An indispensable tool for acquiring basic communication skills in a limited amount of time. WithJapanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication, even absolute beginners can learn to communicate in Japanese in a matter of days. Designed specifically for native-English speakers approaching Japanese as a second language, this book presents 142 essential Japanese sentence patterns, first by giving equivalents in English, then following with Japanese translations. Each pattern is accompanied by a concise, easy-to-follow explanation and several Japanese example sentences that demonstrate its usage. In addition, practice sections for each pattern allow the student to test his or her understanding of the material presented. Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communicationis organized into twelve chapters according to communicative function, including such tasks as making simple, declarative statements about people and things in the world; making comparisons; talking about events in the past, present and future; expressing desire, conjecture and intention; stating causes or reasons; making requests; asking and giving permission; and using the passive and causative-passive voices. Extensive charts at the back of the book outline the rules for inflecting and conjugating adjectives and verbs-essential to fluent communication.

TAEKO KAMIYA received her BA from Doshisha Women's College and MAs from the University of San Francisco in education and from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in linguistics. A veteran language teacher, with 25 years' experience teaching Japanese, she is the author of numerous books on the Japanese language, including The Handbook of Japanese Verbs and The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs (both by Kodansha International).