When I first attempted to learn Japanese I started by studying the Kana. I would try to memorize each one individually and then translate books containing furigana. I soon found myself easily forgetting things. I felt like it was too difficult and I soon gave up.
When I recently decided to try again I began looking for new methods of learning. I found a few forum posts that mentioned using Japanese childrens books and that’s when it suddenly hit me. I was trying to learn the language as an adult, studying the way an adult would study a technical subject. I realized this was all wrong.
So I looked at learning languages from the perspective of a child. When we learn the English alphabet we don’t just study the letters, we associate them with words such as ‘A is for apple, B is for boat..’. So I began to associate the kana with friends names and words from my audio lessons. I also decided that on my previous attempt I was getting ahead of myself. I should first aim to remember words and simple sentences rather than translating my way through a whole book.
I began making paper flashcards containing these words. This soon became a lot of work and the pile was getting unmanageable. So I went looking for a computer based solution and found two posts about Spaced Repetition Systems. I gave Anki a try and that’s when things really took off.
In my next article I will review Anki and explain how I currently get the most out of it.
I’m now looking for somewhere that sells Japanese childrens books to the UK at a reasonable price. So if you know anywhere please let me know.
