Comments on: How To Learn and Review Kanji Using an SRS http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs You don't learn a language, you get used to it. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:27:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ブライアン http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-173839 ブライアン Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:12:36 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-173839 Yes, write them.  It ensures you spend at least some time with each character before moving on.  Otherwise, you risk falling into the trap of not actually learning the characters before tossing them in the SRS, which will make reviews very painful.  (For reps, by the way, you don't even need to use pencil and paper -- I just "sketch" them with my finger.  However, I do write them out on paper when I learn them.) Yes, write them.  It ensures you spend at least some time with each character before moving on.  Otherwise, you risk falling into the trap of not actually learning the characters before tossing them in the SRS, which will make reviews very painful.  (For reps, by the way, you don’t even need to use pencil and paper — I just “sketch” them with my finger.  However, I do write them out on paper when I learn them.)

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]]> By: ライトニング http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-173380 ライトニング Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:31:25 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-173380 I highly recommend writing them. I wrote every single rep on a piece of paper, filling over a page a day. After i stopped, my writing ability was hurt, so now i write every single rep. My kanji reps are only like 20 a day now, i write them all out on graph paper. On sentences, i write every single compound, so i fill probably 1.5 pages a day. Based off my experience, i say to never stop writing them I highly recommend writing them.
I wrote every single rep on a piece of paper, filling over a page a day.
After i stopped, my writing ability was hurt, so now i write every single rep.
My kanji reps are only like 20 a day now, i write them all out on graph paper.
On sentences, i write every single compound, so i fill probably 1.5 pages a day.
Based off my experience, i say to never stop writing them

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]]> By: cmif http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-173358 cmif Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:00:39 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-173358 Mine is not so much a question as just curiosity.  How do/did you other guys approach adding the kanji to your srs? Ive been going 15-20 new a day and that takes me forever just to add to the srs. I read the RTK1 then write the kanji 10-15 times for stroke order. After like ~200 kanji I think I get the gist of the stroke orders now. Is it necessary to write the kanji at all? Read rtk -> enter to srs or is the writing practice integral? I feel like I'm learning them faster than I am imputing, and I would like to try 50-75 a day for maybe a week or so just to see just how fast I can go. Mine is not so much a question as just curiosity. 
How do/did you other guys approach adding the kanji to your srs? Ive been going 15-20 new a day
and that takes me forever just to add to the srs. I read the RTK1 then write the kanji 10-15 times for stroke order.
After like ~200 kanji I think I get the gist of the stroke orders now. Is it necessary to write the kanji at all? Read rtk -> enter to srs
or is the writing practice integral? I feel like I’m learning them faster than I am imputing, and I would like to try 50-75 a day for maybe
a week or so just to see just how fast I can go.

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]]> By: ブライアン http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-152832 ブライアン Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:45:42 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-152832 Okay, I need to proofread more... "heard from" -> "heard, from" 3 -> 今 Okay, I need to proofread more…
“heard from” -> “heard, from”
3 -> 今

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]]> By: ブライアン http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-152831 ブライアン Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:43:52 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-152831 Here's why:  despite what you've probably heard from the standpoint of a learner, kanji do not have readings.  WORDS have readings, kanji do not.  Trying to force the readings on kanji rather than words causes problems.  (EX: 日「ひ、にち、じつ」　3「いま、こん」　今日「きょう」)  Learn meanings so you'll understand sentences, and then learn readings on a case-by-case basis.  It will avoid a lot of confusion. Here’s why:  despite what you’ve probably heard from the standpoint of a learner, kanji do not have readings.  WORDS have readings, kanji do not.  Trying to force the readings on kanji rather than words causes problems.  (EX: 日「ひ、にち、じつ」　3「いま、こん」　今日「きょう」)  Learn meanings so you’ll understand sentences, and then learn readings on a case-by-case basis.  It will avoid a lot of confusion.

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]]> By: マルク http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-152742 マルク Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:44:16 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-152742 Right. Comprehension is most important. Lots of input going in. But then when you're going through sentences, you should have readings with the kanji (in the form of furigana or similar) that way when you're learning how to say what you normally read, you'll have something going on in your head and coming out of your mouth. You'll get internal monologue and slight speaking practice (mostly recommended if you took the sentence from an audio source). Remember, this is all your call how you do it, so long as you learn the things you need to know to be fluent. And via learning the readings that way, you now know how your kanji are pronounced and you can learn the exact meaning in that specific context via the translation given or whatever you can understand from context and more lookups in a monolingual dictionary.  Right. Comprehension is most important. Lots of input going in. But then when you’re going through sentences, you should have readings with the kanji (in the form of furigana or similar) that way when you’re learning how to say what you normally read, you’ll have something going on in your head and coming out of your mouth. You’ll get internal monologue and slight speaking practice (mostly recommended if you took the sentence from an audio source).

