Learn Japanese while driving: Best Lessons, MP3 Courses & more.
Believe it or not, learning Japanese (and other languages) while driving is a common, effective, and time-saving way of learning Japanese. It’s actually a “thing” among language learners.
(Scroll down to see Japanese learning programs for driving.)
Well… for those of us with cars. Some of us don’t drive!
Why learn Japanese while driving?
- It’s smart. You put “wasted” time to use by listening while you drive.
- Meaning that’s extra opportunity for you to learn Japanese.
- You can multitask here: drive, while listening. You do it with music already.
- Lessons can be downloaded in Audio form & listened to like music.
This means you need a certain kind of Japanese learning program. Not textbooks. Not software. Not Apps. Using these “active” and “engaging” methods while driving doesn’t make sense.
These only make sense when you’re at home or have your hands free.
Something with a passive learning style. There are 2 learning styles: active & passive. Active requires you to focus 100%, write, think and analyze. And, yes, active learning is best for learning anything, but consider the context. You’re in a car. A hunk of metal hurdling at 40 miles per hour. If you want to learn in this case…
You need to take advantage of passive learning. Passive learning is learning that doesn’t require you to be 100% engaged. Learning by listening and repeating for example. Does it work? Yes. The method works well enough given your context: being occupied with the steering wheel.
You will be able to remember new Japanese words, phrases and so on.
So what can you use? The best learning tools to learn while driving are…
- Audio MP3 Lessons: Real conversational lessons that teach you phrases
- CD Programs
- Audiobooks: These are books read out loud so you can listen.
- Basically, anything Audio that you can already fit on your smartphone.
Recommendations: What can you use?
1. JapanesePod101.com – Thousands of Lessons from Beginner to Advanced.
This is an online Japanese learning system that gives you tons of Audio & Video lessons. All available via their App. All of which you can download and play while you’re on the go. You learn real conversation as they 1) break down the phrases 2) translate them all and 3) ask you to repeat. Enough lessons to take you from knowing nothing to an intermediate level. Very useful to listen to while you’re driving.
Good points:
- Cheap. Lots of of discounts.
- Fun and easy to understand and listen to. Great for beginners.
- Tons of Audio & Video lessons & new lessons all the time. Download them for your device.
- Learning guidance from one lesson to the next. You’re never lost.
- Apps that give you your lessons on the go.
Click below to check a sample lesson & click here to visit JapanesePod101 to learn Japanese.
2. Pimsleur Language Program: Japanese I (CD program)
Very popular and well known, but a bit on the pricey side. Pimsleur is basically an old fashioned JapanesePod101 (the older crowd likes it a lot) and it comes in CD form. Based on the title, as you can see, there’s Japanese I and then there are other levels you’ll need to buy: Japanese II and Japanese III. Japanese I promises to take you to an intermediate level of Japanese. Be sure to click on the link and read the customer reviews on Amazon.
Again, this is something you can pop into your CD slot and listen while driving.
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How about you?
Do you use any other Japanese lessons/programs while you drive?
Any ones you liked or didn’t like?
Let me know and I’ll add it to the list so other learners can have a good selection to choose from.
– The Main Junkie
