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My Japanese Coach by UBI Soft
Product SummaryBrand: UBI Soft Audio: English (Unknown) Published: 2008-10 Release Date: 2008-10-14 Platform: Nintendo DS Model: 16428 Publisher: UBI Soft Product features: - Explore Japan as you learn Japanese from your own personal teacher, or sensei
- Compare your pronunciation of the sounds unique to Japanese with native speakers
- Learn and practice writing Japanese Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji characters using the DS stylus
- Play 12 different types of mini-games that test your grasp of the structured lessons
- Built-in dictionary and phrase book with over 12,000 words and hundreds of useful phrases
Video Game Reviews of My Japanese CoachCustomer Review: Decent game Summary: 4 StarsI found this game in a used gaming store this past weekend. I've been studying Japanese for a while now (recently taking up the torch again) and thought it would be something fun at work.
It begins with a multiple question quiz and if you get two wrong together, it stops the quiz right there. I'm not certain if that is the best way to go about it. You might know 20 words and just get lucky or are just lucky to begin with. Regardless, where it stops is which lesson it begins you at. Everything up to then is considered "mastered" by the program.
There are (guessing) around 260 lessons and 12 games to play. As you get higher, you unlock more games and lessons.
The thing I loath about this is the writing. A lot of people have mentioned this (stroke order and whatnot) but I dislike it for another reason. I don't know about you but my handwriting on this types of things has always been horrible. There is no "clear" when you're doing the games and any accidental "touch" to the screen counts as a stroke. The game doesn't particularly care about "how" the character looks either, as long as it's in the right squares (the character input as four boxes.) They show you one way of stroke order, but I found I could put the characters in a different way. It's just frustrating.
The lessons are interspersed with the games and you can't go onto the next lesson until you've "mastered" the words in the lesson. You "master" by doing the games, which throws in all the words you've "mastered" with an emphasis on the words you've had that particular lesson. So, you don't really jump from lesson to lesson. There is some time inbetween.
Also, in the lessons, there are places were you can record your voice speaking the words to compare with a native speaker. You can even play them together for a more realistic gauge. If they do teach Kanji, I'm not at that point in the game.
Finally, it comes with a dictionary, phrasebook, a "where you are" section, and a sketchpad.
This is a nice game. It's not a one stop language learning kit but honestly, if you think you can find one, good luck to you. I bought this to take to work when I'm on my breaks and/or lunch. I think it's comparable to a language learning book.
Description of My Japanese CoachThanks to UbiSoft's My Japanese Coach for the Nintendo DS, you can carry a tutor in your pocket that lets you learn a new language in as little as 15 minutes a day. With plenty of entertaining lessons, loads of fun-to-play mini-games, and a host of helpful features, this unique language coach will have you not only speaking like a native in no time, but reading and writing like on as well! 
Carry a tutor in your pocket with My Japanese Coach. View larger. | Learn in Fun and Interactive Ways My Japanese Coach is an installment in the My Coach series from UbiSoft series that teaches the basic pronunciations unique to the Japanese language. This convenient and easy-to-use tutor allows users to compare their pronunciation to that of native speakers via the Nintendo DS's microphone. It also lets you use the DS stylus to practice writing Japanese Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji characters. My Japanese Coach takes you on a virtual tour of Japan while you're learning the language. Lesson plans take place in a wide array of Japanese locations, from the densest of population centers like Tokyo, to the idyllic Japanese country side. You actually get to explore Japan while you learn new vocabulary as you open each point of interest. Learn From a Master Meet Haruka, the in-game digital sensei, or teacher, that exists solely for the purpose of teaching you Japanese. After giving you a small placement-style test, Haruka will get you started working through the various stages of your lessons. Gaining mastery points by playing the various learning games allow you to clear each level. Once you master all the words given in a specific level, you move on to the next level. As you work your way through over a 1,000 lessons, your language skills are constantly tested and sharpened by various mini games. My Japanese Coach includes 12 types of mini games, ranging from Flash Cards, in which you hear a word and have seconds to choose the correct English translation, to Bridge Builder, where you are required to string words together in the correct order to create a complete sentence. And with mini-games that add a clever twist to classic favorites--like Memory that forces you to match the same words in two different languages--you will be sure to have fun while you learn. My Japanese Coach also features a built-in dictionary and phrase book that includes over 12,000 words and hundreds of useful everyday phrases. 
Meet Haruka, the in-game digital sensei, or teacher. View larger. | 
Sharpen and test your language skills with mini games. View larger. | 
Use the DS stylus to practice writing Japanese characters. View larger. |
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