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Spaced repetition is killer. It seems to take the work out of remembering things, leaving nothing but determination. I've been using http://kanji.koohii.com h

by mullr 19y ago

Spaced repetition is killer. It seems to take the work out of remembering things, leaving nothing but determination. I've been using http://kanji.koohii.com http://kanji.koohii.com for awhile, which is an excellent implementation of the technique for remembering the meaning of Japanese characters using a particular method book. A niche site, to be sure, but an excellent implementation overall. I also recommend http://ichi2.net/anki/ http://ichi2.net/anki/, which has a Japanese focus but is by no means exclusive to it.

donw 19y ago
This is good for me; I'm studying for the JLPT 1, and writing a simple web application to assist in vocabulary drills. The application is part of my final project, so I'm not stopping development, but I'll definitely look into adding some of these timing methods into the system. Also, just to let you know, I've found that studying kanji on their own is generally a waste of time; without context, they tend to lose their meaning quickly. Even if you ask Japanese people to explain kanji, they usually do so by referencing compounds in which that character is present.
- mullr 19y ago
  I have found the same thing. The Heisig method seems to serve mostly to bridge the gap between learning a character and learning a word that uses the character. While I can learn character meanings with the memorization technique, the really don't stick until I've got vocab to go with them.
- mullr 19y ago
  Second reply: another interesting use of spaced repetition, in a somewhat different context, is the AJATT method: http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com. It uses complete sentences as the cues, thus ensuring valid context all the time.
jrockway 19y ago
Anki looks great, thanks for the link. I was just thinking today how it's time to start studying Japanese again. I studied there for a year when I was in high school, but have forgotten a lot since then. Time to relearn :)

by mullr 19y ago

donw 19y ago

This is good for me; I'm studying for the JLPT 1, and writing a simple web application to assist in vocabulary drills. The application is part of my final project, so I'm not stopping development, but I'll definitely look into adding some of these timing methods into the system. Also, just to let you know, I've found that studying kanji on their own is generally a waste of time; without context, they tend to lose their meaning quickly. Even if you ask Japanese people to explain kanji, they usually do so by referencing compounds in which that character is present.

mullr 19y ago
I have found the same thing. The Heisig method seems to serve mostly to bridge the gap between learning a character and learning a word that uses the character. While I can learn character meanings with the memorization technique, the really don't stick until I've got vocab to go with them.
mullr 19y ago
Second reply: another interesting use of spaced repetition, in a somewhat different context, is the AJATT method: http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com. It uses complete sentences as the cues, thus ensuring valid context all the time.

jrockway 19y ago

Anki looks great, thanks for the link. I was just thinking today how it's time to start studying Japanese again. I studied there for a year when I was in high school, but have forgotten a lot since then. Time to relearn :)