Self-Study Tools

All Japanese All the Time Blog

Are you trying to learn Japanese but just can’t seem to stomach the courses? Looking for a fun, new approach to learning the language of the Rising Sun? Well then, try out “All Japanese All the Time” by blogger Khatzumoto! Khatzumoto learned Japanese in 18 months via 2 main methods: “1. The belief that I (one) could become fluent in Japanese 2. Constantly doing fun stuff in Japanese”. Learning Japanese, Khatz advocates, shouldn’t be some boring and tedious task of cramming. The best results happen when one has fun immersing themself with the language. His site is a reflection of that method and includes an immense amount of tips and tools to get you moving along on your Japanese language adventure. Due to the amount of information contained in the site, it would be best to click on the “Table of Contents” link at the top-left of the page when getting started.

AnkiSRS Flashcard Program

AnkiSRS is a spaced repetition system for reviewing vocabulary (or anything, really). You can download the program onto your laptop and/or your smartphone, and also review from anywhere with an internet connection via AnkiSRS.net. Anki makes creating and editing flashcard decks a breeze and has tutorial videos on their website explaining how. The Anki community has also created many shared decks available online, including JLPT kanji reviews, Genki I & II vocabulary reviews, Heisig kanji reviews, etc. Finally, Anki also allows you to add pictures and other media, providing an excellent way to learn your students names.

Erin’s Challenge!

Genki I & II Textbooks

Genki teaches beginning Japanese grammar and vocabulary in a textbook format, with grammar reviews and exercises. It is also the basis for many beginner Japanese programs. The first two chapters only are in Romaji – the rest are in Kana and Kanji. Genki also provides Kanji reviews at the end of each book.

Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji

Heisig’s method differs markedly from traditional rote-memorization techniques practiced in most courses. The course teaches the student to utilize all the constituent parts of a kanji’s written form, and a mnemonic device that Heisig refers to as “imaginative memory”.
Each kanji (and each non-kanji component) is assigned a unique keyword, a simple concept with a specific range of meaning. A kanji’s written form and its keyword are associated by imagining a scene or story connecting the meaning of the given kanji with the meanings of all the elements used to write that kanji.

The method requires the student to invent their own stories to associate the keyword meaning with the written form. The text presents detailed stories in Part I, proceeding through Part II with less verbose stories, encouraging the student to use the stories as practice for creating their own. After the 508 kanji in Parts I and II, the remainder of the kanji (Part III) have the component keywords but no stories. In cases where the reader may be easily confused or for difficult kanji, Heisig often provides a small story or hint.

All the kanji are analysed by components—Heisig terms these “primitives”—which may be traditional radicals, other kanji themselves or a collection of strokes not normally identified as independent entities. The basic primitives are introduced throughout the book, just as they are needed to learn the kanji that use them. This order is designed to introduce the kanji efficiently, from the primitives and kanji already learned, rather than the order of their frequency or the dictates of the jōyō grading. (From Wikipedia)

Rikaichan and Rikaikun Translation Browser Add-ons

Rikaichan and Rikaikun, for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers, respectively, provide instant translation of Japanese within web pages. Just turn on the plug-in, roll your mouse over the kanji or kana of your choice, and an in-browser translation popup will appear.

Links:
For Mozilla Firefox
For Google Chrome

Kana Invaders

If you’re a fan of old games, you’ll probably love Kana Invaders. There are many versions available online (just google “kana invaders”), but one of the best appears to be here. This is a game modeled after the old Space Invaders, and prompts the user to recognize a kana (hiragana or katakana) and type it before the kana reaches the bottom of the screen. It’s a fun way to increase your kana recognition.

Slime Forest (Kanji-Recognition RPG)

If you used to play Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest, you will probably love playing Slime Forest – a similar RPG where one must fight kanji-wielding slime. To win a battle, you must type the appropriate English or Japanese keyword. In a way, it’s much like the Heisig method, but the words seem to be a bit more accurate. The game also incorporates a spaced recognition system, as well as forced rest periods – similar to Anki. Note: This game won’t help you with writing kanji or the readings, but it will rapidly increase your recognition. The full version offers more than the free version.