OK, newbie here -- both to the site, and to Japanese. I've been studying RTK 1 for a while now -- I actually began it before learning anything else, simply because the kanji look cool! I have been studying the language in earnest for about a week and a half, although I've dabbled in it for about a month, and am simultaneously using Genki, RTK and a Japanese friend for advice and double-checking what I've learnt. I have a lot of time on my hands, it being the summer, and I am about halfway through Genki 1, having learnt and drilled all the vocab and grammar it gives along the way. I'm also reinforcing the grammar with Tae Kim. What do people have to say about this technique (I realise simultaneous use of RTK and an integrated course is probably frowned upon, but I haven't had any problems so far), and would you say that JLPT 3 is a realistic expectation for December -- or should I stick to JLPT 4 (or nothing at all)? I do intend to learn the vocab and additional grammar points needed for JLPT rather than just rely on Genki, of course.
