How did you integrate monolinguality into your anki decks? Really, I want to try this out slowly progressing with one of my anki decks by adding a new field called "mono", as I recognise this would basically force me to read more throughout the process in Anki, which I really.. got used to. Yes, it's a damn habit and I review 600 cards/hour, which is effective for increasing vocabulary relatively quickly.

I wonder which EPWING dictionary to use, hm. I couldn't find Kojien 6th as shown in the example, though and Kojien 5th Ed. does not seem to work. Btw, is there an Eijiro J-J EPWING version around? I couldn't find any, so..

Would like to hear your experiences/suggestions and advise concerning this. I'm somewhere at 6500+ words, so concerning vocabulary I'm not a 'beginner' any longer, I dare saying :x

Regards
(Heavy thunder outside, wow o0)

there was actually an effective way of making this automatic(I read it on a thread in this forum), just can't find it anymore. What I mean by automatic is, you could search the vocab that is unknown (windows) and have a easy monolingual sentence to understand and import it to anki's answer "field". I know macs have monolingual just not sure about windows 7

I want to do that once I get my new laptop. I'm going to be experimenting from now on.

I posted this, you might find it useful: http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?p...#pid140024 - It's pretty intuitive, but I'll probably write a step by step guide for the wiki soon.

Keeping in mind that I don't advocate monolinguality in language-learning in the ‘hard’ sense, since that would be unsupported by research, but in the ‘soft’ sense where you naturally transition to more and more L2 and less L1 as you become more advanced.

I was recently reading something I found hilarious, about how even teachers who advocate monolingual only often use the L1 to teach the L2 and then lie about it out of guilt.

nest0r Wrote:I posted this, you might find it useful: http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?p...#pid140024 - It's pretty intuitive, but I'll probably write a step by step guide for the wiki soon.

Keeping in mind that I don't advocate monolinguality in language-learning in the ‘hard’ sense, since that would be unsupported by research, but in the ‘soft’ sense where you naturally transition to more and more L2 and less L1 as you become more advanced.

I was recently reading something I found hilarious, about how even teachers who advocate monolingual only often use the L1 to teach the L2 and then lie about it out of guilt.

thanks for the link, I've learned monolingual is effective but later on. Since the only way to become fully fluent is to be able to keep your mind in one language and understand the language in it's own language

@nest0r: I'm a hardcore-Anki'er and I really need the Jap->Eng|Expression->Meaning+Reading formation on my cards to get the vocabulary in my head. I wonder if that would interfere with my monolingual approach?

In 99% of cases, I really don't understand why it's desirable to use a monolingual dictionary and have to read an explanation of a word and then guess in your head what it means, presumedly comparing it to your native language anyway ("Oh it must mean apple!") when you could just get it from a one word definition in a bilingual dictionary, or choose from a handful of definitions based on context. Time spent reading the dictionary is just time spent not reading/listening to content. I really don't get it.

nadiatims Wrote:In 99% of cases, I really don't understand why it's desirable to use a monolingual dictionary and have to read an explanation of a word and then guess in your head what it means, presumedly comparing it to your native language anyway ("Oh it must mean apple!") when you could just get it from a one word definition in a bilingual dictionary, or choose from a handful of definitions based on context. Time spent reading the dictionary is just time spent not reading/listening to content. I really don't get it.

When you look it up from a monolingual dict you concentrate more on the meaning and understanding the meaning. Thus you will spend more time on a word and therefore remember it better later as compared to looking up an English definition and then forgetting what the word meant and what it all was about.

jettyke Wrote:When you look it up from a monolingual dict you concentrate more on the meaning and understanding the meaning. Thus you will spend more time on a word and therefore remember it better later as compared to looking up an English definition and then forgetting what the word meant and what it all was about.

