Just to answer #3 directly – I’m only level 6 and have been reading よつばと (with Yotsuba) and LOVING it. I’ve read the first few chapters of book 1 4 times each and the whole book twice all the way through. Am working on book 2 now. you can get the full set off ebay for around $80 (not bad for 15 books). The critical thing to keep in mind when reading manga is to just read and be ok with not understanding most of it. the first time through I only understood at best 10% of it, but now I’m understanding at least 50% and it’s a ton of fun. Words I’ve learned from yotsuba, anime, and music are cropping up in wanikani now as well which is making it even more fun to read yotsuba as the previously not understood conversations (especially involving the adults in the book) rapidly start making more sense as I see kanji I now recognize.
As far as I’m concerned, wanikani is purely a resource I use for guided acquisition of some additional vocabulary and learning the actual kanji itself. reading yotsuba and re-watching some of my favorite anime without subtitles has been great at helping me really immerse and appreciate the language itself. My Hero Academia (the first season) and Interviews with Monster girls on crunchyroll have been two that i particularly enjoyed without subtitles. Nothing teaches you a new word better than seeing a little girl running away screaming “たすけて！” while also hear that same word being talked about in MHA as what heroes do to people (rescue/save) – Ep 1 of Yotsuba
This was an enjoyable read, thank you for sharing your tips! I’ve also bookmarked your ひろがる site, looks very interesting!
I’m definitely going to work on creating my own mnemonics, I understand what WaniKani is trying to do, but boy does it suck. You mentioned Calligraphy - writing, which I really think could help me further imprint some of this vocab into my brain.
If input is counted as part of the study time, then I’m easily doing 4+ hours I think a day. It’s not something I should worry about too much as you say. It’s just that I hear of people doing that and I think to myself; “Okay I need to step-up!”.
As for the last question, what I do besides learning kanji on Wanikani.com.
I’m no longer a beginner but even at the start, I used grammar books a lot. I did listening practice, reading practice and since I was in school then, I also had conversations with classmates and teachers and wrote essays for class.
Now, at around end N3, beginning N2 level, I used the JLPT specific books to learn grammar, reading, listening. Not so much writing and speaking anymore though, because I no longer have direct access to teachers and it’s not tested on JLPT.
On a weekday, I get up at 4.30 am to work, I’m done at 7, at which I take my daughter to school and then my study time begins at 9 am. I start with Wanikani reviews, then I do some lessons (10-15 per day). Then I switch to Iknow.jp which is a vocabulary learning website that also has SRS system. (There are plenty websites around like that one) and I do my reviews on that, plus I learn some new words (10-15 per day) They have a Core 6000 list that’s the most frequently used vocabulary in Japanese newspapers or something along those lines. I’m currently at Core 3000 step 2 I think.
Once that’s done, I dive into my N3 book to review what I know, and do some exercises there. Then I switch to N2 to learn something new. And finally I end with a listening or reading exercise. Depending on what I’m focusing on that week.
This is about 3 hours a day, so until around noon. After lunch, I play videogames until I have to pick up my daughter from school (2pm), spend time with her until dinner (5pm). Then I try to do a review session on both Wanikani and Iknow and then we go to bed at around 7:30-8pm.
Weekends are a little different. My daughter usually spends the Saturdays with her father. So when I’m done with work (I work 6 days a week) I sleep a bit (because Saturdays are longer hours) and then do my study routine and then play videogames all day. Sundays are always different.
Anyway TLDR: Besides Wanikani, I use books for grammar and reading/listening practice.