Oxford Take Off in Japanese (Take Off in) | 
 enlarge | Author: Oxford Dictionaries
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $45.00
Buy New: $26.31
You Save: $18.69 (42%)
New (33) Used (5) from $26.31
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 292329
Platforms: Windows Xp, Windows Vista
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: 2
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Discs: 1
Operating System: Windows Vista
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 1.5 x 8.2
ISBN: 0199534306
Dewey Decimal Number: 495
EAN: 9780199534302
ASIN: 0199534306
Publication Date: May 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW
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Product Description
Take Off In Japanese makes learning or brushing up on the language quick, easy, and fun. Follow an integrated course including activities and dialogues with native speakers so you can feel confident in day-to-day conversation. The course offers expert help when you are travelling with mp3 audio download for practice while on the move.
This complete language learning kit contains everything you need to speak, read, and understand Japanese, and gives you flexibility when learning. The pack includes a clear, easy-to-use coursebook, full mp3 audio available to download, and 4 audio CDs to support you as you pick up your new language.
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| Customer Reviews:
Focus on speech and listening comprehension September 16, 2008
Take Off in Japanese is a combination book-CD/MP3 course that seems clearly focused on basic speaking and listening. The topics start right away with greetings and comments on the weather (which sounds trite, but is in fact a useful and common conversation starter in Japanese). We are introduced to a few characters who will be our companions throughout. Within minutes we're at the coffeeshop, learning how to say "I'll have a [coffee/tea/whatever], please" and all the little set phrases that go along with that ("Here you are," "Excuse me...," "Really?" etc.) Next we go to a local bar, and then we learn to tell time, and armed with that information, we ask for opening and closing times for the gym, the pool, the restaurant, and so on. Money and shopping come next... then asking and understanding directions, getting around, and so forth.
The teaching style is quite interactive for a book/audio combo. The narrator (with a plummy British accent) frames the lesson, we listen to a dialog, and she asks a question or two: What time of day is it? What did they buy? Then a few new phrases are explained, and bits of the dialog are repeated. We may be directed back to the book to do an exercise--but not your typical textbook exercise. These are teeny-tiny exercises... for instance, you might be given a list of four events from the dialog and asked to put them in the order they happened. Or you might be asked to answer a few true/false questions about what you heard, or to use the phrases to describe something you own. There's lots of back-and-forth between the book and the audio, which means that it can't really be done while driving. However, the activities are so bite-sized that you can pick it up and do a bit whenever you have a spare minute or two, and if you take the train or bus to work, you're definitely going to like it. The course comes with a code to use to download MP3 files for your iPod or other player. Each one runs just a few minutes long.
Oxford Press have obviously tried hard to avoid "textbooky" dialogue. In that little bar in lesson 1, for example, the gruff but friendly owner is nonplussed when a stranger comes in and hesitantly orders first a cola, then a juice. "Juusu?!! Juusu desu ka?" ("Juice?!! You want juice??") The unfortunate stranger finally figures out that a beer is what he wants, and the owner bustles off to fetch it while the two female regulars, one feels certain, nod in approval. Later on, Iito-san (the bar owner) hosts a picnic, where everyone drinks too much and falls asleep. The day after the picnic, one of the ladies wrecks her bicycle. And so on. It's a pleasant change from "The boy is running, the boy is eating, the dog is running."
On the down side, the new vocabulary and grammar points go by pretty quickly. There's little repetition built in, which sounds like a plus but really means that you have to either be a quick study, or repeat the lessons yourself until you've got it. Pimsleur, by contrast, has you repeating the same phrases over and over, building in new material lesson by lesson but returning to the basics again and again. You'll find the TOIJ dialog much less boring, but harder (I think) to remember.
There is very little kanji or kana--almost the entire book is in romaji (Japanese syllables spelled out in Roman characters). This will make it anathema to many students, but for the focus of this package, which again is clearly speaking and listening, I don't see that as a fatal flaw. A half-hearted effort has been made to include a few katakana (for foreign loanwords like koohii, coffee, and sooda, soda) and enough kanji to get you to the proper toilet, but that's about it. You definitely won't learn to read any Japanese from TOIJ, and for a visitor or traveller, that may be okay--not everyone plans to be literate for a visit to a foreign country. If literacy is your goal, a program like Rosetta Stone Version 3: Japanese Level 1, 2 & 3 would be more in order... but you'll spend a bundle compared to TOIJ, and even RS will not get you far in real-life reading.
