Hello everyone,
I’m planning to study Japanese next year and would like some constructive criticism about my plan as well as answers to a question or two. My study plan is the following:
– **Days per week**: Monday to Friday
– **Study time**: 3 hours. Divided between 1.5 hours of Minna no nihongo and 1.5 of Anki. Until I finish MNN 1, then I will start with 2 and follow the same schedule.
– **Months of study**: From January to the end of November.
– **Immersion?**: I would like to study with a more classic approach, I am not looking to rush the process but rather learn with good grammar, writing, etc. foundations. I want to complement with multimedia material in Japanese as much as possible (PodCasts, YouTube, etc.), yes, and when I start MNN2 I might pay for a weekly class on Italki with a private teacher to review what I am studying and learn pronunciation.
– **Have I studied Japanese before?**: I have tried in the past but I lacked discipline. I never really got further than learning 3 or 4 phrases. In recent years I have developed my discipline and I want to know how far I could go.
I would like to take the exam in December next year. I also would like to know if my study plan is well planned and if you would add something or change something, trying to maintain my “classical” approach.
I’m not really looking to read manga or watch anime, I hear this every time I mention my interest in Japan… More like learning a language and culture that is very different from mine and that I consider very interesting.
In addition to any advice you can give me, I would love to know what you think my level would be with this study plan and what I would be able to do. Obviously my studies will not end next year, learning a language is something continuous and lifelong, but I would like to have a vision of people who have already traveled this path and learn from their experiences.
If you have any questions I will be happy to answer them.
Thank you
6 comments
Working through a textbook and learning vocabulary will definitely work. Personally I wouldn’t hold on to dividing your study time in two halves. I would start with Anki and see how long it takes and after that would just fill the remaining 3h with the other study methods.
Out of curiosity, what made you go with Minna no Nihongo? As far as I know Genki is the most popular textbook. Is there any specific reason why you prefer Minna no Nihongo?
just to note, what’s ultimately way more important than pre-analysis of any plan is post-analysis of the results by yourself. keep track of how much you accomplish in some way that you can measure, so that you can try new things next and compare. self-evaluation is the most important learning skill. no pre-made plan is anywhere near as effective as long term re-adjustment of plans based on continuous feedback. good luck!
Something that’s really helped me stay motivated is going to tutoring once a week. Every week I get a new set of vocab for my tutor and then also I’ve noticed that my sentence structures have increased and as I’m also more comfortable speaking it and I’ve only been going to turn it maybe 2 months I’m thinking of increasing it to twice a week next year.
https://preply.com/en/?pref=OTkwNzUyNQ==&id=1701956436.94509
Maybe cut down the anki time a bit and do it every day instead. Otherwise the cards will stack up over the weekend and your mondays will be annoying as you have to do the triple amount of revisions.
I’d suggest you to start lighter, with less study time: 3 hours a day is a lot.
Most important thing is consistency, take it like a marathon, not a sprint.
Any study material for learning jlpt,,.