So with the JLPT right around the corner I've been assessing what went well this year and what I want to focus on after the exam.

In my case, I think that I'll get the most out of these 3 resources:

1. Finishing Nihongo Challenge N4 Grammar. I am completely and totally past the N4 vocab. I am just not in the same place grammar-wise, and I'd like to get there. Finishing this book is probably a good step in that direction.

2. Finish kanzen N3 kanji. I love this book!

3. Work thru kanzen N3 grammar. This is the book that JOI uses for their lessons, and I've taken a ton of lessons there over the last year. So I am already familiar with a lot of the content. But since I've never used it myself I'm just not sure how much of it I really know at this point. I'd like to start going thru the book on my own. This ties in with (1) above.

Outside of these things I'd like to keep doing anki daily, with a focus on keeping my daily reps low enough to not be bothersome. Also add some JOI lessons (probably less important this year than last), do more listening with fluentu, maybe read more, etc. It would also be nice to give another presentation in Japan in Japanese this year, but I don't know if that will happen.

I got back on the "actually studying" wagon recently (after a long period of not really doing anything besides reading books), so my target is JLPT1 next summer, really just as a concrete goal. So I have some mock tests on order which should indicate where I need to improve, and other than that:

1. picked up the Core10K anki deck. I'm currently in the "blast through the easy parts just suspending everything I already know" phase.
2. having another run through RTK, this time with Japanese keywords. I did RTK some years back but it didn't really "stick" because it was never connected to any of the rest of my Japanese study or things I already knew; I'm hoping that this variation will have more effect. (Current frame: 276)
3. trying some podcasts for listening practice.

(This set of things is missing any kind of work on speaking or conversation; not sure what to do about that yet and I didn't want to load myself up with too much at once initially anyway.)

JLPT is this week and after that I want to take a break from 'studying' and just enjoy manga or something til scores come out in February.

After that, depending on my score for N2, I will consider whether I want to tackle N1.

Since Im not expecting flying colors (if I even pass) I will bring my N2 up to speed til spring, then start N1 prep for the Dec 2016 exam. Time flies!

After next Sunday, regardless of how I feel I did, I'm taking a break for a couple of weeks at least. Maybe until early January.

I'm going to catch up on the giant pile of novels I haven't been reading, the giant pile of manga I haven't been reading, and the giant pile of other books I haven't been reading, because I've been obsessing over grammar, vocab, and reading comp.

If I don't pass, well, I'll probably take the summer N1. If I do pass, you may see a pile of JLPT N1 and N2 books on eBay.

I'm hoping to pass N1 but won't know for a good 3 months of course. I don't typically enjoy studying via textbooks but I signed up for the N1 and bought some because I believe goals like these help push oneself a little bit more than they normally would. Assuming I pass I have no idea where to go from there... I don't think a stagnant diet of reading Japanese novels will help me as much as I want it to.

I've read a decent number of novels up until now and they definitely help, but I want something that'll give me a nice boost in listening/speaking. Kind of how my reading comprehension was vastly improved over the several months I began struggling with novels. Anyone have ideas? I'd love to hear them. Even if I already have close to a million threads regarding such things.

Well with most of my difficult classes out of the way (hence the lack of Japanese studying this year), I can actually take the time to do some serious studying.

• RTK (finally): Only managed to get to about 300 or so before I got busy/lazy lol
  
• Core 2k/6k: I downloaded it a while back when it was still easily accessible. Sill in downloads folders untouched. I might take a go at this... &/OR...
  
• Continue with my self made vocab decks: so far I have one for Shokugeki no Souma which has been neglected for some time now >.>
  
• Study for N3
  

I'm going to keep my list simple as I don't really have a detailed plan as of yet.

In a couple of weeks, I'm having some minor surgery that's going to keep me in bed for the most part of a month (and asleep for probably 80% of the time I'm on painkillers, depending on what they give me), so I won't be doing much during that time. I'll probably just do some leisure reading (some Japanese, some not; I've got a huge backlog) and pre-studying for my next semester (because I'm supposed to still be in pain for most of it). After that, I plan to focus on conversation and specialized vocabulary (scientific terminology and such). If I fail the N1, then I'll continue to do relevant exercises (probably reading comprehension problems); as much progress as I made this year (Barely failing my N2 mock exams to barely failing my N1 mock exams), I highly doubt I'd fail it two years in a row with the kind of studying I've been doing.

(EDIT: And writing. It doesn't need to be terribly pretty (my English writing isn't), just quick and functional. Probably will go through RTK while writing vocabulary, then move on to writing (notes, short essays (if I can get someone to look at them for me), whatever) and looking up kanji I forget.)

(2015-11-29, 9:10 pm)TheVinster Wrote: I've read a decent number of novels up until now and they definitely help, but I want something that'll give me a nice boost in listening/speaking. Kind of how my reading comprehension was vastly improved over the several months I began struggling with novels. Anyone have ideas? I'd love to hear them. Even if I already have close to a million threads regarding such things.

