resources – The Sam Exponential

There are a lot of free and paid resources out there!

How do you know which one to use?
I’ve curated a list for every level so if you only have time to focus on one, this is the one I suggest for now.

To get the most out of these resources,

There are affiliate links throughout this page. I get a small commission when you make a purchase but it doesn’t cost you anything.

Japanese inputs / Keyboards

Windows instructions on adding the Japanese keyboard
If you don’t have the Japanese language pack installed, you might need to do that first.

If you want to type in Japanese on your phone, Google has a Japanese keyboard/IME app you can install.

http://jisho.org
Lots of tools rolled into one. This one has a simpler interface.

In the options at the bottom:

Use the common dictionary to search for most words by choosing the Jpn-Eng General [EDICT] if a different dictionary is set.
If you can’t type actual Japanese characters, you can enter Japanese words with the English letters of your characters in the search box. Make sure to check the box that says “Search using romanized Japanese” or select the radio button labeled “Romaji”.
Limit the results by checking “Common words”.
When you’re done, click Search.

Table of resources for those at the beginner Japanese level.
Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking
Dr. Lingua’s Kana Bento Drag-and-drop game. In the settings, select Hiragana on one side and Katakana on the other. Choose Romaji for either one only after you know both Hiragana and Katakana really well.	Super Simple Japanese Learn Japanese through song and videos. Turn off subtitles. The Japanese subtitles include romaji unfortunately.	renshuu In the menu of the renshuu phone app, go to Games and choose Quick Draw. You defeat monsters by drawing the characters. It gives you hints if you draw in the wrong spot.	Dogen Tips and classes for improving your pronunciation.

Table of resources for those at the intermediate Japanese level.
Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking
みんなの日本語 (affiliate link) A book for learning Japanese in Japanese. Level up fast this way.	Onomappu Learn through interesting videos about Japanese culture and chats with Japanese people. Turn on Japanese subtitles.	Hinative Ask native speakers to correct your Japanese writing.	italki (affiliate link) Chat and learn from native speakers. Time difference can be hard if you live on the other side of the world.

Table of resources for those at the advanced Japanese level.
Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking
青空文庫 Tons of free stories. Choose the starting character of either the author or the story. After clicking on a story, go to the bottom and download or view the webpage.	YUYUの日本語Podcast He talks about a lot of different things including how to get better at Japanese. The subtitles are in the videos.	LINE Connect and keep in touch with Japanese friends. Desktop and phone app.	Meetup.com or other language tables Practice conversation with different people and multiple people at the same time.

Table of resources for those at the pro Japanese level.
Reading	Listening	Writing	Speaking
Fujisan.co.jp Free magazine articles in different writing styles.	Variety shows like Fischers This group of friends has interesting experiences, plays games and pulls pranks on each other. Subtitles are in the videos.	Write to friends, coworkers, etc Use as much as possible in all aspects of your life.	Work / Game servers / Volunteer at anime conventions Get real-life experience speaking. Different situations require different types of Japanese.