Kanji Learning Tips Anyone?

[mooingmage]

SO um, I'm trying to learn kanji and I'm looking around for a bunch of methods on the most effective way of going about learning them but I'm still a bit lost hehe

I want to be able to read, write and pronounce the kanji. I've looked to studying Heisig's book but it seems to only focus on it's meaning instead of looking at the on and kun pronunciations. If you have any sorts of tips, methods and useful resources on learning kanji that you'd like to share I would really appreciate it >u<!

[Down]

You can look up the resources in the Let's Learn Japanese Together thread. One method I know of is kanjidamage, though be aware the guy has a rather weird and informal writing style.

Most known one and used on the forum is Heisig's, because as you'll soon realize, trying to learn at once the writing, the meaning AND the different readings of the kanjis is a reaaaaaaaaally exhausting task. Maybe not for the first few dozens, but soon enough it's just a mess and you end up focusing on one specific thing. You'll learn the readings later through vocabulary grinding anyway.

In all the cases, the use of flash cards (with Anki for example) seems mandatory to me.

[mooingmage]

You can look up the resources in the Let's Learn Japanese Together thread. One method I know of is kanjidamage, though be aware the guy has a rather weird and informal writing style.

Most known one and used on the forum is Heisig's, because as you'll soon realize, trying to learn at once the writing, the meaning AND the different readings of the kanjis is a reaaaaaaaaally exhausting task. Maybe not for the first few dozens, but soon enough it's just a mess and you end up focusing on one specific thing. You'll learn the readings later through vocabulary grinding anyway.

In all the cases, the use of flash cards (with Anki for example) seems mandatory to me.

UWAAH That's so true! Maybe I'll try focusing on meaning for a while then ; o ; !! I usually feel kind of empty not being able to read and pronounce the kanji but maybe reading and just understanding the kanji is enough at a beginning stage- After all, the kanji's pronounciation changes depending on the kanji and other kana next to it. HMMM I'll take this little thing in consideration~! Thanks so much >u<!

[Mephisto]

Lots of stuff to use... Although Tae Kim doesn't really focus much on the Kanjis, his lessons use a lot of the ones that you need to know, and it uses them in context.

http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/

Heisig's method is okay for learning some of the kanji, but yeah, you won't learn the readings that way. (Which is extremely important IMO)

Here's a link that Down posted on my thread, and I think it's very useful. It follows the Chinese way of teaching (or maybe it's just the traditional way, idk)

http://chokochoko.wordpress.com/the-great-library/

Basically, you read a story, and you're expected to know some of the words. For ones they think you may not know, there are notes at the bottom that tell you what they mean. It's useful for learning phrases/interjections, as well as some of the Kanji. Just make sure you're writing them down as well, instead of just reading them, or it may not stick as effectively.

Note: Since you are reading a passage, you are expected to know some grammar. Tae Kim is amazing for grammar.

I think zoom may have a list of most frequently used Kanji words, and you could try force-studying from that, but force studying is always painful.

[Down]

I think zoom may have a list of most frequently used Kanji words, and you could try force-studying from that, but force studying is always painful.

Jisho.org is an online dictionary that has that, on the page of each kanji you'll have its ranking according to the official "the most 2000 used kanjis in japanese newspapers" or something.

[mooingmage]

Lots of stuff to use... Although Tae Kim doesn't really focus much on the Kanjis, his lessons use a lot of the ones that you need to know, and it uses them in context.

http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/

Heisig's method is okay for learning some of the kanji, but yeah, you won't learn the readings that way. (Which is extremely important IMO)

Here's a link that Down posted on my thread, and I think it's very useful. It follows the Chinese way of teaching (or maybe it's just the traditional way, idk)

http://chokochoko.wordpress.com/the-great-library/

Basically, you read a story, and you're expected to know some of the words. For ones they think you may not know, there are notes at the bottom that tell you what they mean. It's useful for learning phrases/interjections, as well as some of the Kanji. Just make sure you're writing them down as well, instead of just reading them, or it may not stick as effectively.

Note: Since you are reading a passage, you are expected to know some grammar. Tae Kim is amazing for grammar.

I think zoom may have a list of most frequently used Kanji words, and you could try force-studying from that, but force studying is always painful.

UWAAH I've actually been trying to find a resource like chokochoko! I've been wanting to practice my reading skills //andalsoreadingchildren'sstories so this is really amazing aaah Thanks so much! I actually do take japanese lessons so I'm familiar with some grammar but we don't really study kanji so I've been wanting to focus my attention to that too hehe.

[zoom909]

Interesting, we were just talking about this on chat yesterday. Here are my suggestions, ymmv:

a. learn kanji in order of most frequently occurring. Basic Japanese grading system should suffice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%8Diku_kanji)

b. try starting with flashcards for first few hundred kanji. Learn them a little at a time, in groups of 10 or 20 or 30 etc. Better yet, make the flashcards yourself, carefully writing each kanji onto one side of the card.

c. instead of learning all the readings, try just learning the most common meaning plus the most common reading. For example, the kanji when it stands alone, or followed by hiragana.

d. once you start getting "used to" learning kanji, start learning the kanji that go with vocabulary words you've learned (flashcards with kanji compounds or kanji+hiragana on them). May want to switch to computer flashcards once cards become numerous.

e. read as you go, using manga or some other Japanese with furigana by the kanji. Pay attention to the kanji you see, it will help put them in context.

f. sooner or later you will have to know every kanji meaning and every reading, including the dreaded On readings, particularly amongst the kyouiku kanji. Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary really helped me get on the right path with that.

As for writing the kanji correctly/proper penmanship...I don't write much kanji, and most Japanese people don't much anymore either (spoiled by email and cell phone mail, you see). But I just googled for "how to write kanji" and immediately I saw some sites where they showed you the stroke order

Edited March 20, 2013 by zoom909

[CartmanJr]

I've been wanting to practice my reading skills

A lot of people recommend reading Yotsubato. This pack here http://www.livingjapanese.com/p/reading-pack.html comes with Anki cards and pdfs containing the vocab used in volume 1, it is pay what you want so if you don't have any money then you can grab it for free and give money later.

[zoom909]

Jisho.org is an online dictionary that has that, on the page of each kanji you'll have its ranking according to the official "the most 2000 used kanjis in japanese newspapers" or something.

Yeah, mine is actually taken from novels, and I'll post it on here a little later, but I don't recommend it for beginners

[Ryoji]

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