There is lot of LIVE learning material(here, I mean material in Japanese) of Japanese available on the internet. LIVE learning material is very important because language learning after some stage is not only about reading prescribed textbooks but also learning by exposure to LIVE language usage. But many people which I encountered keep safe distance from internet and do not see internet as a LEARNING MATERIAL.
To make use of internet as a learning material easier, there is a tool named RIKAICHAN.
Here is some information about RIKAICHAN :
1. RIKAICHAN is a Firefox extension that displays a popup showing the English definition of Japanese words as your cursor passes over them.
2. RIKAICHAN can be enabled/ disabled with a single right click.
3. Currently, RIKAICHAN can be used with Mozilla Firefox web browser only.
Follow the instructions given below to install RIKAICHAN for your Firefox browser:
1. If Mozilla firefox is installed on PC, proceed to step 2. Otherwise, install it using the link http://www.blogger.com/www.mozilla.com/firefox/
2. In Firefox browser, go to Tools->Add Ons
3. In Add ons dialog, select Get Add ons option.
4. In the text box which is seen below, type rikaichan and search for add on.
5. Click on "Add to firefox" button and install Rikaichan add on to Firefox.
6. Once Rikaichan is installed, install word dictionary from the link http://rikaichan.mozdev.org/
7. Once the Word dictionary is installed, you are ready to use RIKAICHAN.
Here is an example of one practical usage of RIKAICHAN:
Enjoy roaming in the inexhaustible world of LIVE Learning material using RIKAICHAN !!
A very common question which I face from many linguists which are first time users of Computers is - How do I read and write in Japanese using my PC. OK.. Here is the answer:
This blog outlines the steps for installing East Asian languages on a computer running Windows XP so that the user can both read and write in them. The method to install east Asian langauge support on other Windows OS is more or less same.
1. First open the Control Panel dialog box by clicking on the Start button, and then click on Control Panel. By default the Control Panel is in the new Category View. If that is the case, click on Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options under Pick a Category. If not, you can either click on Switch to Category View to bring it up, or work in the Classic View (in that case just double click on the Regional and Language Options icon to open the Regional and Language Options dialog box.
2. You get the Regional and Language Options dialog box as shown above. Click on the Languages tab.
3. You are now under the Languages tab for the Regional and Language Options dialog box.
4. Check the box for Install East Asian Languages under Supplemental language support. Then click Apply and OK.
5. Once the language files have been installed, click on the Details ... button under Text services and input languages while you are still under the Languages tab for the Regional and Language Options dialog box. You get the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box.
Then click on the Add.. button under Installed services.
6. After you have clicked the Add .. button under Installed services in the Input LocalesText services and input languages dialog box , you get the Add Input Language dialogue box. Choose Japanese from the drop-down list under Input Language, check the Keyboard Layout / IME button, and then pick Microsoft IME Standard 2002 ver 8.1. Then click OK.
7. You are now back to the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box. Note that under Japanese /Keyboard, Microsoft IME Standard 2002 ver 8.1 is now listed. Click Apply OK.
8. You are now ready to both read and write Chinese and/or Japanese in your documents. You will see near the upper right hand corner of the Windows desktop the Language bar button 
, which allows users to change the input language in an application by left clicking on it to bring up the language choices available and then selecting and clicking the desired language. Note that within the same document you can change the input language by using the Language bar. You can produce a document with a mixture of different languages.
After doing all this, you can finally write in Japanese, or for that matter any East Asian language like Chinese, Korean, etc.
To know more about different very useful functions of Microsoft IME,
please visit the two links given below:
http://newton.uor.edu/Departments&Programs/AsianStudiesDept/Language/index.html
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/handson/user/IME_Paper.mspx
For any questions, suggestions, opinions, please drop me a comment !!
Throughout my journey of Japanese language learning, I have come across many intelligent, smart people who have helped me in my never ending quest to master this wonderful language. I have met some Indian people with unbelievable Japanese language capability and some people who have got incredible techie brains to handle insatiable Japanese customers/ clients. I have met some tremendously capable Japanese translators with amazing language capabilites. But a strikingly common feature in most of those people, is the lack of awareness in the use of Computer, internet in the process of Japanese language learning. Being from a technical background and having considerable linguistic flair and technical background, I am always bombarded with many questions which I have to answer on case by case basis, individually.
This provoked me to start a blog on Japanese, use of PC and internet to learn Japanese language.
Here I take this opportunity to share the use of PC, internet to learn JAPANESE - a language I like LIKE.NO.OTHER!!
