First and foremost, this book is completely in Japanese with the exception of a few introductory paragraphs in English. If you are student who has a basic reading comprehension level, then this book may be very challenging. Throughout its 250+ pages, the book focuses on using common Japanese expressions. It’s more of a book made for students who write a lot of Japanese as opposed to those who wants to improve their speaking skills. Throughout the 30 chapters, many different kinds of expressions are covered which sometimes also relate to grammar structures like conditionals, verb tenses, and descriptive language. There’s a wealth of material included in the book but it’s all very orthodox and “drill based” as opposed to being more creative in its presentation. The book has lots of detailed explanations and simple exercises but absolutely no pictures at all. This may turn off some student and even bore or intimidate them.
"If you are student who has a basic reading comprehension level, then this book may be very challenging."
Each lesson includes around 10-15 useful expressions and plenty of activities to help students to remember each expression. In each chapter, students will work on a variety of multiple-choice, fill in the blank, reading comprehension, and sentence writing activities depending on the unit. There’s a simple flow throughout each unit, which is good for the more book-oriented learners.
Pros:
· 500 expressions and lots of practice to improve students’ writing skills.
· Completely in Japanese so learners are absolutely immersed in the language.
Cons:
· All text and no images. Learners may get bored or become intimidated by the content of the book.
· The book is mostly for using each expression correctly and reviewing important grammar structures. The book doesn’t provide activities that help the student become more fluent in the language.
· The book is completely in Japanese, so students will need to be familiar with the language and be able to read and write it.
Recommended For:
· Motivated students who have a very good reading level in Japanese.
· Classrooms or cram school styled language schools that focus mostly on reading and writing.
Depending on what you’re looking for and your current language level, this book may or may not be worth picking up. If you’re a serious student with a strong reading ability and interested in practicing more advanced aspects of the language, then this book is a good choice. If you have not reached the intermediate level and you want to work on all four language skills then this book wouldn’t suit you. In general, 500 Essential Japanese Expressions is a good choice for the serious student who wants to challenge themselves, hit the books and study hard.
