese Grammar [aDoJG] 💮 Reading Club They are all three in there, under “Archived” in the OP.

I was also thinking that getting a teacher might be beneficial. There is italki where you can find people according to your schedule, and I heard that there are also community teachers in Japan that you can study with? Not sure about the modalities but it might be worth asking at your town hall.

4

I think the Shinkanzen Master grammar books work great with A Handbook of Japanese Grammar Patterns for Teachers and Learners. I love this dictionary because it’s one book with basically everything vs other grammar dictionary where you need to buy 3 to get to advanced level.

5

Thank you for your reply! I will certainly take a look at these. My solution to everything (related to studying) is buy another book. :sweat_smile: I have heard of Try! but haven’t actually looked at the book before.

6

I appreciate your reply! I will definitely visit the book club forum! Thank you!

7

Thank you! I also saw recommendations for this. It’s good to know it goes well with a workbook I already have. I really appreciate your reply!

8

I used the Genki series to begin learning grammar as well, and then moved on the the Quartet textbook series after that. It’s a couple of textbooks with corresponding workbooks by the same publisher as the Genki books, and the textbooks have sections for grammar, reading, listening, writing and speaking practice. The first book teaches grammar at roughly an N3 level so you might find it a nice progression to the Genki series perhaps.

The one thing I will say is that just like with the Genki textbooks, these were also designed primarily to be used in a classroom setting, but in my experience it’s perfectly doable to use them for self-study - it’s mainly the speaking exercises that require partners, so you can skip those (unless you do have someone to practice with) without having any issues with the rest of the workbooks.

Of course, at the end of the day it’s all about finding something that works best for you, but I hope this was useful :blue_heart:

9

Hello!

I studied Japanese at college for one year, during which time we used Genki 1, so I got used to the Genki textbook style. After college, I continued self-studying with Genki 2, but I admit I focused mainly on the grammar introduced. I thought Tokini Andy’s series on Youtube pertaining to the grammar of each chapter was really helpful as a self-studier, if you want to get back into Genki 2 I’d recommend giving his videos a try.

I take an in-person Japanese class which uses the textbook series Dekiru Nihongo. I wouldn’t recommend this series for self-studying, you really need a teacher guiding you through each chapter, there is very little text to read.

In parallel to this class I am (veeery slowly) making my way through Tobira Gateway to Advanced Japanese on my own. I admittedly don’t do the exercises in the chapter, but I read through all the reading material (so far, this includes one larger text and two conversations, one formal and one casual). After reading, I listen to the texts (all of the audio is on Tobira’s website).

Additionally, each chapter introduces a large number of grammar points and vocabulary. What I’ve been doing so far is, with each chapter, adding the new grammar and vocab to my Renshuu (app) flashcards, so that I get spaced repetition to the new vocab and grammar.

This method is pretty good for retaining the vocab but I admit that, for me at least, I need to be working harder on integrating the new grammar. Sometimes I watch Youtube videos pertaining to particularly tricky points. There’s also Seth Clydesdale’s Tobira exercises for drilling (which allows you to check your answers). Recently I decided that I need to start writing my own sentences for each new grammar point.

I do think doing Tobira with a tutor would allow for a richer and more beneficial learning experience, but right now I just don’t have the time. In any case, I think Tobira remains a pretty good choice for someone who is self-studying. I have a tentative goal of aiming for the JLPT N3 in December, but more importantly, my goal is to reach a solid level of intermediate Japanese and I think Tobira will assist me in getting there.

Good luck with your studies!

10

Thanks for the response. I appreciate your recommendations for resources. I will definitely check out Tokini Andy’s series as I already have the Genki II textbook and workbook. I will take N3 in about two months so I will try to make the (many) workbooks and textbooks I have now work for preparing for the exam. Regardless of the results of my exam, I will check out the other resources you listed for the next exam I take (be it N3 (again) or N2). Thanks again!

11

Thanks for the recommendations!

I have heard of Quartet and assumed it had a storyline like the Genki series. I just checked reviews of Quartet and realized that that isn’t true. Honestly, the storyline was one of the reasons I stopped using the Genki series.

I live and work in Japan, so the university student storyline didn’t really apply to me and I found myself practicing grammar by answering questions that I would never answer. Questions like “What job do you want after graduation?” Of course, answering questions like this still allowed me to practice the grammar, but I will never be asked this question or answer this question since I graduated from university about four years ago. It made me wish for a textbook/workbook series for N3-N1 with a storyline about moving to Japan and starting a job at a Japanese company, lol.

Anyway, I appreciate your reply.

12

I find that the Chatgpt and Claude can be super helpful for examples and breaking down grammar points. I have found the pro versions of both much better than the free versions, but the free versions are adequate. for most queries. I quite like Dekiru Nihongo Intermediate. The series is very comprehensive and assumes the users are in Japan, but it also assumes that you have a teacher. One advantage of Genki and Quartet is that you will find many online tutors who own them and are experienced with using them.