Hello everyone, I just joined this reddit. I’m sure this question has been asked countless times, and I plan on scouring the page for all the information I can, but I wanted to get firsthand opinions in as well!
My major problem right now is that I feel like I’m not practicing well, or that I’m not testing myself enough on what I learn. I’d like to see if you have resources or methods that work best for you.
For more information, I’m very much in the beginning stages but I can “read” Kana well. I have Genki volume 1, but I feel like there isn’t enough testing in using the grammar it teaches. Any advice?
4 comments
My main advice is to not get stuck on that level by studying sideways and repeating the same grammar points over and over. Genki and its workbooks have [plenty of exercises](https://sethclydesdale.github.io/genki-study-resources/lessons-3rd/) in my opinion and you will see beginner grammar everywhere afterwards so you don’t need to become an expert on it now. Instead, make sure you understand each grammar point and then move on. A lot of people here seem to get stuck on the beginner level for a long time. Try to keep a forward momentum.
I wasted a lot of time reviewing the same grammar points over and over again, and looking at similarly-leveled resources when I was just starting out. It can be hard to determine when you “know” something without a teacher (which I recommend getting if you can afford one!) but trust yourself and push past it. I think most of what you learn should be cemented through engaging with native material, like reading.
Could also try something like [Bunpro](https://www.bunpro.jp/), which tests your grammar knowledge and has an SRS built-in.
For Genki 1 and Genki 2, I just did the work book
After that I started reading which is super fun
Anki, read, watching videos, copy texts, change the language of my devices and videogames to japanese.
I personally find genshin as a great practice to read japanese and learn obscure kanjis but it’s only recommendable to do if your reading skills and your ability to recognize kanjis are a bit advanced. Also doing the puzzles and events in japanese helps to keep your comprehensions skills at a very decent level