For such a small package, however, TOIJ has packed in a lot of grammar points. Here's an overview:
1. Desu (am/is/are), questions, polite requests, forms of thank you
2. Numbers, telling time, wa, ja arimasen (isn't/aren't)
3. More numbers, counters, no, arimasu (there is/are), polite shop language
4. Arimasu/imasu for location, ko/so/aso, ga
5. More counters, particles of direction and transport, particles of time
6. O , days of the week, verbs with shimasu, adverbs of frequency, -i adjectives
7. Do, verb forms for invitation, verb forms for suggestions
8. Past tense verbs, dates, giving reasons, saying your age, toki (the time when...)
9. Family members, ni (indirect obj), -na adjectives, colors (oops, that's colours!)
10. Asking for translation, more counters, past tense of adjectives
11. -te imasu (is ...ing), negative questions, verbs for clothing
12. Comparisons, making requests, superlatives
13. Plain verb forms, I think ..., phrases of frequency, I can..., giving advice
14. Plain verbs past tense, Have you ever..., joining sentences, verbs of giving and receiving
When I first opened the (small) package, I thought it was a lightweight product, but clearly, completing this course will give you an adequate grasp of the language for a beginner. I'm not sure that there's enough review and repetition built in to ensure that you retain what you've learned, but there's surely a lot of content for the money.
 Great Introduction August 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A gentle, thorough and well done introduction to an unfamiliar language. Despite having studied a variety of languages from around the world, Japanese always seemed the strangest, as if it was from another planet. If I was going to learn Japanese, I felt I would need something much like this course, which takes you step by step through the basics.
The Components. Four CDs and a nicely printed paperback textbook come fitted inside a compact case that is easy to carry with you. Even easier is to use the free mp3 download of the audio and take just the book along. The book itself avoids the dumbed down look of modern language courses, avoiding silly cartoons and distracting illustrations.
The Method. The audio drives this course. A narrator talks you through the lessons, right along with the textbook. Usually I don't like this approach as you lose the flexibility to use the materials in ways that suit your learning preference. In the case of Japanese, I am not objecting as this method as I lack confidence in the language.
The Lesson Structure. The book is divided into 14 lessons each with several sub sections. You listen to dialogs, answer questions based on the dialogs, read the simple grammar section, and do further activities. There are tests, cultural notes and a few reviews throughout the book. I would have preferred a grammatical approach rather than a thematic one, but I suppose this makes the course less intimidating to people.
And the Rest...There is an answer key, a short grammar section and a vocabulary list in the back. The course seems to teach about 800 words, which is OK for beginner level. Something I really like is that the authors have collected a series of helpful hints for self learners and interspersed then throughout the book, reminding you of what you should be doing to make the most of your study.
Altogether, a well done course. It is well made, put together with care, and will take you gently and easily through the basics of Japanese. As I have no prior experience in Japanese, I can't say how far this takes you, or what you will need to do after this, though I imagine if you are more than a tourist and want to begin a serious study of the language, you will need more materials. This a great start for a great price. I recommend this for people who are planning a trip to Japan or want an easy introduction to Japanese before going on to more advanced material.
First Impressions from a 2 year Japanese Language Learner August 27, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
First off, I would like to say I do not give many 5 star reviews, but when it comes to a language learning program, there is really not an absolute best because the experiences one encounters differs from person to person. That being said, I have attended a college course in Japanese, had a tutor, and tried out Pimsleur's and Rosetta's formats. I would first like to add out of all these so far Pimsleurs was my favorite because it felt like:
1. I was attending a private session in Japanese
2. I could listen to recordings instead of using an interactive program
3. I could pause and rewind
4. I could put MP3's of the recordings on my Ipod.
Now it may sound like I'm giving a review of Pimsleur's, but I'm not, I am praising the features with which Take Off In has, and in most cases surpasses my already favorite program. I really really like this Take Off In program, because it again, uses the recording method of teaching versus the interactive program like Rosetta Stone.
