Hi everyone!

First of all - thank you so much for this wonderful site - I've been reading a lot on this page today, and found out that I had to register!

I'm a 19 year old young man from cold Norway (it's actually quite warn nowadays, but whatever). I'm currently studying music full-time, and I'm loving it. At the same time I've always been fascinated by the Japanese language, culture and people.
I just recently got home from Japan (I visited Tokyo and Nikko during the cherry blossom - it was AMAZING!), and now I've finally gotten true motivation to actually learn this language. I came across http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com , and even though it's a bit hardcore for me at the moment, I really like the idea of that site - starting with the Kanji, and then learning sentences etc.
Now, currently I'm studying music/practising 8 hours + each day, so I really have a lot going on. That being said, I can definitely get in 1 hour of efficient Kanji practise every day, and I do have the discipline, because I've learned that through drum-practising.
With one hour at hand (maybe I'll expand, if I get the time / make the time), how many Kanji a day should I aim for? I really like setting a goal for everything I'm learning, and I do this with drum techniques etc. all the time, so I really want to set small goals, and one large goal (finishing RTK 1), but I don't know what time-frame is realistic. Can someone give me some ideas about this? I know it's very individual, but at least you guys know much more than I do! =)
I know 1 hour isn't THAT much, but at least for now I'm hoping for some advice how to make this hour as efficient as possible. Maybe in the future I'll study more "hours" a day, but music and practising is my nr. 1 priority, but I'm more than willing to give Japanese a fair shot - and I'm going to do the work!

One other thing - like I said earlier - I'm Norwegian. I do speak english fluently, but it's not my native language, so I don't have the big vocabulary as native Englishmen. I'm just wondering what I should do with RTK - should I translate the keywords into Norwegian, or should I just read up in my english dictionary, when I'm having troubles? I mean, I know many words in english, but as the author says in the foreword, a lot of the keywords are almost synonymous, so my guess is that I'm gonna have some hick-ups there! I know that there are a lot of non-native-english-men-but-still-very-nice-people on this forum (I think I actually found a swede or two, am I right? hehe), so I'm just hoping for some ideas!

Anyway - this is a leap into the Japanese language for me. I'm truly hoping it can be the start of something good! And please, if you guys have any tips, tricks, special potions (worth a shot!) or anything that could be helpful for a completely fresh beginner in the Kanji-world (or japanese in general!) - please tell me!

Thank you guys so much for your time!
I really appreciate it!

Yours sincerely,
Zorlee (or Geir, my true name!)

Focus 100% on RtK and finish it first before doing anything else. 1 hour a day will be enough for that but you shouldn't add other stuff since that will dilute what little time you have. I recommend going with the review - add pattern Nukemarine uses.

Basically, spend exactly one hour a day, but only add kanji after you're done reviewing. That way, you'll add tons of kanji at first but as you get more reviews, you get less time for adding new kanji, evening it out. That way, you should be able to spend nothing more than an hour a day yet make good progress.

Zorlee Wrote:Hi everyone!

First of all - thank you so much for this wonderful site - I've been reading a lot on this page today, and found out that I had to register!

I'm a 19 year old young man from cold Norway (it's actually quite warn nowadays, but whatever). I'm currently studying music full-time, and I'm loving it. At the same time I've always been fascinated by the Japanese language, culture and people.
I just recently got home from Japan (I visited Tokyo and Nikko during the cherry blossom - it was AMAZING!), and now I've finally gotten true motivation to actually learn this language. I came across http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com , and even though it's a bit hardcore for me at the moment, I really like the idea of that site - starting with the Kanji, and then learning sentences etc.

Whoa, a fellow nordmann appears. =D Even the same age as me. Whoo~ ^_^ (abit off-topic though =))

Zorlee Wrote:Now, currently I'm studying music/practising 8 hours + each day, so I really have a lot going on. That being said, I can definitely get in 1 hour of efficient Kanji practise every day, and I do have the discipline, because I've learned that through drum-practising.
With one hour at hand (maybe I'll expand, if I get the time / make the time), how many Kanji a day should I aim for? I really like setting a goal for everything I'm learning, and I do this with drum techniques etc. all the time, so I really want to set small goals, and one large goal (finishing RTK 1), but I don't know what time-frame is realistic. Can someone give me some ideas about this? I know it's very individual, but at least you guys know much more than I do! =)
I know 1 hour isn't THAT much, but at least for now I'm hoping for some advice how to make this hour as efficient as possible. Maybe in the future I'll study more "hours" a day, but music and practising is my nr. 1 priority, but I'm more than willing to give Japanese a fair shot - and I'm going to do the work!

When it comes to goals, I feel that it has helped me this last week, making me pick up the pace again (I've been slow with new stuff for almost a month, but setting a goal for finishing has helped me gain pace again). So far I'm at 1586 in RTK, and I've been going at it for slightly less than 3 months (the 3 month mark being my ultimate goal for finishing), so it's working out somehow.
I think you should go with what Tobberoth say if you only plan on using 1 hour/day on Japanese/kanji.
Still, I'm managing without, but these last few days (since I set my goal) I've been spending a lot of time, starting with reviews first thing after school, and then adding new kanji pretty much untill I go to bed later that day. There is obviously a lot of random browsing/slacking off during that period, so that's probably why it takes almost the entire day after school.

