Step by step, these attractive and interesting lessons make it possible for you to understand and speak Japanese in the shortest possible time. The Cortina Method combines a selection of practical phrases of everyday use, rendered in Romanized spelling (romaji) which is self-pronouncing, and the absence of complicated grammatical rules, to make the study of spoken Japanese easy and effective. A comprehensive reference grammar is provided following the lessons. This section which also contains a guide to pronunciation will prove a handy and invaluable aid to the student. The Katakana Syllabary is also explained, enabling the student to read and write in Katakana. The useful Japanese/English dictionary of about 2,000 words will be found especially practical because, in addition to giving the translation of the most important words, it refers to lessons and lines where they occur.