Just saw this…WHAT??? Duo doesn’t teach grammar at all. If you like that format consider Lingodeer instead. I still use duo (as it’s what motivated me in the beginning to seriously dive in head first all these years later…then I met the …what was I thinking!..) haha
I would agree BP in the beginning I found confusing. The app on my android phone wasn’t bad but even doing WK on the phone with a few characters, and then BP with a whole sentence! Yikes…way too small to read…I use BP almost everyday on the computer.
The interface isn’t necessarily obvious to a beginner why/which you might choose (paths/etc)…and the stats still need some work but they are doing a great job. Also they respond is there is a problem/bug…they are quick (like the folks at WK) so they seem to care just as much … maybe the is behind BP too…I think the is trying to take over the world… hehe
anyway… given where I’ve come from…and where I’m at now…My suggestion is to continue BP…but here’s what I’d recommend! First of all RESET! Start fresh (assuming you are still at the beginning)
- Don’t take on lessons at any rate that’s fast! Pay attention…I’ll say it again…SLOW!!! seriously slow…Take on 1-3 lessons at a time.
For some of the simple stuff you think you know, study it anyway. You may not need to read each resource, but at least read the practice sentences. If you don’t understand how it’s used, then go read the resources so you stand a chance of learning. Japanese grammar is definitely not the same as English.
- Remember…This is important!!! Don’t just try to answer based on the hint! You’ll just be throwing darts…and be frustrated etc…if you read the sentence and don’t understand it, then how can you begin to understand the grammar point? right?
Grammar is NOT vocab…and must be used/understood/how it functions along with how the various forms integrate with the rest of the sentence/verb conjugations etc…It’s an SRS but it’s NOT a flashcard system and shouldn’t be treated as “gamified” in the same way as WK.
It will take some getting used to, but reach each sentence and do your best to integrate the kanji readings (one of the things I love about BP it gives me reading practice for kanji - wild kanji…can’ they be tamed by anyone other than the )
- Don’t do too many lessons…so 1-3 and only do more until you fully understand them. So I’d say do 1-3 lessons and then practice those. For the simple stuff…yeah you can do more, but don’t go too fast…remember point 1.
There are still things I miss occasionally, but BP has also helped me realize that there is stuff I’ve been confused about and I can practice when I’m speaking with my 先生 on skype. And…it’s also helped kill some leeches!
- Another area that I personally find frustrating (not a BP problem), is my lack of grammar knowledge in general. All that stuff you learn in grade school has long left my head and heck if I know what’s grammatically correct vs what sounds right.
If you aren’t strong in English grammar, then Japanese grammar will be that much more challenging…but it’s alright because…BP has identified areas where I wasn’t sure how to actually use the grammar (yes there are resources)…but I don’t always quite understand how some it translates back to English…
Make sure you have a good feel for them and how they work before adding new lessons. There are still things I goof occasionally, but it improves with each review. Also since the sentences vary (and I read them)…I’m actually learning the concepts better and getting better at integrating them. (That’s still slow going, but it does get easier).
- BP may not be for you, that’s fine…but duo doesn’t teach any grammar… so be careful…it’s very simple phrases/sentences, etc…they only recently started throwing kanji into the mix again…
depending on what you want to do with the language, duo might be fine…however, I’d hazard a guess that you have come this far and want to be fluent…duo won’t get you much past some very basic stuff. Lingodeer will get you farther, but BP can get you to N2!
One last thing…turn off English and furigana for WK kanji! Will truly your knowledge much better. You can always click the button if there’s something you don’t know.
Whatever you choose…BEST OF LUCK! study hard…Japanese is easy (if only)