For me, writing is essential when learning Kanji. Repetition make sits tick in my head and writing gives me a better feel for picturing the mnemonic. I appreciate the use of radicals as a core for learning, but why aren’t we shown stroke order? I know they want us to focus on learning through the mnemonics of Kanji and their radicals, but essentially, knowing the strokes is valuable.
Living in Japan, its hard to navigate online Japanese dictionaries without knowing the stroke order to something, and I was wondering what you’d suggest for learning the stroke order for the Kanji?
Edit: Sorry if this appeared in the wrong section, but it does apply to using applications, since this does technically relate to app dictionaries.
I find Heisigs “Remembering The Kanji” really good for stroke order. I usually learn the kanji here and then refer to that for the strokes and another mnemonic if i’m struggling to remember it! the book has some reasoning as well for why stroke order is the way it is for some kanji, and why certain radicals get placed where in the kanji! After a while you can guess the stroke order usually :)
luckily for you, there’s a userscript to add stroke order to wanikani!
/t/Userscript-Stroke-Order-Diagram/5040/1
You can use my user script: /t/Userscript-Stroke-Order-Diagram/5040/1
If you don’t know how to install user scripts we can guide you through that (I wonder if there’s a guide here on the forums so we can just link new people to that…)
As for why WaniKani doesn’t teach it, I believe the official statement said that it’s simply because WaniKani makes no effort to teach writing, so they never bothered to implement that either. I doubt that they’re strictly against that feature, it just wasn’t on their agenda.
EDIT: Ninja’d… it’s my own script god dammit, don’t steal my thunder T_T
oh, also, this tofugu article is super useful: http://www.tofugu.com/guides/guess-kanji-stroke-order/
stroke order is actually pretty consistent, and if you can understand the rules behind it, then it’ll be a lot easier to learn it.
EDIT: @looki hueheuheuehuee
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Head down to the kanji section of this post, and there are some nice resources for learning and practicing writing/stroke order.
As for Wanikani not including stroke order and such, I believe the idea is getting you to learn tonsof kanji fast, and learning handwriting can be a hindrance for a lot of people .
Edit: Link now inserted
Kelcey said... Head down to the kanji section of this post, and there are some nice resources for learning and practicing writing/stroke order.Also, a main part of the site is testing that you know the elements; they can test that you know how to pronounce it and that you can understand it, but how would they test that you know how to write it without some kind of built in drawing app that would be pretty complex.
As for Wanikani not including stroke order and such, I believe the idea is getting you to learn tonsof kanji fast, and learning handwriting can be a hindrance for a lot of people .
Thanks @Shotgunlagoon and @looki as soon as I learn the secret to installing plugins I’ll do this after school today (current in the teachers room before my ES Class, the joys of learning Kanji between breaks and prep lessons, oh the life of an ALT in Japan).
@Takamori, I used his books to learn my Kana and review it quite frequently but his Kanji books didn’t quite have the appeal for me. Right now I’m using the app called Japanese when I want to learn the stroke order for one of the Kanjis. It seems to help me since I can see it a bit more in a larger format while I write it small. My JTEs arent much help with stroke order, but my Kanji teachers have been a bit helpful!
@Kelcey it can be such a huge hinderance, but writing really helps it stick the word in. Sort of like using all three patterns, writing, reading, and speaking. Just frustrating when I learn a Kanji and try to use it and then the teachers stare at me blankly because its not the reading thats used commonly. Hahahahahaha.
ShotgunLagoon said... oh, also, this tofugu article is super useful: http://www.tofugu.com/guides/guess-kanji-stroke-order/trying to whoo me over with nozaki gifs. you fiend!
stroke order is actually pretty consistent, and if you can understand the rules behind it, then it'll be a lot easier to learn it.
EDIT: @looki hueheuheuehuee
ledan said...is it working?ShotgunLagoon said... oh, also, this tofugu article is super useful: http://www.tofugu.com/guides/guess-kanji-stroke-order/trying to whoo me over with nozaki gifs. you fiend!
stroke order is actually pretty consistent, and if you can understand the rules behind it, then it'll be a lot easier to learn it.
EDIT: @looki hueheuheuehuee
ledan said... Thanks @Shotgunlagoon and @looki as soon as I learn the secret to installing plugins I'll do this after school today (current in the teachers room before my ES Class, the joys of learning Kanji between breaks and prep lessons, oh the life of an ALT in Japan).pretty sure I am the only one on this thread without a shout out.
@Takamori, I used his books to learn my Kana and review it quite frequently but his Kanji books didn't quite have the appeal for me. Right now I'm using the app called Japanese when I want to learn the stroke order for one of the Kanjis. It seems to help me since I can see it a bit more in a larger format while I write it small. My JTEs arent much help with stroke order, but my Kanji teachers have been a bit helpful!
@Kelcey it can be such a huge hinderance, but writing really helps it stick the word in. Sort of like using all three patterns, writing, reading, and speaking. Just frustrating when I learn a Kanji and try to use it and then the teachers stare at me blankly because its not the reading thats used commonly. Hahahahahaha.
You can also try Skritter for writing practice.
@kelth Idk, maybe we’d be able to fax in our writing? But a drawing app would probably be really cool for the sense of getting our writing in gear. Maybe WaniKani will incorporate that with some grammar lessons in the future? They should do a partnership with textfugu or genki. I think the main thing is that writing does actively help with understanding the Kanji a bit more, especially when picturing the mnemonic.
aw it’s ok kelth. i’ll always love youuuuu <3
@ledan
to use userscripts you need to use either tampermonkey (if you’re using chrome) or greasemonkey (if you’re on firefox). after you install one of those extensions, you just click on the link looki and i posted here, click on the link to the script, and click install. the extension will take care of installing it for you
ledan said... @kelth Idk, maybe we'd be able to fax in our writing? But a drawing app would probably be really cool for the sense of getting our writing in gear. Maybe WaniKani will incorporate that with some grammar lessons in the future? They should do a partnership with textfugu or genki. I think the main thing is that writing does actively help with understanding the Kanji a bit more, especially when picturing the mnemonic.They are textfugu
@ledan
wanikani and textfugu are made by the same people: tofugu. tofugu is currently working on a grammar resource called etoeto which is in alpha testing right now. wanikani will never teach grammar because it’s meant for kanji.
genki is great. use genki. definitely use genki. make sure to have the workbook. the workbook is great. super great. like, great.
ShotgunLagoon said... @KelceyAhh my bad, link to the post now inserted!
what post???
ShotgunLagoon said... @ledanThis message was brought to you by the word Great! As tony the tiger says: "Its great".
wanikani and textfugu are made by the same people: tofugu. tofugu is currently working on a grammar resource called etoeto which is in alpha testing right now. wanikani will never teach grammar because it's meant for kanji.
genki is great. use genki. definitely use genki. make sure to have the workbook. the workbook is great. super great. like, great.