Taking Grammar Notes

Don’t think so. Maybe last year sometime. That probably should be on my to-do list, especially since I’m now completely self-studying.

Just gave it a quick look over. It looks pretty cool, so I’ll probably test it out more thoroughly when I next study.

@hgbearawesome, may I suggest trying Renshuu, I used it for my N5 and N4 grammar.

You can access all the contents of their grammar library (grouped into grammar points) for free (Learn → Grammar).
You also have the option to create a study schedule (a set of review quiz) for grammar, though not all grammar points will be added if you are not subscribed to a pro version (if you don’t want to spend money, you can create your own quiz using anki or memrize though).

Have you tried using the Feynman technique that Koichi recommends?

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Codifying grammar? I can’t begin to think what this means. How do you go about it?

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I’ve been making notes from the Nihongonomori videos… but they are usually mostly in point form, and I tend to only write one or two examples per concept, even if they give multiple. Each 5 minute video varies between 1 to 2 and a half pages of notes in a regular sized notebook for me… but it depends on how many different exceptions/ways there are to conjugate the verbs mostly (so far)… plus my writing (especially my kanji writing) is huge, basically.

Example:
Past tense (GODAN)
*Drop the ーる and add だ
Past (ICHIDAN)
*4 ways! (then groupings… example like 読んだ, etc.)
Past Polite (ICHIDAN)
* change the vowel + the ました, etc.

… That sort of thing.
Really very basic. I’m also just reading Genki. (No notes, and not doing exercises there.)

I did look at the article when Koichi posted about his Japanese resources, but I found myself struggling to implement it into my grammar studies. Maybe practicing the technique with another subject first, even one entirely separate from Japanese, would help.

I haven’t yet watched any Nihongomori, but I probably should since they’re usually highly recommended. They go by JLPT level, right?

Ahh, I did the exact thing you do! I find that doing exercises are more efective than taking notes, but that depends on people.

I have two Japanese textbooks, one is for JLPT and one is for me to understand things more clearly (since it’s my native language) and for this one, I had to write down notes. I admit that no matter how you look at it later, it WILL appear messy, haha. Even so, I don’t mind because I probably won’t review them… maybe OP could find some exercises or some example usages of the grammar for review? I personally think that reading back notes are quite daunting because there’s too much information…

Maybe I can talk more about it eventually, but not yet :zipper_mouth: :wink:

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Have you tried the website conversationexchange.com ? I’ve had many frustrations with other websites until I found this one. Found many great partners over time, and although I am busy with school I keep in touch with them when I can. To me that was really the most efficient way to really set in stone the concepts I’d learn through tae kim and etc. :smiley:

Ooh, this is particularly interesting!

Just what kind of program is it going to become? Something useable by us, eventually, hosted somewhere?
Eh? Eh?
*nudge nudge*

Yep, they sure do. There are two N5-N4 playlists. They go in a different order than Genki does. I find them fun to watch. I usually watch two in a row while stopping (lots) to take notes. So a 5 minute video takes me between 15 and 20 minutes (I have to look up stroke orders for kanji and things, too… )
They’re fun. : D After that it’s by individual JLPT levels, and then there are some more advanced/specialty videos too.

Ahh… okay.

I haven’t. I’m ridiculously busy with school and life and stuff (contrary to my lurking on the forums today; I’m actually sick) but maybe I can take a look at it soon. I’ve always been nervous about finding someone to talk with and then not being consistent.

The article is strangely not that great tbh. Koichi explains the method really well on EtoEto, but I can’t link the page, unfortunately.

I use Microsoft OneNote, which can be downloaded for free from iTunes. I am not sure how much it costs for MS Windows users.

I have a notebook called “NihonGo”.

The notebook has filing tabs at the top for categories, which are meaningful to me: JBPII, Genki, Grammar, Vocabulary, JLPT.

In the JPBII and Genki tabs, I have one page for each “lesson” of the textbook. Then each page has a separate subpage for each grammar point.

The purpose of my grammar notes is to explain one concept very briefly so that I can quickly refer to it at a future date. It is not meant to be a thousand word essay.

For explaining grammar, I use bullet point, tables and a couple of examples. Sometimes it is a copy/paste from the textbook, when they have explained it well. I also include page references of the textbooks I used.

The tabs for “grammar” have tables for adjective and verb conjugation. I find the act of building a table helps me to remember the conjugation.

The tabs for vocab have lists of words, which I struggle to recall.

Here is a screenshot of one of a grammar point in Genki II

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What about spider diagrams? The grammar point in the middle (in kana or English or both), a sub-heading bubble below it giving a brief definition/description, 3 main bubbles coming off the title bubble for nouns, adjectives and verbs, then the adjectives split to show how the grammar point works with each type, and the verb bubble split showing again how to form the grammar with each type of verb, with a final branch leading to example sentences. Add lots of colour! And maybe make free floating bubbles showing warnings (e.g. politeness level), JLPT level, points to remember (e.g. used in writing), similar grammar points, page to find it in your main textbook, etc…

In fact, now I’ve written all that, I think I might make this my own method!

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Oooh, I like this as well.

That actually sounds pretty cool! Glad that my question helped you too lol :blush: I think I’ll try that, maybe even in PowerPoint slides so I could keep it neat and then print them out in miniature form, highlight, and stick them in a binder.