Learn Japanese for free

Japanese is a fascinating language. It is known as an ‘isolate’ language because it is not related to any other languages and its origins are also unclear. Yet around 128 million people speak it, making it one of the world’s major languages. In addition, it has mutually unintelligible dialects, meaning speakers of different versions can’t understand each other even though they are all technically speaking Japanese. This has l...…Read More Japanese is a fascinating language. It is known as an ‘isolate’ language because it is not related to any other languages and its origins are also unclear. Yet around 128 million people speak it, making it one of the world’s major languages. In addition, it has mutually unintelligible dialects, meaning speakers of different versions can’t understand each other even though they are all technically speaking Japanese. This has led to the rise of a ‘common language’ based on the Tokyo dialect where most people live. As if that is not enough, the basic syntax and grammar of Japanese is largely unchanged meaning that, once you have a grasp of the language, you should be able to read classic and ancient texts quite easily.
The place to start delving into this unusual language is right here on Alison. Sign up for our free beginner’s courses on time, parts of speech, conversational Japanese and phrasing before moving on to complete a full diploma. By then, you should be able to read written Japanese or ‘scripts’. If you are considering a career with a Japanese company, would like to live or holiday in Japan or even simply want to broaden your mind, an introductory course to learning Japanese is only a click away. Read Less