Thank you, this is really helpful. Iāve wanted to join bookclubs before, but Iāve often had to stop at some point because of random things happening, and I felt bad to drop out/fail to participate from the start. Iām worried I canāt actually stick to it, so your tip on reading books that were discussed in old bookclubs is SUPER HELPFUL. I think Iāll go look through them right away, I have some books that youāve read before, if I remember correctly.
And as you said, itās also a really nice way to study grammar more actively.
Wellā¦ Iāve been slacking off a little D:
Iāve been pretty busy and will be for a while, so Japanese has kind of been on the backburner.
But at least Iām still
keeping up with Anki/my vocab studies
listening to ~15-20 minutes of whatever in the evening before I go to sleep. Right now thatās often an episode of ćć¤ćć„ć¼, and itās still surprisingly entertaining considering itās audio only (Iām familiar with it already, so itās not confusing). I donāt know if Iām imagining it but I sometimes feel like I actually understand a bit more like this compared to when I actually watch an episode. Huh?? I also feel like I*m getting better at the whole (spoken) slang/casual language thing. Not very helpful for the jlpt but still nice
But I donāt really read a lot these days, and I kinda miss it. Occasionally Iāll read a chapter of Yotsuba (so cute!!) or something random online but itās rare. I kind of feel guilty whenever I take the time to really focus on something in Japanese for a longer period of time because I have other things to do -
ā¦ but then I just go waste time on social media instead. Might as well have spent that time on reading. Why is my brain like this??
Thatās a good point! I definitely think itās doable. A lot of the missed questions were between two choices. I feel like I wouldāve known the answers if I knew the kanji. Excited for WK to help me with that.
Well I personally like the x-effect and similar things
That kind of thing where you try to do something (in this case maybe something like āread for x minutesā or whatever) once a day, and then you check off that day in a notebook or in an app or something.
Then you try to collect as many Xās (checked off days) as possible
I personally only do that for SRS (vocab and bunpro) right now, but itās working pretty well. Doing srs reviews isnāt exactly my favorite part of Japanese, but itās effective and not wanting to break my streak has often pushed me to do those reviews, or at least a few of them.
(Streaks are pretty!!)
I also second the book clubs. Also maybe the extended reading challenge on here? Iām not part of it myself (low level and all) but it looks nice and it seems like a good way to set up some reading goals.
Ooh, Iām interested in seeing what this latest poll looks like when we get more votes, because right now it seems like a more even distribution of study plan adherence whereas in the first one people were very disciplined.
Personally Iām only following my study plan about 15% of the time, but thatās up from 0% at the last check-in haha.
My Anki reviews have been especially difficult bc I found out I accidentally set my maximum number of reviews to 5/day and had it like that for a few months. So when I happened to go in and adjust the settings, it turned out that I had almost 400 reviews built up in my vocab deck alone. Iām trying to get the numbers back down again but havenāt brought it under 100 yet, and so havenāt been studying anything new with Anki. Awkward.
I feel like my studying was a bit off the last week or two, just because I kept deciding to try too many new resources. I do think I have kind of narrowed it down to what I think is most helpful now, so I think I can actually build a nice routine. I also think how I approached Genki vocab, just wasnāt working for me and sort of derailed me, so Iāve modified that as well. I totally agree with @NicoleRauch about doing books from old book clubs I found a club thread for ć¬ć³ćæć«ćć«ć”ćć and plan to start reading that once my book arrives. Itās actually pretty nice since the vocab list has already been filled out so I can learn words beforehand so when I try to read I can more worry about grammar. @NathaLire as for feeling motivated for grammar I think the best thing would be just to have a set time each day to force a routine? Thatās kind of what Iām currently trying to establish and I think itās been helpful! I also do something very similar to @Scylie where I keep a notebook and have daily goals I mark off.
I was having a great couple of weeks of studying - this thread really encouraged me to knuckle down. And then Monster Hunter Rise came out. I have taken three days of studying but will be back to work tomorrow.
Iām not specifically studying for the JLPT, but I do want to try a practice N4 test sometime soon, then see what improvements there are in July.
Iām planning to contact a tutor on https://en.amazingtalker.com/ and work on speaking there.
Recently Iāve also tried playing games in Japanese, and will begin reading Teasing Master Takagi-san with the book club, as well as Kikiās Delivery Service on my own in May.
