AlgoRhythmic Wrote:Thanks for adding the different perspective. It's certainly a point that deserves to be made.Eminem2 Wrote:As to my experiences with RTK1, I would summarize them as follows:Just to give a different perspective to the thread starter I would have to disagree with this. In my opinion it makes sense that RTK gets maximum effect if you spend all your efforts to get it done as soon possible, and before you start studying other parts of the language. The more Japanese you already know when starting RTK, the less helpful it will be I think. You will pick up other material faster if you already have RTK done, so in terms of efficiency I would recommend to spend every second you have for Japanese on RTK until that is done (if you plan on doing it). But sure, it's certainly possible to do stuff like this in parallel if you really want to.
#1. It's not necessary (or even advisable) to halt or postpone working on grammar (which is much more useful and fun than it may sound), practical phrases or listening exercises while doing RTK1. Even though it may look like Heisig does recommend doing just that in his introduction when he talks about whether or not his method can be used alongside other study methods.
In my own experience though, knowing all of the RTK1 Kanji isn't that much help when starting with Japanese grammar. Sure, it can feel like a feather in your cap when you immediately recognize the Kanji that are used in the grammar examples, but this shouldn't be exaggerated. (Perhaps I encountered about a 100 or 150 Kanji in the 250+ pages of the basic grammar book I used. So going through all of the 2,200 RTK1 Kanji before starting on basic grammar would have been overkill.)