So I’ve only used pre-made decks (noteably the Tango N5 deck) which have thier own settings. I would like to start reading in Japanese to try and build up my vocabulary. I’m very much at the “will have to look up everything” stage so I want to create an Anki deck to review words I come across. The problem is I don’t really know the best way to go about it.
I’d appreciate some help with the following;
1. What settings should I use with my deck so I can have a good SRS going?
2. Should I put every vocab word I don’t know into a card? Or only ones I come acorss X times etc.?
3. Should I use the dictonary form of a word or copy the entire sentence if my aim is to learn vocab not grammar with the deck?
4. How do you put in good audio so I can hear the word as well as see it?
2 comments
1. Doesn’t matter. I just used animecards’ settings and it was fine. FSRS seems popular, I can’t comment on it’s usefulness.
2. I added every word which I think I wouldn’t be able to understand if I saw again, regardless of rarity. You may like to use a frequency dictionary and avoid words over 30k for example (unless they seem useful for what you’re interested in).
3. Dictionary form, sentence on the back if you care (not necessary, I never pay attention to keep rep time low).
4. Forvo. You can do it automatically with yomichan if that’s what you plan to use.
2. When I started immersion I added every single word I didn’t know…sometimes I would even add it again if months later I came across it and didn’t remember it
3. Dictionary form only because if you know the proper conjugations it’s easier to go back to the dictionary form from an already conjugated word
4. You could use forvo, but I suggest you make your cards as simple as possible.
When I used to do anki for Japanese, I used to make sure my cards contained the smallest amount of info possible
Front: word how it is most commonly written
Back: word pronunciation + 2 meanings max
That was it…this way I could create new cards in less than 5 seconds…remember you will be looking up every word initially…you will take forever with anki if you try to add audio to every single one and context sentences or pictures etc. Anki is only meant to help you get used to the language. I believe good pronunciation comes from exposure and shadowing…while Anki should be more for memorizing words, pronunciations and meanings alone…I believe anki should stay as far away from the learners way as possible in that it shouldn’t take a long time to create Anki cards because if it does, that is time that could be better spent immersing more into the language rather than in anki