Iām beginning to add and review vocabulary on Anki.
iāve been quite happy with how my studies have been progressing, even when iāve been dealing with bad health days and a busier schedule than expected. the kanji knowledge from WK is catching up to other areas, and starting to be really useful.
the biggest addition to my schedule has been reading (just manga so far). in particular iāve been reading for fun, and while i do look up words and grammar i donāt understand, iām content to get the gist of whatās going on. even though i donāt actually study anything, itās opened up the world of learning through exposure. and in my experience exposure is an extremely powerful tool for learning languages. to be able to read is also extremely motivating!
as for the jlpt, iām quite confident about the N5, and donāt know about N4. iām not planning my studies for the jlpt, i see them mostly as a way to evaluate how far iāve come. i will of course be checking the format of the exams beforehand, but thatās a task for the weeks before the exam, not yet for now.
@NathaLire thank you for organising this thread and keeping everybody involved! ^^
Today itās exactly a month since I restarted doing lessons on WK after a burn out back in October, a 4-month break, resetting 10 levels back and defeating a massive review pile. Iāve been steadily doing 10-15 lessons a day and I finally feel that my kanji and vocabulary are progressing again.
Iām also (sort of) keeping up with three book clubs: FukaBoku, ć·ć”ćøć·ćć„ć¬ć¼ć·ć§ć³ and ćććć£ć³ā³, so Iāve been reading regularly. I would like to read a book (not manga) before summer, likely é儳ć®å® ę„ä¾æ, but so far Iāve been procrastinating on that.
No grammar and no BunPro for me in the last months I really want to make a study plan for grammar, as itās probably my weakest point for the JLPT. I got through the N4 grammar section with what āsounded goodā thanks to my reading exposure, but I donāt think that would be enough for N3 and above. Iām a bit busy at work right now, so I will give myself a whole month to start planning a schedule and hopefully begin studying in May.
Iāve signed up for both N5 and N4 as Iām not sure what my level is.
My question is (and Iām sorry if this has been asked before): what grammar points from N5 and N4 does Genki not cover? Genki is my main source of study so I want to make sure Iām not missing out anything important. I know it doesnāt cover ćć and ć¾ć§ - anything else?
I was hoping someone else would have a better answer for you, but alas. The way I would do it would be to go down both these lists and note which ones you arenāt sure about or have never seen, then study them through whichever method you prefer.
You can actually just copy and paste the tables into a spreadsheet of your own if thatās how you want to do it. Iām doing that for the N3 list and marking them as I go. If I already know that grammar point I mark it green, and if I still have to learn it and make flashcards then I leave it uncolored. Iām working my way through all those now. Thatās just my method though.
Thank you for these lists! They will be very useful.
I ended up using the āpathsā section of Bunpro to filter out what I didnāt know.
I ālearnedā the Genki points and then they became stamped elsewhere on the site. Then I went to the N5 and N4 sections and looked at what ever was without a stamp. By process of elimination, I figured those are the things Genki misses.
These check-in posts were suggested by @banditraider and will be made bi-weekly (on Sundays). Please answer the questions over the indicated period (so, the past two weeks). Feel free to respond, whether youāre studying more casually, or even if youāre taking the actual JLPT! It might be a nice way to hold yourself accountable, or just see how youāre progressing over time (if you regularly respond). The format and included questions arenāt set in stone at all, so if you have any suggestions, please reply!
Q1: How have you been sticking to your study schedule during the past two weeks? (period 03/28 - 04/11)
I have stuck to my schedule 75% - 100% of the time
I have stuck to my schedule around 50% of the time
I have stuck to my schedule 0% to 25% of the time
I do not have a clear schedule, but I have studied Japanese regularly
I do not have a clear schedule yet, but I am in the process of making one
I have not started studying for the JLPT yet
Other (please comment)
0voters
Q2: Have you made any changes to your study routine (if you have one) or methods during the past two weeks? (period 03/28 - 04/11)
No
Yes, I have changed my routine so I spend less time on Japanese than I originally intended
Yes, I have changed my routine so I spend more time on Japanese than I originally intended
Yes, I have cut some methods from my routine
Yes, I have discovered new studying methods that I would like to add to my routine (please comment!)
Yes, I have decided to switch my focus to a different skill (e.g., listening instead of reading)
Yes, but I havenāt changed my routine/methods in any of the ways mentioned above (please comment!)
Other (please comment!)
0voters
Q3: How confident are you for the JLPT, right now?
Very confident
Fairly confident
Neither
Not very confident
Not confident at all
0voters
Q4: What is your strength in Japanese, right now?
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Vocabulary
Kanji
Writing
My skills are all at a similar level
I donāt know
Other (please comment!)