Zorlee Wrote:One other thing - like I said earlier - I'm Norwegian. I do speak english fluently, but it's not my native language, so I don't have the big vocabulary as native Englishmen. I'm just wondering what I should do with RTK - should I translate the keywords into Norwegian, or should I just read up in my english dictionary, when I'm having troubles? I mean, I know many words in english, but as the author says in the foreword, a lot of the keywords are almost synonymous, so my guess is that I'm gonna have some hick-ups there! I know that there are a lot of non-native-english-men-but-still-very-nice-people on this forum (I think I actually found a swede or two, am I right? hehe), so I'm just hoping for some ideas!

This has not been a problem for me yet. Yes, there has been keywords I didn't know, but for those, I usually check the kanji over at jisho.org for other meanings, and sometimes I just have to use dictionary.com for definitions. For the kanjis related to certain types of tree/flowers, I usually add a picture of it as well, to make the connection between kanji/keyword and the actual plant.
So far, I've never used any Norwegian keywords, but there has been 2-3 stories where it was easier to put it in Norwegian. I use Anki for the SRS part though (there's a sample RTK1+3 deck when you install Anki), so I have the ability to add extra keywords and/or definitions/pictures.

Hope this helps a little (I'm still only in the RTK phase, so I don't have all the SRS "experience" some other people here seem to have).

Hello, and welcome!
Just a tiny advice that is repeated dozens of times in this forum and that you shouldn't forget: don't worry if you don't add new cards in some days, but never *ever* skip reviews -- cards will pile up and the following days will be hell.

When I started using Heisig, I found very refreshing to be exposed to unknown English vocabulary. You'll see it's a no-brainer. Have fun!

what instrument do you play?

Welcome aboard and good luck! Do you like Motorpsycho? Geb was (is) one of the very finest drummers i've ever seen playing.

I'm italian and i consider myself decently fluent in english, i'm around frame 1300 now and so foa i encountered quite a number of keywords i've never heard before, i'm trying to learn their meaning in italian, but keeping the kanji related to the english keyword. I think once i learn well the meaning of a new word the process becomes automatic. It's very annoying when i can't seem to remember the meaning of english keywords (atm: adroit! bestow!).
For sure it's a fact that doing RTK in your 2nd language adds an extra difficulty layer.

Oh, wow! Thank you guys so much for your great inputs!

First of all - where can I find the"review - add" pattern that Nukemarine uses? I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm new to this and this forum! =)
I'm also wondering what SRS program to use - I would like a program that works well offline as well as maybe online. But offline work is most important for me, since my internet-connection is somewhat buggy, hehe! I've heard great things about Anki (I think that's what it's called!) - I'd like the most user friendly SRS-program out there, hehe!

And about Motorpsycho - I haven't heard any of their music, but obviously I should then?

PS: It's GREAT to see Scandinavians on here - then I know that it's actually doable for a fellow Viking as well, haha!

I think his patterns go something like this:
Before anything else you review expired cards, then you add new stuff. So if your time limit for kanji each day is 1 hour, let's say your review takes 30 mins - you have 30 mins to add new stuff, and if your reviews only takes 10 mins you'll have 50 mins to add new stuff.
So just focus on reviews, and add when you have "leftover" time.

As for the weird keywords, I'd say go for the definitions of the keywords instead of the Norwegian equivalent.

And yeah, Anki works offline - and it's pretty user friendly. =) Don't know about the other SRS programs though (I've only been using Anki, and so far I don't plan on changing program).

Great stuff!
I'll start today with the free PDF file of the 200 or so first Kanji in the book, while I wait for my book to come in my mailbox
I'm still reading different threads here on the forums, but since you guys have been here longer than me, if there are any very valuable threads to read for beginners, or just good tips in general - please let me know!

Thank you guys so much for your help this far! It's great to know that there are other people making this work, and people rooting for each other! =)

Hello, when you said you were a Norweigen musician call Geir, I thoght you might be Geir Jenssen (aka Biosphere), but he is a bit older than you.
Good luck with your kanji anyway. do you play percussion as your main instrument? I love tabla very much you see, percussion is very under rated and people have this stupid idea that it's somehow easier than other instruments. I tried tabla for many years and gave up and now I play the flute (Indian bansuri) and find it easier in some ways.

Hi! Thank you very much! No I'm not Geir Jenssen, hehe! =)
I play the drumset as my main instrument, but I do love other percussion instruments! I find a whole world of challenges behind my drumkit, so I'm sticking with that instrument for now! But like you said, percussion AND drumsetplaying is often underrated! It's VERY hard, when you truly dig into it!

Anyway - on topic - keep posting beginner tips / links to threads with great beginner tips! I'm trying to search and read, but you know - there are many threads in this forum, haha!

Hi again!

