| The last post provided a couple of applications to start | | | | disturb the flow of his web-based reading with opening |
| bringing your Japanese learning into reality, with a | | | | up other applications or looking in paper dictionaries. |
| useful SRS application to review kanji, and a | | | | With this plug-in, when viewing a web page through |
| web-based application to help build word power. This | | | | Firefox, as you hover over any Japanese text with |
| article shares both more ways of bringing your | | | | your cursor, Rikaichan will select any possible |
| Japanese learning into the realistic domain, and | | | | combinations of words it detects on the cursor, and |
| introduces an application to help you read real | | | | pops up in a blue box possible dictionary definitions of |
| Japanese on the web, either in email, or on web pages. | | | | the selection. This allows the user, with a decent |
| Sharedtalk | | | | understanding of Japanese grammar, to read almost |
| Chat programmes provide a great way to start putting | | | | anything put in front of him, even with quite a low level |
| your learning into practice. Despite putting a lot of | | | | of vocabulary. Forward emails to Gmail, or documents |
| effort into studying, it can still be quite scary to enter | | | | to Google docs, and you can also read them with |
| realistic situations with Japanese, and the endless | | | | Rikaichan through Firefox. |
| possibilities that you can encounter in "the wild" with the | | | | "10,000 Sentences" |
| language. To start with, it can be useful to start | | | | 10,000 Sentences is a method advocated by |
| practicing via chat programmes, as this both gives you | | | | Khatzumoto of AJATT for learning grammar, |
| time to consider a response, and also allows you to | | | | vocabulary, and everything else all at once, rather than |
| look up words you don't understand, providing the | | | | trying to learn it in bits, like most books advocate. The |
| chance to have realistic conversation, even at a | | | | thinking behind this is is that the rules of grammar, all |
| lower-intermediate level. Even at higher levels MSN is | | | | the bits that put a sentence together, are far too |
| useful as a way of increasing reading speed and word | | | | difficult to learn in isolation, and the problems contrived |
| power, with less of a danger of miscommunication. | | | | to teach the points are usually unrealistic and lead to |
| Sharedtalk is a site that provides both a chat client, as | | | | stilted Japanese. Rather than taking this traditional |
| well as a "meeting place" for language exchange. | | | | approach, if you can gather 10,000 sentences of |
| Language exchange is the process of two or more | | | | information that you are personally INTERESTED in, |
| people meeting each other, with the aim of sharing | | | | and want to understand, and if you bombard yourself |
| their native languages and getting the chance to speak | | | | with enough of it, eventually, the grammar, the words, |
| with someone who uses another language. Usually, the | | | | everything will start to sink in as a whole, and natural |
| people who take part in language exchange are in the | | | | Japanese will result. Being interested in the content is |
| same boat as you, and are pretty tolerant of your | | | | important for motivation; choose boring stuff, and the |
| language ability, no matter how rough it might be. | | | | brain will shut it out. |
| However, it is important to match with someone of a | | | | Again, 10,000 sentences is a technique that has a |
| similar language level to yourself, otherwise you might | | | | great marriage with Anki, which takes the effort out of |
| find yourself only speaking your own native language! | | | | scheduling the reviews yourself, and keeps your |
| Sharedtalk isn't the only language exchange site out | | | | learning efficient. Plenty of sentence packs are |
| there, but being free, and providing a nice interface, it`s | | | | available through the Anki software to start you on |
| definitely one of the best. | | | | your way. |
| Rikaichan | | | | In the next blog post, ways of studying Japanese on |
| Rikaichan is a pop-up dictionary plug-in for Firefox, and | | | | the move with the iPhone will be discussed. Good luck |
| is quite simply indispensable to the Japanese learner | | | | gathering and learning 10,000 sentences, and don't |
| who is yet to have an extensive vocabulary, or even | | | | forget to download Rikaichan to help with your reading! |
| for the experienced learner who doesn't wish to | | | | |