Aaron since 1993.
My Japanese language learning archive.
My Japanese language learning archive.
1169/5999 cards into Core2k/6k
…and that’s about it.
Still haven’t gathered the momentum to take my Japanese learning all the way. I’ve been learning some music on piano, drawing, procrastinating, preparing a budget for university, dealing with social pressures etc. I can feel that I’m at an important junction in my life; what I choose to direct my energy towards for the next few years of my life will determine a lot about where I end up afterwards.
Speaking of which, I’ve left the University of Hertfordshire to study Japanese at SOAS! BA Japanese here I come! In the third year it’s complusory to spend a year abroad in Japan.
Here is what I intend the majority of my weekdays to be like for 3 of the next 4 years:
- Wake up, cook, eat
- Cycle 14 miles to SOAS, shower
- Do Japanese
- Go to gym some time during the day
- Cycle back home, shower
- Go to bed
- Do some Japanese on the weekends as well, but dedicate time for social life too
The learning resources I plan on completing soonish:
Hugo Japanese, Core 2k/6k, Visualising Japanese Grammar, Essential Japanese Verbs, Tae Kim guide.
Fingers crossed. Lectures start on Monday.
Changed how I learn new vocabulary again.
Core2k6k progress: 581/5999 cards seen
Format is back to the original clozed deletion of one word within a sentence, to be written out before showing answer. If I write a kanji wrong in any way, it’s a fail, no matter how small.
I seriously intend to stay satisfied with this method until the entire deck is complete. Sick of continually changing study routine.
I learn grammar through Tae Kim. Hoping to finish the whole guide soon. The content is pretty accessible/easy to understand.
I’m back to listening only. I now use the preview function in Anki to go through new cards. This means I’m going through new cards without reviewing them, because I feel like I only need to understand a card once for me to get most of the value out of it. I’ll keep doing it this way until I’ve completed the deck, then repeat the deck until all of the sentences (audio and text) are comprehensible without visual aid. Besides this, I’m now going through Tae Kim’s grammar guide and its Anki deck in a recognition type format. I also plan to start going through other grammar decks like The Dictionary of Basic (and Intermediate) Japanese Grammar, Japanese Particles and Word Formation Principles from Dark Japanese; he makes a big deal out of morphological awareness and I remember finding the deck interesting/useful.
After focusing on comprehensible input (listening in particular), I have noticed that many, many more words come to me while I’m walking outside, observing my surroundings. I’m capable of identifying more objects in Japanese, making basic comments about what I see and think, and what I’m doing or plan to do. I’m only 660 cards into the “Optimised” Core2k/6k deck and I no longer feel like it will take thousands of cards before I’m able to take command of Japanese through speaking; it’s already happening.
However, having stopped trying to write words through Production cards, I felt that I was lacking exposure to the written language. And so, yesterday I duplicated the Core2k/6k deck, placing Reading cards in between the Listening cards that already exist. It took a bit of figuring out how to work the Anki magic but I managed to do it eventually without corrupting anything. Pictures of what I mean…
Listening: picture and audio on the front, same at the back plus text including furigana.
Reading: text without furigana on the front, text with furigana on the back.
Conveniently, I think that introducing reading cards after going through the first ~600 by listening makes it much easier to read. Sometimes I must remind myself to focus on the meaning of the sentences and not the readings of the kanji which I like to do because it’s fun.
I hope these new reading cards improve my reading as much as the listening cards are improving my listening. I now have 11,998 cards in the deck, 11,335 of which are new. I intend to go through 80 new cards per day, which will allow me to go through the entire deck by the time I begin university at SOAS in September (assuming I get in…).
Since a few days ago I’ve completely prioritised listening to the Core2k/6k sentences, no longer trying to memorise the kanji of written words. So long as I understand what is being said on each card, I pass it. By “understand”, I mean anything between knowing exactly what is said, and having a rough idea of what the speaker tries to communicate based on the words I know and the image for context. I take slightly more time on incorrect first-time interpretations, then move on swiftly.
Before uni:
“Definitely not drinking as much as I expect everyone else to. Foul tasting depressants aren’t my thing, except cider. I like cider.” - me, 7 months ago.
I cannot believe I ever believed this. Who was I?
