Comments on: When Will I Get Good? http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:16:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3453 khatzumoto Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:51:25 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3453 @Alex Sorry for the delay, I lost track of your comment! >Did you rely exclusively on written sources for the phrases entered into your SRS? No, I used spoken sources as well. I just made sure I got written confirmation of what was said, either by looking it up online or asking a Japanese friend. >I always find myself wondering if the kanji selected by IME is the right one or not. Yeah, if you're unsure, then don't do it. You're trying to <strong>build</strong> your skill, not test it. Stick to things you're sure about in terms of getting sentences. >Also, do you exclusively used phrases? Essentially, yes. The only exceptions were/are proper nouns (personal names, placenames, names of organizations), which I learn individually, because name readings tend to be irregular anyway. For example, I would have: question: 前畑秀子 answer: まえはた　ひでこ >I am tempted to enter some word pairs into SuperMemo, but as you correctly said words can have so many meanings - especially in japanese - that I feel it would be a waste of time. It would be. A word without correct usage (context) is nothing but a dangerous weapon :D. If you must learn a word, learn it context. But I'm preaching to the choir, you knew that already. @Alex

Sorry for the delay, I lost track of your comment!

>Did you rely exclusively on written sources for the phrases entered into your SRS?
No, I used spoken sources as well. I just made sure I got written confirmation of what was said, either by looking it up online or asking a Japanese friend.

>I always find myself wondering if the kanji selected by IME is the right one or not.
Yeah, if you’re unsure, then don’t do it. You’re trying to build your skill, not test it. Stick to things you’re sure about in terms of getting sentences.

>Also, do you exclusively used phrases?
Essentially, yes. The only exceptions were/are proper nouns (personal names, placenames, names of organizations), which I learn individually, because name readings tend to be irregular anyway. For example, I would have:
question: 前畑秀子
answer: まえはた　ひでこ

>I am tempted to enter some word pairs into SuperMemo, but as you correctly said words can have so many meanings - especially in japanese - that I feel it would be a waste of time.
It would be. A word without correct usage (context) is nothing but a dangerous weapon :D. If you must learn a word, learn it context. But I’m preaching to the choir, you knew that already.

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3367 khatzumoto Sun, 07 Oct 2007 03:10:12 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3367 >Would that be enough?? Hmmm...I don't know. But try this--listen to Japanese music even while you're studying. I mean, I had other stuff to do, too, so part of the key is to try to bend that stuff toward Japanese as far as possible, even if it doesn't seem directly related. You could take notes in Japanese [not even "real" Japanese, but a shorthand using the Japanese writing system], use a computer with a Japanese OS on it...stuff like that. >Would that be enough??
Hmmm…I don’t know. But try this–listen to Japanese music even while you’re studying. I mean, I had other stuff to do, too, so part of the key is to try to bend that stuff toward Japanese as far as possible, even if it doesn’t seem directly related. You could take notes in Japanese [not even “real” Japanese, but a shorthand using the Japanese writing system], use a computer with a Japanese OS on it…stuff like that.

]]> By: Nez http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3366 Nez Sun, 07 Oct 2007 02:57:38 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3366 Hey Khatzumoto, this site is really great, thanks a bunch for all the great advice! I've started learning Kanji with RTK Heisig and progress is going well! About the immersion environment though - I'm appearing for the IIT college entrance exams next year and I really need to study so I can't really put my textbooks in a shredder! :( At the same time I wanna devote all of my free time to learning Japanese but even so I won't be able to devote the whole day to Japanese....maybe around 1/4 of the total time everyday(for whatever time that I'm not studying)? Would that be enough?? Hey Khatzumoto, this site is really great, thanks a bunch for all the great advice! I’ve started learning Kanji with RTK Heisig and progress is going well! About the immersion environment though - I’m appearing for the IIT college entrance exams next year and I really need to study so I can’t really put my textbooks in a shredder! :( At the same time I wanna devote all of my free time to learning Japanese but even so I won’t be able to devote the whole day to Japanese….maybe around 1/4 of the total time everyday(for whatever time that I’m not studying)? Would that be enough??

]]> By: Alex http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3337 Alex Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:13:25 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-3337 Yo Khatz, great blog and wonderful articles! This is exactly how I learned to speak english like a native - and I never visited an english speaking country in my whole life. I can even distinguish different accents, slangs and stuff like that and very often my vocabulary dazzles native speakers. And I never, never touched grammar books or classes. I simply absorbed it through movies, books, comics and videogames. I did exactly what you did - I eliminated every bit of my native language from my life until my very personal notes were written in english - which something that I continue to do just because, well, I like it. Problem is that I am so Anglicized right now that I feel like a stranger in my own country - I can't even share movies with my friends because I acquire all of them in english. I guess that is the drawback of the immersion effect, lol. :) Anyway, made our point, enough rambling. I want to ask you a question if you don't mind..I don't quite know where to ask it so I just do it here. Did you rely exclusively on written sources for the phrases entered into your SRS? Or did you also used the phrases that you hear? I am asking because I am currently entering phrases into SuperMemo taken from written sources. I don't feel confident in transcribing audio (ie. taken from audio courses like Pimsleur which seems good and builds stuff gradually), because I always find myself wondering if the kanji selected by IME is the right one or not. Perhaps it is a nonissue, but I just wanted to check if you have any suggestion on that regard. Also, do you exclusively used phrases? I am tempted to enter some word pairs into SuperMemo, but as you correctly said words can have so many meanings - especially in japanese - that I feel it would be a waste of time. Anyway, thanks for sharing this with the world! :) Yo Khatz, great blog and wonderful articles!

