Introduction:

From “karate” to “karaoke”, from “adzuki beans” to “Zen Buddhism”, the Japanese language has been exporting oriental traditions to the Western culture for decades. More than 130 million people speak Japanese, making it the ninth most widely spoken language in the world. Outside of Japan, there are another 5 million people who speak Japanese with some degree of proficiency – predominantly Japanese descendants in Hawaii and Brazil. Japanese language services have become extremely important in social and business settings. Japan is one of the world’s leading industrial powers and is remarkable for its economic growth since World War II, considering it has few natural resources. Japan is known for its people’s strong work ethic and the high level of cooperation between industry and government. 

Some basic facts about the Japanese language are as follows:

• The Japanese writing system consists of three different character sets: kanji (several thousands of Chinese characters), and hiragana and katakana (two syllabaries of 46 characters each; together called kana). 
• Basic Japanese grammar is relatively simple. Complicating factors such as gender articles and distinctions between plural and singular are missing almost completely. Conjugation rules for verbs and adjectives are simple and almost free of exceptions. Nouns are not declinate at all but appear always in the same form.
• In comparison with other languages, Japanese knows relatively few sounds, and pronunciation poses few problems to most learners. The biggest difficulty are accents, which do exist, but to a much lower extent than in the Chinese language.
• Different words and expressions are used when talking to an unknown person or a superior, as opposed to when talking to a child, family member or a close friend.

Learning a language can be fun and challenging at the same time, but many people can’t or don’t want to invest in courses or lessons inside a classroom. By studying the basics, practicing the language, and exploring Japanese in new ways, you can experience the joy of learning a new language. Let’s have a look at the ways through you can learn Japanese on your own:

1. Study Japanese writing systems – The Japanese language uses four writing systems. In order to learn Japanese, you will need to study each of them. Hiragana is the Japanese alphabet. It consists of 51 phonetic characters. Each character stands for one sound. Begin by studying and memorizing these characters. 
2. Practice Japanese pronunciation – There are 46 sounds in the Japanese language. These sounds are composed of one of five vowel sounds, by a vowel-consonant combination. (There is only one exception, which is a sound composed of only a consonant). You can begin studying pronunciation by learning how to pronounce each character in hiragana and katakana.
3. Learn the rules of grammar – Japanese grammar is very different from grammar in English, so try not to apply English rules of grammar to your Japanese study. Learning Japanese grammar will take some time to get used to.
4. Strengthen your grasp on the writing systems – If reading and writing is important to your understanding of Japanese, it is crucial to spend time studying all four of the Japanese written systems. Hiragana and katakana can be learned in as little as a few weeks, and you can use them to write anything you want in Japanese. 
5. Talk to someone online – A fun option for practicing Japanese is to video-chat with a native speaker. Look for online resources that pair language partners together. If you find someone who is a good fit, begin practicing with them 1-2 times per week.
6. Use online resources – There are numerous online language programs that can help you to learn and practice Japanese, such as Duolingo, Multibhashi, and Japanese 101. Seek out these free resources and make practicing Japanese a daily routine.
7. Immerse yourself in Japanese Media – Look for Japanese books, comic books, or newspapers. When you try to read in Japanese, you expose yourself to new words while strengthening your skills and encountering Japanese culture. Another fun way to expose yourself to Japanese is to watch Japanese movies. Movies can expose you to a wider range of terms (including slang) and provide some entertainment. Just like movies, listening to Japanese radio can be a good way to hear new words and sharpen your listening skills.

These are the easiest ways to learn Japanese without a teacher. You might need a teacher at some point in your life but you’ll have to grow without one. So why not start learning without one already?