I just reached WK level 7, and it has been fantastic for learning Kanji and vocabulary. I’m a creature of routine, and spending 30-60 minutes doing lessons and reviews has become easy for me.
But I’m becoming increasingly aware that while I can recognize a word and pronounce it - if I hear that word spoken I probably won’t recognize it, and especially in the context of a sentence.
I’d been working through the Genki 1 textbook (currently lesson 7) and that’s been great for learning grammar and reinforcing vocabulary.
But I feel I’m missing something in my routine when it comes to practicing listening and speaking. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m thinking about something like a Youtube channel with a playlist for this, or an app that’s focused on listening and speaking.
Personally, I think the podcast Japanese with Shun is a great place to start, as the host tends to stick to vocab and grammar presented in Genki 1 & 2. He also has a Youtube channel.
For speaking, I’ve used the app iTalki to have conversation lessons with a Japanese tutor. Many iTalki tutors offer very affordable rates. I think an in-person/online tutor is essential for progressing with your speaking skills if you don’t live in Japan or have a Japanese spouse/partner/friend that you can consistently practice with.