Maybe some kind of personal challenge involving conversation? Challenges always seem to motivate me If you have some planned conversations* and some regular conversations, you can probably build up your ability to speak and listen to many varied topics as well as follow spontaneous conversation.
I haven't done anything remotely like this (dropped speaking practice a couple of months ago, only exchange some greetings/occasional sentences in Japanese with my tutor; just until the JLPT has passed), but it seems like it'd work if you could avoid it turning into a speech; not that practicing monologues would be terrible, it's just not the point.

Maybe find some friend(s) to play games with; I find that it keeps me and my friends talking, even if it's because we're cursing at each other while playing games with a lot of chance in them (anything with cards or dice that moves quickly, Mario Party, Mario Kart... especially the last two); should work in Japanese too.

I don't know your conversational level, but if the above is too much, then work with some (nearly) prepared scripts or situations. A few months ago, my tutor had me pretend I was ordering food... I did terribly because of nerves and lack of speaking ability (took me forever)...


*Set up a topic some time before (something broad enough that it's not just a speech), prepare some material (facts, questions, opinions, etc; don't make a script, just a few sentences), talk about it.

I should finish RTK by the end of the year.  I''ll be traveling to Japan for the holidays, so I'm also planning to learn/refresh some survival japanese - the kinds of things that will really be useful, like reading a menu, and asking for a larger size of pants, etc.  In 2016, I'm hoping to spend a lot less time learning, and more time using Japanese.  Here is my tentative 2016 lesson plan:

• Learn a few songs in Japanese that I can listen to over and over and also sing in karaoke.
  
• Pick a few easy anime and/or dramas to scan and learn unknown vocab, then subs2srs, then watch
  
• RTK 2 (or at least memorize perfect groups)
  
• Start reading NHK easy.
  
• Start listening to native Japanese audio(podcasts, radio, etc) in the car and at work.
  

一万英語単語を遂げたい。

If I pass N4 this week, then I will take N3 in 2016 year end.
Wish me luck....

(2015-11-29, 1:31 pm)pm215 Wrote: 2. having another run through RTK, this time with Japanese keywords. I did RTK some years back but it didn't really "stick" because it was never connected to any of the rest of my Japanese study or things I already knew; I'm hoping that this variation will have more effect. (Current frame: 276)
 

Hi - Is there an anki deck available for RTK with Japanese keywords?

There is a deck made by Japanese Level Up
http://japaneselevelup.com/japanese-leve...anki-deck/

I personally will be editing my RTK deck since mine is the 6th edition. I rather not use an entirely new deck. I am going to use the Japanese keywords on that as reference for the common kanji and just find the Japanese keywords for the remaining on my own.

(2015-12-02, 1:55 pm)RawrPk Wrote: There is a deck made by Japanese Level Up
http://japaneselevelup.com/japanese-leve...anki-deck/

I personally will be editing my RTK deck since mine is the 6th edition. I rather not use an entirely new deck. I am going to use the Japanese keywords on that as reference for the common kanji and just find the Japanese keywords for the remaining on my own.

You might know this, but there is an easy way to update your existing deck with new information:

1.  export the new deck to tsv
2.  open in excel or google sheets
3.  delete unwanted columns, keeping your main column (in this case the kanji)
4.  in your existing anki deck, create a field for the new information
5.  import the modified tsv into anki mapping the new columns to their appropriate new fields
6.  map your main column (the kanji) to the existing field in anki
7.  Anki will add the new information to cards which match the main (kanji)column

Of course you want to back up your anki database before trying just to be sure I didn't leave out a step.

Jan-Feb: Be totally burned out due to studying for the jlpt and hate japanese
Mar: realize that studying is for losers
Apr-Sept: eroge all day every day
Oct: oh hey that jlpt thing is happening I should do that
Nov-Dec: study into hating japanese

(2015-12-02, 5:55 am)malcolmafraser Wrote: Hi - Is there an anki deck available for RTK with Japanese keywords?

I'm using the one from https://sites.google.com/site/wrightak2/, though I'm editing the cards as I go along, since I disagree with some of the chosen Japanese words, not all the cards have example sentences, and so on.

Turn all the Genki stuff into Anki cards, finish RTK (just 550 to go!), learn one Japanese word for every kanji in RTK, hopefully read a bit and try to actually use Japanese when talking to my Japanese friend.

(2015-12-02, 2:20 pm)yogert909 Wrote:

(2015-12-02, 1:55 pm)RawrPk Wrote: There is a deck made by Japanese Level Up
http://japaneselevelup.com/japanese-leve...anki-deck/

I personally will be editing my RTK deck since mine is the 6th edition. I rather not use an entirely new deck. I am going to use the Japanese keywords on that as reference for the common kanji and just find the Japanese keywords for the remaining on my own.

