Purely from the linguistic point of view， Japanese is generally considered as one of the easier languages for a beginner to approach.It has a simple pronunciation scheme and few exceptions to grammatical rules.Restrictions on sentence structure are not severe.Probably the most difficult aspect of the language is the reading and writing of kanji（汉字） characters.

  The way Japanese is spoken differs somewhat depending on whether the speaker is a man or a woman,an adult or a child. For example, there are numerous words meaning "I" and each speaker refers to himself using the one that is must appropriate for his situation. What is even more troublesome is that the speaker must choose his words considering the relationship between himself and the person he is speaking to.Another aspect of the language that makes it difficult for foreigners to grasp quickly is the presence of many words which are probounced the same but have different meanings.Still another is the relatively common use of especially polite (honorific)speech forms.These are of two types one which uses special words of respect in connection with the acts and possessions of the person or persons one is speaking to and one which uses special words of modesty with respect to oneself.Even native speakers require considerable training and practice before they can use honorifics properly.

  The Japanese themselves are not good at speaking foreign languages. and therefore they understand the problems of the foreigner and will make every effort to understand him even if he makes mistakes.

  Because of the many differences between it and other languages.Japanese tends to be considered difficult. In fact, however, basic spoken Japanese is not difficult at all. This is evidenced by the fact that many foreign visitors master the language well enough for their daily needs after only a year's stay.

  It is estimated that worldwide anywhere between 2and 3million people are studying Japanese,and the number is increasing rapidly, especially in the ASEAN countries and in China and Korea.

 

                                                                           -翻译书中-