Learning Japanese Hiragana and Katakana

More about the book

This systematic and comprehensive Japanese workbook is ideal for self-study or classroom use. Written Japanese utilizes three types of characters: kanji (Chinese characters) and two phonetic sets, hiragana and katakana, collectively known as kana. Mastery of kana is essential before learning kanji. This workbook offers beginning-level students a solid foundation in the basic hiragana and katakana syllabaries. It includes a thorough introduction to their functions, origins, pronunciations, and usages. The main content features 92 hiragana and katakana characters, with step-by-step writing guidelines and ample practice spaces for neat handwriting in the correct stroke order. Key features include systematic coverage of the kana systems, extensive practice, review, and self-testing opportunities, a detailed reference section on kana origins and functions, and access to online audio files for proper pronunciation. Additionally, it provides helpful information for students familiar with romanized Japanese and includes culturally relevant vocabulary. The new third edition has been expanded to feature more reading and writing exercises, with online recordings demonstrating correct pronunciation for all characters and vocabulary.