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Right.....here it goes.

13567

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 341 ✭✭LimerickLad92


    Just practise using it. Punch some nouns into Anki in kana and read them out loud and as fluently as you can. You'll expand your vocab and familiarise yourself with the kana. 5 minutes a day for 2 weeks and it'll be second nature.

    anki no kana?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    You mean you can't get into kana into anki? :confused:

    If so just google how to change your computer to kana, I haven't actually used this site so I dunno if it works

    http://www.coscom.co.jp/learnjapanese801/index.html

    But your computer can probably type in Japanese.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    When I arrived here first, I power learned all the kana in the first two weeks in school (since there was nothing to do).

    THEN, I took a weeks holiday, and when I came back school was starting, and my thesis happened, and I basically forgot the majority of them. When November hit, I started the ajatt method with kanji, so I haven't looked at them since.

    Well....sorry that's a bit of a lie. Because I have the luxury of being in Japan, I see the kana everywhere, and as such I always try reading it when I see it. Billboards, signs, menus etc. In a nutshell, it's doing what fewtinsoffroth is saying, repitition, spaced. This again, is just anki's method.

    I'd say I know about 80% of them, but I'm not going to study them properly until I finish Heisig. I'm currently reading through the first デスノート manga - just reading, no comprehension. I'm trying to improve my fluency. It's kind of working, and I notice I can read a little bit faster these days. Saying that, a little bit of comprehension comes into play as well, which is just an added bonus (this is mainly due to the fact that I've seen the anime, and know the story).

    I have to say I like that idea of the nouns in kana.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    I have to say I like that idea of the nouns in kana.

    It's the truth :D

    If you can get a hold of the Heisig book for kana, then try that apparently you can learn it in 3 hours of concentration. But, it's not a big deal anyway so I wouldn't even bother paying for the book.

    The better you start reading with it and using it the better.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    I have that book, sitting waiting for me (got it waaaaaay back in October).

    I just did a review today.....of 180 cards. **** me it was exhausting. 50 tomorrow. I'm beginning to think holding off on learning new kanji was the right idea. At the time I though I was being too easy on myself, but 180 is waaaaaaaaay too much (it had yesterday's included.....I'M ON HOLIDAY! :P ).

    I think another week just revising should be enough. Then, I think I'm going to aim for 1,000 and then seriously start sentences for a month with just kanji reviews. I've already started marking sentences in books to come back to, I just need to put them into anki. It's just getting a little frustrating knowing all these kanji and barely being able to string a sentence together.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    It's just getting a little frustrating knowing all these kanji and barely being able to string a sentence together.

    It'll be worth it, it's just slow progress. Once you can start reading newspapers etc. fluidly it'll just be a matter of picking a few up everyday, it'll be sound! :cool:


  • Registered Users Posts: 679 ✭✭✭just-joe


    Learning kanji and not knowing kana is a bit silly. How can you read anything if you can't read kana?

    And, what is your level of understanding when reading the manga? Can you just understand the meaning, or can you read the kanji too?

    If you know 1000 kanji that is so so many, you'll be able to read a lot of stuff once you get the readings/compounds going. But that will take a while I guess. Stopping to consolidate sounds like a good idea, and also practicing grammar/speaking/listening/writing too, especially speaking, as well as kanji, might be good.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    just-joe wrote: »
    Learning kanji and not knowing kana is a bit silly. How can you read anything if you can't read kana?

    He knows Kana he just didn't use the Heisig book?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    Yeah, as I said above I'm confident with 80% of the kana. The others just take that extra bit of time to recall the pronunciation, or I get mixed up (マ and ム for example).

    Also, as said above, my comprehension is less than 10% in the manga, but that's not the reason behind doing that. I'm reading it (with furigana) purely to increase fluency in kana reading. I do this alone, and out loud. My neighbours must think I'm a little odd. :)

    But yes, consolidation is the next step, and mainly a venture into sentence writing. I'm also half thinking of getting a private teacher. It may be a difficult endeavor though, as many teachers here, private or group, are fond of textbooks. I just need guidance in grammar and pronunciation, I like to do most of the work myself. And if they start off with the -masu form of verbs........ >_<


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    僕はファイナルファンタジーVIIしている

    Pray for me, I'm just up to the first save point and I'm exhausted.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    It's a great way of going about it though. Took me about 15 hours to get to the first gym in pokemon black :p


  • Registered Users Posts: 273 ✭✭hibby


    just-joe wrote: »
    Learning kanji and not knowing kana is a bit silly. How can you read anything if you can't read kana?

    I agree it's a bit silly but I have to confess: I'm not 100% on kana either, despite learning Japanese for many years and knowing quite a few kanji.

    What I mean is, I can recognise the kana and read signs written in kana, but if you asked me to write them as you called them out, there would be some that I wouldn't be able to remember right then. Also even now if I see さ I take a second to think "Is that sa or chi?"

    But now that I'm living in Japan and surrounded by written Japanese it will all sink in fairly quickly so I'm not that worried about it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    I'm just going to restate what I'm doing here:

    I'm using the ajatt method, found here.

    This method suggests learning the kanji from Heisig's RtK first, then on to kana.

    By no means am I saying that's how it should be done. It's just one of many ways, and happens to be the route I chose.

    To be honest, I'd advise learning the kana in tandem, as they're not that difficult. Some people might disagree but how and ever. Whatever gets you learning at a pace you're comfortable with and are enjoying.

    Anyways, back to work today, and it's 880 today, with a whopping 81 to review tomorrow. woops......


