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Just started using AJATT's Method - Squintox - 2010-03-08
yukamina Wrote:Here I was reading this thread, thinking it was new, and wondering at how both mentat and alyks showed up to post in it...A lot of people don't post anymore
I pretty much recognize every pre-2009 poster here (except the TC). I wonder where a lot of them went...
Just started using AJATT's Method - TaylorSan - 2010-03-09
Whoa didn'tt realize this thread is a bit old....
but just in case it helps OP or other new AJATT peeps....
Khatz/AJATT has some great insights about learning Japanese. I think much of it is sound. My main disagreements about it are-
*You don't have to go RTK only, then Hiragana/Katakana. Do those before or during RTK. I think knowing the syllabary is a big help for pronunciation and listening. Get it early so you can hear better whatever media you are using (and english subs are ok-but listen to the language).
An RTK marathon can be a bit eroding to the "fun" aspect for many. It's OK, probably preferable to mix in some real Japanese learning while you do RTK. The "get it done in 1 month/as fast as possible so you can do the real stuff sooner" may not be optimal for everyone. However, I do think RTK should be consistent, and the main focus as you begin AJATT.
*Study Grammar. It will help it click with the rest of AJATT methods.
*Massive Input=Output. This is discussed a lot on the koohii forum, and my opinion based on albeit personal limited experience, and tons of posts from forum members is; YOU HAVE TO TRAIN OUTPUT! Khatz talks it up, but he doesn't emphasize much how he had Japanese friends to talk to. It seems like some forum members take his/antimoon's opinions about this to heart, and suffer for it.
*Vocab lists have their place, and can offer some benifits that sentences don't.
One personal weakness I found for myself about sentences was the i+2,3,4,5 that sentences can often have (especially at the beginning). My strategy was to grit my teeth and learn the words, and pound in the sentence. However I ended up encoding the vocab inside the chain of the sentence, which was a problem. And it was hard= not optimally efficient. I still learned a lot, and benefited from the method, but if I could do it all over again, I would do what I'm doing now (about a year later).
I now use a Sentence deck and Vocab deck. Studying the vocab in isolation works well for me, and makes the sentence reps nice and smooth. Trying to figure out the grammar + remember pronunciation + meaning of multiple words can be really difficult. I find it much better to have a good head start on the words, then do the sentences to learn more about their use in context, and how they work grammatically. I know people have different strategies for sentences/grading practices, so to each their own. But for me a dynamic approach that isolates different skills seems the way to go.
I also like learning the dictionary form of verbs.
My method is now this (subject to future improvements of course) ->
Mine a sentence ala AJATT (and or use premade material if you decide to go that route - I currently am doing KO2k1 smartfm version as a part of what I study)
Make cards or activate cards (ie. a smartfm vocab deck) for the individual words from the sentence.
Study these Vocab cards. Give them a little head start before you go and activate the sentence if you like (I am experimenting with this).
Repeat.
I also like to train writing ability, so the Vocab deck has production cards as well. My sentence deck is reading only.
Really a dynamic approach seems to be the way to go for me, and fits my goals. I learn readings/writing in the Vocab deck. Practice reading and understanding grammar with the sentence deck. And for listening use subs2srs (where I mine out Vocab words) and Jdorama, as well as immersion environment. And for speaking I meet with my Japanese friend as much as possible (once a week 4 hrs), and will eventually use skype as much as possible. I also read/study grammar as much as I can stomach (which isn't all that much - a few hours a week at best, but if I did a little more it would help me a lot I think).
It seems like every month or even 2 weeks I tweak what I do based on what I've done, the anecdotes of forum members, and what I think will work better. I also make goals as khatz suggests, and keep a log of what I do in my Japanese studies, and have since the very beginning. It's fun to look back on my methods and see how well it worked (or didn't). It's been a huge benefit in helping me tweak things, and is super motivational.
I'm not saying my way is right or anything, and I am no expert. But to this point, having basically started with AJATT, those are the changes I would advise myself if I had a time machine. It took me wayyyyyy too long to realize the piece about vocab decks, because I followed the AJATT idea.
But for some this may not be as effective, as they get everything just fine with sentences only.
One last advice then I'll jump off the damn soap box - Use this forum - It ROCKS! But be wary, it can suck too much of you're time if you let it (I do - as you can tell by my long ass post).