Do you want to enjoy anime and manga in their original Japanese? This article summarizes Japanese reading practice for beginners using free online resources. Read to the end and you will find tips on how to enjoy anime and manga in their original Japanese!
Contents
Importance and Basics of Japanese Reading Practice
First, let’s review the importance and basics of Japanese reading practice.
– Understanding the Japanese writing system
– Understanding Japanese sentence structure
Japanese reading comprehension is an important skill, and continuous reading practice is necessary to develop it. Improvement of reading comprehension is essential for understanding information and documents, so be proactive in your practice!
Understand the Japanese writing system
The Japanese writing system consists of hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana is used to represent basic Japanese syllables, Japanese grammar and particles. Katakana is often used to represent foreign words and sounds, and is used for words borrowed from English and for international terminology. Kanji characters were introduced from China and are used to express meaning.
Hiragana consists of 50 syllables, and the basic rule is to memorize the letter corresponding to each syllable. Katakana also represents the same syllables as hiragana, but are written in a different way, so you will need to learn to read and write them independently. Kanji characters are used to express meaning, so it is important to learn how to read these characters and their meanings.
Understanding these writing systems will help you read and write Japanese documents. By learning basic reading and writing skills, you will improve your ability to understand and express yourself in Japanese texts. Each writing system has its own learning methods and exercises, so make use of appropriate learning materials and resources. Understanding the writing system is an important step in the foundation of Japanese language learning.
Understanding Japanese sentence structure
Japanese sentence structure differs from that of English, and understanding its characteristics will help you improve your reading comprehension. First, Japanese sentences are divided into clauses. 文節（Bunsetsu） is a semantic grouping that plays a role within a sentence. It is important to understand the proper reading and intonation of each sentence phrase.
In addition, the position of the subject and predicate in Japanese differs from that in English. In English, the subject comes first in a sentence, but in Japanese, the predicate often comes first. By understanding this characteristic and being aware of the position of the subject and predicate, you will be able to correctly understand the meaning of a sentence.
In addition, various particles exist in the Japanese language to express the meaning and relationship between clauses. Particles clarify the structure of sentences and clarify the relationship between clauses. By correctly understanding the usage and role of particles, you will be able to accurately grasp the meaning of a sentence.
By understanding these elements and recognizing the cohesion of a sentence phrase, the position of the subject and predicate, and the role of particles, you will acquire the ability to interpret Japanese sentences more accurately. Utilize appropriate study materials and resources to develop your knowledge of sentence structure and practical reading comprehension skills.
Online Japanese Reading Practice Methods
Now, let’s take a look at how to actually practice!
– Using free Japanese reading comprehension material websites
– Japanese Reading Practice Using Smartphone Apps
We will introduce some effective ways to practice Japanese reading comprehension using online resources and specific examples of how to use them.
Utilizing free Japanese reading comprehension resource sites
The web is full of free Japanese reading practice sites.
Below we have listed three sites that offer free Japanese reading comprehension materials. We will explain the characteristics of each site, how to use them, and how to make the most of them.
Characteristics: This site is provided by NHK and offers news articles in easy Japanese.
Usage: Select a news article to read and understand the content. If you find a word or expression difficult, refer to the vocabulary and grammar explanations on the site.
How to use: Read through the news a little bit each day to build up your sentence comprehension and vocabulary. You should also practice summarizing sentences and answering questions.
2. Nihongo-Pro Reading Comprehension
Characteristics: This site provided by Nihongo-Pro offers exercises to improve reading comprehension.
Usage: Choose an exercise for each level, read it, and answer the questions. You can also check the answers and explanations.
How to use: Select the appropriate level of questions and practice repeatedly to improve your comprehension and reading skills. You can also practice your speed by answering questions with a time limit.
3. JLPT Sensei
Characteristics: This site provides reading comprehension questions for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). There are questions for each level.
Usage: Choose a question that matches your level, read it, and answer the question. You can also check the answers and explanations.
How to Use: To familiarize yourself with the JLPT exam format, hone your exam skills and techniques by solving practice questions. The goal is to improve your accuracy and speed through repeated attempts.
