Language Program

You should try http://lrnj.com . It automatically guages how you're doing with the kanji you've already covered and presses forward or reviews depending. It's done up as an RPG and the enemies are constantly hitting you while waiting for your answer (instead of using a fixed time limit). Overall, I find the learning system to be very refined and the program to be quite effective. At one point, I was up to 800 Kanji, but Having not used any of them in over a year, I've since forgotten most of them

You should try http://lrnj.com . It automatically guages how you're doing with the kanji you've already covered and presses forward or reviews depending. It's done up as an RPG and the enemies are constantly hitting you while waiting for your answer (instead of using a fixed time limit). Overall, I find the learning system to be very refined and the program to be quite effective. At one point, I was up to 800 Kanji, but Having not used any of them in over a year, I've since forgotten most of them

My system is based on that program. But as I said, it was flawed. So I fixed it's flaws in the theory behind learning. Also, instead of trying to teach the English word so that you only read the word in English. You learn the actual spelling so that as well as learning how it's written, you learn how to speak it. In testing, I did have people try both programs, I was told by 3 different people so far that my program was much more effective. So, it's not that, that program is bad, just had some flaws and I've fixed them.

Also, sorry 'bout losing that 800 Kanji. But yeah, when you don't speak/write in another language for a while, a lot of it is lost. I normally practice 30-minutes a day, 7-days a week in to ensure I don't forget what I know. The 30-minutes is usually just me reading a raw manga and translating it along the way. It is quite effective

Anyways, web based program is available if you wanted to see. Though I'm not very close to finishing the lists. Still have a way to go.

LRNJ does have a mode that teaches readings. It also has a mode that teaches touch typing with a Japanese keyboard layout.

For Japanese at least, Rosetta Stone is awful. Among other problems, the way it phrases sentences is unlike what you will usually actually use/hear.

LRNJ does have a mode that teaches readings.

I never found it. Plus I don't care since it's not quite the same as my program. As I stated before, it was the basis, but my program is different on it's own standings. Otherwise I wouldn't have made it.

Also, my program has has lists for katakana and hiragana for starters, as with a tester I just had minutes ago. In 40-minutes he had the Vowels, K, S, and T character sets down from katakana. Tomorrow I will test them again, see how much they remembered. Then they will continue using the program for 20-60 minutes for the next 7-days. By the end of that, I expect them to have the katakana syllabary completely down.

It also has a mode that teaches touch typing with a Japanese keyboard layout.

That's kinda useless. Nothing wrong with the English keyboard layout using Japanese keyboard settings. That's what I've been doing for years.

For Japanese at least, Rosetta Stone is awful. Among other problems, the way it phrases sentences is unlike what you will usually actually use/hear.

Yes, I grabbed it myself because I saw this commercial and started laughing when the person talking didn't fully understand when it's proper/improper to use such a phrase as "o genki desu ka". That system doesn't properly teach the way you the way particles should be used and seemed to just try to throw someone with no knowledge a load of shit. The words that were taught, fine. The sentences and structure of those sentences, no, just, no.

I doubt any person who's only used rosetta stone can break down a sentence as simple and straightforward as these two. Which I will show an easy, Japanese to English breakdown of it. Because it really is, straightforward.

Breakdown 1

その人はどこに行きませんでした。
sono hito wa doko ni ikimasen deshita.

[sono hito wa]
As for that person

[doko ni ikimasen deshita]
where didn't go

That person never went anywhere.

Or, a little bit more difficult, but nothing even close to hard. And really, still straightforward.

Breakdown 2

僕の姉ちゃんは雨の好きです。でも� �小雨が僕の一番。
boku no neechan wa ame no suki desu. demo, kosame ga boku no ichiban desu.

[boku no neechan wa]
As for my sister

[ame no suki desu]
likes rain

[demo, kosame ga]
but, a drizzle

[boku no ichiban desu]
my favorite | my #1

My sister likes the rain, but my favorite is a light rain.

So, yeah, hmm...a recommended learning tool specifically for Japanese would be a product someone had told me about called Human Japanese. I acquired it myself through not the most legal means, but approve. It is much better than rosetta stone ever will be for Japanese.

Anyways, huzzah! I'll report back later. I've got work to do.

LRNJ teaches katakana and hiragana. I think it just isn't in the demo version anymore.

I don't want to buy it, so it looks like I'll never know.

Could you find someone else who has it, and take it from them?