Gonçalo RibeiroJan 6, 2024

Discovered and started to use #WaniKani this week. Seems like a fresh approach compared with #Anki, which I've used for some periods in the past to learn kanji.

From Mastodon I just learned about #LearnNatively which seems will come in handy.

I'm planning a trip to #Japan later this year and I'd like to learn as much as possible by then.

I feel I should join some classes, but unsure which. Any recommendations? I've heard of #italki.

Any interesting accounts to follow on Mastodon as well? Maybe some with some simple posts in Japanese?

PS: Is #Duolingo worth it? Always seems too slow/easy.

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 9, 2024
This morning I completed #WaniKani level 1 🙂
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 11, 2024

After completing level 1 I had around 65 new lessons to complete. Was surprised and didn't feel I could complete that many fast.

But now I've gone through most of them (mostly vocabulary) and nearly all radicals of level 2. And it's not been too bad. I'm learning and I'm enjoying it so far.

Reviews have been going well.

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 15, 2024
Ordered the #Genki textbook as a companion for the #WaniKani study.
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 16, 2024

Completed #WaniKani's level two. My reward? 104 new lessons 😆😅😥😆

#JapaneseLearning

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 25, 2024
Nearly finishing #WaniKani's level 3. Time to pay up.
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 27, 2024

Took a bit longer than I thought, but level 4 here we are 🙂

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 27, 2024
81 new lessons available.
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJan 27, 2024
Btw, there's a coupon whose code is "LEVEL4" which saves you 20%. I assume only for the first month, but I don't know.
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroFeb 4, 2024

Completed one month of #WaniKani today. Definitely learning things. Sometimes I see written Japanese and can recognize some kanji.

For example yesterday I learned 気, ki. Later I passed by an Aikido dojo, and recognised that kanji, and I knew that the sound did make sense.

Another example, I saw some chopsticks on a restaurant. They had a sleeve with something handwritten on them. I was thinking "ah, calligraphy is too hard to understand" but then... "Oh, wait! That's the 竹 kanji! These are bamboo chopsticks, it makes sense!"

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroFeb 7, 2024
Just reached #WaniKani's level 5.
Show threadGonçalo Ribeiro

Checking some Mastodon posts in Japanese. I can at least grasp what may be the topic of a few.

Trying to follow a few accounts with relatively simple/short posts.

#JapaneseLearning

Feb 11, 2024 at 10:21amWeb
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroFeb 21, 2024

Level 5 is taking forever to complete, because of the recent introduction of "today's lessons".

I understand why they did it and I kinda like the change and am trying it. But I had so many vocabulary still left from level 4 when the change hit that it delayed radicals and kanji from level 5.

I think the default 15 lessons per day may make sense for radicals/kanji, but for vocabulary maybe it's best to do more. Many are usually straightforward.

Anyway, nearly done with level 5, but a bit worried about the slowness.

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroFeb 23, 2024

This #WaniKani mnemonic for 弟 cracked me up 😂

"You look at your younger brother. He's a scheming one. He's smiling up at you. Why? Because he's lit a firecracker on your foot. It explodes, sending your toe flying. You yell "OH. Toe? TOE!" (おとうと) as you realize what's going on."

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroFeb 23, 2024

Finally! Level 5 done! Level 6, here we go.

(Still a bunch of vocabulary from level 5 to complete)

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroFeb 26, 2024
Just reached my first "Enlightened" items.
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroMar 14, 2024

72 reviews this morning! 😧

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroMar 14, 2024

On the bright side: just reached level 7.

#WaniKani #Yojimbo

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroMar 27, 2024
Nearly done with level 7. That's 12% of the 60 levels. Not bad...
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroMar 29, 2024

Level 8, here I am! One step at a time.

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroApr 6, 2024

I love some little details in #WaniKani. For example some messages could always be the same, but actually they are different, such as the one below saying the vocabulary and kanji readings for "morning" are the same.

"The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji. Hopefully this means you won't have to wake up too early in the morning to study kanji, now."

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroApr 10, 2024

I'm struggling a bit with remembering some meanings. My vocabulary meaning accuracy has fallen just below 99% for the first time. A bit concerned about it.

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroApr 14, 2024

It seems my 100th day of #WaniKani was two days ago.

I'm enjoying the journey so far. But I fear my brain will explode...

