Learn Japanese with Tancho Kana View

Tancho Kana View

A few days ago I wrote a piece recommending the Android app Talk to me Cloud to assist you not just in learning Japanese which is helpful for the hardcore anime fan, but that app will help you learn while smoothing out awkward conversations in other languages as well.

For the next few app review posts, I'm going to focus on the best free apps to learn Japanese. Some of them might be $1 but if I write it up positive, pay the buck, it's worth it.

The app today that I recommend for beginners is Tancho Kana View (I'm a beginner too and have been for years). I can see how this app will help you to quickly learn Japanese Hiragana and Katakana script as it claims... I've used Rosetta Stone level 1 and I think you are better off starting with this app for free (I'm learning just as fast on this free app) then if you must spend the $200 bucks on Rosetta Stone later because you are rich (I bought mine before all these free apps were available) then be my guest... ^_^

There are a lot of apps out there that will help you learn Japanese but not all of them have audio recorded by a native speaker to help with your pronunciation. Tancho Kana View covers that base for you. No more getting confused reading the "i" as and "e" and vice versa, as the audio support smacks you upside the head with a simple tap of your finger on the screen (the slap is optional and executed by your own hand). This app is perfect for memorization style type of learning. And the fact that its on your phone is a great way to fill up those moments of when you are ruling or waiting for the next thing to happen whether it's the bus, the train, or for mom to bring you another role of T.P.

Stay tuned for apps to help you learn Japanese in more intuitive interactive ways next time...

Talk to Me Cloud

How is your Japanese? Are you still learning Japanese or do you not care?

If you are learning so that you can enjoy your anime and video games on a whole new level, and appreciate new tools that help keep the learning fresh, tune in as I will be reviewing my favorite tools to help keep your vocabulary growing.

My new favorite toy is an Android Application called "Talk to Me Cloud". While not intended to help you learn a language properly as you would in a classroom setting. It is awesome for helping you learn useful phrases and my favorite use is for those really bad anime subtitles that make you go.. HHUUUUH?!? If it's a key moment in the plot and the subtitles of your anime are on crack, just hold your phone up to the speaker and let the anime rip. 7 out of 10 times I estimate you will get a proper translation. Pretty dang sweet.

The application uses a cloud based speech to speech translating program and supports over 50 languages at the time of this write up. It's got a ways to go, but is killer and beats anything we had in this part of the toolkit to date. Not only great for anime, but if you wanted to learn how to say a few simple phrases in a bunch of languages, this would be a fun way to do it... Oh, and don't bother saying bad words to the cloud, it won't hear you... Hunt it down in the Android Market by searching for "Talk to Me Cloud" it's free!