One method of studying vocab and kanji for Japanese class was the notecard method. You make notecards of all of the kanji (one per notecard) and keep going through them, quizzing yourself on one side and checking yourself with the other, and shuffling after completing the deck. This was great. For my short-term memory. After the test, I would promptly forget them because I needed to make room (in my short-term memory) for the next batch of words or characters. It was frustrating to me (and I'm sure my teachers) that I couldn't remember what certain kanji or Japanese words meant, even though I recognized them. Well, I'm here to tell you what I think the solution is. Now, by all means, if you can retain things via the notecard method, please feel free to continue to do so. But for other people, here's an alternative. Simply put: learn the (kanji, vocab, etc.) in context. Now, what do I mean by that? I mean that it is up to you (or perhaps if your teacher is really nice) to learn the kanji by learning in a word, or even better, a sentence that uses it in a word. For example, if you are learning the kanji 学, and you know the readings are まな・ガク・ガッ, why would you go through the trouble of trying to learn it individually when you can learn more and make it easier on yourself?! (unless your teacher is a demon in disguise and makes you learn the individual on and kun readings for tests, in which case, I'm sorry) You can put that kanji in a few words to help you remember the different readings of it: 学ぶ (まな・ぶ)to learn 学生 (がくせい)student 学校 (がっこう)school Now this is good and all, but it would be better if you learned it in a better context, like a sentence: 学校で、学生はいろいろ学ぶことをします。 At school, student(s) learn various things. Now, you don't have to put them all into the same sentence, but if you create a sentence that uses one each that's great! 1) because you are the one creating it, you will remember it more easily, and 2) it is kind of fun to say that you are able to use the kanji in a sentence when you are only supposed to know it's meaning! The fun part is when you get your friends who are also learning Japanese to help each other come up with hilarious or unique/creative sentences that use the kanji--and you will remember it even better!
For example: こわいい学校で、学生たちはばけもののクラスにゴジラを学びました。 (At the scary school, students learned about Godzilla in the monster class.) I mean, that was pretty tame, and I'm sure you could come up with better ones, but I think you get the picture. :) Let me know in the comments below what sentences you came up with and if you have other tips to learning a language!
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Myself
Video blogger and now a blogger as well. My life in Japan has changed me for the better. However, it wasn't easy... Archives
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