Learn Japanese Together: Super Challenge 2013

[Flutterz]

I have, but it's pretty spotty, some I can instantly recognize, some take me a bit to recall, and for some I look at the answer and go "right, that's exactly what it is, I remember now".

[Tay]

So far how many of the people that started have actually learned all 2000? Anyone at all?

Almost there! I'd never have managed without Anki.

 

Good ole, fantastic Anki.

[Arturia]

Hmm im a bit unhappy that I stopped for a few days..Got to atleast do a bit a day or maybe every 2 days to atleast get a flow going.

[Imationer]

Will this have a 2014 edition? I was very interested and attracted by this, but it seems that I'm somewhat late. I've tried to learn by myself, but to no avail.

[Flutterz]

I don't think the year really matters, as long as you're willing to put in consistent effort.

[Dark Ariel7]

I don't think the year really matters, as long as you're willing to put in consistent effort.

I know what you mean. But, a clear goal with people doing it simultaneously helps to follow and reach a goal.

[Flutterz]

I know what you mean. But, a clear goal with people doing it simultaneously helps to follow and reach a goal.

True, but I'm pretty sure that nobody who has posted here recently besides Tay was even on the forums when this thread was created.

[Dark Ariel7]

That is actually why I asked before who had completed. I saw many people sign up at first but not really any in the past couple of weeks since I joined.

To anyone who still cares by the way, I am still going strong. I skipped the report this last week but I did not actually skip doing stuff during the week. Expect great things this Sunday.

[Flutterz]

If and when a 2014 topic is made I doubt we'll see a hundred people joining all of a sudden, which is what I meant by "the year doesn't matter", as long as you put in consistent effort and come here every now and then if you need some motivation you'll be fine. Also you only need motivation until you've formed a habit. I started using Anki for Kanji in June, and at this point doing it daily is a habit, even if I do it at different times of day.

[Blackex]

Curently at 395 kanji 

[seventhfonist425]

Oh yeah, this is similar to the process I've been taking. I decided to take on the Kanji first though. I'm at about 1050 at this point, after starting... somewhere in September. I'm gonna work harder than usual this week because I get a week off! Whoo!

 

Oh and uhh, if anyone has any sort of tips for me, I'm willing to take it. There've been WAY too many times where I go reviewing, and I end up realizing, "Oh, I only remembered that because my memory served me well for that time, and that story doesn't connect as much as I thought it did."

[Silvachief]

I've just hit 250 Kanji/Vocab. I'm only doing 25 a week though and learning the readings as well, so i'll be a while behind you folks.

[Yukiru]

i'll speed up from now on, i'll go train in a mountain or something of the sort

[Silvachief]

We should have a training camp XD

[Gavisi]

So with 2013 almost over, I decided to get started on this! >_> But really I only saw the Fuwanovel blog post about learning Japanese a couple days ago, and the methods sounded solid and straightforward so I decided it was time to buckle down. Learning Japanese is one of those things I've said I'll do for years, and then I never stuck with it. I did take an Intro Japanese college course which got me to memorize the kana and learn a bit of grammar and vocab, but once the class ended (almost a year and half ago at this point) I stopped trying. Anyway I'm starting now with memorizing kanji just 10/day at a time, and I'll look ahead at the grammar book, just cause I like grammar.

 

So this question is for the way future when I've actually memorized the kanji, but I'm curious about how people go about learning the readings. Is there another set of flashcards with those, or some other method?

[Zakamutt]

Personally I'd probably just learn the actual readings through exposure/immersion. I have a decent memory for trivia though. Well, not that I'm currently finished with RtK anyhow...

 

The thing about RtK is that it gives you a tangible object to attach more meanings, readings etc to. I don't think many of its detractors really get this.

[zoom909]

Learning the readings through immersion should suffice for a while.

 

But if you're going to read without ITH, or you're going to read console VNs/RPGs or light novels, or if you just want to be able to read faster in general, you'd do well to study the Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary and review with a kanji quiz program.

 

And I am not a detractor of RTK either.  RTK is for beginners, KLD is for intermediates.

