Now with all the posts here I'm sure I'm just repeating someones question but I couldn't find it.
So I'm about halfway through the RTK vol. 1 and I have taken a few semesters of Japanese at my college using the Genki textbook. I am almost done with the second book and have learned a bunch of vocab and a few kanji from there. My question is what to do after RTk. I intend to finish the second book too and hopefully all before june, but what then? How do you transition to Japanese language with kanji. and what about all the vocabulary I know but don't know the kanji for. Do i just go back and try and memorize the kanji for each individual word or do I take one kanji at a time?

Thanks for any help and sugestion! =)

You could look at Nukemarine's thread.
http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=5110

Both ajatt.com and jalup.com cover this.

tokyostyle Wrote:Both ajatt.com and jalup.com cover this.

So do a lot of people, given that thousands of people have reached fluency prior to the age of shared media and Facebook.

There's nothing you're "supposed to do", you're free to follow any ways of learning readings and vocabulary that you like. That could involve pre-made vocabulary Anki decks and textbooks, or maybe just "getting out there" and reading not too difficult Japanese content like maybe manga and (perhaps later) light novels while looking up and reviewing some words of your choice. Actually there should be no "or" there, you can do anything to any extent you choose.

I like to think of RTK as a long tutorial quest for an open-world game.

I would give Core2K a try and see if it agrees with you.

I paid the money and did it on iknow.jp. The anki decks were very boring for me and I couldn't stay motivated. Iknow was just a tiny bit more enjoyable with the pictures and pretty colors and achievement badges. I'm a sucker for such things.

But reasonable people disagree on this. You lose almost all SRS tweakability on iknow. This is a showstopper for many.

Standard disclaimer: I am not associated in any way with iknow.jp

uisukii Wrote:

tokyostyle Wrote:Both ajatt.com and jalup.com cover this.

So do a lot of people, given that thousands of people have reached fluency prior to the age of shared media and Facebook.

With all due respect that's quite the autistic comment. He wasn't saying that people didn't reach fluency before the internet, but giving specific pointers (in the sense of links with lots of information on the topic) to help out the OP.

ryuudou Wrote:

uisukii Wrote:

tokyostyle Wrote:Both ajatt.com and jalup.com cover this.

So do a lot of people, given that thousands of people have reached fluency prior to the age of shared media and Facebook.

With all due respect that's quite the autistic comment. He wasn't saying that people didn't reach fluency before the internet, but giving specific pointers (in the sense of links with lots of information on the topic) to help out the OP.

With all due respect I find that simply referring to two popular self-learning websites is not a helpful answer as it only adds to the ever growing theme of self-learns failing to grasp to the concept of finding what works for them, as opposed to being told what to do.

Granted, AJATT is about finding your own methodology, within the scope of immersion and constancy, yet so many people find the writing too hard to follow (an observation; personally I found Khatz's articles straight forward and helpful) and fail to miss most of the key points presented. JALUP is helpful but provides less insight, in my opinion, and borders closer to appealing to the AJATT crowd, but with less information and more of a "it works because, [insert an large number of emotionally appealing yet lacking rhetoric]". Similar to "Crossfit", if you are aware of the commercial trends in personal training.

If the author of the thread was able to find this website, then they are probably already well aware of AJATT and JALUP. Adding to a sense of group-think doesn't really provide answers.

TheVinster's link to Nukemarine's thread is actually far more relevant and helpful because: 1, it is on this website- the place where the OP created this thread; 2, the thread offers links to said sites, and more, while not also trying to market a brand to the audience; and 3, if the OP has any related questions, he or she is able to post them directly in the thread with direct response from those with experience using the varying outlines methods.

If tokyostyle posted links to directly relevant articles within those websites, it would at least be offering something the OP might not be aware of. Otherwise it may as well have been similar to providing someone with a link to the Google search page.

Nuke's guide was already mentioned, why should it be mentioned twice?

Pros/cons of self-inputting or mass-downloading anki cards:
http://japaneselevelup.com/2012/02/29/th...ortcoming/

A few tips about starting out with self-made:
http://japaneselevelup.com/2011/02/01/ho...ences-j-e/

He does make up some facts at times, but these articles are sound. There are also guides on using subs2srs, audio, etc.

Look around and figure out what fits you; it doesn't necesserily have to be following nuke's guide from top to bottom.

If you feel like you need to brush up on grammar, I recommend reading through Japanese the Manga Way. However, there are a lot of other options such as Tae Kim or imabi.

Uisukii Wrote:If Japanese the Manga Way is something you find yourself interested in, there is an Anki deck available for download here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?bn3zm8dnwbifoc4

and the related images here (copy into collection.media):
http://www.mediafire.com/?c9u09v5ccxwpkgx

It was a splendid deck btw, reviewing through these felt like reading a really simple and fun manga. thanks uisukii


After [or during] grammar you learn words or sentences--whatever works.

^I'm actually selectively reusing some of the sentences within a close delete based grammar deck focusing on particles. The core materials are from three sources: Japanese Particle Workbook, A Dictionary of Japanese Particles, and as mentioned, JtMW.

It won't have pictures or anything but hopefully it will be useful for those interesting in concentrating on particle comprehension, given that something as "simple" as に, can have some twenty something different contextual usages; with enough examples to get a decent feel for them.

dbrunsii Wrote:I have taken a few semesters of Japanese at my college using the Genki textbook. I am almost done with the second book and have learned a bunch of vocab and a few kanji from there.

I'm not familiar with how far Genki II gets you in grammar, but I'm assuming that Kanzen Master II would be a great continuation point for you (basically taking you through N3 and N2 level). There is a spreadsheet out there, and probably decks as well.

For vocabulary, you might want to give one of the various Core 2k/6k decks a shot. Since you're up on Kanji, don't follow my guide strictly. Instead, just do Core 2k/6k sorted via the KO2k1 index. It's already sorted that way, just don't worry about skipping over words. Be VERY liberal with that easy button early on when you get words you know, but don't suspend them.

Also, a big thing I recommend is working in subs2srs decks with your favorite Japanese dramas. I think it's the most fun part of all of this. With that, you get comprehensible listening (just export the audio stream to your ipod), reading (print out the subtitles or the dramanote scripts) and speaking (shadowing or subtitle karaoke) practice.

[RawToast]

Nukemarine Wrote:I'm not familiar with how far Genki II gets you in grammar, but I'm assuming that Kanzen Master II would be a great continuation point for you (basically taking you through N3 and N2 level). There is a spreadsheet out there, and probably decks as well.

The general consensus is Genki I ~N5 and Genki II ~N4. Of course both books were not written with the JLPT in mind.

It's probably worth leafing through an N4 textbook first and noting down the points you don't know, then learn them using online resources (imabi, tae kim, or anki decks). I wouldn't bother buying a book for what may only be 5/6 grammar points.