Depends entirely on the word. I'd love to see you deciphering 大辞林's entries for fruit or fish. Going hardcore either way is ill-advised in my opinion, and is there even any evidence to support 100% monolingual, apart from some shyster douche's unsubstantiated blog ramblings?

jettyke Wrote:When you look it up from a monolingual dict you concentrate more on the meaning and understanding the meaning. Thus you will spend more time on a word and therefore remember it better later as compared to looking up an English definition and then forgetting what the word meant and what it all was about.

If the word pops up again during my session of reading or listening to whatever material, I'll still remember it. Spending more time on each word will make little difference in the long run as long as I reencounter the word enough times, which can be easily ensured by using various methods (wordlists, SRS etc).

Javizy Wrote:

jettyke Wrote:When you look it up from a monolingual dict you concentrate more on the meaning and understanding the meaning. Thus you will spend more time on a word and therefore remember it better later as compared to looking up an English definition and then forgetting what the word meant and what it all was about.

Depends entirely on the word. I'd love to see you deciphering 大辞林's entries for fruit or fish. Going hardcore either way is ill-advised in my opinion, and is there even any evidence to support 100% monolingual, apart from some shyster douche's unsubstantiated blog ramblings?

Personally I use the yahoo.jp dictionary and it lists several definitions but I choose the one that is the easiest to understand(since there is so many other definition posts that are not so easily understood). And if one chooses those, they will have to decode them/it will be very time consuming. That's why I like finding automatic ways for these tasks.

jettyke Wrote:

nadiatims Wrote:In 99% of cases, I really don't understand why it's desirable to use a monolingual dictionary and have to read an explanation of a word and then guess in your head what it means, presumedly comparing it to your native language anyway ("Oh it must mean apple!") when you could just get it from a one word definition in a bilingual dictionary, or choose from a handful of definitions based on context. Time spent reading the dictionary is just time spent not reading/listening to content. I really don't get it.

When you look it up from a monolingual dict you concentrate more on the meaning and understanding the meaning. Thus you will spend more time on a word and therefore remember it better later as compared to looking up an English definition and then forgetting what the word meant and what it all was about.

Glosses or definitions that reduce interruptions during reading are considered superior to definitions that you have to stop and focus on. L1 glosses are more effective, but become only equally or slightly less effective to L2 glosses as you become advanced. (I believe I have some references and quotes in that thread about starting extensive reading.)

@Tori - I think what's important is that you're setting up resonant connections between the concepts and the target language, and these kinds of connections are primarily what you'll build through contextualized usage in various situations, usage of items you've internalized. Using your L1 will get you there faster, until you know enough L2 to let it fall away.

People who are fluent in multiple languages don't have these isolated sections in their brains devoted purely to the L2, etc. There's a constant connectivity there at the root, it's just a matter of switching modes, so to speak, once you've built the network.

Here's a recent article on a related topic: Chinese-English Bilinguals Are 'Automatic' Translators

ta12121 Wrote:Personally I use the yahoo.jp dictionary and it lists several definitions but I choose the one that is the easiest to understand(since there is so many other definition posts that are not so easily understood). And if one chooses those, they will have to decode them/it will be very time consuming. That's why I like finding automatic ways for these tasks.

It should go without saying, but I should add to my above comment that the studies that compare L1 to L2 during reading (with equal results or results that depend on the learner's proficiency) are using L2 glosses that are not only simple (hence ‘gloss’ rather than ‘definition’) but explanations that are comprehensible to the learner. Desirable difficulties. Hence the Tanuki iPlusN sorting of definitions (since I don't know a good way to implement the iPlusN to more extensive dictionaries with Rikaisan, even if Rikaisan gets customized to start adding information to its popups from the MorphMan plugin).

