Joined: Mar 2010
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As for me (私は, lol), I only finished RTK a couple of weeks ago, and I am just starting all possible stuff you could do after RTK1 (already did a big part of tae kim's), being:
-RTK2
-core2k
-KO2001
-subs2srs
-...
With the idea that I couldn't possibly decide from other people's testimonials what would work best for me, so I'll just start out on ALL of them and stop the ones I find uninteresting/don't teach me anything/don't work for me...
Right now I feel like every single one of them is interesting in it's own right and helpful. They complement each other really well.
There is no "wrong" way to study. Just start something, and if it doesn't work for you, find something else.
And probably the best advice I could ever give you: use the search button, and read the stickies, lol. There are a thousand threads about what to do after RTK1.
Edit: about ordering:
I did the first two steps of core2k in the default order, now I am adding them about 50/50 in ko2k1 and freq order. ko2k1 I am doing default. I decided against doing them out of order because of several reasons, one of them being that the current ordering looks pretty fine to me. I am using a deck that has furigana on the kanji from lessons you haven't seen yet, so I am getting exposure to the words and readings etc before I have to learn them, and it's working pretty damn fine. Instead of the "&%#@!!!! KO2k1 is HAARD" response a lot of people apparently get, I am getting a "hey this is falling neatly in place" feeling. Everything already seems familiar, and it's going smoothly. And in the end, I learn just as many words and readings as people do when they learn EVERYTHING in a single card.
Of course ordering the cards by frequency also solves the difficulty in the beginning, but then you can't really use the books anymore, and I study a lot away from the computer, so...
Edit2: and right now, I'm just lovin' RTK2. It would probably SUCK if it were my only source of studying, but I am finding it complements my other studies REALLY well. Heisig himself also recommends his reader to do other study while doing RTK2.
I know there's a lot of RTK2 hate here, but don't dismiss it based on other people's testimonials, and try to asses the method yourself.
Edited: 2010-12-30, 7:41 pm
Joined: Aug 2009
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Thanks for the reply.
RTK2 isn't quite my style, I prefer to learn the readings by context in sentences.
And I know how to use the search button, did already... Same to stickies obviously. But no post seems to hit that tiny spot I am searching for.
Like, If I did the core series, would I miss something in KO2001 or vice versa? What are each one's advantages or disadvantages? Is this "http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=5091" the "best from both worlds"?
Joined: Mar 2010
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Readings of kanji: I am doing it that way too you know, but the thing is that I could read a specific word, but I had trouble with reading the same kanji in a different word (even with the same reading). The kanji I also did in RTK2 up to now, I can really say: "this kanji has the reading ちょう", while I really struggle doing that with kanji I learned only from context.
So it's not that much teaching me the readings, it's teaching me to really link the reading with the kanji with a steel chain.
And KO2k1 is just completely different from core2k, so yeah, you'll miss out, but nothing earth shattering I believe. You'll get a bit less readings from core2k, but a bit more common words and expressions, while ko2k1 will get you more readings, and a better grasp of slightly more complicated sentences. The first sentence from ko2k1: 円安で日本企業の輸出が増えた。
The first one from core2k: それはとってもいい話だ。
See the difference?
The different order is just that, a different order. Only changes stuff during the studying, while what really matters is what you have when you're done studying.
I'd say they complement each other nicely. And if you do them both, but core2k in ko2k1 order, the study load isn't really increased a lot. I'm not that far in either one, but they complemented each other pretty nicely up to now.
Joined: Aug 2009
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Ok I think i'll do both then. Do you guys have any final suggestions on how should I deal with both? Like, alternate between them or one after the other? Thanks.