Subverting Leitner?

dingomick Wrote:Thanks for the responses! Here's some of my thoughts in response:

TIME isn't an issue. I have plenty of it to fill which is why I'm reviewing my cards then. 15 mins on the train; 5 mins walking somewhere; 5 mins waiting for a friend, etc. I review quite quickly also. ~7 kanji per minute, so a 20min review will cover ~130 kanji.

THIS SITE is the only place I learn new kanji (in conjunction with the book). This, for me, is the most productive method. I have a vivid and active imagination. But I can't think of anything better than picking and choosing from everyone's brains. Improvement is the goal of cooperation. (this site embodies that whole 'Web 2.0' concept). I take the concepts that best trigger my imagination, embellish them in my own way, and make them my own. So, since I only use this site, carrying the book with me is pointless since I won't be learning new kanji away from the internet.

VISUAL MEMORY is an underutilized tool, as laxxy wrote. Why NOT use it? My understanding of Heisig's theory is that 2000 random lines is too much to stuff in visual memory, so we need a systematic new method to recall kanji. But that does not it visual memory isn't a splendid tool when utilized sparingly! I too find myself using visual memory in situations where stories are just too convoluted. And as another thread is currently discussing, I wish I would have known this before. Heisig could easily have added a few more primitives. And once we know that certain primitive combinations will occur frequently, it's too late to go back and assign new meanings to them.

I still rely on mental imagery as I write every kanji though. This is key! I often make simple mistakes if I rely only on visual memory, such as switching "muzzle" 咅 and "sound" 音.

I'M FINDING that my best path to learning is to review a new kanji several times over the first few days to solidy a clear story. After those first few quick reps, I don't have trouble recalling it later. I find the enforced delay (1 then 3 days) invites me to forget. I will review a new kanji, along with ~50 others I learn each day, 5 times within the first 2 days. Those I haven't done this for are extremely difficult for me to retrieve.

I absolutely agree on all counts. My experience and my impressions were quite similar indeed. Particularly about the points about a dense initial review schedule and a desire for more primitives. Maybe this site could help other people with that a bit, it did help me when people described new primitives they invented when they first appear, and I think I mentioned a couple of my own too.