Outside reading, with deliberate learning of words through spaced retrieval, etc., the importance of levels of processing is more general and abstract and diversely applicable, not specifically related to L1 or L2. There's better ways to implement deep, elaborate processing than forcing yourself to read explanations you can't understand or obsessing over avoiding the L1 despite its proven efficacy and even superiority. Anyway. It's just amazing to me that Khatzumoto's bad advice and Krashen's controversial and scientifically unfounded advice still carries such weight, re: advocation of extreme methods (that's a general comment, not targeted to anyone in this thread ;p).

nest0r Wrote:

ta12121 Wrote:Personally I use the yahoo.jp dictionary and it lists several definitions but I choose the one that is the easiest to understand(since there is so many other definition posts that are not so easily understood). And if one chooses those, they will have to decode them/it will be very time consuming. That's why I like finding automatic ways for these tasks.

It should go without saying, but I should add to my above comment that the studies that compare L1 to L2 during reading (with equal results or results that depend on the learner's proficiency) are using L2 glosses that are not only simple (hence ‘gloss’ rather than ‘definition’) but explanations that are comprehensible to the learner. Desirable difficulties. Hence the Tanuki iPlusN sorting of definitions (since I don't know a good way to implement the iPlusN to more extensive dictionaries with Rikaisan, even if Rikaisan gets customized to start adding information to its popups from the MorphMan plugin).

Outside reading, with deliberate learning of words through spaced retrieval, etc., the importance of levels of processing is more general and abstract and diversely applicable, not specifically related to L1 or L2. There's better ways to implement deep, elaborate processing than forcing yourself to read explanations you can't understand or obsessing over avoiding the L1 despite its proven efficacy and even superiority. Anyway. It's just amazing to me that Khatzumoto's bad advice and Krashen's controversial and scientifically unfounded advice still carries such weight, re: advocation of extreme methods (that's a general comment, not targeted to anyone in this thread ;p).

Makes sense but it really comes down to the learners proficiency. The L1 vs L2 and when to make that switch is usual favored when your at advanced level of the language. But most of the time, it really just takes time to get used to it. I personally still use English definitions for vocab, but for sentences I'm trying to find ways of making the monolingual editions to my anki sentence deck, flawless and painless.

nest0r Wrote:People who are fluent in multiple languages don't have these isolated sections in their brains devoted purely to the L2, etc. There's a constant connectivity there at the root, it's just a matter of switching modes, so to speak, once you've built the network.

Yeah, that's what happens with me — the languages I'm fluent in are not isolated at all, and each one helps the other in a positive way. It's possible to change them at will, mix them, use a L3 definition to remember a L1 word, and so on. In some ways it's similar to how, when you are proficient in one thing (say, computers and programming), you can use it where other people who aren't don't (e.g., studying, playing a musical instrument.)

nadiatims Wrote:In 99% of cases, I really don't understand why it's desirable to use a monolingual dictionary and have to read an explanation of a word and then guess in your head what it means, presumedly comparing it to your native language anyway ("Oh it must mean apple!") when you could just get it from a one word definition in a bilingual dictionary, or choose from a handful of definitions based on context.

I wouldn't say 99%, but in many cases it does make sense to use your L1 to remember L2 definitions – that's the whole idea behind mnemonics, that is, to use something you know to encode and retrieve something that you don't know; that's how the human brain usually works best. But, sometimes, people use so much their L1 that they end up not progressing as fast as they could in their L2, or end up with huge holes in their knowledge; they want to use it even when it would be better if they didn't.

I think the real goal with using only your target language without resorting to your native one when studying (monolingualism) is to reach a new level of immersion and comprehension; by doing that you're now not only focusing on specific words and translations but going further, not heavily distracted and constrained by your highly ingrained L1. Maybe it's better to do that when you know your target language reasonably well or else it becomes a huge time sink and ends up being demotivational, but I don't know, it depends on the individual.

nadiatims Wrote:Time spent reading the dictionary is just time spent not reading/listening to content. I really don't get it.