This is exactly how I learned to speak english like a native - and I never visited an english speaking country in my whole life. I can even distinguish different accents, slangs and stuff like that and very often my vocabulary dazzles native speakers. And I never, never touched grammar books or classes. I simply absorbed it through movies, books, comics and videogames. I did exactly what you did - I eliminated every bit of my native language from my life until my very personal notes were written in english - which something that I continue to do just because, well, I like it. Problem is that I am so Anglicized right now that I feel like a stranger in my own country - I can’t even share movies with my friends because I acquire all of them in english. I guess that is the drawback of the immersion effect, lol. :)

Anyway, made our point, enough rambling. I want to ask you a question if you don’t mind..I don’t quite know where to ask it so I just do it here. Did you rely exclusively on written sources for the phrases entered into your SRS? Or did you also used the phrases that you hear? I am asking because I am currently entering phrases into SuperMemo taken from written sources. I don’t feel confident in transcribing audio (ie. taken from audio courses like Pimsleur which seems good and builds stuff gradually), because I always find myself wondering if the kanji selected by IME is the right one or not. Perhaps it is a nonissue, but I just wanted to check if you have any suggestion on that regard.

Also, do you exclusively used phrases? I am tempted to enter some word pairs into SuperMemo, but as you correctly said words can have so many meanings - especially in japanese - that I feel it would be a waste of time.

Anyway, thanks for sharing this with the world! :)

]]> By: Charles http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2391 Charles Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:41:56 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2391 Hi Khatz, taijuando, I agree with this, as mystical as it sounds. I still make so many of the same spoken mistakes (after many years of trying to learn Japanese). I think that you may be right in that through LOTS of input, we will just understand the usage. The key is patience- I always want to start speaking as soon as I think I know something. Invariably, I mess that up! Hi Khatz, taijuando,
I agree with this, as mystical as it sounds. I still make so many of the same spoken mistakes (after many years of trying to learn Japanese). I think that you may be right in that through LOTS of input, we will just understand the usage.
The key is patience- I always want to start speaking as soon as I think I know something. Invariably, I mess that up!

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2359 khatzumoto Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:25:13 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2359 Here is a link to <a href="http://www.antimoon.com/how/mistakes-damage.htm" rel="nofollow">AntiMoon's advice</a> Here is a link to AntiMoon’s advice

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2358 khatzumoto Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:03:43 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2358 When I spoke to the cats and dogs, it was in correct Japanese, and using tone and vocabulary that are often directed towards pets. When I spoke to the cats and dogs, it was in correct Japanese, and using tone and vocabulary that are often directed towards pets.

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2357 khatzumoto Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:02:53 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2357 taijuando I followed the advice on AntiMoon. I only said things I knew how to say correctly. In a sense, you don't go out of your way to "say" something as much as you wait for it to "come out" almost. It will come out correct, if you just keep feeding yourself input. It all sounds very vague and magical, but I'm sure there are some very concrete neurological processes or whatever involved, I just don't know what they are. I do know, though, that you can keep seeing a commercial over and over (hey, spaced repetitions!) on TV and never go out of your way to remember it, but then one day recite all or part of it correctly. So, you reach this kind of critical mass, I suppose. Don't go out of your way to speak Japanese. Mistakes uncorrected will kill you, and since most mistakes tend to go uncorrected, it's better not to make them in the first place. Don't force yourself to speak or write. Don't do any output, let the output do itself. Just keep inputting. taijuando

I followed the advice on AntiMoon. I only said things I knew how to say correctly. In a sense, you don’t go out of your way to “say” something as much as you wait for it to “come out” almost. It will come out correct, if you just keep feeding yourself input. It all sounds very vague and magical, but I’m sure there are some very concrete neurological processes or whatever involved, I just don’t know what they are. I do know, though, that you can keep seeing a commercial over and over (hey, spaced repetitions!) on TV and never go out of your way to remember it, but then one day recite all or part of it correctly. So, you reach this kind of critical mass, I suppose.

Don’t go out of your way to speak Japanese. Mistakes uncorrected will kill you, and since most mistakes tend to go uncorrected, it’s better not to make them in the first place. Don’t force yourself to speak or write. Don’t do any output, let the output do itself. Just keep inputting.

