Alternatives to Flash Card Learning

Hello everyone,

I am absolutely burned out from all sorts of flash card apps. I cannot open them without instant head aches, even if I try to push through with it, i cannot get further than like 5 cards. This is ongoing for more than 6 months now and I really want to start more active learning again. At this point im sure I could easily pass N3 now and want to try taking the N2 exam next summer.
I know that this is a very frequently asked question, but what is your guys learning routine? How do you learn, when not using flash card apps? When I feel like learning the only thing I'm still capable of doing is watching netflix (with the langauge reactor app) and just looking up unknown words and drawing the kanjis on a piece of paper (that I then never ever look at again). Actively trying to remember something that I used to know is stressing me out very hardly.

I would be happy for any suggestions / help 🙂

by NooCake

4 comments
  1. Just reading is a natural SRS, and that is how people learned languages before personal computers.

    Get a book/manga/web novel/whatever, and read while checking unknown words/grammar. Eventually you will remember them.

  2. I like simply reading Japanese dictionaries, studying ことわざ、四字熟語 or mere words. Alternatively, it can be a good book, or just a piece of paraliterature, depending on my mood.

  3. Read + tens of thousands of dictionary look ups. Pay attention to the word’s reading over everything else, then kanji + components of kanji. Learn both kanji and words at same time. Exclusively use digital formats and tools like Yomitan or 10ten Reader.

  4. I literally only use one app for Kanji flash cards + writing, never really liked Anki and just couldn’t get into it. The way I’ve retained knowledge is reading (mostly web articles but I try to read books now) and then immediately trying to apply what I’ve learnt, and writing things down. Also just thinking about stuff a lot. I think flash cards would be a good way to break past the N2 level I’m currently operating around but also I’ve been learning gradually for many years so it has taken a long time for things to settle in my brain.

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