Kanji in Context
Submitted by Urthona on Thu, 09/25/2008 - 00:41
Could someone explain how they used Kanji in Context in depth? I tried to open the mnemosyne cards in my version and it wouldn't import correctly. I have the books, so I'm trying to find an effective way to do 4-5 lessons a week. I know a couple hundred Kanji and if I were to take the 4-kyuu test, I could pass easily from the practice ones I've done. So, I'm somewhere between 4 and 3 at the moment.
.
Is this written entirely in
Is this written entirely in japanese?
I found japanese written books directed towards gaijins very helpful to me.
Thank you
The workbooks are entirely
The workbooks are entirely in Japanese. The reference book has English translations for the vocab words. However, the book is directed toward serious foreign learners (obviously, Japanese people don't need such a book).
The advantage of the workbooks being entirely in Japanese is that you can focus on Japanese idioms and grammar without worrying about the translations. Of course, you have to be at the intermediate level to do this.
Cheers,
Kaeru
Still unsure how you use your Kanji in Context decks
I've downloaded the first Mnemosyne deck you've made for Kanji in Context but still am not quite sure how you used it.
From what I gather the question is a full sentence and the answer is one compound/word from the sentence with it's definition(s).
Could you explain the following?
1- How you can one tell which compound/word in the question is being tested?
2- Why are the answers in Japanese? Unless you already know Japanese you can't understand the explanation (chicken and egg problem).
Thanks,
Jc
1 You can tell which
1 You can tell which compound is being tested as you go through the book. Since you're using the book to make the deck, it should be obvious as you go through. If you don't know some of the other compounds on the card, you can always add furigana as you enter them, and make separate cards to test those as well.
2 I kept the answers in Japanese because I thought that would be more helpful to me in the long run. If you wanted English, you could always add the English yourself. This is the advantage of making the cards yourself-- your deck can match your interest and abilities 100%.
Regards
Kaeru
I explained how I used Kanji
I explained how I used Kanji in Context at the bottom of this page:
http://www.nihongoperapera.com/reviews/kanji-in-context.html
If you're having trouble importing in Mnemosyne, try opening the file up in a word processor or text editor that supports Japanese.
If you have any more questions, just let me know.
Regards,
Kaeru
Quick question about
Quick question about entering the Workbook lessons into your SRS. Did you just use the sample sentences in section 3 of each lesson? Or did you enter everything, ie the related words, general usage etc presented in sections 1 and 2?
I entered what I didn't know
I entered what I didn't know before getting the books, thought would be useful, and understood. I didn't just blindly memorize everything in the book, as I don't think that's terribly helpful in the long run. However, a lot of the idioms in the first section are quite useful, perhaps even moreso than the example sentences.
Kaeru
first of all, very nice work
first of all, very nice work on a great website!
ive been studying japanese (and culture) for four years to earn a bachelors degree, but i still need a lot of studying to reach level 1.
however, you gave me great insight in books had never heard of. fortunately i found 2 copies of the workbook 1 and 2 of Kanji in context in the university library. unfortunately they didnt have the reference book.
would you suggest to buy it from amazon jp or can i live without it? what are the key elements ill be missing out on? is it just the official 1900 or so kanji?
cheers and keep up the great work!
Well, of course you should
Well, of course you should try it without it first. The reference book simply lists the kanji in the order of the workbooks and gives their readings plus about ten vocabulary words (most of which are used in the workbook) plus their readings and English translations (of each word).
If you find that you are constantly reaching for your dictionary when using the workbook, then I'd buy the book from Amazon; it certainly is a lot faster to look them up using that since the reference book follows the workbook order exactly.
Cheers,
Kaeru
so it just lists the kanji
so it just lists the kanji and thats it?