Teach Yourself Japanese is the course for anyone who wants to progress quickly from the basics to understanding and speaking with confidence.
Although aimed at those with no previous knowledge, it is equally suitable for anyone wishing to brush up existing knowledge for a holiday or business trip.
Key structures and vocabulary are introduced in 22 thematic units which deal with everyday situations such as introducing yourself and finding your way around.
The emphasis is on communication throughout with important language structures introduced through dialogues on the accompanying recording. The dialogues focus on real-life situations which feature authentic Japanese as it is spoken on the street.
The book uses a system of romanised script usually called the modified Hepburn system which is better suited to English speakers than the 'kunrei' system officially used in Japan, although the differences are not great. There is almost no Japanese script in the book.
The accompanying audio material is available separately on two CDs or cassettes or in a pack with the book.
Helen Ballhatchet is a professor in the Faculty of Economics, Keio University (Tokyo). Stefan Kaiser is a professor at the Institute of Literature and Linguistics, University of Tsukuba, Japan. He is currently working on an online learners' dictionary of Japanese.