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    900 kanjiroonies.


  • Registered Users Posts: 679 ✭✭✭just-joe


    So if you know them 80%, then you prob won't have many problems. But if you want to read then first you need to know kana, then kanji. But reading manga to practice will have you perfect in no time. As you're in Japan, you can also read basically whatever you see. Road signs, menus, don't read just what ya need, but everything on the menu, ya know? And then, whatever gets put on your desk at work, although mostly in kanji, is a good way to practice kana, and reading in general.

    Doing lessons definitely can't hurt. Maybe there are some at the local town hall, which may be in Japanese, but if the person teaching has had experience with English-speaking Japanese learners then they'll probably know how to help lots. It might be hard to find, but would be worth looking for.

    Or, you can just try and find a speaking partner. This could be anyone who is interested in speaking Japanese (and English) with ya. You can do a fifty percent split. There are lots of people who are interested in meeting foreign people/speaking English, so you should be able to find someone, either through your school, if there is an eikawa class at your local town hall there'll definitely be people who would be up for it, or at the local coffee shop.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    GAH!!!

    I need to be doing more. MUCH more.

    920.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    950.


  • Registered Users Posts: 30 raz789


    Getting there :D
    I've been looking over some Kanji Odyssey, and my Nihongo Kantan(For a Leaving Cert book it's really well thought out) book.
    I have been putting off the katakana for a while now, Heisig's katakana part(in Remembering the Kana" is quite lacking).
    As for Kanji, my progress is secret :P


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    No! Let the progress out! :D



    For anyone reading this, this may be the only tip I ever give about using anki:





    Don't go 4 days without reviewing.


    19297025.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 679 ✭✭✭just-joe


    950 kanji, in such a short time, is amazing! Ganbatte kudasai!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    Had my LC oral today :o I survived, although nerves got the better of me and I could have said sooooooooo much more.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,164 ✭✭✭Konata


    Had my LC oral today :o I survived, although nerves got the better of me and I could have said sooooooooo much more.

    Don't worry, I'm sure it was okay :) Well done on completing it!

    I didn't do Japanese for the LC so I'm curious about what kind of stuff you get asked?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,132 ✭✭✭Just Like Heaven


    Nothing too difficult really. It's not like LC French the 15 minutes are divided.

    General conversation was fine. My family, why I was doing Japanese (because I was the only person in my school), I told her that this conversation was my first in Japanese and she asked about what books/tapes I was using. My hobbies, and from that what sports I played, what club I played for and did I watch the Chelsea Barcelona match last night.

    Special topic was okay too, I got my school so a bit about the facilities, what subjects I was studying, litter around the school, how many students were in the school etc.

    I was really lucky with the picture, I got souji, but completely blanked on everything I had learnt off :( The pictures are all an aspect of Japanese culture/lifestyle and we're expected to contrast it with Ireland. I had a bunch learnt off about after-school clubs in Japan but it just left me :rolleyes: I said something about the size of the schools and that schools in Japan were mixed whereas here many are single-sex schools and asked what I thought was better etc.

    All the pictures and topics are here if you wanna peak; http://www.examinations.ie/index.php?l=en&mc=sc&sc=ox


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    Sounds like you did fine to be honest!

    Really, everyone does much better in the orals than they think. My French was a disaster, but I did grand.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    Okay.

    ........


    Okay.

    So....it's definitely clear that the honeymoon phase of the language is over. I feel bitter towards it and I'm barely keeping my head afloat with reviews.

    The thing is, I realise that it's something I need to go through. These next few weeks or so are definitely going to decide whether I'm going to continue seriously studying Japanese, or just casually do it while I'm in Japan.

    On the JET programme, we call it a 'Stage 2' (after the 4 stages of culture shock - stage two is the worse one, where you can't stand anything Japanese).

    I'll get out of it soon, I'm sure!


  • Registered Users Posts: 679 ✭✭✭just-joe


    Apply for the JLPT (maybe level 4 would be good after a year in Japan?) to re-start the motivation, and have something to work towards. You can do it online, quite easy. Costs 5500 yen which isn't cool but it's worth doing. It'll also let you know whether your kanji is on par with grammar and vocab.

    You'll also get reinspired straight away when you see some non-Japanese friends whip out some great Japanese, tell ya about new kanji/grammar/something they have learnt, or have a cool conversation yourself resulting in a "woah this is awesome and i can really do it too" moment.

    Ganabatte kudasai!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    Oh Lordy lordy Lordy......

    My desire, ambition or drive to learn this language has hit an all time low.

    I have to somehow revive my interest in it.

    Joe, I kinda swore secretly to myself that I'd never take the JLPT, but it might be a good idea. I've generally worked well with deadines and goals.

    But Christ this is some slump I'm in. I want to put it down to the glorious weather we're having for Golden Week, and the fact that I'm only in school today and tomorrow.....But I also feel that this is an important time to decide, and I can't seem to get my fingers outta my arse and bloody well review!!!!!!

    Ahem.

    Advise appreciated. :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    I DID IT!!!

    I GOT BACK ON THAT WAGON!!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Farcear




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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭funky penguin


    :)

    The best thing is that I'm remembering more kanji than I thought I would. But the reviews are going to be an uphill battle for the next couple of weeks.

    Luckily, since I live in Japan I was still kind of studying, especially with regards to listening and speaking. I did a lot of talking with friends about language learning too, and the general consensus was that everyone has brick wall moments, it's just important to recognise them when they happen.


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