You might know this, but there is an easy way to update your existing deck with new information:

1.  export the new deck to tsv
2.  open in excel or google sheets
3.  delete unwanted columns, keeping your main column (in this case the kanji)
4.  in your existing anki deck, create a field for the new information
5.  import the modified tsv into anki mapping the new columns to their appropriate new fields
6.  map your main column (the kanji) to the existing field in anki
7.  Anki will add the new information to cards which match the main (kanji)column

Of course you want to back up your anki database before trying just to be sure I didn't leave out a step.

I originally wanted to do this process but the 6th edition introduces a good amount of kanji in different order. So far I am just doing the very slow method of copying a kanji from JALUP mod deck (spreadsheet form) and then CTRL + F for said kanji in my deck (spreadsheet form). Some kanji I can't find there being that it was based on an earlier edition, so I search jisho.org for keywords.

Hmm haven't really taught about it yet, considering 2015 has been a pretty unproductive year.

• Catch up with notreading my increasing manga/lightnovel backlog
  
• Catch up with Anki and maybe try to not miss a single day (good joke)
  
• Polish JLPT N1 knowledge
  
• Read more editorials on Asahi
  
• Remind Jake and Flamerockz to sign up for the JLPT again so we can all fail together again
  
• Give up on Japanese
  

Though I won't be able to focus on just Japanese since I also got my Mandarin and Korean to work on. I'll have to find a balance between those three languages.

My 2016 Study Plan is to master business Japanese.

I recently took a business Japanese course and I found it is difficult to me. (I just passed N2)
Since I don't have experience working in a Japanese environment, I am extremely unfamiliar with the use of 敬語

Anyone has the same problem when learning business Japanese?

(2015-12-03, 3:51 am)waynelam8 Wrote: My 2016 Study Plan is to master business Japanese.

I recently took a business Japanese course and I found it is difficult to me. (I just passed N2)
Since I don't have experience working in a Japanese environment, I am extremely unfamiliar with the use of 敬語

Anyone has the same problem when learning business Japanese?

おすすめの本
著: 唐沢明

• すぐに話せる敬語の手帳 (Pocketbook of Honorific)　
  

• 敬語これだけBook
  

• 敬語すらすらBook
  

A segment from this Japanese TV program 芸能人格付けチェック 大物芸能人に常識はあるのかSP　(2015年3月31日) talks about the etiquette ("common-sense") required for "mid-career recruitment/hiring interview."  

Naturally, for a novice seeking employment, the Q&A part should be different.
The whole video is quite long, just fast forward to around 1:09:14 to 1:32:00 to watch it.
- 常識のある　中途採用面接 -

(2015-12-03, 3:51 am)waynelam8 Wrote: Since I don't have experience working in a Japanese environment, I am extremely unfamiliar with the use of 敬語

Anyone has the same problem when learning business Japanese?

Every single native speaker who has yet to work in a Japanese environment. 

(2015-12-03, 1:10 am)RawrPk Wrote: I originally wanted to do this process but the 6th edition introduces a good amount of kanji in different order. So far I am just doing the very slow method of copying a kanji from JALUP mod deck  (spreadsheet form) and then CTRL + F for said kanji in my deck (spreadsheet form). Some kanji I can't find there being that it was based on an earlier edition, so I search jisho.org for keywords.

Geez, there's got to be an easier way then that.  Is it the rev6 ordering, or the new characters that makes you unable to import the new info?  If it's the ordering, you should be able to import the frame numbers(or create your own in excel) into anki and then sort.   If it's the new characters, those should come in with blank keyword fields, then just sort by keyword column and just fill in the missing keywords.  Or...shouldn't there be keywords in the jalup deck?

Its actally a sort of mixture of all 3 of the criteria you stated.

6th end RTK has a total of 2200 kanji. Previous versions have 2043 of which the JALUP RTK deck is based off of. Some of the keywords have changed too as I compared a few kanji. Here is a list of the differences of keywords:

http://www.memrise.com/course/43670/reme...d/1298029/

So the order, kanji and some of the keywords are different.

I'm pretty confident we can figure this out.  I don't want to derail this thread any further, so PM me if you are interested.

(2015-12-03, 2:13 pm)RawrPk Wrote: 6th end RTK has a total of 2200 kanji. Previous versions have 2043 of which the JALUP RTK deck is based off of. Some of the keywords have changed too as I compared a few kanji. Here is a list of the differences of keywords:

http://www.memrise.com/course/43670/reme...d/1298029/

So the order, kanji and some of the keywords are different.

That list is probably not sufficient. This one from Katsuo should help you:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...li=1#gid=0


On topic: I do enjoy news shows, so that's what I hope to see/listen as much as possible in 2016. But 2015 is not yet over ...