Hello!
My name’s Paul Baptist, and I’ve been a rabid fan of the Japanese language since I first started learning it back in January 2001.
I’m a veteran of the anime community, having created AMVs, done fan translation projects, worked for Studio Ironcat, run the forums at AnimeX, and attended Otakon nearly every year since 2002. I also play in an anime/game music cover band that has been playing the halls at MAGfest the last several years.
One of the few things I love more than the Japanese language is having the opportunity to share it with others, which is why I started this site. In the time I’ve been studying on my own I’ve managed to pass Level N2 on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test; I’m currently waiting to hear back on last month’s N1 test results.
Whatever your level, you’re welcome here.
- If you’re just beginning, I’m happy to point you to some resources to get acquainted with the basics, and will probably post some things of my own from time to time.
- If you’re a more advanced learner, hopefully the things I post here will help you get exposed to more material to help you grow further.
- If you’re in between, don’t worry—I’ll do my best to scale the content so that it’s easy to follow along.
Also, one last important item:
I. Love. Kanji.
Seriously, it’s my favorite thing about the language.
What this means is that I’m not going to shy away from using it when exposing vocabulary or presenting concepts. I’ll post a detailed explanation of that in the near future. That said, there is nothing to fear here.
Having spent so much time working with kanji, I’ve developed a lot of strategies to help make them easier to digest, and ultimately turn them into a strength. One of my goals with the content on this site is to remove some of the stigma around learning kanji and help people feel more comfortable with their use.