Rate my current study plan (at 3 months of learning time)

If you have the time – I was looking for feedback on my current study path.

Background: I took Japanese in college (ages ago) for several semesters, but I didn’t put a lot of effort or emphasis into studying at the time and I didn’t continue studying after that period. And so, I almost don’t count that as “experience” at this point. However, I do occasionally run across a word or grammar structure that I remember.

Since about the middle of January I have started studying Japanese for several hours every day. This includes:
\- WaniKani: I am almost to level 10 and I have kept up with reviews and lessons as they appear (which can be pretty intense at times)
\- Anki: I started with the 2k starter deck everyone suggests and I am still going through that. I also have created a very simple personal deck that I have added WaniKani vocab to. I did this mainly because I was worried I was relying on how the Kanji appeared and pronunciation and wasn’t confident I could remember a word just by hearing it.
\- YouTube: I have watched the first few videos of Cure Dolly’s grammar lessons, but my wife is studying with me and she didn’t like it too much, so we started watching the Genki videos with ToKini Andy. Various other YouTubers include Onamappu, Yuta, and Comprehensible Japanese, but those aren’t very structured.

At this point in the process I am staying VERY busy with all of this and I probably can’t add too much more study time without being overwhelmed. Once I finish the 2k deck and I get a little further in WaniKani and grammar lessons, I’d like to do some immersion (with video games). Right now, I am planning on doing this during Twitch streaming sessions (which I already have etched out time for).

Questions:
1) Do you think my time is well spent for someone that has only been doing this for about 3 months?
2) Is immersion via video games and doing LIVE translations (with Japanese subtitles) a good way to learn? I was just planning on going through a game like Ace Attorney and extracting words I hear into an Anki deck as I go through dialogue.
3) I downloaded HelloTalk but I feel too inexperienced and nervous to start a conversation with anybody. Do you think it is useful to start texting back and forth with native Japanese speakers now?
4) I have not focused AT ALL on writing Kanji. I suppose I could get a blank notebook and start practicing the Kanji I am learning. Do you think this would be time well spent?

2 comments
  1. can you recognise the kanji you see in the core 2k deck and memorise the words? if you do then why are you using wanikani?

  2. Go back to cure dolly by yourself if you have to, her work is unique and a must watch for any learner imo.

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