For Japanese people, studying English is almost a given. Even folks who may have no interest in actually leaving their home country may feel compelled to study the language for business or simply because they’re supposed to. But it’s hard to enjoy learning a language that you don’t have any interest in–and having fun is one of the best ways to facilitate learning.
This has opened up something of a cottage industry for people trying to make the learning part fun. There are nonsensical textbooks and sexy teachers, but then there are the college textbooks that seem like their authors weren’t even trying.
Well, for any Japanese English-learners who are on the verge of giving up – and perhaps for those of you struggling with learning Japanese – there may be one ray of hope still shining: Majime na Eibunpou, a surprisingly funny English grammar smartphone app!
English grammar is, if we’re being completely honest, a bit of a minefield. Even grammarians can’t seem to agree on everything, so you can imagine the trouble that non-native learners have getting the hang of speaking naturally and correctly.
▼We know English is hard, but there’s no need to get militant about it!
Unfortunately, for most people, grammar is also the worst part of studying English. “Nouns, gerunds, dangling participles, who cares!?” we imagine students screaming as they throw their textbooks in the air. There’s got to be a better way, right?
While some people will say that simply immersing yourself in the language is all you need, it seems like a little bit of study is necessary, and that’s where Majime na Eibunpou, or Serious English Grammar, comes in. The smartphone app gives users multiple-choice quizzes with detailed explanations for each problem. It also uses some of the strangest example sentences we’ve ever seen!
▼For example…
▼Well, that’s just rude…
The maker of the app also realized that no one’s perfect and created helpful hints for each question. Like the one below.
▼Which one would make it mean “Shall…”?
In addition to the, uh, creative sentences, the app also provides audio. The English is read is with clear, proper pronunciation by a male voice while the Japanese is read by a woman–again with impressive clarity. If you listened only to the tone of their voices, you could mistake this for any other, boring English grammar app or textbook CD.
Of course, if you pay attention to what they’re actually saying…
…you’ll have a lot more fun with it.
The entire app is riddled with what can only be described as “irreverence.” The quiz summary screen below shows an influence that’s more The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and less Strunk and White.
▼”You got them all right! Congratulations! Congratulations! Congra–oh. Only nine right? Oh… Anyway, have you ever been to Machu Picchu? I’ve been to many places in the world, and I’m thinking of going there next.”
Okay…thanks for sharing? Talk about invasive AI!
And for all of you out there who are learning Japanese, this might be a good way to pick up some new vocabulary! You can learn the word for “fart” and “bondage queen” just by using this app!
The first two quizzes are free, with more unlockable via purchase. You can download the app for Android devices from the Google Play store.
But maybe you’ll want to turn the sound off if you’re in a crowded area–unless you want everyone to hear about your plans to blow up the factory.
Sources: ITMedia, Google Play store
Screenshots by RocketNews24