Japanese Phonetics 101
Discover your ability to sound effortlessly natural in Japanese.
You’ve tried to improve your Japanese accent on your own and you've watched YouTube videos and done as instructed but, you haven't had any breakthroughs and you feel stuck.
What if I told you that you could...
✔ Feel more comfortable engaging in conversation with native speakers
✔ Gain all the tools you need to recognize how you can continue to improve
✔ Study at your own pace
Introducing:
Japanese Phonetics 101
An actionable program to help you understand exactly how you can improve your Japanese pronunciation and pitch accent.
Prefer to begin with a free workshop? Click here!
Japanese Phonetics 101 teaches you the rules and patterns behind it all, in a visually-supported, easy-to-understand way.
Japanese Phonetics 101 gives you the tools you need to train yourself to hear and reproduce native-like Japanese. Listening and speaking skills come hand-in-hand.
Japanese Phonetics 101 is there for you every step of the way. You'll get support in and out of live office hours. Zoom, email, community support - you got it.
“Kokoro Communications' Phonetics 101 course breaks down Japanese pronunciation in easy to follow videos and accompanying materials. It's a great mix of theory and practice that would be useful not only to those earlier in their learning journey (like myself) but also those who are more advanced grammatically but wanting to sound like a native speaker”
“Information about pitch-accent can be so hard to find. Thanks for sharing the knowledge :)”
“You’re the first one I’ve seen go in depth into phonetics and pronunciation. Thank you!”
Here’s what you get:
1. Instant access to the full course system
Each of the 6 modules breaks down topics into easy-to-understand lessons. You'll also find a customizable workbook, extra resources and quizzes, as well as the schedule & recordings of office hours here! Lifetime access included.
2. Bimonthly live office hours
You don't just get the course - you also get extra time with my team and I! Submit your questions - big or small - in advance, and/or join the bimonthly (every two months) office hours live on Zoom. Office hours include focus lessons that review or introduce new material. Can't attend? Don't worry! They'll be recorded so you can review them any time.
3. Additional Resources
In this section, you'll find extra support in the form of videos, dictionaries, and more. Some of the most important resources include the Japanese tongue twisters, shadowing how-to, the big reading and listening resource lists, and the tips for practicing!
Here's what happens when you sign up:
Step 1.
You will receive an email from me welcoming you to the course!
Step 2.
You can log into the course area, build a learning plan, and get started right away.
Step 3.
Learn at a pace that works for you and request support when you need it!
Step 4.
Stay focused and reach your goals in no time!
FAQs
1. When does the course start and finish?
The course starts when you join! When you finish will all depend on your schedule. You may be able to get through all of the content in one week, but it'll likely take a lot more practice and review before you sound like a native speaker. Don't worry! We all learn at different speeds and have different schedules. You’ll have access for the lifetime of the course, and all future updates.
2. Do I need to join every office hour?
No, you don’t need to join every office hour - just come when you can! You can always pre-submit your questions and watch the replay.
3. Do I need prior knowledge of Japanese?
In order to get the most out of this course, I recommend having some background knowledge, but you don’t need much. I recommend understanding the basics of grammar and being able to recognize hiragana. However, this course is designed for people at many different points in their learning journey. Because we focus only on pronunciation and pitch-accent, it’s never too early or too late to work on it!
4. How long do I have access to the course?
You’ll have access for the full lifetime of the course. This means that as long as the course exists, you have access to it. All updates are included.
5. What topics are covered in the course?
Within Japanese Phonetics 101, we cover all vowel and consonant sounds, focusing specifically on the sounds that don’t exist in English, before moving on to the different pitch-accent patterns and when to use each one. The modules are: Moras & Stress, Consonants & Vowels, Changing Sounds, Midpoint Review, Introduction to Pitch Accent, Word-Level Pitch Accent, Sentence-Level Pitch Accent, and Quizzes & Challenges. You’ll also have access to an additional resourse list where you’ll see links to external support as well.
6. Can’t I just improve on my own?
You can, but to improve your accent, you need to know what to listen for and what to improve on, on top of the why's and how's of language and anatomy. And although there are tendencies, different people have different strengths and weaknesses. If you don't train yourself to hear and know what your strengths and weaknesses are, it's very difficult to improve on them. We all know how difficult it is to find useful resources that do more than just outline the basics of how pronunciation and pitch accent works in Japanese. Simply reading about it or watching a few videos, unfortunately, won't improve your speaking.
This course is designed to focus on giving you the tools you need to hear and reproduce the sounds of native-like Japanese!
7. How long will it take me to sound like a native speaker?
Honestly, it depends on your current situation, and how much time and energy you dedicate to practicing. Having clear goals, creating your own deadlines, and having people to speak to will keep you focused and motivated, will help you achieve your goals faster.
I'm here to support you through the learning process, so join the office hours, ask questions and make requests to improve the course, and practice!
“Tell me how I’ve been learning Japanese for 20 years and no one ever explained this to me. I took it in college too.”
“I had literally no idea why I randomly struggled with making some words flow.”
“Really appreciate the more linguistic explanation.”
“This is literally the least taught area of Japanese and I love it.”
Improve your accent and get
More confidence. More opportunities.
Prefer to begin with a free workshop? Click here!