[Bolverk]

I completed the RTK so I tell you my experience on this.

 

So with 2013 almost over, I decided to get started on this! >_> But really I only saw the Fuwanovel blog post about learning Japanese a couple days ago, and the methods sounded solid and straightforward so I decided it was time to buckle down. Learning Japanese is one of those things I've said I'll do for years, and then I never stuck with it. I did take an Intro Japanese college course which got me to memorize the kana and learn a bit of grammar and vocab, but once the class ended (almost a year and half ago at this point) I stopped trying. Anyway I'm starting now with memorizing kanji just 10/day at a time, and I'll look ahead at the grammar book, just cause I like grammar.

 

So this question is for the way future when I've actually memorized the kanji, but I'm curious about how people go about learning the readings. Is there another set of flashcards with those, or some other method?

 

Depends on how you want to continue to learn japanese after RTK really. But if you intend to read JP vn's raw afterwards with ITH and TA you will learn the kanji's by immersion. You will see the kanji, read the furigana (reading) and after doing that multiple times you will remember it. Rather than through anki, you will have an entire sentence, maybe voice, story context, pictures etc. Alot more easy to connect the words imo atleast.

 

Usually how I go on about learning new words is: If I see a interesting word or a word that pops up often I will look at it. And try to make a logical connection between each kanji or I make a wierd connection as long as it sticks it works.

Example a word that keeps popping up in my current VN is: 吸血鬼 - きゅうけつき (vampire). I see it as  吸(suck) 血(blood)鬼(devil). This one is rather easy to connect really, hardly all words are like that though. I vocalize it in my mind and read it each time I see it. After after a while it's stuck. Similar to anki, but with more fun.

Some words just stick without effort. Like 存在 -そんざい (existence/being).

 

So basically you will naturally learn the words as you read with some effort.

The thing about RtK is that it gives you a tangible object to attach more meanings, readings etc to. I don't think many of its detractors really get this.

Yeah people seem to pop up sometimes and say RTK is bad because it doesn't completely learn you the kanji. But that's neither it's purpose and also exactly the reason why it works so well.

[Gavisi]

Oh I've been really happy with RTK, I was just curious about how to learn the readings post-RTK. I do plan to read VNs with ITH and TA once I've finished RTK, so I'll pick it up from practice that way!

[SieghartXx]

I want to sign up, anyone doing it at this time? :c

By the way, I can't get the book Tay recommends (at least, not yet, and not in the near future, probably). Any alternative to that? Like another book-guid or something ;u;

[Arturia]

I still would like to do so, But i haven't the time and i forget about it to even give it 10 minutes a day..but hopefully when i change jobs(From a Barmen to a Graphical Design) i will have more time to dedicate to my Learning.

Hope you all are doing well with the learning.

[Dark Ariel7]

I am still going but not tracking things too well at the moment. I am simply reading Majikoi A-2 fro practice. A little bit of kanji too.

[rafpoy0415]

I know its kinda late for me to sign up. But is it okay for me to post my progress?

 

If okay. My progress until today is 204 kanji. Stopped at times, but got my motivation on japanese visual novels on ps vita

I started with 10/day and made my way up to 20-30 kanji, depending on the set of kanji and the mood hahaha.

 

Thanks for the support if any.

[Berilium]

I'm kinda late but recently i got the motivation to learn japanese and well,  here i am. I started 2 days ago and because a have a lot of free time i am studying 50 kanji per day. I don't think it is a lot considering i have nothing else to do and i am going to keep going until i learn it all o.ó

 

One question: I know that the Joyo Kanji are the most used kanjis but what about the other ones? Are they important as well? I mean, i know they must be but my knowledge is limited respecting this topic, sorry for my ignorance

[Zakamutt]

Many VNs actually use more than 2200 unique kanji according to http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=User:Moogy/scriptsizes. In the end, if you decide to pursue the RtK method you'll just have to make your own anki flashcards for new ones you encounter (or use the third book heisig provides, learning kanji for advanced proficiency, I guess.) At least, that's what Heisig said he did.