Remember, this is all your call how you do it, so long as you learn the things you need to know to be fluent. And via learning the readings that way, you now know how your kanji are pronounced and you can learn the exact meaning in that specific context via the translation given or whatever you can understand from context and more lookups in a monolingual dictionary. 

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]]> By: Jay http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-123179 Jay Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:42:38 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-123179 So we only need to know the meaning of the kanji and how to write it? so i don't need to know the reading just yet? I'm curious as to why we shouldn't. When i'm ATTEMPTING to read my manga(gotta own before ya PWN) and i do come across kanji that i know i shouldn't focus on the actuall reading but the meaning? I'm guessing that knowing the kanji itself will piece together what's being said in the sentence? So we only need to know the meaning of the kanji and how to write it?

so i don’t need to know the reading just yet? I’m curious as to why we shouldn’t. When i’m ATTEMPTING to read my manga(gotta own before ya PWN) and i do come across kanji that i know i shouldn’t focus on the actuall reading but the meaning? I’m guessing that knowing the kanji itself will piece together what’s being said in the sentence?

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]]> By: zakxz http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-106736 zakxz Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:15:55 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-106736 I wonder if part of the difficulty in using the SRS is that we naturally only notice what we've forgotten, not what we've retained (= a LOT). We might have 80% or 90% recall, but we only see what escaped our grasp. It's a discouraging experience in that respect, and I don't think it happens only to perfectionists. It has more to do with the way we recall things: most of what we do remember comes effortlessly. We're not even conscious of it. Sure, there's maybe 10% that we do manage to recall after a little conscious effort, and there's some satisfaction in that. But the natural, automatic progress we've made is almost invisible to us. I'm thinking of trying a little experiment just to encourage me in pursuing my SRS reviews: prepare say 20 SRS cards, but only add 10 to the deck. Then, a week later, compare my recall of those 10 SRS cards to my recollection of one of those left-over SRS cards that I've never reviewed. Then, two weeks later, or whenever those 10 SRS cards come up again, compare them with a second of those left-over SRS cards I've never reviewed since the day I first made the lot of them. I'm willing to bet that three months from now, when comparing those 10 SRS cards I've reviewed with a card I had prepared, but never added to the deck, and never reviewed a single time, the difference will be astonishing. Memory is a natural, automatic process that works through repeated, dumb-ass exposure to the same stimuli. The result is something we carry within us, without even being fully conscious of it, like the words of our native tongue. You want your kanji cards or your Russian vocabulary to be as obviously familiar to you as the shape of the Italian peninsula or the design of the Frosted Flakes cereal box. Long-term memory isn't a permanent photographic impression available for immediate recall; it's something that's so obvious to you, you don't clearly remember ever not knowing it. Kanji number 67 becomes like Tony the Tiger. I wonder if part of the difficulty in using the SRS is that we naturally only notice what we’ve forgotten, not what we’ve retained (= a LOT). We might have 80% or 90% recall, but we only see what escaped our grasp. It’s a discouraging experience in that respect, and I don’t think it happens only to perfectionists. It has more to do with the way we recall things: most of what we do remember comes effortlessly. We’re not even conscious of it. Sure, there’s maybe 10% that we do manage to recall after a little conscious effort, and there’s some satisfaction in that. But the natural, automatic progress we’ve made is almost invisible to us. I’m thinking of trying a little experiment just to encourage me in pursuing my SRS reviews: prepare say 20 SRS cards, but only add 10 to the deck. Then, a week later, compare my recall of those 10 SRS cards to my recollection of one of those left-over SRS cards that I’ve never reviewed. Then, two weeks later, or whenever those 10 SRS cards come up again, compare them with a second of those left-over SRS cards I’ve never reviewed since the day I first made the lot of them. I’m willing to bet that three months from now, when comparing those 10 SRS cards I’ve reviewed with a card I had prepared, but never added to the deck, and never reviewed a single time, the difference will be astonishing. Memory is a natural, automatic process that works through repeated, dumb-*** exposure to the same stimuli. The result is something we carry within us, without even being fully conscious of it, like the words of our native tongue. You want your kanji cards or your Russian vocabulary to be as obviously familiar to you as the shape of the Italian peninsula or the design of the Frosted Flakes cereal box. Long-term memory isn’t a permanent photographic impression available for immediate recall; it’s something that’s so obvious to you, you don’t clearly remember ever not knowing it. Kanji number 67 becomes like Tony the Tiger.

