Can you learn Japanese from reading Manga? Wayne P. Lammers, author of Japanese the Manga Way, thinks so.
While I’m not a big fan of the popular cartoon and graphic novel medium, it stands as one of the most widely-read magazines in the world. It’s this reason why Lammers thinks it’s the perfect vehicle to help people in their study of the Japanese language.
How does the book teach Japanese? It uses actual manga panels from a variety of graphic novels to deliver the instruction. That way, you not only get to read lessons, you see it illustrated too, adding an extra dimension to the learning process.
Does it work? I would think so, especially if comic books appeal to you. However, I’d caution against using it as your primary vehicle for learning, since it’s a relatively new form of instruction and has not benefited from years of practice and research.
In fact, the book is very dense, with each chapter filled by large amounts of content and information. I wouldn’t be surprised if students ended up feeling overwhelmed while going through it. The biggest problem I have with the book, though, is that the author doesn’t incorporate any exercises. It’s like a storyteller, with the story consisting of the language instruction, crafting a tale right before your eyes. You may listen intently, but recalling everything is more difficult since you made no attempt at actually acquiring the language.
Alternatively, I suggest using a book like Japanese the Manga Way with a popular language learning software. That way, you can benefit from the best of both instruction mediums – the entertaining lessons of Manga and the complete, whole-mind teaching of the software. Try it and you will see the difference.
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