0voters
Q5: What is your weakness in Japanese, right now?
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Vocabulary
Kanji
Writing
My skills are all at a similar level
I donāt know
Other (please comment!)
0voters
All polls close in 2 weeks, just before the next check-in post.
Please leave a comment if you feel a question or answering option is missing/should be changed! Also feel free to leave any other comments you might have!
I managed to actually get around my goals a little bit more this time around, thanks to tips by @NicoleRauch, which @bearytoast also suggested (Iām trying to read some books along with reading club threads that already exist! This includes rereading some books I read before, but itās nice to see how I understand a bit more now), @Scylie (Iām trying to rephrase my goals more to the x-effect that you mentioned! Also in the sense of, read at least x minutes a day and then try to keep the streak going ). @bearytoast I think youāre definitely right that if I forced myself to take some time everyday to do active learning I would probably get used to the routine more. As of now I have literally no daily routine, I think itās really important that I get into some kind of schedule. The past week Iāve tried a little, but I suddenly got really busy with some other things and didnāt have the time. I hope to get to it more after the end of April.
So I read a lot more the past week, and listened a bit less. But I guess thatās not so much of a problem, it was actually necessary. Iāve also changed my goals a little since I seem to burn out really fast these days (also a bit busy with life etc., which is why Iām not very active on this thread either, though I hope to have more time again around May/June). Instead of focusing on active learning, Iām focusing more on just immersing myself in contents that are in Japanese. As a result, I donāt lose motivation as fast. Of course Iām still keeping up with Wanikani!
Iām so glad to hear that it helped motivate you to study! Did you manage to get back at it even with Monster Hunter Rise?
Wow, I really like how youāre working on so many different skills at the same time! Your study methods seem very balanced. Have you managed to find a tutor in the meantime?
Thatās so good, it sounds like your schedule works really well, especially with how the kanji knowledge corresponds to other areas?
That sounds so good! I feel like reading really is the āwonder drugā of language learning. Or maybe just exposure in general, as you also said I noticed it really helps for me to see both grammar and vocabulary āin the wildā, because it gives me an idea of which contexts itās actually used in. In Japanese especially, this is so crucial sometimes with all these different words that seemingly mean the same thing, haha.
Wowowow! That must be a great feeling and since youāre also keeping up with book clubs, I imagine you also encounter lots of those kanji and vocab in the wild?
This is exactly what Iām also struggling with a little. Grammar is definitely my weakest point (I should probably include grammar as a skill in the next check-in ). Same as you I hope to have a stricter schedule ready for around the beginning of May. So far, I donāt have a clear idea of what itāll look like yet, but I hope that Iāve gotten into reading a bit more at the time, so Iāll have a better idea of how to incorporate grammar effectively (instead of just, writing it down, but for example writing down grammar I encounter (someone suggested this I think but I forgot who Iām sorry))
Welcome!! And great, thatās exactly the benefit of this event compared to the ārealā JLPT, you can try multiple levels and see where you stand
I saw @banditraider already answered and you figured it out!! Iām not sure you already know this but just in case, there arenāt actually official lists of what can be on the JLPT, most lists that go around are based on previous JLPTs, so that means any lists you encounter may deviate from each other! I think theyāre all super similar but just in case you notice some irregularities.
In conclusion, from the next check-in Iāll include grammar in the skills. I know itās not really a common language skill in that sense, but considering thereās also lots of textbooks specifically focused on grammar, I figure it doesnāt hurt!
Yay, another check-in! I always like seeing how everyone else is doing.
Personally Iāve lowered my expectations for myself and have had more success this way. Grammar has been pretty fun so far. Iāve started creating my own example sentences focused on N3 grammar points and seeing how DeepL translates them. Itās surprisingly addictive and itās good practice! I feel like it helps with vocab and recall.
Btw has anyone ever used āA Handbook of Japanese Grammar Patterns for Teachers and Learnersā before? Itās expensive but Iām thinking of ordering it soon.
(Iām familiar with it already, so itās not confusing). I donāt know if Iām imagining it but I sometimes feel like I actually understand a bit more like this compared to when I actually watch an episode. Huh?? I also feel like I*m getting better at the whole (spoken) slang/casual language thing. Not very helpful for the jlpt but still nice 
Iām trying to get the numbers back down again but havenāt brought it under 100 yet, and so havenāt been studying anything new with Anki. Awkward.
). 
and since youāre also keeping up with book clubs, I imagine you also encounter lots of those kanji and vocab in the wild?