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]]> By: Anne http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-99156 Anne Mon, 23 May 2011 19:09:15 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-99156 I don't know how others handle it. I read in the book and think about stories without taking notes whenever I feel in the mood for it. Sometimes, I have a good run and make up 100 stories like nothing and sometimes I just can't think of anything at all. I also have better ideas, when I'm on the sofa looking out of the window or on a park bench. Staring at the computer screen doesn't do my creativity any good. I use a pre-made deck for anki and go through the kanji I read about before later in the day. Usually, I recall at least 90% then, so it's quite fast. So there are some days in which I go through 150 'new' cards on anki. (you can always click on 'learn more', no matter how you configurated anki) Of course, they need reviewing the next day, so I'll do as much reviewing as possible in the next day (I review in the morning as far as I can get and maybe later again, if I have the time). If I don't get through everything, I obviously don't add any more cards that day, but just stick to reviewing. However, I have anki configurated that it will show me five 'new' cards each day when I finished all the reviewing. So in a normal day, when I manage reviewing (i.e. almost every day, except the occassional very busy one after one kanji-flash) I make up at least five new stories. This is just to ensure, I will be through the whole deck eventually, even if the passion for making up stories ceases. It's not a very strict system, but it works well for me. :-) After all, there are only 2200 kanji in that deck, so even after a bad flash, I won't be faced with 5000 reviews. :P I don’t know how others handle it. I read in the book and think about stories without taking notes whenever I feel in the mood for it. Sometimes, I have a good run and make up 100 stories like nothing and sometimes I just can’t think of anything at all. I also have better ideas, when I’m on the sofa looking out of the window or on a park bench. Staring at the computer screen doesn’t do my creativity any good.
I use a pre-made deck for anki and go through the kanji I read about before later in the day. Usually, I recall at least 90% then, so it’s quite fast. So there are some days in which I go through 150 ‘new’ cards on anki. (you can always click on ‘learn more’, no matter how you configurated anki) Of course, they need reviewing the next day, so I’ll do as much reviewing as possible in the next day (I review in the morning as far as I can get and maybe later again, if I have the time). If I don’t get through everything, I obviously don’t add any more cards that day, but just stick to reviewing.
However, I have anki configurated that it will show me five ‘new’ cards each day when I finished all the reviewing. So in a normal day, when I manage reviewing (i.e. almost every day, except the occassional very busy one after one kanji-flash) I make up at least five new stories. This is just to ensure, I will be through the whole deck eventually, even if the passion for making up stories ceases.

It’s not a very strict system, but it works well for me. :-) After all, there are only 2200 kanji in that deck, so even after a bad flash, I won’t be faced with 5000 reviews. :P

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]]> By: ベン http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-99110 ベン Mon, 23 May 2011 10:52:09 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-99110 I don't understand your question... What do you mean by reading and reviewing? Do you mean reading them in the book in the day and adding them to your SRS in the evening? I don’t understand your question… What do you mean by reading and reviewing? Do you mean reading them in the book in the day and adding them to your SRS in the evening?

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]]> By: Tyler http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-99097 Tyler Mon, 23 May 2011 07:40:50 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-99097 Perfect analogy. ;) Kind of like when you're best friends with someone for so long, leave them for a while, and when you come back it's like you never left. TV Shows, Music, Books, Manga... they're all aquaintences just dying to know and become apart of you. You just have to surround yourself with them. Perfect analogy. ;) Kind of like when you’re best friends with someone for so long, leave them for a while, and when you come back it’s like you never left. TV Shows, Music, Books, Manga… they’re all aquaintences just dying to know and become apart of you. You just have to surround yourself with them.

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]]> By: zakxz http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-98950 zakxz Sun, 22 May 2011 00:23:06 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-98950 I don't think of the SRS as a memorization aid, but as a familiarization tool. It's not a stressful process of right and wrong, with a definite beginning and a definite end. It's not about knowing something perfectly by heart, but about becoming ever more familiar with something. Imagine that you want to get to know a thousand people on a first-name basis. Have your "secretary" - the SRS - schedule regular appointments with them - every time a meeting comes up, do your best to become better acquainted with them. Sometime's you're tired, or not in the mood, and you don't hit it off. Sometimes it clicks, and you make progress and become more intimate. All you have to do is show up for your appointments. I don’t think of the SRS as a memorization aid, but as a familiarization tool. It’s not a stressful process of right and wrong, with a definite beginning and a definite end. It’s not about knowing something perfectly by heart, but about becoming ever more familiar with something. Imagine that you want to get to know a thousand people on a first-name basis. Have your “secretary” – the SRS – schedule regular appointments with them – every time a meeting comes up, do your best to become better acquainted with them. Sometime’s you’re tired, or not in the mood, and you don’t hit it off. Sometimes it clicks, and you make progress and become more intimate. All you have to do is show up for your appointments.

