Thanks for the links, I'll definitely be using some of these. Most of the sentence decks I have are too unnatural for everyday conversation.

Yay, Liar Game

I'm not sure what your Japanese level is, but I'm guessing those painful cards were beginner's level. Beginner's level grammar/vocabulary is used so frequently that there's really no need for an SRS (at least long term). I've always found SRS VERY useful for words that don't show up too often.

My Japanese progressed amazingly fast too, so I feel I have a similar "problem" as you. I started learning Japanese last year during April, and I'm now reading novels, newspapers, etc. Very close or right at a JLPT1 passing level.

I found that cards for the first weeks were pretty good, but then once the interval got over a month or two, then popped up again, my Japanese level had gone way past it.

If there's mistakes in those cards, I just delete it. If it's just simply too easy, or something I'm exposed to daily, I just hit easy. After a few easy-pushes, it'll be sent into the years. You've already read the card, so hitting delete and easy really isn't that much time difference, and you'll send that card off so far in the future it might as well have been deleted.

I also use a very similar method when adding new cards that are too easy. I set the original interval for something like 2 weeks, then hit easy each time. The reason I add them (and keep cards) at all is sometimes I might forget it, or more frequently I understand the card at a much deeper meaning at a later time.

Then I do "normal" SRSing for the "advanced" vocabulary/idioms/etc. For example I added 慈悲 just now, and I'll be spacing that normally. I'm not sure how frequent it's actually used, but in my reading/listening, it's not too frequent. If it becomes too easy later on, easy easy easy!

I wrote way more than I was originally planning... I must have SRS reviews I'm avoiding

Grinkers wrote:

wccrawford wrote:

Sadly, those links say the files aren't available.

I was able to download the .anki file just fine.

After a quick look through the deck, most of the vocabulary and sentence structures are things you'd be exposed to at least once every week or two if you're constantly listening/reading to new Japanese material. I can see why those cards are painful to review!

Odd.  I still get it.

"The file you are trying to access is temporarily unavailable."

I live in Japan, so I can write/speak almost as fluently as I can read/listen. I mindlessly use JLPT2 level grammar/vocabulary now, and I'm trying to push towards more specialized styles. I'm currently taking Japanese classes for writing essays, giving speeches, etc.

I really don't think having a large vocabulary, and listening/reading help output very much. By that I mean it's a prerequisite, but not a solution.

I'd recommend continuing the vocabulary expanding, because it's really very limiting when speaking/writing. I was trying to talk about Vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) today, and failed. Not only did I not know what the word was in Japanese (and still don't), I didn't know what the word for blood vessel either! It was basically pure failure, and the cause being limited vocabulary.

As for how to train output, I think doing output is the only way. I'm still in the process of trying to figure out how to push towards native-like writing/speech. My end goal is being able to be unrecognizable from a Japanese native... someday!

Last edited by Grinkers (2010 January 25, 10:27 am)

I'm 100% Japanese, but 3rd generation. My grandparents speak pre-war Japanese, and my parents can listen but not speak. In my house we spoke English, but Japanese was always on the TV, radio, etc. I didn't know any Japanese to a practical level, but I think it helped a lot somehow.

I really don't think deleting a deck is that smart (or even going about mass deleting). Pressing easy a few times really does the trick amazingly well. You won't notice the difference right away, but it'll really clear up pretty quickly.

I think the best part about the "press easy" instead of delete is you could very well be wrong. I forget words that I thought I'd never forget months down the road.

As far as having a vocabulary to speak, I find the most problematic words are the "quirky" words. I can usually describe the word I can't remember, or use a word like it. However sometimes I just get completely stuck. For example describing a pupil isn't too hard, but trying to describe "appendix" would just be hard. I couldn't even do it in English.

I realize these are all "technical" or "specialized" words, but 100% of Japanese know them. So it's really not that specialized, and not knowing them can really put a big halt in the conversation.

Grinkers wrote:

I've just started, but I've found a pretty great source for learning these kind of words, and learn "descriptive" Japanese. Textbooks for Japanese high school students is absolutely amazing. It has lots of examples of descriptive sentences and uses lots of "specialized" vocabulary. To top it off they're only like 300 yen!

Where are you getting them?  I managed to find some elementary books at an event here in Orlando, but I'd love to be able to purchase some school books online.

Oh, and thanks!  I got the files!

Last edited by wccrawford (2010 January 25, 11:30 am)

Wow, this looks like it'll be really useful.
Thanks!

nice more resources for sentences. Thanks a lot Icecream!

aphasiac wrote:

Why not make a few Japanese friends then, and practise output that way? Stick an ad on sharedtalk.com or Gumtree - you're definitely advanced enough to start making friends and speaking, and thats your main goal so what's stopping you?!

Depending on where you live, meeting Japanese people (yes, in real life) is another possibility. If you're enrolled at a university, this is incredibly simple, and if you're not, then it isn't especially difficult to find cultural events or places frequented by Japanese people either. There's a marked difference between talking to people online and spending time with them in real life. For example, I doubt I would've learned proper table manners had I not eaten meals with my Japanese friends. If understanding the culture matters to you, then it's important to find those who can share it with you.

wccrawford wrote:

Where are you getting them?  I managed to find some elementary books at an event here in Orlando, but I'd love to be able to purchase some school books online.

If by schoolbooks you mean textbooks, they cannot be bought (normally) since they are provided to students free using tax money (the price written on the back is ０円). I have 20 or so texts I've scrounged up, including a full set of all highschool textbooks (courtesay of gf who graduated HS a couple years ago), a couple elementary kokugo texts, and all the kokugo texts for middle school. I had a full set of elementary kokugo texts scanned into my computer but I lost them due to a faulty external hdd enclosure corrupting the drive.

They can be found on yahoo auctions but they are usually pretty old (50+ years) and sold as antiques. There is also a site I found selling them cheaply, but I don't know how legit they are: http://www.kyokasho.jp/

I'd love to get that set of elementary texts back, but it's not worth buying to me since I could read a whole one in like 10 minutes.

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2010 January 27, 7:57 am)

IceCream wrote:

I guess, just trying to do more on lang 8, and maybe try to find some people to chat online would be a good start though... ^_^

sharedtalk.com. Chat to random strangers; if it goes badly, meh just fall back and talk in English. Doesn't matter what you say or if you screw up, you'll probably never speak to them again.

Thanks for the deck. It is @%$@$ awesome! I finished SRS all of the jyoyou kanji and I've done about 1400 core 2000 sentences but when I listen to this deck I understand about 5% lol. It really puts me in my place ^^

wccrawford wrote:

Where are you getting them?  I managed to find some elementary books at an event here in Orlando, but I'd love to be able to purchase some school books online.

I have no idea what the copyright laws are like in Japan, but in Canada, as soon as a school textbook goes out of print (i.e. they start making a new edition) you are free to copy the out of print textbook in its entirety.

So, it might be worth looking at google books (if you know an out of print title) or somewhere similar, you may be able to get a full scanned version for free.