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What resources are you all using to learn Japanese?

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Posted by Jared

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It seems like everyone I am talking to is using different ways and resources to teach themselves Japanese. I can't afford to take classes so I am curious if there are better ways than my own to learn the language.

Currently, my resources are:
  • WaniKani - It teaches Kanji using mnemonics and spaced repetition. It has helped me a lot besides just straight up remembering the Kanji. Although some of the mnemonics are wack. It is free up to level 4 then after you have to subscribe. Even if you don't subscribe, it teaches you 55% of the Kanji in the JLPT N5
  •  Jakeipuu - It's an app version for Wanikani, you just pair it up. I do like going on the computer better for it though. I just use it if I'm traveling or I can't study that day
  • LingoDeer - Wayy better than Duolingo btw. It gives you courses on Japanese with each lesson having its subject, vocabulary, then a reading and speaking section. A lot of people use it wrong though and think they can just do the lessons and call it a day. You have to read and study the learning tips then the vocabulary and remember the kanji for them. The reading and speaking will seem difficult at first and fly over your head but as you progress you'll notice patterns. I read up on the learning tips and study the vocab while, repeating the lesson and its review for about a week. The first few lessons are super easy though so I didn't really follow that schedule till later. The app version is better than the computer because there are 5 min quizzes and custom grammar and vocab reviews. There is a subscription for LingoDeer but, I got it as a gift. But close to Christmas, they have a sale for the lifetime subscription. The original price is $200 but the sale knocks it down to $75, so it is definitely worth it
  • https://www.tanoshiijapanese.com/dictionary/ - I use this website to memorize the stroke order of any kanji I come upon
I hope I helped some of you out with this and thank you for reading! If anyone else has any other or better resources please post it below



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rev's profile picture

Reply by rev

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I’m looking to study abroad and what I’ve been using is DuoLingo


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⭐⊹ jaypursume !'s profile picture

Reply by ⭐⊹ jaypursume !

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nice list!! i've heard great things about LingoDeer!! personally, i use...

Renshuu - a mobile app and website ; currently learning hiragana and katakana with it - very intuitive and gamifies the process!! there is a tab for mnemonics other users have came up with to remember each sound each character makes, which i find very useful!! i find it a LOT more beneficial than Duolingo, at least for me!!

+...

Anki - a mobile app and desktop application ; uses flashcards that you can create yourself, or download from other users!! :D - i'm using this to learn words and phrases - but there's decks available for all aspects of language learning :)

neither have ads or subscriptions!!


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Angel's profile picture

Reply by Angel

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I'm using Renshuu and OTO Navi! Renshuu is a really helpful mobile app that helps with studying Japanese. And OTO Navi is an app that plays the audio cues in the Japanese textbooks to help with practice. I used it for the Genki Elementary 1 Textbook when I took Japanese class last year for college. It was fun! 


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Dandy Leon (彈帝獅)'s profile picture

Reply by Dandy Leon (彈帝獅)

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Almost 20 years ago, I used Zhongwen, a site originally meant to be used to learn Mandarin Chinese, to try to learn the meaning of any kanji I was curious about. I wouldn't know the Japanese pronunciation, but at least I'd understand it.

Since 2005, video games have been my single biggest motivation and method of learning Japanese. Once I learned kana, that was basically it. I started out by playing the original Japanese versions of games like Shining Force and Phantasy Star, then moved onto games never released outside the country. A lot of my early vocabulary using that method was science and military (from Godzilla and Gamera) and fantasy (Shining Force, Fire Emblem, etc.). Playing games within the Shin Megami Tensei franchise introduced me to a lot of (especially mythological) words that cannot be neatly translated into English.

I also learned a lot of words simply by going onto Wikipedia, then setting the page's language (if available) to Japanese because it very frequently tells you how anything rendered in kanji is pronounced.

Karaoke or anything with Japanese-language captions is an excellent way of learning how the kanji are pronounced. 

I'm not going to downplay it, Japanese an extremely difficult language to learn. The only reason it's made easier is because their pop culture is so vast and linked to technology. If another country had a similar and equally-rich culture of video games and very good animation, I would be fluent in their language by now.


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