]]> By: taijuando http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2321 taijuando Sat, 18 Aug 2007 05:51:13 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-2321 great website--inspirational...it's gotten me off my duff and using all of the japenese materials I have accumulated and using them in the SRS...you mentioned here that you spoke to your pets in Japanese...when do you start output....even if it's bad or awkward Japanese...do you still keep trying....I was curious about how you use language partners as well..... great website–inspirational…it’s gotten me off my duff and using all of the japenese materials I have accumulated and using them in the SRS…you mentioned here that you spoke to your pets in Japanese…when do you start output….even if it’s bad or awkward Japanese…do you still keep trying….I was curious about how you use language partners as well…..

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-1403 khatzumoto Thu, 07 Jun 2007 01:49:58 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-1403 >do you think it is appropriate to use the english translations to help out on understanding the sentence even if I don’t put the english translations into menmosyne? Yeah, I used to do that when I was making the transition between J-E and　J-J. Not ideal, but okay. About alc.jp--which part of it are you using? One of my Japanese friends said that the sentences aren't always reliable *depending* on the part of alc in question (some parts of alc are fine...) >do you think it is appropriate to use the english translations to help out on understanding the sentence even if I don’t put the english translations into menmosyne?

Yeah, I used to do that when I was making the transition between J-E and　J-J. Not ideal, but okay.

About alc.jp–which part of it are you using? One of my Japanese friends said that the sentences aren’t always reliable *depending* on the part of alc in question (some parts of alc are fine…)

]]> By: james http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-1388 james Wed, 06 Jun 2007 20:23:53 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-1388 I know this method prohibits the use english apart from in beginning stages but recently I found a great resource for sentence mining in alc.co.jp . The problem is the sentences always have an accompanying translation and hence I feel guilty about using them. However the English transations really do help my understanding particularly when it comes to colloquialisms and complicated sentences. Hence, do you think it is appropriate to use the english translations to help out on understanding the sentence even if I don't put the english translations into menmosyne? I am around 5000 sentences in to this method cheers for your time I know this method prohibits the use english apart from in beginning stages but recently I found a great resource for sentence mining in alc.co.jp . The problem is the sentences always have an accompanying translation and hence I feel guilty about using them. However the English transations really do help my understanding particularly when it comes to colloquialisms and complicated sentences. Hence, do you think it is appropriate to use the english translations to help out on understanding the sentence even if I don’t put the english translations into menmosyne?

I am around 5000 sentences in to this method

cheers for your time

]]> By: khatzumoto http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-764 khatzumoto Wed, 30 May 2007 10:44:45 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-764 Thanks for commenting! Hmm...I don't have much to say on the initial work...what you're doing seems fine. Plus what matters is long-term recall of the information (readings, meanings) in the sentence. If you stumble a bit at the beginning, that seems OK to me. IMHO, it's really good to *focus*, to *pay attention* the first time you're learning a sentence, just like you are doing. I don't remember where it was, but some memory expert type guy I once heard, said something to the effect that a lot of people say they've FORGOTTEN something, when in fact they never GOT it in the first place, because they weren't paying attention...Insofar as you are "getting" to begin with, you're drastically reducing your chances of forgetting. Thanks for commenting! Hmm…I don’t have much to say on the initial work…what you’re doing seems fine. Plus what matters is long-term recall of the information (readings, meanings) in the sentence. If you stumble a bit at the beginning, that seems OK to me.

IMHO, it’s really good to *focus*, to *pay attention* the first time you’re learning a sentence, just like you are doing. I don’t remember where it was, but some memory expert type guy I once heard, said something to the effect that a lot of people say they’ve FORGOTTEN something, when in fact they never GOT it in the first place, because they weren’t paying attention…Insofar as you are “getting” to begin with, you’re drastically reducing your chances of forgetting.

]]> By: anders http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-757 anders Tue, 29 May 2007 22:46:43 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ask-not#comment-757 Great article :) This is the first time I'm writing a comment here, but i've been reading your articles and using the SRS-method for a couple of months now. Keep up the good work :) I've got a little off-topic question; I've been using mnemosyne for a while now and I'm very pleased with the results. But I'm having trouble finding an efficient way to initially learn new sentences that I've just input. What I've done up until now is basically just reading slowly through each new sentence while looking at the answer box for reading/meaning. When I'm able to grade a sentence at least 2, it usually means most of the work is done. So I was wondering if you (or anyone reading this) have got any tips on how improve efficiency when initally learning a sentence? Great article :) This is the first time I’m writing a comment here, but i’ve been reading your articles and using the SRS-method for a couple of months now. Keep up the good work :)

I’ve got a little off-topic question; I’ve been using mnemosyne for a while now and I’m very pleased with the results. But I’m having trouble finding an efficient way to initially learn new sentences that I’ve just input. What I’ve done up until now is basically just reading slowly through each new sentence while looking at the answer box for reading/meaning. When I’m able to grade a sentence at least 2, it usually means most of the work is done. So I was wondering if you (or anyone reading this) have got any tips on how improve efficiency when initally learning a sentence?

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