One can say that reading the dictionary is reading content. Maybe it's just me, but I love reading and using a dictionary, even (or especially) in my native language; there's just something special about them, about learning new words, structures, definitions and synonyms.

gdaxeman Wrote:

nest0r Wrote:People who are fluent in multiple languages don't have these isolated sections in their brains devoted purely to the L2, etc. There's a constant connectivity there at the root, it's just a matter of switching modes, so to speak, once you've built the network.

Yeah, that's what happens with me — the languages I'm fluent in are not isolated at all, and each one helps the other in a positive way. It's possible to change them at will, mix them, use a L3 definition to remember a L1 word, and so on. In some ways it's similar to how, when you are proficient in one thing (say, computers and programming), you can use it where other people who aren't don't (e.g., studying, playing a musical instrument.)

nadiatims Wrote:In 99% of cases, I really don't understand why it's desirable to use a monolingual dictionary and have to read an explanation of a word and then guess in your head what it means, presumedly comparing it to your native language anyway ("Oh it must mean apple!") when you could just get it from a one word definition in a bilingual dictionary, or choose from a handful of definitions based on context.

I wouldn't say 99%, but in many cases it does make sense to use your L1 to remember L2 definitions – that's the whole idea behind mnemonics, that is, to use something you know to encode and retrieve something that you don't know; that's how the human brain usually works best. But, sometimes, people use so much their L1 that they end up not progressing as fast as they could in their L2, or end up with huge holes in their knowledge; they want to use it even when it would be better if they didn't.

I think the real goal with using only your target language without resorting to your native one when studying (monolingualism) is to reach a new level of immersion and comprehension; by doing that you're now not only focusing on specific words and translations but going further, not heavily distracted and constrained by your highly ingrained L1. Maybe it's better to do that when you know your target language reasonably well or else it becomes a huge time sink and ends up being demotivational, but I don't know, it depends on the individual.

nadiatims Wrote:Time spent reading the dictionary is just time spent not reading/listening to content. I really don't get it.

One can say that reading the dictionary is reading content. Maybe it's just me, but I love reading and using a dictionary, even (or especially) in my native language; there's just something special about them, about learning new words, structures, definitions and synonyms.

@gdaxeman

The L1 isn't distracting and constraining, it's focusing and enhancing, unless you're using it in some bizarre way that contrasts with the research that supports its implementation in language study. And a monolingual approach is unnecessary to encourage consistent, increasing usage of the L2. Scholars and teachers already do that logically and in an evidence-based way, alongside L1 usage. Self-students would do well to not rely on anecdotal, extreme guru advice.

The holes in knowledge come from input-only, L2-only approaches, as the papers I've previously linked and quoted have shown.

And if you want to make reading L2 dictionary definitions consulted during reading content, then you'll need it to be comprehensible so you can actually understand it and minimize interruptions from your main reading material, or treat it as its own primary reading material for which you'll want glosses, understandable definitions for unknown words, or deliberate study of those words.

nest0r Wrote:And a monolingual approach is unnecessary to encourage consistent, increasing usage of the L2. Scholars and teachers already do that logically and in an evidence-based way, alongside L1 usage.

I didn't say it's necessary, only that, in my experience, many students tend to spend too much time doing stuff in their L1 and only a couple of minutes doing things in their L2 and never get past that level — to remain in a familiar territory is the default behavior, but maybe also an example where it's better to force yourself out of the default; our brains love to follow the path of least resistance, even if it is detrimental to what we want to accomplish. What I propose is a more a hands-on approach, more time doing and practicing what helps achieving your goals and less time reading about it (although I know sometimes reading is exactly what's necessary, but not to the extent many people think or do.)

nest0r Wrote:The L1 isn't distracting and constraining, it's focusing and enhancing, unless you're using it in some bizarre way that contrasts with the research that supports its implementation in language study.

L1 helps a lot, especially in the first stages, but it also comes to a point where it's unnecessary or even "constraining" as I said, such as when you reach a level where there isn't any good reference materials linking your L2 to your L1 anymore (except dictionaries). That's less apparent when your L1 is English, but it really happens when you start reaching the advanced, near native (but-not-there-yet) levels.

nest0r Wrote:Self-students would do well to not rely on anecdotal, extreme guru advice.

