Jarvik7 wrote:
Hopefully if there are links to Japanese dictionaries, it'll be to something other than EDICT.
I am using EDICT, though external links are possible, I need to work with the data from the dictionary. To my knowledge EDICT is the only Japanese dictionary available that you can feed into a database.
Is there something in particular you don't like with EDICT? I would be interested to know.
For the purposes of sentence reviews, I think EDICT will do the job nicely. You lookup any words from the sentence, they get "tied" to the sentence, and help you understand the meaning of the sentence. Hence, you enter the original Japanese sentence, lookup the words, and you're done. If the sentence is complex, you could add some explanation in the description (answer) field, but it is not necessary most of the time. Additionally, the dictionary provides the exact readings, so there is no need to enter the readings either.
I think where EDICT doesn't provide enough details or not a very accurate meaning, it won't stop the user from getting a correct understanding of the sentence as a whole. By that I mean, EDICT can provide multiple meanings, and often does, for many of the frequent Japanese words. But since we get the word from a sentence, which meaning applies should be straightforward. Those cases where there is still doubt, I expect most serious learners to have a dictionary at hand. My goal is to make the process of entering sentences as easy as possible, considering that it's painfully slow already to read or collect the sentences in the first place.
Another interesting avenue, is a lookup on Heisig's primitives. As a beginner myself, I find that looking up words for which you don't know the reading yet; and where it is not given, is a major slowdown. I've got a basic search working with Heisig's primitives which I want to integrate in the sentence editor as well, but later.
nwatkins wrote:
How is the initial database populated and maintained?
It is meant to be populated by users. This section will very likely require more administration than the site currently does, we will see. People can add sentences coming from anywhere, it could be from a Japanese novel, or it could be some lyrics from an anime, or a Japanese DVD subtitle, videogame text... whatever the user fancies.
How can we guarantee the quality of the sentences? Basically there's two approaches : the user trusts what is shared, or trusts some other users who have prepared "sentence packs". If the creator indicates clearly the source (a field is provided for that purpose alone), then you can more or less trust that the material is correct, unless there were some typo.
If the creator does not take time to indicate the source, but still shares the sentences (this will be intentionally shared, as in the kanji stories), then you might not want to use the sentences, not knowing where they come from.
This is a learning site, with a clear implication that a typical user *doesn't know*, and as with any learning source, a degree of trust required.
Of course you can enter every sentence yourself. Given that this system lets you learn sentences from the very material that you enjoy, most people will want to enter their own sentences from their own sources.
Sharing is not the primary feature. Sharing adds value and more possibilities, but the primary use for the sentence review is to enter your own sentences from your own material.