It took me until the 2nd April to get any significant Anki work done ever since I’d forsaken Japanese for a fresher lifestyle, in more than one sense of the word. But now that the novelty has worn off - I’ve learnt my limits with alcohol, I’ve had my intensive run of house parties and clubbing, I bought a massage table for the exact reasons people would suspect a guy like me to buy a massage table… - it’s all coming back to me; the feeling of satisfaction and a desire to keep learning, and the introvert within me. It’s ironic that university should take these things away from me and promote a less studious attitude. I also hate my course. There, I said it. Definitely not what I expected from an undergraduate degree.
I reapplied to uni through UCAS to study Japanese at SOAS, and their decision will essentially determine the way my life pans out over the next few years: either I have to re-do my first year in Hertfordshire on a course I’d be less satisfied with, or I’ll begin my first year as a student of Japanese, at a university I’ll love to study at. Being the deterministic bastard that I am, I’ll assume that a rejection from SOAS would have been inevitable, but I hope fate is more forgiving than that.
Back to Core2k/6k.
Oh man… I’ve done ZERO Japanese since Freshers’ Week. So much drinking, so much socialising, so much fun, so many new experiences, so WORTH IT! Much needed chaos. Apparently my personality type has changed a little too (INFJ to ENFJ — I used to look into this stuff). My procrastination ‘skills’ haven’t changed much either, haha.
I now have a dinosaur onesie (and a Stitch onesie but I lend that one out). My favorite drink is tequila. There are at least half a dozen photos of me on the floor in the recovery position on different phones in different locations. I’m on the American Football team. I’ve made countless new friends and acquaintances and connections with lecturers and sports coaches. My flatmates are awesome. I’ve had severe downs and indescribable ups.
I’m learning very little, but experiencing a lot. Definitely a welcome change to my life. Looking forward to the next phase of the university experience… will continue to use this as my Japanese language learning archive. Pretty sure I’ll be re-starting Core2k6k, but not yet… not yet… *queue Gladiator soundtrack*
Core: 5532
Compounds: 1441
Lots of anime. Minor vocab mining (mostly interesting expressions and conjunctions. Current favorites are ある意味(で・な) and それより…)
Haven’t done a lot of speaking or shadowing in a while… so pronunciation is sufferring :(
Still stalling with Anki. I feel like a looong stretch of productivity is overdue. Preparing - now mostly waiting - to leave home is taking up a lot of my time. In some ways it’s not so bad though. I’ve just gone back to watching a lot of anime like I used to this time last year, haha!
Core 2k/6k: 5547 left to go
Kanji compounds: 1460 left
Busy busy busy getting ready for uni, so I’ve basically only been reviewing, and watching Nodame Cantabile, and feeling like there’s a lot to prepare for in the next few weeks.
I literally had to meditate for a few minutes before I could do anything in Anki. I can’t concentrate when I’m all preoccupied with money and transport and luggage and blerrgghhh.
Think I’ll go back to shadowing the core sentences if focused studying isn’t an option until I finally leave, and survive Freshers’ Week with a relatively healthy liver. Definitely not drinking as much as I expect everyone else to. Foul tasting depressants aren’t my thing, except cider. I like cider.
I didn’t get to 5000, I’m at 5550, haha. I couldn’t do it. Not because it’s impossible, I just underestimated how busy I am. Reminds me of that quote tumblr uses whenever you preview a new theme:
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ― Confucius
I have exactly 30 days left before university (move-in day! わくわくしている！), so I’m starting to feel like now is a good time to prepare unless I want everything to get hectic.
I’m true to my word though, no matter how stupid my promises get; I shall carry out one arbitrary command. *hoping no one cares*
This week was easygoing, so I don’t have much to jot down. Hmm…
Optimized Core 2k/6k deck: 5550/5999
Two-kanji compound deck: 1466/1548
Japanese audio lessons: 5/27
Nodame Cantible: 6/23 (kidding… but no, seriously, it’s good)
Oh, and more pictures in core are showing up that make no sense. I have to change a lot of them. This was a good one…
帰ったら先ず手を洗いましょう。
When you get home, wash your hands first.
or When I get home, I’ll wash my hands first.
It used to be a b&w picture of a Japanese couple sitting down in an open field.
The random song is the ED from Nadome Cantabile. It sounds like a 90s pop song, but I don’t feel ashamed listening to it. Thing I Like About Japanese Stuff #1.