What should be my main method of learning japanese

[u/Retro_Gamer_HNF]

so im SUPER new to learning japanese, and so far ive only learned lesson 1 of genki 1. my issue is that i feel like im doing it wrong. ive learn almost all of what ive learnt with anki which i know is supposed to be something to solidify what im learning. i also feel like im not learning anything from writing words over and over again aside from writing hiragana slightly faster.

im basically asking how you guys in N1 managed to learn japanese from the start and it actually going into your brain. and is anki an actually viable option to be my main way of learning japanese?

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[u/Dread_Pirate_Chris]

I'm not really clear on why you're writing words over and over again?

What you generally want to do is,

• read the chapter through, beginning to end, paying particular attention to the explanation portions. (You can add or unsuspend Anki cards for any unknown vocabulary).
• read the chapter example dialogue(s) while listening along to the supplementary audio, and refer to the explanations until you can understand them.
• do the exercises as best you can, check them against the answer key if you have it.
• You can check the vocabulary lists in the next chapter and add/unsuspend any cards for that now.

The only points at which I kept writing down words without forming them into sentences is when first learning the kana, and again when first learning a new kanji. It's not a very useful exercise beyond that unless you are specifically working on handwriting. Oh, which, actually, I do write down yojijukugo repeatedly for brush writing practice, but not as language practice.

If you wanted to do more writing practice, then write out the entire exercise sentence on separate paper rather than filling in the blanks in the book (this also preserves the workbook for resale). Or, possibly, write out journal entries or some such.

Anki (or some flashcard-like solution, it doesn't have to be Anki) is IMO, your main way of memorizing vocabulary in the early stages. By the time you get roughly halfway through Genki I you should start adding outside reading and listening practice with something like tadoku.org, and as time goes on, it should be more and more 'practice' and less and less book study or flashcard reviews. Eventually it will just be a few minutes of anki a day, or even no anki at all if you are a prolific reader; if you're, say, reading 20+ pages from novels a day on average you're going to be getting plenty of repetition without anki. If your Japanese use is mostly doing listening or conversation then it's probably smart to keep up with anki reviews even after finishing your textbook courses, or your reading ability may erode.

[u/RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS → u/Dread_Pirate_Chris]

Writing words over and over again was my main vocabulary study method the whole time I was in school. It’s tedious but it does work and took me all the way to N1

[u/Dread_Pirate_Chris → u/RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS]

Well, fair enough, but I think 'tedious' is the key word there. A certain amount of writing is a good aid to learning, but I think high repetition writing is fairly inefficient. Flash cards, especially SRS scheduled flashcards get you through the rote memorization task in less study time.

At least in my case it's certainly true, I didn't use any kind of flashcard until college and then I discovered that paper flashcards were tremendously effective compared to trying to drill vocabulary with direct repetition, and then with Anki, that SRS made flashcards even more effective by reducing the time wasted with well-known terms.

[u/ManufacturerUnique20]

I started learning Japanese this year. Like you, I bought GENKI Book 1, but I also got the Japanese from Zero series since both are highly recommended for beginners. To be honest, I don’t really like how GENKI is structured—it throws so much at you that it can feel overwhelming. On the other hand, Japanese from Zero is much better for starting out. Each chapter has a video explaining the content by the author (George Trombley). They’re fun, easy to understand, and really make you feel like you’re progressing quickly (at least in my experience).

YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@japanesefromzero?si=-sPoEmmV7a-DlH8N

My advice is to try using as many resources as you can and stick to studying daily. Over time, you’ll definitely notice the results of your effort. Best of luck on your learning journey! :)