I personally don't rely on any guru-stuff ("sample of 1") or scientific data (most based on questionnaires and short-term tests of isolated variables with 10 to 500 random people*), but on my own experience — what they offer me, though, are ideas for experiments with me as the subject.

* Sample that doesn't include me (well...) and which tend to exclude statistical anomalies, which sometimes are exactly the people we can learn the most from.

nest0r Wrote:The holes in knowledge come from input-only, L2-only approaches, as the papers I've previously linked and quoted have shown.

The holes I'm referring to are more about not being exposed to the way things are done by natives than anything else; it doesn't matter if they're explained using L1 or not, the problem is not even knowing that they exist — which can be caused either by lack of exposure or by lack of access to learning materials covering them.

gdaxeman Wrote:What I propose a more a hands-on approach, more time doing and practicing what helps achieving your goals and less time reading about it (although I know sometimes reading is exactly what's necessary, but not to the extent many people think or do.)

This is common advice in teaching languages, except it's not either/or so you don't have to automatically tack on the “less time reading about it’ stuff, since doing both is key.

gdaxeman Wrote:I personally don't rely on any guru-stuff ("sample of 1") or scientific data (most based on questionnaires and short-term tests of isolated variables with 10 to 500 random people*), but on my own experience — what they offer me, though, are ideas for experiments with me as the subject.

* Sample that doesn't include me (well...) and which tend to exclude statistical anomalies, which sometimes are exactly the people we can learn the most from.

I rely on personal experience and logic, in large part derived from what has been empirically shown to work for decades or longer. And I didn't take you for the sort to rely on guru advice. ;p

gdaxeman Wrote:The holes I'm referring to are more about not being exposed to the way things are done by natives than anything else; it doesn't matter if they're explained using L1 or not, the problem is not even knowing that they exist — which can be caused either by lack of exposure or by lack of access to learning materials covering them.

Those are the types of gaps I'm referring to also, that come about and become entrenched due to bad guesses and poorly understood explanations, for example. The L1 and L2 does matter, in addition to input without explicit focus on the lexical items and grammar. You want reasonable accuracy, and if your L2 knowledge doesn't support this, that's just one problem with forcing L2 only. Avoidance errors corrected through output practice also comes into play here.

nest0r Wrote:This is common advice in teaching languages, except it's not either/or so you don't have to automatically tack on the “less time reading about it’ stuff, since doing both is key.

Definitely; I'm only pointing that out because it's actually what happens with me — if I don't force myself not to use too much the languages I already know, I usually end up consuming all my time doing things that don't help me that much, like watching Youtube videos in Portuguese or whatever. Time spent watching Youtube videos in English and posting comments in Spanish blogs and forums is time spent not studying Chinese, or Japanese for that matter. On the other hand, when I force myself to study Lx using the least amount of L1 (L2 / English in my case), I make so much progress it's amazing. (Today, for example, I'm lazying around doing these extraneous things, and I can see how this can be bad if indulged too much...)

nest0r Wrote:Those are the types of gaps I'm referring to also, that come about and become entrenched due to bad guesses and poorly understood explanations, for example. The L1 and L2 does matter, in addition to input without explicit focus on the lexical items and grammar. You want reasonable accuracy, and if your L2 knowledge doesn't support this, that's just one problem with forcing L2 only. Avoidance errors corrected through output practice also comes into play here.

Now that you've said it, that's why it's great to have a language partner / teacher / tutor who can really point out and correct accurately any mistake we make when we are open to it (that's the key). But I don't think it's necessary to use L1 in this context... but I'm thinking about someone who is advanced enough to hold a high-level conversation and do monolingual stuff yet still has these knowledge gaps, a level one can actually reach reasonably fast with focused self-study done the right way.