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]]> By: Beyou http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-98791 Beyou Fri, 20 May 2011 22:08:53 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-98791 What process of reading RTK and then reviewing the kanji should I take? I can't seem to find any suggestion anywhere on this blog. Would reading 20 in day and reviewing 20 in the evening be a good way to go, altering those numbers whenever needs be, or is there another way? What process of reading RTK and then reviewing the kanji should I take? I can’t seem to find any suggestion anywhere on this blog. Would reading 20 in day and reviewing 20 in the evening be a good way to go, altering those numbers whenever needs be, or is there another way?

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]]> By: Joe4TheRecord http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-88536 Joe4TheRecord Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:55:04 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-88536 Do you have Japanese installed on your computer? You should be able to type it in just as you type kanji any other time. Depending on what operating system you use, the steps to use Japanese are different. I suggest checking out your language settings and it should have a place where it tells you how to switch languages / keyboard layouts. Do you have Japanese installed on your computer? You should be able to type it in just as you type kanji any other time. Depending on what operating system you use, the steps to use Japanese are different. I suggest checking out your language settings and it should have a place where it tells you how to switch languages / keyboard layouts.

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]]> By: Julian http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-83965 Julian Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:55:36 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-83965 How do you type the kanji into Anki or any other SRS? How do you type the kanji into Anki or any other SRS?

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]]> By: Chagami http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-82320 Chagami Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:43:06 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-82320 Just putting it out there; Lesson 5, page 42 of the fifth addition of RTK says that the flash cards should be the other way around, as in Kanji on the front, stories and meanings on the back. Perhaps Khatz noticed this, as this article has been crossed out. Just putting it out there; Lesson 5, page 42 of the fifth addition of RTK says that the flash cards should be the other way around, as in Kanji on the front, stories and meanings on the back.

Perhaps Khatz noticed this, as this article has been crossed out.

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]]> By: Maru-chan http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-63311 Maru-chan Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:03:56 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-63311 When I first planned to make my own website, I wanted to write like Steve Pavlina, but maybe not so cynical (he is at times). But after I saw AJATT, I think that humorous style is also great. When I first planned to make my own website, I wanted to write like Steve Pavlina, but maybe not so cynical (he is at times). But after I saw AJATT, I think that humorous style is also great.

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]]> By: All Japanese All The Time Dot Com: How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. » Lazy Kanji Cards: A New (?) SRS Card Format http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-35363 All Japanese All The Time Dot Com: How to learn Japanese. On your own, having fun and to fluency. » Lazy Kanji Cards: A New (?) SRS Card Format Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:41:37 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-35363 [...] have previously written about SRS card formatting for learning [...] [...] have previously written about SRS card formatting for learning [...]

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]]> By: Howard http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-31377 Howard Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:00:58 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-31377 hi, I need some help. How do you get the story you inputted to show up on the question side in Anki? I have the 0.9.9.8.5 version. hi, I need some help. How do you get the story you inputted to show up on the question side in Anki? I have the 0.9.9.8.5 version.

