If you don’t already do so, you should be reading a little bit of Japanese every day for practice. And the easiest way to do this is to read the news.

But for beginners and even most intermediate students, this can be quite a challenge. The news has loads of specific vocabulary for every story, high level grammar, and they even use abbreviations that you might not be used to. All this together makes reading the news quite difficult.

The good thing is, there is a news site that is aimed at children and Japanese beginners. It is called NHK News Web Easy. They publish about 3 or 4 short news stories every day with furigana for difficulty kanji, and even slow audio readings of each article. The sentences are simple and to the point, and most of the articles have a light tone.

For the next two lessons I want to give you a couple examples of the articles they have on News Web Easy.

Article One:

I promised myself I wouldn’t write about politics, but this news story is light, and the Japanese love Obama, so this first article is about how his term will be ending in January.

アメリカ　来年１月でやめるオバマ大統領の人気が高い
あめりか　　らいねん　いちがつ　で　やめる　おばま　だいとうりょう　の　にんき　が　たかい
America: President Obama, who will retire next January, is very popular (right now).
Literally: “America + next year + January + で + quit + Obama + president + の + popular + が + high”

アメリカのテレビが６日に発表した世論調査によると、オバマ大統領の人気が１か月前より高くなりました。
あめりか　の　てれび　が　むいか　に　はっぴょう　した　せろんちょうさ　によると、おばま　だいとうりょう　の　にんき　が　いっかげつ　まえ　より　たかく　なりました。
According to a poll released on the 6th on American television, President Obama’s popularity has increased in the last month.
Literally: “America + の + television + が + 6th + に + announce + did + public opinion poll + according to + Obama + president + の + popular + が + one month + before + than + high + became”

オバマ大統領をいいと思っている人は、１か月前は５１％でしたが、５５％になりました。
おばま　だいとうりょう　を　いい　とおもっている　ひと　は、いっかげつ　まえ　は　ごじゅういち　ぱーせんと　でした　が、ごじゅうご　ぱーせんと　に　なりました。
Although the people who like President Obama was 51% last month, it became 55%.
Literally: “Obama + president + を + good + thinking + people + は + one month + before + は + 51 + percent + でした + が + 55 + percent + に + became.

オバマ大統領が２回目に大統領に選ばれたあとの２０１３年１月から今まででいちばん高くなりました。
おばま　だいとうりょう　が　にかいめ　に　だいとうりょう　に　えらばれた　あと　の　にせんじゅうさんねん　いちがつ　から　いままで　で　いちばん　たかく　なりました。
After Obama was chosen for a second time for the presidency from January 2013, it is the highest it's ever been.
Literally: “Obama + president + が + second time + に + chosen + after + の + year 2013 + January + from + until now + で + most + high + became”

アメリカでは１１月８日に次の大統領を選ぶ選挙があります。
あめりか　では　じゅういちがつ　ようか　に　つぎ　の　だいとうりょう　を　えらぶ　せんきょ　が　あります。
In America, they will choose the next president in the election on November 8th.
Literally: “America + では + November + 8th + に + next + の + president + を + choose + election + が + あります”

しかし、選挙に出る民主党のヒラリー・クリントンさんと共和党のドナルド・トランプさんは、どちらも人気が低くなっています。
しかし、せんきょにでる　みんしゅとう　の　ひらりー　くりんとん　さん　と　きょうわとう　の　どなるど　とらんぷ　さん　は、どちらも　にんき　が　ひくく　なっています。
However, Hillary Clinton who is running for the Democratic Party, and Donald Trump who is running for the Republican Party both are becoming very unpopular.
Literally: “however + run for election + democratic party + の + Hillary + Clinton + さん + と + Donald + Trump + さん + は + either way + popular + が + low + becoming”

２人をいいと思う人が少ないため、来年１月でやめるオバマ大統領の人気が高くなったと考える人が多いようです。
ふたり　を　いい　とおもう　ひと　が　すくない　ため、らいねん　いちがつ　で　やめる　おばま　だいとうりょう　の　にんき　が　たかく　なった　と　かんがえる　ひと　が　おおい　よう　です。
Because few people think the two of them are good, it seems that the popularity of President Obama, who retires in January of next year, is growing.
Literally: “2 people + を + good + think + people + が + few + ため + next year + January + で + quit + Obama + president + の + popular + が + high + became + と +think + people + が + a lot + seems + です”

The next lesson we will cover one more article from NHK News Web Easy. If you think these are something you can learn from, I recommend checking out the site every day for a little bit of Japanese practice.

This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: