Hello Everyone!
I have been doing WaniKani for a bit now and have a question I am sure that has been answered a fair bit, but I hope this one is a bit different (but I’m sure it isn’t). My struggle with Japanese is grammar. Kanji comes a bit easier to me than more abstract concepts like grammar. Even things as simple as Xは Yです I sometimes have issues with when putting into practice.
That being said, are there any interactive grammar study programs like WaniKani is to Kanji? I know that Italki has tutoring, but I do not know the right way to go about it. I am extremely shy and do not know how to explain what I need to a tutor. I get so nervous that I am unable to focus on the lesson and I feel it goes nowhere. I feel that it is a problem with myself, but it could also be an issue with not finding a compatible tutor as well. I do have the Genki books as well as others, but as far as learning those via a video, it is extremely hard for me to do as well. I have tried watching the first two lessons on them several times and have not been successful.
I know that the main issue holding back learning Japanese is grammar. I also am aware that my issues are my own. I am disabled so I am unsure if that has something to do with it as well. I want to succeed, but I feel I am missing a puzzle piece on how to understand grammar. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas on how to study this? It would be greatly appreciated!
Bunpro is a grammar SRS much like WaniKani, but Ive found its explanations to be a little lacking. It makes up for that by linking several free resources on each grammar point and including page numbers for popular textbooks, like genki.
I tend to watch youtube videos, either Cure Dolly or Japanese Ammo with Misa for explanations, and then put those grammar points into Bunpro to practice. Thats the nice thing about Bunpro, you can follow a preset path, or choose grammar points individually to put into your rotation.
It is a monthly subscription, but only 3$ a month after a 30 day free trial.
I tried Genki too, but this has worked better for me.
I would definitely second Bunpro based on your explanation, but perhaps some YouTube videos might be engaging enough to keep you focused 
. These don’t necessarily need to be related to grammar, right? It could be a topic you are personally interested in which will make learning easier.
If you have questions about specific grammar points or vocabulary, please do check out these threads:
Or just open a new one if it’s a possibly longer topic.
If you’re looking for study buddies, there are a couple of threads for that too:
Rosetta Stone might help. I found a lifetime subscription for $180 on Facebook ads recently, so I’ve started working through their material. WK Level 10 is a good point to jump into it.
Hello ! Maybe reading could help you ? If you read you will see grammar material in many different contexts and that might help you understanding better. I have heard about graded readers (or grading readers ?), these are stories adapted to different levels. Maybe it is worth trying ?
For Italki, I think you definitely didn´t find someone suitable. It´s actually not that simple who challenges you but makes it manageable for you. I think for now you should try to see how you want to learn, by yourself and when you get a better idea it will be mush easier for you to find a suitable teacher and explain what you expect from them.
Keep it up ! Language learning is about keep going
I definitely second CureDolly as my salvation when it came to learning the crucial fundamentals of Japanese grammar.
I’m terrible at grammar, would always forget or confuse even the simplest of simple grammar terminology, and things like Tae Kim’s Guide to Grammar left me confused and feeling hopeless that I’d never understand any of it.
CureDolly’s approach works much better for me. She explains Japanese grammar as Japanese grammar. Many textbooks seem to assume that I remember and understand all grammar taught in schools (I’m not a native English speaker, so double no on that) and then use that as a springboard to teach Japanese grammar through the framework of English grammar. That doesn’t work at all for me, but CureDolly helped me loads and loads.
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