I’m sure this topic has been talked blue in the face, but is there any consensus on helpful topics to study in conjunction with going through WaniKani?
I’ve read so many well-thought-out guides to learning Japanese, including detailed learning loops and a nearly infinite list of resources. All great information! But since I’m on the WaniKani path (level 2 today! celebrate!), is there anything related to grammar, enunciation/listening, or the like that I should be doing in conjunction?
Also, is it worth it to use Anki Decks for Kanji or Vocab that I’ve guru’d? I think the answer is no, that it’ll interrupt SRS, and to just Trust the Process™, but I wanted to ask to be sure!
As far as I know this is primary regarding Kanji. Bunpro or MaruMori is an awesome source for overall grammar, listening and other things in my opinion.
Don’t do an additional SRS for the items on wanikani. Super inefficient.
Yes you should use lots of additional materials. If you ask me at least:
-A grammar resource
-Resource for common vocabulary not on WK (most are not Kanji or rarely with Kanji)
-And a listening resource
As a minimum. If you use different materials or use some already premade book/course is up to you. Wanikani only covers reading kanji words (which is a big struggle for many learners to be fair)
Later on (3months?) you should augment this with some writing, reading, and speaking depending on where your focus lies.
I tend to primarily recommend Bunpro since it teaches grammar with a SRS system (which should be comfortable territory if you’re using WK, even if with some little differences and nuances) and has lots of great material relating to the topic
Along with that, it has a progress sync with WK vocab so the example sentences will match your Kanji proficiency and it’ll automatically master any vocabulary items you’ve already SRS’d here on WK so you can focus primarily on the words not featured here (this is especially great for things like kana-only stuff)
It also has some great other resources like JLPT practice tests, community content decks, conjugation practice minigames, etc. and all is very affordable
Other than that- I think the Genki textbooks do a wonderful job getting you accustomed to beginner grammar mechanics if you’re willing to follow a book, Busuu has given me some good results if you want another general learning site, and (while maybe not quite yet) immersion will always be additive and something like the Yotsuba manga or Tokimeki Memorial video game are some solid choices right off the top of my head
Really anything that clicks with you, you can stay consistent with, and doesn’t bore you to tears will always be a good call- worth experimenting around if you’re in the early learning stages. Good luck!
If you’re looking for somewhere to practice conjugation I highly recommend Don’s Conjugation Drill or Lan-Don’s Conjugation Drill! Bunpro also has Kaijugation which is a little more gamified.
Also The Moe Way is a great place that consolidates a lot of different Japanese learning resources if you’re interested!
I’m only level 4, but I think Kamesame (WK in reverse) is worth it to me because when you’re trying to recall the Japanese word from the English meaning it’s really fast which I think will be valuable for speaking.
Bunpro actually has fully tailored Genki content decks of grammar and vocabulary (along with several other textbooks) so I think they compliment each other well and would actually recommend using them simultaneously if possible. That way you can learn new material with the professionally-made lessons and practice exercises of Genki, and then be able to add that same content into an SRS to consistently practice and reinforce there. Once you’ve worked through the Genki books, too, then you’ll still be left with a great familiar resource to continue with- which I think is really convenient
If you get a Bunpro subscription and want to try it out, just click the Content > Decks button on the homepage and you can add them (and whatever else you want) in seconds and for no additional cost or anything. Really great feature that I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of myself
