First, there is no best choice for everyone when it comes to text books.
A good text book should cover as many of the topics most people need as
possible. Speaking from the perspective of someone who creates study
materials, sometimes concessions must be made to complete a work.
I'm often asked "Which text book do you recommend?" Unfortunately, I can't give any advice without knowing details about your current level of proficiency, study goals, study methods, and so on.
In addition, each text book has its own characteristics. For example, even if intended for the same beginning level, the text book I would recommend differs for people who also want to study the written language versus those who don't.
If you want to know the best text book for you, first you should clearly state your study goals and preferences and then ask a highly experienced Japanese instructor for recommendations. Even so, selecting a text book is hard work even for a professional instructor. If the teacher you ask is someone who uses many text books, you can probably trust the advice they give, but, if this isn't the case, you need to be careful, because the instructor may lack credibility on this topic.
For instance, some text books aren't very good even though they may be famous in your country. Even text books are a type of product, and some text books have become well-known due to expert marketing and PR by the company selling them. I can't give specific book titles here, but if you're interested just ask me directly.
There's one more important thing. The best study materials for you differ depending on your study method. For example, if you've studied grammar yourself and want to practice conversation with an instructor, you probably need a textbook for practicing conversation. If you want to study for an exam, a book on grammar or a collection of past test questions is probably best for you.
Try to adopt the idea of "studying with a text book" rather than "studying a text book."
Textbook Genres
There are various textbook genres available. Roughly, there are 15 genres, listed below. Within each genre, textbooks are aimed at different levels and target different students.
Comprehensive textbooks, Textbooks for businessmen and trainees, textbooks for short stays, textbooks for overseas students, textbooks for children, reading comprehension textbooks, grammar textbooks, textbooks for listening and pronunciation, textbooks for writing (kana and kanji), essay textbooks, practice problem textbooks, textbooks for passing the JLPT , textbooks for passing the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students, textbooks for passing university entrance exams, and textbooks for passing other exams.
Selecting a textbook is not easy. Be sure to get the advice of a professional instructor. If you choose the wrong textbook, it can lead to decreased motivation, and this causes many people to quit studying Japanese altogether.
Materials Other than Textbooks
There are many other types of language learning materials besides textbooks. These include CDs, websites, audio media, movies, original materials produced by instructors, iPhones, and iPods. Finally, regardless of whether or not they are intended as study materials for Japanese language learners, Japanese books and magazines intended for Japanese people can also be used as study materials. For example, people interested in Aikido can use a book about Aikido to study, or a person interested in tattoos can use a magazine about tattoos.
I recently gave a Japanese language magazine about Internet security to a student who said he learned a lot from it. He works as a freelance security network specialist in the US and says he'd like to work in Japan in the future. I gave him this present, because he had passed the JLPT Level 2 test and I felt he could probably read Japanese fairly well. If he had been a beginner, I probably would have selected a textbook for beginners as a gift, rather than that magazine.
The thing I want to say here is that many materials can be used to study Japanese besides textbooks. If you're taking one-on-one lessons, you should make sure your teacher knows your interests and hobbies so that they can incorporate that information into your lessons as much as possible. However, take care to select something that matches your actual abilities.
Where can I buy textbooks?
Among Internet options, I recommend Amazon and BK1 because they both ship overseas. Note that it's easy to find books on the Japanese Amazon site not sold on the non-Japanese Amazon site. If you want to buy from a Japanese bookstore (Tokyo), I recommend Bonjinsha, a bookstore specializing in Japanese language materials.
I'm often asked "Which text book do you recommend?" Unfortunately, I can't give any advice without knowing details about your current level of proficiency, study goals, study methods, and so on.
In addition, each text book has its own characteristics. For example, even if intended for the same beginning level, the text book I would recommend differs for people who also want to study the written language versus those who don't.
If you want to know the best text book for you, first you should clearly state your study goals and preferences and then ask a highly experienced Japanese instructor for recommendations. Even so, selecting a text book is hard work even for a professional instructor. If the teacher you ask is someone who uses many text books, you can probably trust the advice they give, but, if this isn't the case, you need to be careful, because the instructor may lack credibility on this topic.
For instance, some text books aren't very good even though they may be famous in your country. Even text books are a type of product, and some text books have become well-known due to expert marketing and PR by the company selling them. I can't give specific book titles here, but if you're interested just ask me directly.
There's one more important thing. The best study materials for you differ depending on your study method. For example, if you've studied grammar yourself and want to practice conversation with an instructor, you probably need a textbook for practicing conversation. If you want to study for an exam, a book on grammar or a collection of past test questions is probably best for you.
Try to adopt the idea of "studying with a text book" rather than "studying a text book."
Textbook Genres
There are various textbook genres available. Roughly, there are 15 genres, listed below. Within each genre, textbooks are aimed at different levels and target different students.
Comprehensive textbooks, Textbooks for businessmen and trainees, textbooks for short stays, textbooks for overseas students, textbooks for children, reading comprehension textbooks, grammar textbooks, textbooks for listening and pronunciation, textbooks for writing (kana and kanji), essay textbooks, practice problem textbooks, textbooks for passing the JLPT , textbooks for passing the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students, textbooks for passing university entrance exams, and textbooks for passing other exams.
Selecting a textbook is not easy. Be sure to get the advice of a professional instructor. If you choose the wrong textbook, it can lead to decreased motivation, and this causes many people to quit studying Japanese altogether.
Materials Other than Textbooks
There are many other types of language learning materials besides textbooks. These include CDs, websites, audio media, movies, original materials produced by instructors, iPhones, and iPods. Finally, regardless of whether or not they are intended as study materials for Japanese language learners, Japanese books and magazines intended for Japanese people can also be used as study materials. For example, people interested in Aikido can use a book about Aikido to study, or a person interested in tattoos can use a magazine about tattoos.
I recently gave a Japanese language magazine about Internet security to a student who said he learned a lot from it. He works as a freelance security network specialist in the US and says he'd like to work in Japan in the future. I gave him this present, because he had passed the JLPT Level 2 test and I felt he could probably read Japanese fairly well. If he had been a beginner, I probably would have selected a textbook for beginners as a gift, rather than that magazine.
The thing I want to say here is that many materials can be used to study Japanese besides textbooks. If you're taking one-on-one lessons, you should make sure your teacher knows your interests and hobbies so that they can incorporate that information into your lessons as much as possible. However, take care to select something that matches your actual abilities.
Where can I buy textbooks?
Among Internet options, I recommend Amazon and BK1 because they both ship overseas. Note that it's easy to find books on the Japanese Amazon site not sold on the non-Japanese Amazon site. If you want to buy from a Japanese bookstore (Tokyo), I recommend Bonjinsha, a bookstore specializing in Japanese language materials.
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