Opinion:
The first thing you will notice about this audiobook is the cover. It is very plain and simple. Maybe it is even a bit too simple in my opinion. Nevertheless, I really liked the colors.
So, what can I say about the content? Well, it is actually simply learning Japanese with Paul Noble. You get to learn and study a new language step by step with instructions that are easy to understand. Firstly, you learn the basics and over time Paul Noble gets deeper and deeper into grammar, but not too deep. Because, although Japanese is not the easiest language to learn, Noble makes it even possible for beginners to get to know this language and to use it - even if it's used in a very simplified way.
I personally enjoyed listening to the author studying Japanese sentences with me. Especially, because he used sentences useful to the everyday life in Japan. Also, his voice was very pleasant and inviting for a nice environment to study.
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Conclusion:
All in all, I would definitely recommend this audiobook to anyone who wants to start learning Japanese! This audiobook could be very helpful!

I am really surprised how effective this method is. I really did not expect to pick up as much Japanese as I did simply through repetition. Alternating between new vocabulary and reinforcing what you have learned keeps things fun and interesting.

Paul Noble's narration is easy to listen to and curiously encouraging too!

I studied Japanese formally for two years. At the end of it all I could do is apologise, in polite Japanese, for how bad my Japanese was. I learnt more from traveling around Japan, and making a fool of myself by speaking terribly, than I ever did from school. I could have done with this audiobook on the plane. You can't learn Japanese in two hours. But you can pick up a few key phrases that will help you to get around and connect with people. All good stuff.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC

Was a good introduction but i don't think you will learn Japanese

Great basic introduction to the complex Japanese language. I would definitely use more titles by this author.

I’ve tried Paul Noble’s language learning series before. This was a great snippet it into basic Japanese phases done in such a way as to make learning easy. A good resource if perhaps a bit les accessible than his European language courses.

A great introduction to Japanese language in an accessible format. I love Paul Noble’s language books and this was no exception. I found it easy to listen along to whilst getting to with housework etc, although I’ll admit that this alone will not teach you essential Japanese unless you are naturally skilled with languages, it’s a complex language which requires much more effort for learning, great for an introduction though!

This audio book is a very quick guide to how to construct basic Japanese sentences, with lots of repetition.

As someone who is desperate to go to Japan, I wanted something that would provide me with a relatively simple introduction to the language. This audiophile does that excelently , starting at the very beginning and progressing with a good pace so as to remain interesting without being confusing. It was also really convenient to be able to learn on the go, I listened to this in the car and whist cooking,band it made it a lot quicker than having to find specific time period to read

Fantastic, thought I would give learning a new language a try. Easy to follow and surprised myself by actually picking it up

This was a surprisingly easy audiobook to follow to get used to some basic Japanese language. Paul Noble has an almost hypnotic voice to listen to. I was hoping to learn basic introductions from this and they aren't in this section, but it introduced the fact there are further editions. As a dyslexic who struggles with languages, this way of teaching made it much easier and I would recommend.

Brilliant programme that really does seem to do what it says on the tin. Paul Noble is very personable and the process makes sense for learners

This is a fantastic audiobook and I loved it so much. I was really surprised to learn that the japanese language has a lot of words which sound similar to the english language. I heard a lot of new words and phrases which were so enjoyable to learn. I was fascinated with this audiobook and the two narrators were fantastic. I really enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I will be looking to Paul Noble full course audiobooks to learn languages from now on.

I have been wanting to learn Japanese for years now but never known where to start, so when I saw this interesting audiobook pop up on Netgallery I was intrigued enough to want to give it a try, and lucky enough to be accepted to do so.

Paul Noble's voice is very easy to listen to and understand, and same goes for the lady who is pronouncing the Japanese sentences and words. The audiobook and lessons themselves are very cleverly done so that it’s an easy listen with repetition in what you say and how the sentences are formed.
I would say though that this is less of an 'essential Japanese' lesson and more of a 'introduction to the Japanese language'. You won’t be able to listen to this audiobook and then go to Japan and speak the essentials, but it is a really excellent way of introducing yourself to the language and how it works. Having listened to this I do not feel like I could go to talk in Japanese unless it was to say 'I don't like eating Sushi in the restaurant' or something like that, but I do feel ready to start learning Japanese probably.

In essence I would highly recommend this for anyone looking to start their journey into the Japanese language as a starting point so they can learn about the language and the essence of Japanese language.

So I am going to give this audiobook 2 ratings instead of 1.
The first as an 'Essential Japanese audiobook' 2 1/2 stars.
The second as an 'Introduction to the Japanese language' audiobook 5 stars.

Also please be aware this is the first in the start of a series I look forward to continuing, and I will definitely look to his courses first if there is any other language I want to learn.

I have to admit, I was sceptical when I saw Paul Noble's claim that I could learn some essential Japanese phrases in two hours. I figured it was a tricky language and would take a lot more intensive study.

However I really enjoyed this audiobook and I was amazed about how quickly I could pick up the phrases being taught to me. Obviously you won't speak fluent Japanese after two hours of listening to the book, and it's unrealistic to expect that. However for a basic understanding and for useful phrases when travelling, the author's method really works well. I had great fun listening to the audiobook and it instilled confidence and enthusiasm to pursue the language further. Highly recommended.

I am an absolute beginner when it comes to Japanese! However, I thought it would be an interesting challenge to see whether Paul was able to teach me enough conversational Japanese in a two-hour audiobook that I would be comfortable when I go to Japan (hopefully sooner rather than later)!

The answer - as you may have guessed - would be yes. Words, phrases and ideas are introduced gradually so you are comfortable with the concepts before moving on, and he makes a point of returning to older vocabulary to refresh you along the way. Although the concepts are basic, I would be more than confident to move onto the next step now - which is the main criterion for success I would say in a book like this. 5*.