I´ve officially started my Kanji-learning! =)
I downloaded Anki, together with the Anki pre-made RTK deck (containing 3007 Kanji, if I´m correct).
Now I have some questions:

- I went through the first 10 Kanji. My problem is - where is the "story" to these Kanji? I browsed through to other Kanji later, and they seem to have longer and more interesting stories. Are you supposed to just brain through the first 15+ Kanji, and then get to the stories? I don´t get it! I thought the author wrote stories for all the first 2-300+ Kanji, and the later on we were supposed to make up our own. What am I doing wrong? Please enlighten me, because right now I´ve just learned the first Kanji the old-school way, I want to learn the Heisig way! =)

- In Anki I want to get both the keyword AND the story as the question - How do I do this? And how do I do it with the pre-made deck? I guess I have to write the stories for myself, and I want to do that, but how can I do that? Do the pre-made deck come with stories, and if - how can I edit them and make them visible in the "question-card"?

I´m sorry for all the questions, but I figures I´d just ask, and learn - and not start off in the wrong direction! =)

Thank you guys so much!
Yours sincerely,
Zorlee

If you read the "description"-ish field for each kanji, that's Heisig's story for that kanji. Sometimes he just adresses which connotation of the word that should be used for that certain kanji, and sometimes the story is pretty obvious from the primitives. The first 15 are used a lot later in the book (especially the ones from 11-15. 1-10 is pretty easy after a few chapters too), so it's no problem if you don't remember them straightaway, since that takes care of itself later on through SRS.

If you want story and keyword as the question (not recommended though.. If anything, make the story the same color as the background so you won't accidentally "cheat"), you can edit the card model by going "Settings -> Deck properties". There you mark the model called Heisig, and click Edit. From there, choose the tab Card Templates and add "%(Story)s" (without the "). If you want to make the story appear in white, so you can look at it if nessecary add "<font color="#FFFFFF">%(Story)s</font>". There's also a Story field if you choose the "Browse items" (Ctrl + F) option

This is not really an anki support forum though. ^^

Thank you very much!
I just found the Anki support forum, so I won´t post any Anki-related stuff here from now on, unless it has to do with actual studying etc.

About the story on the question-side: I found one thread with a minor discussion about this, and obviously many recommends NOT to do it. I´m just wondering, since I´ve read a lot on AJATT, and that guy recommends to do so.
I´m torn, since I don´t know what to do here! I´m sorry if I´m the definition of a newbie, but I just want to start off the right way! =)

Thank you so much!

I'd say Heisig's introduction has 95% of everything you need to know about the method. Don't be afraid to re-read it until you've assimilated it. The remaining 5% will come both from this forum and, most importantly, from your learning routine. Start with a general mindset (Heisig's intro) and then do some tweaking (this forum) along the way. You'll find your way of doing it will be mostly similar to everybody's else, but will also be very yours -- the particular ways you'll be doing it won't be "wrong", just different.

Don't overprepare; as that famous winged company says, "Just do it!"

Good advice, man! I´ll just do it!

34 / 2040 currently - woho!

Anyway, I have one question about reviewing.
My routine for the last couple of days have been this:

First of all I set Anki at 0 new cards, and then I review what is due to review!
After I´m finished with the reviews I use what time I have to add new cards.
My question now is - do I review the new cards right after I´ve studied them? Or do I wait till the next day?
Until now I´ve studied the new cards and added the stories to Anki, and after that I´ve set the "new cards" to 12 (or whatever I added), and reviewed them right afterwards (usually ranking them at 2, since I use the story in the first reviews, so I don´t start off on the wrong foot). What are your opinions on this subject? Is it individual, or am I doing it right/wrong?

Thank you guys =) You´re the best!

Zorlee Wrote:My question now is - do I review the new cards right after I´ve studied them? Or do I wait till the next day?

This thread may give you some insights. I'd say: choose a path, learn a couple of hundred kanji, and then adjust what you think is not working so well for you.

Zorlee Wrote:My question now is - do I review the new cards right after I´ve studied them? Or do I wait till the next day?

You need to wait a reasonable time before your first review, but 4 hours should easily be enough. Countrary to popular belief, "sleeping on it" isn't actually all that beneficial, getting the first review right however is. I'd say it's generally better if you put the kanji in during the morning (the brain usually works best when you wake up) then review them in the afternoon/evening. You will probably get all of them right and it should stick until your next review. Wait till next morning and the odds that you get less than 100% rises. (I still usually added new kanji before going to bed then reviewed them in the morning, it works great as well, just talking optimal solutions here)

Thank you guys! I'll try to either do it in the morning and review in the evening, or do the evening / morning thing =)

Either way, I'm having a little problem regarding the retention rate. I read alot about keeping a rate between 80-90 %.
I'm just wondering when my retention rate is actually representative for what I'm learning (and what rate I should be looking at)!
I'm at 46 Kanji now, doing 12 a day (I'm a bit afraid of the reviews piling up if I do more!).
I'm using Anki, and I vary from day to day in my daily retention rate, but what is the MAIN retention rate I should look for? The "over a month" rate? Or "under a month"?
What are you guys talking about when you're only naming one % rate, instead of all the rates? Sorry, but I haven't found an answer for this!