All of these sites offer free and informative materials. Choose materials that match your level and interests, and practice reading comprehension on an ongoing basis. It is a good idea to check your understanding as you read the text and review it by taking notes on words and expressions. You can also deepen your reading comprehension by summarizing sentences and summarizing your own opinions.
Japanese reading comprehension practice using a smartphone app
Next, we have compiled a list of Japanese reading practice apps that utilize smartphones!
Below are three recommended apps.
1. TangoRisto (iOS/Android) is a Japanese reading comprehension training app that uses news articles. It fragments articles and provides quiz-style questions. You can measure your reading comprehension and improve your understanding. You can also choose an article that matches your level, practice repeatedly, and train your speed.
2. JA Sensei (iOS/Android) is an app that provides a wide range of Japanese learning content. It includes kanji and grammar explanations, vocabulary building, reading training, and more. Choose lessons and quizzes according to your level, answer questions as you read the text, and check the explanations to deepen your understanding.
3. Duolingo (iOS/Android) is a multilingual learning platform that also offers reading comprehension practice in Japanese. You will be provided with quiz-style questions to help you understand the meaning of the sentences and choose the correct translation. Learn grammar and vocabulary and improve your reading comprehension skills while completing level-appropriate lessons.
These apps are an easy way to improve your Japanese reading comprehension on your smartphone. Choose the one that best suits your level and goals, and continue learning. Try to read sentences carefully and answer questions accurately. In addition to using the application, we also recommend that you actively engage in practical reading such as actual news articles and literary works.
Reference books for Japanese reading comprehension
From here, we will introduce reference books to improve your Japanese reading comprehension. We will explain in detail the characteristics of each book and how to utilize them.
Japanese Reading Comprehension Reference Books for Beginners
The following is a list of three reference books for beginners to support Japanese reading comprehension!
1. 『新完全マスター読解 日本語能力試験 N4』”New Perfect Master Reading Comprehension”: Japanese Language Proficiency Test N4″ is designed for the JLPT N4 level and aims to improve reading comprehension while acquiring basic grammar and vocabulary.
2. 『読む力が身につく 初級日本語』”Reading Skills for Beginner Japanese” is a material for developing reading comprehension skills at the beginner level based on practical content. Through explanations of grammar and vocabulary, you will deepen their understanding of texts.
3. 『日本語教育能力検定試験（J-TEST）対策読解問題集 初級・中級編』”Reading Comprehension Questions for the Japanese Language Teaching Ability Test (J-TEST)” is a collection of questions corresponding to the elementary and intermediate levels of the J-TEST, and covers a variety of genres of texts.
When utilizing these reference books, it is important to understand the characteristics and usage of each book to tackle the questions. Choose the appropriate level of material and develop your ability to accurately understand the meaning and context of the text. In addition, reviewing the answers and explanations while checking the answers and explanations will help you improve your reading comprehension skills efficiently. Continue to practice and review regularly to effectively improve your Japanese reading comprehension!
You usually study alone, but sometimes you want to ask questions to Japanese speakers, don’t you? Ohanasi Kagawa offers free online language exchange events on weekends. If you are interested, please check out the details.
There are many ways to practice reading Japanese. Choose the material that suits your level and practice consistently!
【For Japanese Learners】 Limited to 10 people Free Consultation & Japanese Lesson
We are organizing a free Japanese language consultation & free Japanese lesson for Japanese learners.
- “Even though I’m studying Japanese, I can’t speak it.”
- “I don’t know how to study Japanese.”
- “I’m worried that I can’t see any progress.”
Our Japanese Language Learning Counselors would be happy to listen to the concerns of such beginner- or intermediate-level Japanese language learners and advise them on how to learn Japanese and solutions that suit their needs.
※Due to the limited time of our Japanese Language Counselors, we limit the number of participants to 10.
We at Ohanasi Kagawa are currently hosting an online Japanese-English language exchange event on weekends.
However, we have noticed that there are many people who want to participate but are not confident enough in their Japanese to do so.
We are holding this free Japanese language study consultation in the hope that we can help Japanese learners find hints to help them move forward.
You can book through the calendar below, and we will send you a link for the free counseling by e-mail.
If you’d like to take a Japanese lesson, you can take it for free during this time.
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