We all, when learning Japanese, have used various apps to support our learning activities. There is a wide range of such apps, each of them focusing on a specific aspect of acquiring Japanese language skills, being it kanji, vocabulary or grammar.
I was wondering, what was your experience with using these apps, especially what are the functionalities which were important for you or you were even missing.
Let me also share my experience with you. I have used two main types of apps:
· dictionaries – to look up words and kanji information
· apps for spaced repetition – to train on vocabulary and kanji
Both types of apps did great job in improving my language skills. However, there were always some functionalities I was missing, for example:
· I wanted to learn the most frequent kanji or the most frequent vocabularies first – in order to do that, I had to manage several sets (decks) of kanji and vocabulary divided by frequency of words/kanji. Ideally, I would have only one set (deck) and I at the beginning of each learning session I could define the subset of words of kanji to learn
· functionality to support networked learning – for example, when I use anki to learn a specific word composed of two kanji, I might want to see additional info about these two kanji and then also what are the most frequent words for these kanji and as I have reviewed the info for these kanji then also rate them (how well I have remembered them) or add my note and then maybe also quickly review what are the other kanji with the same reading as one of the kanji in my word. Only then I would move to the next word in the anki deck. This intermezzo would help me to connect various pieces of information and learn in context. However, this approach would require a single integrated and personalized data set including kanji and vocabulary info (and maybe even sentences) were I could seamlessly switch from one learning session on vocabulary to a short intermezzo session on kanji (and maybe also sentences) and then continue with my vocabulary learning session. Or the other way around
· functionality to add my own note to a particular word/kanji in a user friendly manner during learning
· indicator showing my overall progress on kanji learning and word learning
What was your experience so far? What functionalities are you missing in the available apps?
4 comments
I want a version of Realkanji for Android. it’s only available for browser and iPhone as far as I know. That is, show me the kanji, let me type in the kana, go next once I either get it right or give up. The way it works on browser is so elegant.
Many apps once had a text bot where you could message an AI with it replying back with simplistic remarks. It’s helpful for text output. Most of them removed this feature though.
Sorry…but as always I feel the need to rep the oldschool crowd.
>We all, when learning Japanese, have used various apps to support our learning activities.
Actually, not all of us did. Many, many of us learned the Japanese language to full mastery without using a single app, because there was a time when none of the apps you speak of even existed.
I’m not trying to argue that they can’t be helpful, but no app can take the place of actual study and effort. And I feel sometimes people can get too caught up in finding the best app/apps to “optimize” their study rather than actually studying.
I wish you good luck in what you’re trying to do — really, I do — but part of me can’t help but feel like one more app isn’t really going to make a meaningful difference in helping the vast majority of people learn Japanese. There really are more than enough (maybe even too many) resources already out there.
I want a pop up dictionary that works on Andriod. Like how Yomichan works on a PC.
Also an app version of jisho.org with better handwriting recognition