So a couple days ago I decided to stop putting off RtK1 and delve into it. My plan has been going for 10 days now; consisting of, basically, one lesson a day for 56 days and therefore covering the book in approximately 2 months.

I just need to know what to do after. I keep hearing mixed comments in regards to RtK2, and to skip to RtK3. Does RtK3 have everything that 2 has? Am I missing anything by skipping RtK2? If I skip RtK2 and go right to RtK3 am I still going to learn how to read the kanji?

I hope it's understood what my question is and that I can get an appropriate answer.

Thanks.

ヴィンス

Just to clarify this is how I practice my kanji each day. Feel free to leave feedback.

-Go over the chapter, reading the Heisig story and writing the kanji two or three times.
-Open up Anki and put each kanji and an appropriate story in. I cross-check Heisig and this website's stories for a more fitting one.
-Do my daily reviews.
-Repeat every day until book is done.

Well you're doing the right stuff so far

I say skip RTK2 and RTK3. The time is better invested in something like KO2001 or smart.fm after RTK1. I'm a KO fan personally. You'll need a basic vocab and grammar before you delve into that though.

You can come back to RTK3 if you feel its necessary at a later stage. I mean the thing is it's a 1000 further kanji that are increasingly less frequent. Now given that after finishing RTK 1 you'll know all you need to know to cover all the every day stuff, you still can't read it yet so what's the need to even recognize kanji used in extremely infrequent words that you won't be reading yet anyway because you haven't even mastered the basics of reading enough to get that far?

Compare that with time spent making it through KO2001 and you'll be reading a WHOLE lot in no time.

What is K02001?

Vinchenzo Wrote:What is K02001?

kanji odyssey 2001 http://www.coscom.co.jp/ebook/e-2001kanji.html

Vinchenzo Wrote:What is K02001?

To summarize the product it's a collection of 3000 sentences that cover just over 1000 Kanji in order of frequency. The grammar is pretty much all JLPT3 level with some level 2 stuff. The vocab covers 4500 unique words.

Great for efficiency based learning if you've got the time to cover it quickly enough. That is to say, 3 months max. A big boost to your Japanese ability is waiting at the end of it.

Thanks, I'll look into it. So I should order this book and pick it up after RtK1 while simultaneously reviewing RtK1?

Just get the Anki deck with full audio.

http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=3283

I encourage you to order KO2001 directly from CosCom. But you can do whatever you want.

Well if you buy the book then you can use the Anki deck guilt free. For those who don't have a conscience, a care or money it's a great tool at a great price.

Still, if you feel inclined.

Vinchenzo Wrote:I just need to know what to do after. I keep hearing mixed comments in regards to RtK2, and to skip to RtK3. Does RtK3 have everything that 2 has? Am I missing anything by skipping RtK2? If I skip RtK2 and go right to RtK3 am I still going to learn how to read the kanji?

...[2 months of]...
-Go over the chapter, reading the Heisig story and writing the kanji two or three times.
-Open up Anki and put each kanji and an appropriate story in. I cross-check Heisig and this website's stories for a more fitting one.
-Do my daily reviews.
-Repeat every day until book is done.

Brilliant study method. Keep it up.

The advice that I've seen on books is that it depends on what you're comfortable with. The recommendation to skip from 1 to 3 is really because 3 introduces the most often-used characters that stray off the standard list. If you skip from 1 to 3, it's just to add those extra kanji and complete the RTK kanji list completely. From there, you would then begin a program of adding readings/meanings starting with #1 and going all the way through (so you only really use half of book 3 at first). This has a longer start-up time with appropriate rewards.

If you're fine with the kanji from book 1, which is a very solid list you can add to later as necessary, you can skip from book 1 to any other program. You could even go to a traditional kanji-drilling method because your familiarization with the characters should allow you to absorb the other information at a fast pace- see the author's note about Chinese students learning Japanese. (although, it's suggested you immediately study using kanji sentences in an SRS, for all the same reasons as you did RTK).

I wouldnt bother with RTK2 or RTK3. Go start learning some real Japanese!

I'm hoping to attend a language school in Shinjuku in April. If I get accepted and can gather the required funds. First I have to gather the documents of course. This studying is really only to get a head start. I also feel good for accomplishing this since I have a lot of time to spare. (I need a new job, my current part-time job sucks.)

From what I can tell, I'll probably go from RtK1 to Kanji 2001. It seems, in my opinion, more practical to learn the kanji from the RtK1 book rather than continue to learn more obscure kanji that I won't get around to immediately.

In that case I would buy the Kanji 2001. Not sure about anybody else, but I like having a physical book. Not just the Anki deck. (Otherwise I would have just downloaded the Anki deck for Heisig's kanji.)

Thanks for your help guys.

I finished RTK1 yesterday. Yay. Now I wanted too some advice on what to do next. I will finish my Genki books, will buy An integrated approach, will learn through Tae Kim's and will start sentence mining. Where should I get the sentences from? From a dictionary (like denshi jisho?)? I have limited internet access, so I can't watch doramas/anime/other japanese programs, bu that might change when I go to college (since there there wireless internet).

Thanks.