Rosetta Stone Japanese Explorer

Each graduated lesson works like this: First, you learn a new word by seeing a picture of, say, a man. You then read the Japanese word for "man" (at different points, both in Roman letters and in Japanese script) and hear it spoken. After learning a whole set of words this way, you move into self-quizzing mode, where you see just a picture of a man and you have to choose the right word, either from spoken or written cues. This emphasis on listening comprehension is fantastic and is one of the components that sets the software apart, but there are also reading and writing exercises.

So how do they cover grammar? Japanese has a complicated system of counters attached to numbers. Eventually, for instance, you'll see hitotsu under a picture of one man and futatsu under a picture of two men. Later you'll see hippiki under one fish and nihiki under two fish. If you are a grammar guru, you might be able to figure out that humans are counted with hitotsu-futatsu, and small animals are counted with hippiki-nihiki. However, the beauty is you don't have to be a grammar guru at all because the software doesn't expect you to state rules like that; it expects you only to associate a picture of two fish with nihiki instead of futatsu. Eventually, you get into longer phrases that cover verbs, adjectives, and prepositional phrases. It's amazingly effortless, especially so for children as young as 6.

Caveats: The CD-ROM includes both Mac OS and Windows versions. Your installation will include the first-level lessons of a couple dozen other languages for free, too, so you have to know that the Japanese word for "Japanese" is Nihongo in order to select it from the list. Also, remember that software is no replacement for Japanese-speaking people, so take what you learn and use it in the world! --Erik Macki

Amazon.com Product Description
Now you can learn a new language with the award-winning method used by the U.S. State Department to train diplomats. Proven effective by NASA astronauts, Peace Corps volunteers, and millions of students worldwide, the Rosetta Stone Language Library teaches new languages faster and easier than ever before.

We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. The Rosetta Stone method replicates this process by presenting vivid, real-life images to convey the meaning of each new phrase. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language. Vocabulary and grammar are integrated systematically, leading to everyday proficiency. It's the natural way to learn.

The Rosetta Stone Explorer contains 22 lessons for beginning learners with nearly 900 real-life images and phrases spoken by native speakers. It develops all key language skills--listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing--while its systematic structure teaches vocabulary and grammar naturally, without lists and drills. Includes previews, exercises, and tests for every lesson, with automated tutorials throughout the program. (Ages 6 and older)