Valid perspectives, Tobberoth and Sethg. I am NO expert, to be sure. One thing this whole learning a language with the goal of fluency/literacy has inspired in me, is to learn more about how the mind and memory work. I seek the best path to my goal, like I'm sure, all of you! I am still cultivating and exploring this, still leaning new information, and I would say still a bit naive. I have discovered things about myself during this process, and am constantly reinventing my own process. I have heard this and that about "long term" memory, and the role of SRS....great stuff! I see the value of it! I BELIEVE! But additionally see the value of a multifaceted approach to learning/retention (I think there are things that go beyond this paradigm....there must be LOL). One great thing about our native language is the depth of meanings and associations that we have constructions of. That's why the key words work so damn well (or in some cases don't, as in key words you have few associations for) . I do believe it is essential to not have our J stuck exclusively to our E....codependent so to speak (yeah, preachin' to the choir LOL). I do see a tremendous value in forming multidimensional associations. Yes, in regards to L2 transcend your English comfort/addiction/crutch/dependency (whatever you want to call it), but our tendency to label and separate, analyze and quantify, SEGREGATE, can go overboard! "It's all connected mannnn..." (in my hippy voice). So fire up those synapses, and let the E-J, J-J fly....your purpose and needs (fluent J) will thrive as you go, and the strength of your constructions will only serve in this (as you loose your "training wheels"). That Key word, that English, that too frequent viewing of things that need to be spaced, won't nescicarily be roadblocks to L2, only building blocks, as you will be evolving past their limitations.....
Kanji-Lish can't hurt me! (until it does LOL).

But yo' I'm probably wrong to a certain degree...(and always will be),LOL. I am a bloody newbie after all!
(............uneasy feeling...............someone might grab this and quote this.........)

Heck, many of you are smarter than I am, I just haven't figured out which ones!

LOL- Ya'll are my heroes by the way......soldiers, battlin' in the trenches of 日本語！

Tobberoth Wrote:Reading a Japanese book, you will see 今 constantly. So often in fact that if over-exposure is really detrimental, you wouldn't stand a chance at remembering it.

If you read an entire book and you see 今 a hundred or more times, I'm pretty sure you'd remember it. Especially if you put a couple of those sentences into your SRS.

I just think you're being ridiculous and over analyzing. If you're even following your own advice, then you must fail multiple kanji every day continually even though you know them. I mean, you visit this site, right? Obviously... you're a high frequency poster. So, you *must* see everyone's icons, the majority of which are kanji. RTK kanji.

:: sigh ::

But I'm done arguing. You can lead a horse to water and all that good stuff.

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