Or maybe my view is being colored by my perspective, because when you say L1 I think of something that is not English — and there aren't that many available and accessible speakers of my Lx who are good enough in my L1 (or vice versa) so that they can do this well, at least not that I'm aware of (and, perhaps even worse for the autodidact, not even good learning materials). It doesn't matter specifically for me because I can use my other Ls, but I'm keeping in mind those who can't.

I use L2 when necessary but I have personally never found it helpful to use monolingual dictionaries when I don't really have to. Most of the time I use J-E and it works fine. I don't want to waste time reading entries I might not understand, I just want to see what the word means and go back to my reading.

@nest0r

It's so strange..
You wrote above in one of your entries that if we know L1 and L2 quite well, they are not separated in our brains but in a way coexist. Well, with me it's like I have L1(German, native), L2(English, pretty much native. Can understand all news(paper), writings, essays, novels, can write and speak fluently. 9 years of study.), L3(Russian. I guess the linguistic terminological correct term is "bilingual passive", since I learnt German and Russian at the same time when I was a child from my parents, but due to visiting a German kindergarten and school, where people would look strange at you when you pronounce the typical "r"-Russian sound, I stopped talking Russian. Still, I can read pretty much everything and understand films/news on TV.) and L4 is Japanese, slowly growing.

I feel a bit confused which language to use to learn another language and I have to agree with nadiatims and yudantaiteki, too, that reading some entries f.e. from Kojien that are long and I might not understand takes time and could have no effect in fact. What to do?! Feels like I have a porridge of languages in my head >.<

It doesn't matter what language you learn words in, just do whatever is easiest. All that matters is that the next time you encounter the word in the wild you are able to understand it in context. After you've read some word 50 times in the wild do you really think it makes any difference whether you originally learned it in English or Swahili or sign language or from pictures. It's all the same. It's all just meaning.

nadiatims Wrote:In 99% of cases, I really don't understand why it's desirable to use a monolingual dictionary and have to read an explanation of a word and then guess in your head what it means, presumedly comparing it to your native language anyway ("Oh it must mean apple!") when you could just get it from a one word definition in a bilingual dictionary, or choose from a handful of definitions based on context. Time spent reading the dictionary is just time spent not reading/listening to content. I really don't get it.

- Native dictionaries should in theory provide more accurate definitions and better example sentences than a learner one. Therefore it's desirable to switch to one if you're ready.

- A Dictionary IS content. Time spent reading an English dictionary is just time spent NOT reading a Japanese one.

- Being able to define a word in L2 after reading a dictionary definition will help describe and "talk your way around" words you DON'T know later on. This is an *incredibly* useful skill, and suddenly means you're no longer limited by your vocabulary (or lack of).

- If you're able to understand the monolingual definition, there is no "guessing" involved. If you're not able to understand it, then it highlights a gap in your L2 knowledge, which you can then fill; again useful!

- The point of "going monolingual" according to AJATT is to switch your word definitions in your SRS to Japanese, not necessarily the lookups. More example sentences in your SRS = more exposure + context = more win.

aphasiac Wrote:- Native dictionaries should in theory provide more accurate meanings and better example sentences than a learner one. Therefore it's desirable to switch to one if you're ready.

The definition just needs to be good enough to understand it in context. Words are defined by how they are used in context by native speakers. Dictionaries (monolingual or bilingual) attempt to capture that, but can never be 100% accurate and up to date. Any decent bilingual dictionary will also contain example sentences if necessary.

aphasiac Wrote:- A Dictionary IS content. Time spent reading an English dictionary is just time spent NOT reading a Japanese one.

A dictionary IS content that is less interesting than whatever I'm reading or listening to. Most words can be adequately explained more quickly and concisely in another language. I don't need a re-explanation of a thing/concept/action I already understand.

aphasiac Wrote:- Being able to accurately define a word in L2 after reading a dictionary definition will help describe and "talk your way around" words you DON'T know later on. This is an *incredibly* useful skill, and suddenly means you're no longer limited by your vocabulary (or lack of).

