I love learning languages and have wanted to learn Japanese for a while, but I find it extremely difficult to self study. I never know what order I should learn things in, especially in a language where there are three new ‘alphabets’ I have to know before I can begin learning vocabulary and grammar.
Thankfully I found Tofugu’s in depth guide on how to learn Japanese, as well as WaniKani. At first, the fact that I could only do lessons and reviews at certain times annoyed me, as I’m used to Duolingo and being able to speed through learning. However, I recognize that it is a learning strategy to ensure that the knowledge is firmly implanting itself in my mind, and so far it has been very effective! I had learned a number of kanji in an intro to Japanese course I took back in 2017, but none of them stuck with me and I never knew which reading was correct or how they worked in vocabulary. I feel like I’m gaining practical knowledge through WaniKani and I’m excited every time a new lesson or review is available. I think some of their mnemonic devices are stupid, but I am able to make my own and frankly it is a good method of remembering things.
I wish there was a success flair, as I do not have a question. I am just grateful for this resource and can’t wait to learn more!
4 comments
Trust me you’ll soon miss the slow pace of the first few levels of Wanikani
> I wish there was a success flair
Yeah actually a “progress” flair does seem like a good idea.
Some people have expressed wanting to see progress posts, while I’m sure others would rather ask or answer questions. Maybe someone can bring this up next time our mods have a meta-discussion / state-of-the-sub discussion
Im currently on my lvl 30 on Wanikani and small tips if you like: do not advance too fast by taking a lot of new lessons per day. On higher levels, the reviews could pile up real fast.
It’s not about short term memorization. Long term is it what’s important. But good job at starting. Keep going.