JapanNewbie

Kana iPhone Apps

Japanese 101: Hiragana

Click image to jump to the iTunes App Store

This iPhone Application will help you learn to read Hiragana in a way that fully takes advantage of the iPhone and iPod Touch’s unique capabilities.

Click here to jump to the iTunes Store

Japanese 101: Hiragana is an application will drill your listening comprehension abilities by having you hear a native Japanese speaker pronounce a particular Japanese kana, and then prompt you to touch the hiragana that was just spoken as quickly as possible. With repeated use this application will increase your Hiragana recognition and reading speed.

This app mimics a game commonly played in classrooms in which kana flashcards are strewn about the floor and the students have to quickly pick up the correct card when the teacher calls it out. The quiz mode of this app tracks the amount of time used, so you can challenge yourself to read the kana faster and respond more quickly and accurately.

Big Crisp Fonts on the Study Cards

This application will exercise the “listen and recognize” part of your brain that is normally missed in straight textbook study. Work these drills into your kana study sessions to ensure that you never forget how to read the kana characters!

You can enjoy Japanese 101: Hiragana in two modes: Study Mode and Quiz Mode.

Study Mode: Review each kana one-by-one by hearing it spoken, seeing the kana on the screen, reading a quick tip on pronunciation, and also seeing words that commonly start with that character when applicable. The kana have been broken up in to manageable groups to aid you in your studying.

Quiz Mode: Quiz yourself to see how well you know your kana. Get instant feedback as you attempt to touch the correct kana after a native Japanese speaker has spoken it. You can also chose to select the correct answer from among 2 or 4 possibilities as a way to adjust the difficulty according to your level. You can also set the quiz items to appear from your target study group of kana based on the groups that they are divided into in the Study Mode. After the quiz you can see your score and review the hiragana items that you missed. You can also see how long it took to complete the quiz as a simple way to judge your recognition speed.

Quiz Mode

Hope you enjoy this and other Japanese 101-series applications!

- Harvey

Hiragana App uses icons from the Silk icon set!