My ability to talk my way around words I don't know will increase along with increases in my general language level. Dictionaries aren't the only sources of explanatory language. Growing my vocabulary quickly will allow me to better talk my way around words I don't know because I'll have more words in my arsenal and also make it less likely that I even need to.

aphasiac Wrote:- If you're able to understand the monolingual definition, there is no "guessing" involved surely?

Assuming you know all the words well, which is unlikely if you're a learner. But even if you do, it's still quicker in most cases to just use a bilingual definition. Monolingual dictionaries are useful when you don't understand an obscure word and require an explanation.

aphasiac Wrote:- The point of "going monolingual" according to AJATT is to switch your word definitions in your SRS to Japanese, not necessarily the lookups. More example sentences in your SRS = more exposure + context = more win.

More example sentences in your SRS = more exposure + context in the srs = more time in srs = less time reading/listening/conversing = less win

nadiatims Wrote:The definition just needs to be good enough to understand it in context. Words are defined by how they are used in context by native speakers. Dictionaries (monolingual or bilingual) attempt to capture that, but can never be 100% accurate and up to date. Any decent bilingual dictionary will also contain example sentences if necessary.

A dictionary definiton and example IS context; and is probably going to be the simplest most concise one you encounter. A native dictionary is more likely to capture accurate "real-world" up to date meaning than a learner one.

nadiatims Wrote:My ability to talk my way around words I don't know will increase along with increases in my general language level. Dictionaries aren't the only sources of explanatory language. Growing my vocabulary quickly will allow me to better talk my way around words I don't know because I'll have more words in my arsenal and also make it less likely that I even need to.

Actually explaining a word is a skill that needs to be trained, even in your L1 language. Trust me, I'm now working as an English teacher and today I had to define the following words (amongst others) in simple English to my ESL students:

Underwear, Vine, However, Per, History, Place, Confident

Give it a try; can you define them in your L2? How about in your L1? (remember no synonyms allowed..)

The main issue I had is exactly the opposite issue you have; I know exactly how to use all of these words *in context*, but it was tough to *describe* them in simple enough English. Trust me, using a dictionary definition is often the easiest way - and that requires re-reading their definitions. Why not do that in your L2 and get better language skills at the same time?

nadiatims Wrote:More example sentences in your SRS = more exposure + context in the srs = more time in srs = less time reading/listening/conversing = less win

The point of using an SRS is to simulate exposure to uncommon words and grammar patterns in the wild. If you're getting enough exposure that you don't need to use one, then it's possible you're an extremely high level and we're operating on different wavelengths; maybe my points don't apply to you?

aphasiac Wrote:- The point of "going monolingual" according to AJATT is to switch your word definitions in your SRS to Japanese, not necessarily the lookups. More example sentences in your SRS = more exposure + context = more win.

I used to have both English and Japanese definitions, but aside from occasionally using the monolingual ones to initially learn the words, they were just 15MB of unused, messy bulk. I replaced them with a link to 大辞林, which seldom gets used unless I have no example sentence for the word, or it's an awkwardly translated non-noun. For me, 大辞林 is there to provide clarity when bi-lingual dictionaries (with 例文) leave unanswered questions.

I'm sure if you did spend the time jumping around J-J definitions, it would benefit your Japanese, just like jumping around news articles, 2ch, or 文字チャット on Shared Talk would. The problem is that it's incredibly uninteresting, pointlessly challenging for lower-level students, and massively time-consuming. "According to AJATT" translates to something like "for those who spend 5-10 hours a day studying Japanese," so it doesn't really matter what you say after it, because it's likely to work if you give it that much time. The rest of us are required to bring some level of efficiency to our studies, and don't value the inane, unsubstantiated principles of some overzealous, manipulative internet blogger..