How I'd Learn Japanese (if starting over)

Video Description

In short, I would try to: --- 1) Create a "sacred study hour" that I can consistently show up for (almost) every day for a long stretch of time (multiple years). In other words, I'd set up an airtight study routine that I love. --- 2) During my study hour, I'd use a "core study material". This is a low-effort content pipeline that, first and foremost, is aimed at increasing my general comprehension of the language quickly and efficiently. While I would of course recommend NativShark (https://nativshark.com/) for it, I'm a founder, so I'm biased. There are other options, they are just a little messier, involve more material-hopping, etc. For example, you could use an Anki deck with lots of sentences, look up grammar/kanji you don't know when you encounter them, then work toward being able to understand all of those sentences, then switch to a new deck (or native material, if you have a solid enough foundation) when you are finished with that. The deck that features a relatively nice layout and content in the video is actually one that we used to sell on NihongoShark (NativShark's predecessor) several years ago. It was uploaded to Anki shared decks: https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/126242908 . Not everyone can afford NativShark, and if you're going to use an Anki deck, that one has high-quality sentences, audio, links to lessons, etc. I don't have room in this description to explain in detail the logic behind all the ways I would NOT use an Anki deck. Very short version: 2.1. minimize info on cards — long explanations in flashcards make reviews take way too long, are distracting, don't help much, etc. 2.2. no marking cards "wrong" — this would result in too many reviews being due each day, which would make my sacred study hour miserable. In any case, content in a language repeats naturally, so SRS algorithms have limited (but not zero) benefit. Don't over-rely on them! 2.3. 15 mins. reviews max — same ↑ 2.4. no kanji cards — reading words in sentences will teach me kanji better than kanji-specific flashcards. 2.5. no grammar cards — same reason we want minimal info on cards. You can just look up grammar you forget/don't know. But the sentences in your deck should have a wide variety of grammar, which is pretty natural if you have a good/large deck of high-quality sentences. 2.6. no production — no speaking or writing practice. Not during the core-studies hour. My goal during this hour is to improve comprehension fast. But production is not a fast way to improve comprehension. Also, I wouldn't be consistent if I had all that pressure during my sacred study hour. I would find excuses to skip it. 2.7. no drills — aside from the fact that, contrary to what language courses might lead one to believe, a language is very resistant to being put into multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank exercises, this is not a fast way to increase comprehension. --- 3) Everything! I'd get lots of exposure to natural Japanese in contexts that interest me. No pressure. I'd also get speaking practice here, outside my 1 hour of core studies. --- Event Horizon, here we come! If you have questions, please leave a comment. Another option is to visit our Discord: https://discord.gg/nativshark In there, people can give more recommendations for core/non-core study materials and tactics. Lots of members are not using NativShark (https://nativshark.com/)— everyone is welcome. If you are interested in NativShark or why it qualifies as a "core study material", I would recommend checking out our documentation: https://help.nativshark.com/ --- The Japanese we studied at the end is from this video: https://youtu.be/HBfmitxIRXc?si=8eIGao7sKHKNJ4Lg The sentence was: 無理なく、焦らず、でも物件探しは一生懸命やっていただきたいなっていう風には思いますね。 The way I think of it is, I want to do my best to find new properties, but without rushing or pushing myself too hard. 無理なく (むりなく / without pushing [myself] too hard) 焦らず (あせらず / without rushing) でも (but) 物件探し (ぶっけんさがし / searching for properties) は ([topic marker]) 一生懸命 (いっしょうけんめい / with all one's might; doing one's best) やって (do [Vて form]) いただきたい (want to [humbly] receive) な ([introspective particle]) っていう ([marks preceding content]) 風に (way of [doing]) は ([topic marker]) 思います (think [Vます form]) ね (right?; huh?; you know?) Hope you enjoyed this one. ​Good luck with your studies! Feel free to reach out if you hit any speed bumps along the way. ^_^ Code: 2SBLYSOV3MF3TREP Japan icons in thumbnail created by Freepik - Flaticon (https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/japan)