Does anybody know how to speak or write in Japanese?
927763
Um, well, I don't speak fluent Japanese, and I just started learning, so I can't really help. However you can put on the subtitles so you can understand what they're saying. But if you really want to know what they're saying without text on the bottom of the screen, you can go to some Japanese-learning websites such as:\n\nhttp://www.all-about-teaching-english-in-japan.com\n\nThis website's good for learning Japanese grammar. Once you know basic grammar and some words, you'll be watching Inuyasha undubbed in no time!
642791
best/easiest is to install the Japanese input IME (must have your original Windows XP CD, and do the following:\n\nControl Panel->Regional and Language Options->Languages->Install Files for East Asian Languages\nand\nControl Panel->Regional and Language Options->Languages->Details->Add->Japanese\n\nyou will hafta reboot, then learn to use the IME.\n\nor you can just ask me to do it.. ;-)\n\nYou can then input any Japanese (kana and kanji) in almost any application (graphics and word processors included), as well as view Japanese websites.  This is how I have been entering/creating Japanese text within graphics programs, web sites, and Flash.  \n\nYou probably want something like this:\nhttp://www.torimoto.net\n\nFeel free to contact me if you'd like help.
479784
My personal experience:\nI went to Japan knowing the bare basics - greetings, and things related to my current state of being, such as "I`m hungry" "I`m thirsty" etc. I was in an environment where I had the option of speaking Japanese or not speaking at all. There was no English to fall back on.\n\nWithin a month, I could stumble through conversation (With hand movements and drawings) enough to make friends. Two months, and I could sort of manage to understand most of what was going on around me without too much difficulty. Three months and I was able to call and talk to my friends over the phone (basic conversation without any expression/drawing help.)\nEverything from then on was just slowly improving and polishing what I knew. I would say true fluency in *speaking* took around 8 months? Although by around 5 months or so, I could make myself look fluent. (You know, when you understand enough of the conversation to understand what they mean without *really* understanding the words?) After close to a year, I was able to fool anyone I spoke to into thinking that I had been born in Japan. (ie, no accent, no mistakes, etc.)\nWritten language took a bit longer. I could read quite well after about a year, and I considered myself fluent after around a year and a half. It`s hard to learn a written language if you don`t know what the words you are reading mean, so I didn`t read much until after I was pretty much speaking fluently. \n\nMind you though, I was in Japan, in a situation without the option of English interaction available to me. I was also 17 when I came to Japan - as you age it takes longer to pick up new languages. If you go to Japan to teach English or with a school program, your actual exposure to Japanese will be drastically less. And if you have the option to fall back on a language that is easier for you, 9 times out of 10, you probably will. Make sure you NEED to speak the language to survive. It`s the best way.
637204
You certainly can, although it won't be as good as taking an actual class. \n\nhttp://www.yesjapan.com/ is the absolute best site for this. It isn't free, but you get access to pretty much anything you'd want, plus shows and teacher help. \n\nA few free sites that I like are:\n\nhttp://www.ajalt.org/sj/\n\nhttp://www.thejapanesepage.com/\n\nhttp://www.learn-japanese.info/\n\nhttp://kana.gerke-preussner.de/\n\nhttp://www.nhk.or.jp/lesson/\n\nhttp://www.freejapaneselessons.com/\n\nhttp://www.yookoso.com/\n\nhttp://www.sharedtalk.com/\n\nhttp://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/nihongo/contents.html
365933
Japan uses a QWERTY keyboard with Japanese phonetic characters superimposed over the keys on the bottom right corners.\nThere are only 50 phonetic characters, so they fit without difficulty on the keyboard.\n\nHowever, most people type phonetically using the QWERTY setup and just ignore the Japanese setup. When I type in Japanese, I type it out phonetically in English lettering. There is an embedded program that converts that into Japanese characters. The characters are selected (shown as underlined) until I hit either space or enter (or both). Space shows a list of characters that sound like that and I choose the ones I want to use. Enter leaves it as is, or lets me end the selection. I move on to the next word and repeat.
894228
Retaining a learned language is hard when your skills are not put to practice. But you have many solutions available. Go to Japanese chat rooms. Do NOT be embarrassed by grammar mistakes etc. they will be more than happy to correct you as well as help you. People generally enjoy telling people how to say things correctly! \nAlso, watch Japanese television programming on your basic cable. If that is not on your cable package, see if you can upgrade to get that channel. Put the enthusiasm back into the language by making the effort. Also, you can join a club in your area like a culture club as well as attend classes at community college.\nWhen you talk out loud to yourself, and we all do, say it in Japanese.\nI wish you luck on this. Please keep the language, you worked hard to attain it!!
192439
http://www.japanguid.com/ is going to help u to find a friend of Japanese. Good luck.
1103704
You had best just buy a japanese-english dictionary.\n\nThey have a schedule in front of how to pronounce the different kana and they also give you references on how to look for a word if you don't know how to pronounce the kanji.\n\nOh, additional: try to get the programme Twinbridge, it's like Word for english and japanese.
464645
You should first know your learning style: can you learn from a language CD, person, book, etc.\n\nFocus on how you learn best.  If you can pick up differences in speech from a CD, Barnes and Noble/ Borders etc sell some really good tutorials.  Pimsleur is a set I have had success with.\n\nNext find a person or circumstance you can practice the verbal skills you are picking up.  Asian Societies/Japanese societies, etc.  practice. practice and practice some more.\n\nAs far as the written.  Pick up a set of books that teach written Japanese.  Start with Hiragana, then katagana, and finally Kanji.
765022
I would suggest a class. Learning the pronunciations and the symbols are difficult alone. With a tutor you can learn the katakana and kanji symbols the correct way because there is a process of writing symbols that needs to be done. Also repitition is also a good thing to do when learning Japanese.
983868
Go to About.com.  There you scroll down to languages and Click Japanese Language.  There are many ways to learn and plenty of games too.  Hope this helped!!
534986
You need to activate the Japanese language bar. \n\nDetailed instructions can be found at these sites:\n\nhttp://www.declan-software.com/japanese_ime/\n\nhttp://www.msu.edu/~bellbri2/ime.html
396876
I've been learning Japanese for two years now and have a Jpanaese girlfriend and I still can't string a sentence together.  It's hard but not impossible, but unless your really good at learning languages I'd go for Spanish, which is a beautiful language anyway.
509309
http://babelfish.altavista.com provides japanese to english translation for free. just copy (or write) the text in the text box and select japanese to english from the pull down menu..\n\nhaven't tried any japanese text to translate into english. hope it works!
553030
Change your language bar settings in Control Panel> Regional Settings/Options\nAdd Japanese as a language for your computer
417007
There is no fast and easy way to learn Japanese, but a great place to start if you can't take a class and you aren't going to Japan anytime soon is http://www.yesjapan.com/. \n\nIf you don't want to do that, just google "free Japanese lessons" and you'll come up with a ton of material. \n\nIf you're really serious, you might also consider getting  Japanese penpals who wouldn't mind tutoring you.\n\n http://www.sharedtalk.com/ is a great site for finding  someone to study with .
1177054
I can help you learn Japanese.  We will remain only penpals.  I am a 61-year-old male.  So, we shall never meet.\n\ndreams_to_print@yahoo.com