Nearly finished with level 8.

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroApr 16, 2024
Just reached level 9!
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroMay 6, 2024

Just reached level 10 on #WaniKani.

Completing this one means the end of the "pleasant" levels. It's also on my objectives before I try to read the simplest #aozora book, for which this level should give me nearly enough vocabulary. After that I'm really interested in level 16.

Regarding level 9, it's the one that took me longer so far. Not because of its difficulty, but because I didn't manage to complete at least 10 lessons on some days as I usually do.

WaniKani's email reads "Level 10 is also a really good time to start learning grammar." Which is precisely what I've been thinking. I can now get the gist of sentences involving kanji and vocabulary I know, but I need to step up grammar to really understand things.

So I'll try to study more #genki.

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroMay 18, 2024

Reached 1000 enlightened items!

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroMay 22, 2024

Level 11 baby!

From the congratulations email:

"You know 98.73% of the JLPT N5 kanji and 75.9% of the JLPT N4 kanji. You know 88.75% of the kanji Japanese kids learn in second grade. Even more impressively, you can read 65.75% of the kanji on NHK News Web Easy, 54.96% of the kanji that shows up on Twitter, and 54.1% of the kanji on Japanese Wikipedia. And, you’re still only 10 levels in!"

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJun 25, 2024

I've just reached my first burned items at #WaniKani!

I'm fearful I may have forgotten things that are now going to be reviewed to become burned or not. Let's see...

I'm at level 12 btw. This level is taking longer than usual because I had to stop studying new cards for around a week, due to some events in life (I managed to more or less keep reviews up to date). But I'm back to studying now.

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJun 25, 2024

New section, who this?

#WaniKani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJul 4, 2024

Finished level 12! Unto level 13!

Failed a few items that would be burned otherwise (a bit of a distraction there, but if they were actually burned wouldn't have happened, right?). Took me a while to remember 木 as もく yesterday (since it hasn't shown up a lot, I think).

Yesterday I picked up an old Japanese Shonen Jump I once got and tried to read a few things. Some are beyond my level, some others are understandable if (the gist of it) with some effort, some are relatively fast to read and have a good idea of what they mean.

I need to work more on grammar.

Anyway, progress!

#wanikani

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJul 7, 2024
I started my #WaniKani journey a bit over 6 months ago 😃
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJul 24, 2024

Reached level 14 on #WaniKani!

I've been failing some items that would be burned otherwise, but generally I'm getting them right.

I've also been failing a bit more kanji from recent lessons. I think it's because many of them are abstract (feelings, ideologies, etc) and similar, which are harder to grasp.

But... There's definitely progress. I picked up #Genki and read a dialogue and I knew all kanji and vocabulary on it, which was a great feeling. I knew most of the vocabulary list as well.

I'm planning (and starting) to spend a little less time with new daily lessons and focus that time in going through Genki, as I feel I really really need to develop more basic grammar at this point.

I don't like the idea of slowing down new lessons, but I need to get that grammar-time from somewhere.

PS: this level has an abnormally low number of radical items. Don't know if that will start to be a trend or if it's just this level.

Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJul 24, 2024
I think knowing the vocabulary in the grammar examples will help focus more on the grammar itself instead of trying to learn grammar and vocabulary at the same time when going through a Genki lesson.
Show threadFedor IndutnyJul 24, 2024
@goncalor low number of radicals is going to become a trend the further you go! I got 5 on level 35, and around that on previous 10 levels I think.
Show threadFedor IndutnyJul 7, 2024
@goncalor おめでとう！
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJul 7, 2024
@indutny ありがとうございます!
Show threadFedor IndutnyJun 25, 2024
@goncalor at some point you will likely start making mistakes that prevent items from burning. Please don’t be discouraged! This is perfectly normal!
Show threadGonçalo RibeiroJun 25, 2024
@indutny yeah, I fear that may happen soon in the items from way back that are now candidates for burning. I know I can't remember them all perfectly! But I hope I can remember most. Let's see. Thank you for the encouragement!
Show threadFedor IndutnyMay 23, 2024
@goncalor congratulations! Nicely done!
Show threadTallGuyMay 18, 2024
@goncalor Congrats! Still 300 away myself
Show threadFedor IndutnyMar 14, 2024
@goncalor congrats!