https://letslearnjapanese.neocities.org/path.html Ive started this after learning kana but am wondering if there is a better option I’ve tried core 2k and found it quite boring but I prefer sentence decks that build like tango
Yes, it is a good method. Your first goal should be to learn ~1,000 to 2,000 words and roughly N5+N4 grammar. There are dozens of resources/methods for doing this and which one is “best” comes down to personal preference more than anything. All resources mentioned in this guide make sense. The Tango decks and Tae Kim are perfectly fine. If you enjoy using them then just keep going.
JLPT prep materials and tests are one method of learning the foundation of the language (N1 is not the end and won’t get you to 100% comprehension). Keep in mind though that the JLPT doesn’t test language production there is no writing or speaking.
Some JLPT prep materials are better at actual test prep or teaching than others. I can’t speak to those specific materials, but they’ll likely introduce you to the necessary language fundamentals at least once and reinforce it as you progress through the materials.
I would urge you however do not skip the N5 materials. The different levels are definitely layered specifically to build on each other. The N4 materials may make some sense, but you will 100% be missing some vital language fundamentals if you just skip the N5. Yes they’re relatively easy. But they’re not intuitive and need to be learned. My tutor even has Pre-N5 materials she uses with people, and we went back after I passed the N5 to fill in those gaps a little while continuing on with N4. People on this sub love to poo-poo the early stages but they’re important.
N5 will get you the fundamentals to begin to learn useful grammar.
N4 will get you the foundational grammar… like all of it. Most of everything after N4 is mix-and-match of grammar forms you’ve already learned (but with sometimes new meanings, the sum is different, sometimes, than the parts!). You learn how to be humble and how to elevate the listener in language here. You’ll be able to say, at a fundamental level, pretty much anything you want but likely with little to no nuance or flourish.
N3 will get you to the point that you can reasonably independently and less painfully ingest native materials designed for broad audiences. You absolutely can do this earlier, but with much more pain and work. N3 you’ll also, if you’ve kept your output apace with your input, start to feel like you can actually hold conversations that aren’t a total compromise of your complex thoughts. No you will not be as witty and brilliant as in your native language, but nuance is starting to actually possible, where before you were pretty limited.
I’m not really involved in N2 or N1 specific content yet, so I’ll let other people talk about those.
The problem you’ve encountered with just Core 2k or grammar flashcards is they lack context (“boring”) to give your mind something to latch on to. Pursuing a more wholistic approach, using textbooks or native material that interests you, gives you back that missing context and makes it less boring and a little easier to remember. JLPT is one method of accomplishing that.
The Tango decks are probably the best sentence decks you can find.
3 comments
Yes, it is a good method. Your first goal should be to learn ~1,000 to 2,000 words and roughly N5+N4 grammar. There are dozens of resources/methods for doing this and which one is “best” comes down to personal preference more than anything. All resources mentioned in this guide make sense. The Tango decks and Tae Kim are perfectly fine. If you enjoy using them then just keep going.
JLPT prep materials and tests are one method of learning the foundation of the language (N1 is not the end and won’t get you to 100% comprehension). Keep in mind though that the JLPT doesn’t test language production there is no writing or speaking.
Some JLPT prep materials are better at actual test prep or teaching than others. I can’t speak to those specific materials, but they’ll likely introduce you to the necessary language fundamentals at least once and reinforce it as you progress through the materials.
I would urge you however do not skip the N5 materials. The different levels are definitely layered specifically to build on each other. The N4 materials may make some sense, but you will 100% be missing some vital language fundamentals if you just skip the N5. Yes they’re relatively easy. But they’re not intuitive and need to be learned. My tutor even has Pre-N5 materials she uses with people, and we went back after I passed the N5 to fill in those gaps a little while continuing on with N4. People on this sub love to poo-poo the early stages but they’re important.
N5 will get you the fundamentals to begin to learn useful grammar.
N4 will get you the foundational grammar… like all of it. Most of everything after N4 is mix-and-match of grammar forms you’ve already learned (but with sometimes new meanings, the sum is different, sometimes, than the parts!). You learn how to be humble and how to elevate the listener in language here. You’ll be able to say, at a fundamental level, pretty much anything you want but likely with little to no nuance or flourish.
N3 will get you to the point that you can reasonably independently and less painfully ingest native materials designed for broad audiences. You absolutely can do this earlier, but with much more pain and work. N3 you’ll also, if you’ve kept your output apace with your input, start to feel like you can actually hold conversations that aren’t a total compromise of your complex thoughts. No you will not be as witty and brilliant as in your native language, but nuance is starting to actually possible, where before you were pretty limited.
I’m not really involved in N2 or N1 specific content yet, so I’ll let other people talk about those.
The problem you’ve encountered with just Core 2k or grammar flashcards is they lack context (“boring”) to give your mind something to latch on to. Pursuing a more wholistic approach, using textbooks or native material that interests you, gives you back that missing context and makes it less boring and a little easier to remember. JLPT is one method of accomplishing that.
The Tango decks are probably the best sentence decks you can find.