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Am I setting myself up for bad habits? - PkmnTrainerAbram - 2012-10-06
How to start this off?
Well, I'm about at the point where I was before I stopped studying Japanese the last time, about 2 years ago or so, placing more of an emphasis on immersion than SRS drilling. The funny thing is I seem to be doing getting through more reviews in less time than I was before.
Before I stopped I was going through 50-60 cards a day in like an hour or so at best, if I didn't get burned out. This is using one deck.
Now, I'm going through 150-250+ cards with 4 combined Core 2000 decks. In about 30 mins.
Is this normal? Am I doing this right? Granted most of this is basically vocab I've already reviewed before but still. I'm basically going through each card in about 4-10 seconds, shadowing the audio to get SOME speaking practice. If a card gives me trouble in that I can't remember how it looks or sounds in 3 seconds, I fail it and move on. I USED to fret over remembering each card when SRSing years ago and would spend so much time on each card, which I see now was a big mistake for me. I usually spend about 6-10 mins on a deck before taking a break and doing the next in a half hour or later in the day with TV on from Tokyo MX News in the background or some such thing. When diving in native material and I come across those words I can remember them with ease compared to before so I don't see a reason to think it's a bad thing to do so many reviews in less time, now anyway. Other things of immersion include reading some videogame magazines and guides and the storybooks posted in the Audiobook topic on here. Though to be honest I haven't read much this week. I think I'm going to set a goal to read at least 5 pages a day instead of going for a time limit, because if I go for a time limit, I'll just keep putting it off and well, I don't want my study time to become fun while immersion is placed second.
On that note, I spent 1 week immersing in mostly audio recordings and then spent the next week focusing on SRS(because it seemed really fun) and my listening took a small dive, I think. Advice on this? Is this something to be concerned about or am I just not at a high enough level yet to were my brain can balance it out?
I have been going though my textbook steadily from the beginning again, Introduction to Modern Japanese, with the Workbook this time, imputing the vocab in a separate Anki deck before each lesson. I've completely given up on using written flashcards because it's too time consuming. I have a decent time doing the exercises but here is the problem:
When not doing the workbook, reading, or doing anything in Japanese, I have a hard time THINKING in Japanese. I thought of keeping a journal, or writing down a list of set phrases on cards and sticking them around the house. For instance when in my room I could write a list of phrases that I would be thinking at those times I'm in there and read them out loud every time to myself like "I want to play Animal Crossing on the Gamecube but where is my controller?" or when in the kitchen I could have phrases I'd say to my family when cooking or playing videogames or something since the kitchen is next to the room we play in. I dunno. I have a Lang
My short term goals right now are to:
-finish these SRS Decks once through(then set them aside, get the next 2 Core decks, and review the old decks every 10 days or so rotating them)
-make it to Chapter 4 in my textbook(already glanced over Chapter 4 and reviewed with ease)
-break down all the phrases up to Chapter 5 in my Phrasebook(halfway done)
After those are done I intend to:
-go over Tae Kim in Anki
-go through Chapters 4-7 in my textbook
-put the SRS Vocab decks on a back burner in favor of learning to speak and think in Japanese to a reasonable level, I'm thinking Pimslur?
-immersing myself more than the time I will take to do the above things, which should go without saying
Am I setting myself up for bad habits? - gaiaslastlaugh - 2012-10-06
Thinking in a language is hard. Thinking and speaking trail input and recognition. I think it's wise to work on it early, though, and develop the habit of thinking in the language. I wish I had done more of that. I still feel like I'm playing catch-up.
I'd be careful to screen phrases with native speakers (friends, Lang-8) before posting them around your house, though.
It will help minimize turning errors into habits. Beyond that, your plan sounds fairly kick-ass.
Am I setting myself up for bad habits? - PkmnTrainerAbram - 2012-10-06
I'm doing some looking around on the subject too and came across this blog which says that people can begin thinking in one week, in some form anyway, and didn't go too deep into his method. I think this is just a thing each person figures out on thier own, but I'd be lying if I wasn't looking for someone to give me a roadmap or sorts on THIER experience with this, lol.
http://www.fluentin3months.com/thinking/
I think tommorrow I'm going to mine for phrases and stuff I say and try to get proper corrections on Lang 8, which I haven't been to in forever, and was kinda hoping to go back there only when I felt comfortable expressing my self again.
I used to think in simple Japanese at work but stopped doing it, and ofcourse, it degressed.=/
I don't ever want to reach a point where that happens again. There are many people that I work with that can speak(and apparently think in) 2 languages, and if they can do it then I sure as hell can.
Am I setting myself up for bad habits? - gaiaslastlaugh - 2012-10-07
Yeah, Benny's of the "Speak from Day 1" school of thinking. I've been more of the input hypothesis camp myself, but now that I'm attempting to speak more, I can see the value of developing those thinking patterns as early as possible.
That's a good article. Wish I had read it sooner.
EDIT: Re: roadmaps, I think we're all mainly creating our own, and learning from one another in the process. My own practice basically mirrors yours - SRS as a small (but necessary) portion of study, some grammar, and lots of reading/listening/thinking/speaking in the target language. It's a good recipe.
Love your motivation, btw!