This set comes with CD's, a nice booklet that has sections that ascend as you progress, and has activities and tests at the end so you can quiz yourself and see how you are doing. And because this is a digital, private class like software program, you can repeat any sections that you feel you didn't do well in.
Knowing a good bit of Japanese already I can tell you the way this program teaches you and what it teaches you is essential and necessary in teaching a language intelligibly and understandably. It starts off with basic greetings and immediately puts you in situations where you are told to repeat what you should say at that moment, and because this is on the computer you can pause (of course) and see if you are indeed correct.
Summing up what I like about it:
-I really love the private digital classroom feel
- The teachers voice is of European English accent, which is pleasant
- The titles on the CD are categorized into sections and summaries just like a textbook
- Download-able MP3's on the web that you can throw on your MP3 player so you can listen while doing other things, and allow for portability
- The book allows you to quiz yourself and do fun activities so that you can really progress and shown your actual progress through quiz questions.
- Easy to ready and understand method of teaching
- Very inexpensive versus other programs available
Thank you for reading my review, and as I progress into this, I will add what I feel necessary.
 Sadly disappointed August 27, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
When I receive this product I was very excited- I have long wanted to learn Japanese and simply cannot afford the hundreds of dollars for the Rosetta Stone foreign language learning software that is so highly regarded. Anyway, The Oxford Take Off in Japanese book consists of 4 CD-ROM's and an accompanying book and the material on the CD-ROM's can also be downloaded as mp3 files for a player such as an Ipod. Before writing this review, I completed thirty five of the program's "Unit's" (well into the third CD) and I reviewed the entire book. What I found was disappointing. In exercises where the purpose was to recite back the played phrase enough time was not given. In addition, the accompanying book was incomplete and often too brief- many items and discussions on the CD's that I would have liked to have seen in print were not in the book. In addition, the order of the units was at times very confusing. Also, the topics seemed to be heavily geared toward the traveler and no one else. Overall, I was sadly disappointed. For someone who wants to be able to use Japanese as a traveler in the most basic of ways, I would say you might be able to get something out of this book and the accompanying CD-ROM's or mp3's- albeit with a lot of frustration. My goal had been to be able to communicate with Japaneses businesses and friends by email but the book is not geared to this. In the end I guess you do get what you pay for and no one could be sadder about what you don't get in this book and the problems with the Oxford Take Off in Japanese program than this reviewer. To be fair, this is probably an alright product considering the low price and the price difference between it and something like the Rosetta Stone Japanese product. However, it just didn't work for me or my purposes. I had such high hopes for this book and files but they just weren't realized. On a positive note, I enjoyed the sections in the book on Japanese culture. They were very well done.
MP3 Idea is a great addition August 26, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
My teen daughter is beginning Japanese this year and states it is too hard to do school work (reading or other) while riding the school bus. However, listening to her iPod is acceptable by school rules and also enjoyable for her, so hopefully we will download the audio lessons to her iPod so she can take advantage of them while traveling to school.
The CD Rom is all audio and includes a book. You receive a code and a website link to download all the lessons for iPod use. I also used this to download the files to the computer desktop (as I don't like the kids handling the delicate CD Rom drive). Now, they can just click a desktop folder and play the audio lessons.
This is not software with lessons on the computer screen. When played through the computer, the screen looks more like a screen saver. So expect only audio for your purchase (similar to learning a language in the car). I do wish it had a video along with it because visual learning can be so beneficial plus add a little more fun. For example, they could have had the quizzes (included at the end of each section) run through the computer screen.
The audio was crisp and clear which is important in learning any language. The included book is definitely focused on "getting around" which makes the target audience more adult than teen. It even mentions how much communication can be done with a limited vocabulary, which makes me think it is mainly geared toward those who travel. I expect teens in school begin by learning numbers, colors, etc. while this book begins with time (including numbers), followed by money, out and about, getting around, and later- things like eating, etc. so it may be a small challenge for a young student. It could be young students will have to wait until second semester to find the lessons beneficial.
That being said, anyone studying Japanese most likely has enthusiasm for the language so I definitely think this will be a great benefit in educating children and adults trying to learn Japanese.
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