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]]> By: Stipe http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-26710 Stipe Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:13:03 +0000 http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/how-to-learn-kanji-using-an-srs#comment-26710 Hey, everyone. I'd like to share my method of using Remebering the kanji, with some maths and calculations on how much time it all requires (this is subjective, you'll see how the method goes). Khatzumoto, please give your critique on this. *1st of all, I'm momentarily not using an SRS as a kanji storage facility. I'm using a flashcard program called Pauker (http://pauker.sourceforge.net/) which also has an assistant utility Minipauker, a java-based mobile phone application which allows you to transfer flashcards to your phone and review them away from your PC. I'll probably shift to a proper SRS (to be reminded when I need to do a review) soon, or I'll just mimic the algorithm and continue using Pauker. Tools you will need: -An SRS tool, flashcard based or similar (You can use Pauker too) -A PC kanji dictionary (which allows you to c/p kanji into the SRS) - Jishop is probably the best there is: http://jishop-software.com/ It's not free, but you can download a trial (or pay the full price - I did, it's worth it. Otherwise I'm sure you know how to use warez forums, but I didn't say that). -A pdf copy of Heisig's Remembering the Kanji The Method ---------- Have the SRS, kanji dictionary and RTK running. Read the RTK, come up with a summarized story. Write the kanji out (once at least-develops your handwriting). C/p kanji from the dictionary into SRS, save the card. Repeat. How long it takes to do this? ----------------------- I did some calculations and here's what I got: >Time to read and understand the paragraph in RTK (on average) - 10 s >Time to generate a shorter version of the paragraph - 20 s >Write the kanji out NICELY (I do twice) - 8 s >Find and c/p the kanji from the dictionary into the SRS - from 10 to 70s (depending if the dictionary has that kanji entry under the name Heisig used) >Write your story down in the SRS,(optimize), and save it - 30s Total for learning a single kanji: 1min 18s (dictionary has the entry) - 2min 18s (dictionary hasn't got the entry) Which leaves calculating how much it's going to take to learn my daily batch of 50 (100 on the weekends). Daily 68s*50=3900s=1h 5min; OR; 138s*50=6900=2h 5min which means, to learn 2042 kanji, it takes: 2 x 50 kanji x 68s (or 138s) x 20.42 (from 2042 kanji) / 3600 (to get it in hours) =38.57h or 78.28h. I hope that was well number-crunched. And so on, calculating months and days, deducting coffee breaks, showers etc... The essential calculation is here. But, you see, this should firstly be an enjoyable process, not a rat race. You should try to maximize your learning potential by sacrificing time. As Khatz's software development triangle says, you can't get both quality and speed if you're not inputting enough time into it. So, take this calculation as a reference to manipulate your schedule better. If you're working with a different method (which, I imagine, cannot be THAT much of a contrast) you can compare your results and perhaps optimize. I'm looking forward to not getting stoned by the angry crowds for this performance :) Hey, everyone. I’d like to share my method of using Remebering the kanji, with some maths and calculations on how much time it all requires (this is subjective, you’ll see how the method goes). Khatzumoto, please give your critique on this.

*1st of all, I’m momentarily not using an SRS as a kanji storage facility. I’m using a flashcard program called Pauker (pauker.sourceforge.net/) which also has an assistant utility Minipauker, a java-based mobile phone application which allows you to transfer flashcards to your phone and review them away from your PC. I’ll probably shift to a proper SRS (to be reminded when I need to do a review) soon, or I’ll just mimic the algorithm and continue using Pauker.

Tools you will need:
-An SRS tool, flashcard based or similar (You can use Pauker too)
-A PC kanji dictionary (which allows you to c/p kanji into the SRS) – Jishop is probably the best there is: jishop-software.com/ It’s not free, but you can download a trial (or pay the full price – I did, it’s worth it. Otherwise I’m sure you know how to use warez forums, but I didn’t say that).
-A pdf copy of Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji

The Method
———-
Have the SRS, kanji dictionary and RTK running. Read the RTK, come up with a summarized story. Write the kanji out (once at least-develops your handwriting). C/p kanji from the dictionary into SRS, save the card. Repeat.

How long it takes to do this?
———————–
I did some calculations and here’s what I got:
>Time to read and understand the paragraph in RTK (on average) – 10 s
>Time to generate a shorter version of the paragraph – 20 s
>Write the kanji out NICELY (I do twice) – 8 s
>Find and c/p the kanji from the dictionary into the SRS – from 10 to 70s (depending if the dictionary has that kanji entry under the name Heisig used)
>Write your story down in the SRS,(optimize), and save it – 30s

Total for learning a single kanji:
1min 18s (dictionary has the entry) – 2min 18s (dictionary hasn’t got the entry)

Which leaves calculating how much it’s going to take to learn my daily batch of 50 (100 on the weekends).
Daily
68s*50=3900s=1h 5min; OR; 138s*50=6900=2h 5min
which means, to learn 2042 kanji, it takes:
2 x 50 kanji x 68s (or 138s) x 20.42 (from 2042 kanji) / 3600 (to get it in hours) =38.57h or 78.28h.

I hope that was well number-crunched. And so on, calculating months and days, deducting coffee breaks, showers etc… The essential calculation is here.

But, you see, this should firstly be an enjoyable process, not a rat race. You should try to maximize your learning potential by sacrificing time. As Khatz’s software development triangle says, you can’t get both quality and speed if you’re not inputting enough time into it. So, take this calculation as a reference to manipulate your schedule better. If you’re working with a different method (which, I imagine, cannot be THAT much of a contrast) you can compare your results and perhaps optimize.

I’m looking forward to not getting stoned by the angry crowds for this performance :)

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