Anki? Tae Kim? Or is WK all I need for vocab so there’s only grammar left?
- Grammar is good to learn too. I found a textbook good, Genki is what I used, though people also seem to like Tae Kim and Minna No Nihongo, and Tae Kim is free.
- Day 1 might be a bit early to start it comfortably, but I think around level 10 you should consider trying some native material. The Absolute Beginners Book Club on this forum will help you get started. In about a month the book club will be starting its next book, Horimiya if you want to try join in on one live, or there’s the archive of threads from already completed clubs.
2 Likes
I feel like a lot of people are going to come and give you better advice than I can and I don’t exactly know your starting point on the language journey but yes, I think grammar is a good way to start alongside WK. You’ll be learning kanji and vocab through WK and if you go the textbook route you’ll learn grammar and vocab. Formal, independent study is a whole whirlwind though so starting off with Tae Kim, TokiniAndy, or even Sakubi could be a good jumping off point too.
There are so many secondary resources that I can’t list them all and I sure as well don’t know them all. I’ve been on the attempt to learn this language actively for 5 years now and everyone’s goal is different. I think setting strict short-term and long-term deadlines and defining your goals with the language is important because it’s a lifelong journey if you truly want to master it.
Lots of people (myself included) post study logs. They usually list their resources in the top post and comment on what’s working and not working. Browsing the forum for those and additional resources people use (like this Ultimate List) can help you settle into what personally works for you.
Just be open to not knowing things and constantly looking for translations and enjoy the ride. Don’t know what else to say except good luck! 
2 Likes
Tae kim is for a simplified explanation of grammar. For nuance, seek other sources. anki is for self-memorization.
the main question is: how much Japanese do you know already?
Use whatever apps and resources there are to patch up your own blind spots. Search these forums for specifics as there are numerous threads suggesting how to learn Japanese already using outside resources.
1 Like
If vocab is what you’re after, take a Tango or Core 2.3k deck in Anki instead of WaniKani. In general I would recommend either doing a textbook in addition to WaniKani or another text/video grammar resource.
2 Likes
Wanikani isn’t going to give you all the vocab you need, unfortunately. You’ll need something else. An anki deck of some sort works really well! Some people like grabbing a core vocab deck and running that. What’s worked well for me personally is making my own deck that I practice every day, adding 10 vocab words a week from whatever textbook I’m currently working on (Genki 1, then Genki 2, and now Tobira).
Wanikani is still amazing for vocab though, imo, because it makes vocab much easier to remember. Like, the word for “first train/bus departure of the day” is 始発. I found that really difficult to remember at first, but once I learned from Wani that 始(し) means first and 発(はつ), means departure, it clicked.
There is a school of thought that you shouldn’t learn grammar in isolation. It’s too difficult. It’s better to learn it as you go along.
I use an app called FluentU which teaches it this way. I like it because it you it exposes you to spoken Japanese, Kanji, Grammar and word order (which is massively important for when you want to write and speak Japanese). The thing which i think it does which I haven’t found any other app do with such complexity is ask you to translate sentences and whole paragraphs by giving you all the words and then you have to put them in the right order.
The only problem is it is expensive - 30 dollars a month. But i use it a few hours a day with Wanikani
The other apps i’ve tried with i think are good are LingQ and Japanese Pod101.
1 Like
I think this is the substance of half my posts here, so I’m going to be repetitive! But do all the immersion practice you can find. Read and watch any untranslated material you can get your hands on. This will frustrate the shit out of you at first, probably even for weeks. You will feel like it’s the biggest waste of time. You just have to keep practicing until your brain starts stringing together words and phrases and particles.
For grammar, I’ve been using Bunpro for three years now and I like it a lot. The practice is difficult but it’s the kind of difficulty that’s forcing my brain to grow and change.
I also recommend the Dictionary of Japanese Grammar “trilogy” and the Handbook of Japanese Grammar Patterns. You might have to save up but I use them all a lot. My italki teacher has the latter and that’s been a great way for us to review grammar together.
As others have mentioned, additional Anki decks are an excellent idea. You’ll find a flow that works for you. What worked for me was having a vocabulary deck of words that I was ready for (i.e. Guru on WaniKani) and kanji that WaniKani doesn’t have. You can use a pre-made deck, but I got my best gains from making my cards myself.
Good luck!
EDIT: You don’t have to do all or any of this, of course. And you don’t have to make all your planned changes today. Try changing one thing at a time and see what works for you. Think in terms of habits instead of goals. Try not to overwhelm yourself. I only have one rule in this life: never make plans that only work if you become a better person tomorrow!
Spin some plates!
Or study Genki or Minna no Nihongo… If you wanna be less cool about it.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.