languages - japanese
study tools
The following is a list of tools I and other people in my peer classes at SOAS have used to assist in studying Japanese. In general, these tools are FREE, or shareware with free trial versions. If you wish to provide a link to something you recommend please email Maria.
japanese editors
JWPce for Windows and WindowsCE devices
Synopsis: A nice editor, Japanese-English dictionary, and Kanji dictionary all in one. Can input English text, hiragana, katakana, and change to Kanji.
Recommendation: Highly recommend. Grosenth has also written a flash card training system, Japanese Flash Card, to work with this.
www.physics.ucla.edu/~grosenth/jwpce.html
The following kanji list files correspond to the SOAS Continuing Japanese curriculum and can be used with JWPce to colour code known and unknown kanji. These files can be used with the vocabulary flash cards files, or any other files. To see which kanji are different between the two books, use the Colour Kanji feature of JWPce.
- "Reset" the Colour Kanji List.
- Load the Kanji Workbook 1 kanji JCE file.
- "Make" the Colour Kanji List.
- Load the Shin No Nihongo Kiso 1 kanji JCE file.
The unknown kanji are highlighted in blue and the known kanji appear in black.
Kanji Workbook 1 (from SOAS) first 150 kanji (pages 1-25)
Shin No Nihongo Book 1 kanji
Input Method Editor (IME) for Windows
Synopsis: Adding this to your system will enable you to use Word 2000 to create Japanese text, and send email via Outlook using kanji and kana.
Installation: Download from the Microsoft site, unless you have 2000 then it will be on the Windows 2000 CD. See installation instructions below.
Recommendation: This has been quite helpful and I have used it extensively. However, it is not necessarily portable, as it requires the other system to also have IME support installed. Conveniently, JWPce can paste in these files and understand them.
For Windows 95, 98, ME, or NT instructions and application go to: www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/recommended/ime/default.asp.
For Windows 2000 and XP instructions look at: www.andante.org/ime_install.html
dictionaries
JWPce for Windows and WindowsCE devices
See details above.
Evolutionary Dictionary for PalmOS and WindowsCE devices
Synopsis: Can look up words and phrases. Can use Jim Breen's Japanese-English dictionary module.
Cost: Free trial version, $18 purchase.
www.evolutionary.net/
Jim Breen's Online Japanese-English Dictionary
Synopsis: The most comprehensive free Japanese-English dictionary system.
www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/wwwjdic.html
learning kana, kanji, and vocabulary
Japanese Flash Card for Windows and WindowsCE devices
Synopsis: Flash card program to train in Kanji or vocabulary. Reasonably flexible and takes advantage of features in JWPce.
Recommendation: Easy to use and simple to create your own flash card training.
www.physics.ucla.edu/~grosenth/jfc.html
For use with this program, I've put together flash cards for the Minna No Nihongo books as they are used in our course. The all vocabulary files can be used as a searchable index with JWPce.
Minna No Nihongo Book 1, Lessons Preliminary to 25.
preliminary
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
all
Minna No Nihongo Book 2, Lessons 26 to 50.
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
The remaining flash cards have been provided by http://www.japandiary.ch/vocabulary.html.
KingKanji for Windows, PalmOS, and WindowsCE devices
Synposis: Kanji flashcard training system for multiple devices. Load in one of several flashcard "books". Can display definition in English, meanings in Kana, and the Kanji. Kanji can draw itself to show stroke order, and there is a display area in which to practice drawing the Kanji. Can keep track of which ones are right or wrong, and be used as a testing system later on.
Cost: Free trial version for 30 days, $24.95 purchase.
Recommendation: Nice tool to learn Kanji. Already has several major Kanji books converted to flash cards.
www.gakusoft.com
Kanji Hanabi for PalmOS devices
Synopsis: Kanji flashcard training system. Trial version includes grades 1 and 2 (221 kanji).
Full version includes grades 1-6 (996 kanji).
Cost: Free trial version, $30 purchase ($20 with education discount)
www.neth.com/hanabi.html
PALMSensei for PalmOS devices
Synopsis: Hiragana and Katakana flashcard training system that allows you to write characters onto the device.
home.bawue.de/~jtesch/sensei/palm/
Chipchat Hiragana and Katakana Flash Card Training
Synopsis: Displays Kana, select correct sound in romanji.
Installation: Online training tool.
Recommendation: Good for basic practice.
www.chipchat.com/NihonGo/
Online Kanji Test for Continuing Japanese students at SOAS
Synopsis: Tests Kanji against English meaning, On reading, or Kun reading. Based on Continuing Japanese 1 syllabus for the Kanji Workbook 1.
Installation: Online training tool
Recommendation: Good for finding out what you did and didn't know in the course!
www.robotmouse.com/kanjitest
general links
Monash Nihongo ftp Archive
Synopsis: Go here if you want to find just about anything free to help you study Japanese on any platform.
ftp.cc.monash.edu.au/pub/nihongo/00INDEX.html
london events
Submitting an event: Email the event, location, dates, time, and web address if available to Maria.
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