So, as previously mentioned in this space, Kate and I will be spending a few weeks in Japan in August/ September. Out of a combination of politeness and self-interest, it would be good if we knew at least a smattering of Japanese before going there. Back in ’98, I did the book-and-tape thing, and learned at least phrasebook Japanese (“Eigo ga hanashimasu ka?”), but I remember very little of that, and Kate doesn’t know any.
We’ve heard good things about the Rosetta Stone software packages, but those are really expensive. The goal here isn’t to be able to watch anime without subtitles, it’s just to avoid embarassment in a three-week vacation. They’ve got an online subscription service for less money, which is a bit mroe reasonable, but I’m curious what the Internet has to say.
So, does anybody have any suggestions regarding the best way to pick up a little bit of Japanese at a level that will be useful in getting around on vacation? The real ideal thing would probably be to take a class from a local college or community college, but we’re doing a whole bunch of other travelling this summer as well, so that really doesn’t work with our schedules.