Japanese For Dummies

Japanese is a wonderful language, very different from Europeanlanguages. It is also the gateway to the rich culture of theexciting and complex island nation of Japan. Some people getintimidated by the prospect of speaking Japanese--worried thatit's just too complex and different--but these fears areunfounded. While you can devote a lifetime to the study of this orany language, picking up the basics of Japanese doesn'trequire any more than an interest and a willingness to trysomething new. Japanese For Dummies has everything you need to get offthe ground with speaking the language. Author and Professor ofJapanese Eriko Sato starts you off with the essentials of grammarand pronunciation, giving you a working sense of the language,before showing you Japanese in action. You'll then explorevocabulary and expressions through dialogues taking place insituations such as: * Introductions and greetings * Eating and drink ing * Shopping * Exploring the town * Talking on the telephone * Asking directions * Getting around * Staying at a hotel You'll also discover social customs, formalities, andmanners, from how and when to bow to how to unwrap a present.Whether you simply want to introduce yourself to the Japaneselanguage, say a few words to a neighbor or coworker, oryou're planning a major trip or study abroad in Japan,Japanese For Dummies will enable you to get the basics fastand work towards your own goal at your own pace. You'll alsofind out about: * How to use karaoke to help you learn Japanese * Movies that will introduce you to Japanese culture andlanguage * Learning Japanese the "gourmet" way * When ignoring "no, thank you" shows goodmanners * Proper table manners * Proper body language * How to sound fluent * And much more! With helpful vocabulary summaries, a mini-dictionary at the end,and an audio CD full of conversations and pronunciations,Japanese For Dummies assumes no prior knowledge of Japaneseon your part--providing the perfect guide for aquick-but-thorough, lighthearted-but-not-lightweight introductionto the language.